Articles

A Chinese Tourist in Jakarta

… Yes, the city is noisy and the traffic chaotic. But the friendliness and warmth of its residents have deeply impressed me. Ethnic Chinese now live in harmony with other Indonesians in Jakarta. The city is friendly and safe for Chinese tourists… <more>

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Museum exhibits rare West Java batik

Batik took to the catwalk Tuesday in a flashy display of modern fashion during the opening of the West Java Batik Exhibition at the Textile Museum in Central Jakarta.

“I thought batik only came from Central Java. I never heard of West Java batik before,” said a visitor to the exhibition, which is being held until Nov. 23. West Java Batik, based on a tradition dating back to 1430, is not as well known as batik from Solo, Yogyakarta and Pekalongan… <more>

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Bird Paradise at Pulau Rambut

Not all of us know about the bird sanctuary in North Jakarta. Well, it is not exactly in Jakarta, but off the mainland on Pulau Rambut, an island to the north. You can get there in less than half an hour by fishing boat from Tanjung Pasir, Tangerang. However, because it is a wildlife reserve, the island is not open to the general public. Its use is restricted to conservation, scientific research, education, and guided tourism… <more>

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Monas keeps beating in Jakarta’s heart

The National Monument (Monas) has been a symbol of Jakarta for decades. Built by the Sukarno administration in 1961 to show the world Indonesia’s strength, the monument has been at the center of Jakartans’ public life as well as a tourism site for visitors. But the 3.5-meter-tall sturdy fences – erected around the park in 2002 – have deterred some people from coming there. Some critics and residents say the fences have made the park look arrogant and less friendly… <more>

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Terminal 3 Ready for Takeoff

Passengers at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport will be able to breathe easier, thanks to the new Terminal 3 that is expected to lighten the load on terminals 1 and 2. The newly built terminal, for domestic flights, is located next to Terminal 2. Unlike terminals 1 and 2, which were designed with a traditional architectural concept, the Rp 300 billion (US$27.27 million) Terminal 3 is designed with a modern concept as an environmentally friendly and energy-saving building occupying a 3-hectare plot… <more>

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A Golden Week of Jakarta Traffic Chaos

I admit, I fled. I wanted to go somewhere for Golden Week but I didn’t want an organized, efficient, clean vacation like I’d have traveling around Japan. I wanted something more spontaneous, more edgy, with a little more risk. I longed for the chaos of a big South Asian city, and people with big natural smiles and pearly whites. So where did I go? Jakarta! When my foreign friends warned that Jakarta was a big, noisy polluted city, I was hooked. Tokyo would pale in comparison with the chaos of Jakarta… <more>