Sights—Mesjid Istiglal (the Grand Mosque); Taman Fatahillah (the old city square); Medan Merdeka; antiquing on Jalan Surabaya; Sunda Kelapa harbor.
Museums—Museum Nasional; Museum Sejarah Kota Jakarta (history); Museum Wayang (puppets); Museum Bahari (maritime history).
Memorable Meals—An outstanding meal in a fascinating setting at Dapur Babah Elite; savor the intimate scene at Champa; a traditional feast at Bayon; world-class international fare at C's.
Late Night—A midnight snack at Cafe Batavia; the beer garden at Bu-Gils; dancing at the Stadium.
Especially for Kids—Taman Mini Indonesia Indah; Sea World at Taman Impian Jaya Ancol amusement park; miniature golf at Taman Safari at Bogor Puncak.
Jakarta sprawls over a large area, and coming in from the airport provides a good introduction to the city's layout. When the Gatot Subroto Toll Road (the principal route from the airport) reaches the Semanggi intersection, you'll get your first glimpse of the Golden Triangle—the precious real estate of skyscrapers and palatial homes known as Menteng and Kuningan.
Running north and south from Semanggi is Jalan Jenderal Sudirman, the main thoroughfare of the central business district. To the north it becomes Jalan Thamrin, a wide boulevard that ends at Merdeka Square, the administrative heart of the city. Farther north is Glodok, home to centuries-old Chinatown, which merges into the old city (Kota) at Fatahillah Square. Beyond that lies the historic Sunda Kelapa docklands and the modern port of Ancol. Going south on Jalan Jenderal Sudirman takes you to Kebayoran Baru, the former Dutch residential suburb, and the swanky residential districts of Kemang, Pondok Indah and Ciganjur.
Jakarta began in the 1300s as a settlement called Sunda Kelapa, the capital of the last Hindu kingdom in West Java. The Portuguese made their first contact with Java there in 1513, but before they could establish a colonial foothold, the city fell to the Muslim warrior Fatahillah. He renamed the city Jayakarta (Victorious City), which it remained until 1619, when the Dutch stormed the town and razed it to the ground.
A shoreline fortress named Batavia rose from the ashes, eventually becoming the capital of the Dutch East Indies. Dutch colonial rule fostered the racial and economic divisions that continue to plague Indonesian society.
During World War II, the Japanese army occupied Batavia, ending Dutch rule and renaming the city Jakarta. The Japanese allowed Indonesians to rule themselves for the very first time, and it was during this time that independence leaders Sukarno and Mohammad Hatta rose to prominence. After a four-year struggle with the Netherlands, Indonesia became a nation in 1949. Sukarno's flirtation with communism led to what's sometimes described as an abortive communist coup attempt. In the aftermath, Suharto rose from the chaos to rule Indonesia for 32 years.
Suharto's emphasis on ceaseless economic growth brought great prosperity to Jakarta and gave rise to the skyscrapers that dominate the modern city's skyline. But Suharto's power was broken by the economic crisis of 1997. He stepped down in 1998, and the country's first free elections in June 1999 saw the emergence of democracy. Unfortunately, any progress in political and economic reform has been overshadowed by the ethnic and religious tensions that continue to affect the country. The ongoing conflict in Aceh, in northern Sumatra, erupted in 2003 as a full-blown war. Activities by separatist movements make Maluku (the Spice Islands) and Papua, at the nation's eastern limit, highly unstable. Bombings of tourist destinations, on Bali in October 2002 and again in October 2005 and in Jakarta in April and August 2003 and September 2004, have heightened tensions as well.
The three rounds of democratic elections that ended in October 2004 made the populist former general Susilo Bambang Yudiono (often referred to simply by his initials, "S.B.Y.") the president of Indonesia for a five-year term. He campaigned and won on his promise to end corruption, though his success in achieving this objective has been limited, particularly given that corruption charges against Suharto were dropped in 2006. Despite raising fuel prices dramatically twice (which proved to be Soeharto's downfall), S.B.Y. is still perceived positively, especially after his handling of the 2004 tsunami crisis in Aceh.
The bronze elephant displayed in front of Museum Nasional was a gift from King Chulalongkorn of Thailand. In return he received five train-car loads of statuary from Borobodur.
Pengamen are the street-side buskers you'll see on most street corners earning their keep through music, though the performances are often pretty bad.
You'll notice the sweet aroma of Kretek cigarettes as soon as you're out of the airport—there are more than 500 different brands of these clove cigarettes to choose from.
Wandering the alleys on any day of the week are Jamu (traditional medicine) vendors. Just under 1,000 natural products go into making Jamu, and it is used to treat everything from impotence to sore hands.
Many of Jakarta's greatest monuments are better known by their nicknames—the Spirit of Youth at the southern end of Jalan Sudirman is the Pizza Man, and the Welcome Statue outside Plaza Indonesia is known as Hansel and Gretel.