1. Monas —

    The National Monument

    The monument is an icon of the city and a symbol of the struggle of Indonesia. You can also find The National History Museum in the area around Monas.

    The monument and the museum are located in central Jakarta. They are open daily from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. throughout the week except on the last Monday of each month. The best time to visit Monas is in the evening just before the sunset.

    2. TMII —

    Taman Mini Indonesia Indah

    TMII (literary translated as Beautiful Indonesia Miniature Park) Jakarta is located in the eastern part of the city and is a very interesting place to learn about Indonesian culture. This place is practically a miniature Indonesia.

    3. The Istiqlal Mosque and the Catholic Cathedral

    Istiqlal is the largest mosque in Indonesia, and possibly the largest in Southeast Asia, as claimed by the Indonesia government. The Cathedral is located across the road from the Istiqlal Mosque, an amazing building with neo-gothic style.

    Both buildings offer beautiful and charming architecture. You could say it’s like the Taj Mahal stands opposite the Sagrada Familia.

    4. Old Town

    Old Town or Old Batavia has a very strong historical value, but it is unfortunate that most of the buildings in the Old Town are not well preserved. Around the Old Town, there are several interesting museums to visit.

    The Jakarta History Museum (Fatahillah Museum), Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics as well as the Puppet Museum are all around Batavia.

    5. Try as many cafes/

    restaurants as you can

    There are so many cafes, restaurants, bars in Jakarta. If you feel like you don’t want to eat any Indonesian food then you can find a lot of variety in Jakarta. Indian food, Greek food, Italian food, Lebanese food and much more.

    6. Enjoy the nightlife

    Jakarta is often called the “city that never sleeps.” Jakarta has a charm of its own in the evening. The cities skyline with lights looks beautiful and the night clubs and bars are always busy.

    8. Try various forms of public transportation

    If you want to really feel like a local, then try the public transportation. Trans Jakarta bus, taxi, metromini, mikrolet, motorbike taxi, bajaj and much more. This is probably the best way to get around Jakarta.

    9. If it is Sunday, go car free

    If you’re in Jakarta on Sunday, then try for a bit of exercise on Car Free Day (CFD) on Sudirman-Thamrin street. It starts at 6 a.m. and lasts till 12 noon. It feels so amazing to experience and see the main road (Sudirman and Thamrin) without any vehicles. Many communities also gather there and you have the opportunity to see almost all the communities in Jakarta in one morning. (Han Ximin)