Jakarta - Post Report Question and Answers
What are some interesting/fun things to do in the area? Can you recommend any “hidden gems"?
Day trips to the thousand Islands. - Oct 2021
It is a short flight to Bali to breathe fresh air and decompress from the city. - Sep 2020
While some talk negatively about Jakarta in this regard, there are lots of things to do.
Ancol - is a large entertainment area with a collection of different activities: *Seaworld aquarium (surprisingly impressive, with a great moving walkway/tunnel and several unique fish), waterpark, Ecopark, beach (although swimming is not recommended because of pollution), cable car ride, jet skies, ropes course, paintball, hotels, restaurants, and the boats going to the Thousand Islands. It’s about 25,000 IDR per person to get into the area then more for the various activities. Galeri Nasional Indonesia - http://galeri-nasional.or.id/. A decent art gallery located near the U.S. Embassy with permanent and rotating exhibits. Open Tuesday - Sunday, 9am - 4pm (closed on Mondays and National Holidays).
*Houbii - a great indoor trampoline park in Pondok Indah. In addition to lots of bounce areas, it has a huge slide, ball pit, and dodgeball arena. Register and pay online before coming to save time.
Jakarta Aquarium - opened in March 2017 and is housed inside Central Park Mall, the Neo SOHO part to be precise. While not huge, it’s the perfect size for a one to two hour visit. Make reservations for the live penguin dining room, which fills up on the weekend. http://www.jakarta-aquarium.com.
*KidZania - a giant indoor play area located in Pacific Place Mall with lots of mock stations: food processing, chiropractor, hospital, bakery, fire station, etc. Kids earn and spend money doing different jobs. They divide into two shifts 0900-1400 and 1500-2000. You pay to enter one of them, and they kick you out once the time concludes. Costs vary depending on the day, but start at 50,000 for toddlers, 150,000 for kids, and 100,000 for adults.
Museum Layang-layang - our kids enjoyed seeing this kite museum in southern Jakarta.
*National Museum - very close to the U.S. Embassy, it showcases a wide range of artifacts from throughout Indonesia. Plan on two hours for your visit.
Old Town - you can fill one or two days exploring Kota Gede, or the Old Town area of Jakarta. We enjoyed seeing the *Wayang Museum, BNI Museum, and Cafe Batavia.
*Taman Mini - http://www.tamanmini.com/english/. This massive area showcases different regions from around Indonesia, and provides a good opportunity to get a feel for different Indonesian cultures. They have several museums, zoos (including a particularly good aviary, planetarium, giant train yard with 50+ locomotives), and a waterpark. You could easily spend two or three days exploring the various areas.
Rangunan Zoo - Located in southern Jakarta, this large zoo has animals from all over the country. The animals are pretty spread out, which makes it feel more natural. It’s a popular place to run or go biking. The Primate Center in the center of the park is definitely worth seeing and had several species we have not seen elsewhere.
Textile Museum - http://museumtekstiljakarta.com/. Shows lots of interesting batik, ikat, and other unique Indonesian fabrics. They have a small workshop in the back where you can try making things too.
http://www.littlestepsasia.com/jakarta/articles/play/best-water-parks-jakarta. Jakarta has three primary waterparks: Waterbom - http://www.waterbom-jakarta.com/web2014/ is the best waterpark in Jakarta. It’s located in Ancol and has a wide range of slides and options. Definitely look online to find promotions or other discounts before going (you can typically get 50% off).
Pondok Indah Water ("The wave") - attached to the Pondok Indah Mall, is the smallest of the three, but provides a good relief from the heat. It has a wave pool, lazy river, a couple of kiddy pools, and a few larger slides.
Snowbay - is inside Taman Mini. We haven’t visited this one yet, but often seen lots of people there on the weekend.
- Feb 2018
You can take a train to Bogor and see the botanical gardens which are not really that special but are a nice respite from the hustle and bustle of Jakarta. A weekend trip to Singapore is really easy. Flying to Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, other Southeast Asian destinations. Thousand Islands are only a 1-2 hour boat ride from Jakarta if you want a mini beach vacation. Bali is always an option as are other island options. - Jun 2015
I gave a list to CLO of my Kung Fu instructor who came to the house and was amazing, my hairdresser/pedicure lady who were lovely, there was a foot massage person who came to the house, a great swimming instructor who taught my then two year old to swim in one lesson (underwater), a great tennis instructor...the gems of Jakarta are the people. Most of the "tourist" places- historical from the Dutch, are filled with trash, plastic water bottles and sewage. Even on the Thousand Islands, debris is washing up on the beach. But despite that it is worth visiting them. - Jan 2015
There are really too many to list and it depends on your interests. Many lovely islands to travel to. Bali is fantastic. Javana Spa outside Jakarta in the mountains is a little-known gem. Lots of child-friendly things to do in the city. There are places to go outside Jakarta that are a 4-hour drive or so away. - Jan 2013
Jakarta is a city of malls. I'm not a mall person, but unfortunately that is the main thing to do here. There are some great brunch places, furniture shopping to be done in Kemang, the old city to explore, and some museums. When we can, we leave Jakarta -- because in order to appreciate Indonesia, it is necessary to get out of the city. - Jun 2012
Near jakarta?not much. Bali is overrated and expensive. There are better, cheaper beaches in Malaysia, and you will be in a functioning place. Singapore is a 90-minute flight away. - Jan 2012
There are many inexpensive movie theaters, though the two chains tend to have similar offerings. The Indonesian Heritage Society offers a variety of activities, including lectures, trips, and day tours. There are many inexpensive restaurants. Jakarta is great for shopping. The mountain resort of Puncak is a great place to escape the heat of Jakarta. It is a 90-minute drive away, but it can take several hours because of traffic if you go at the wrong time of day. Cirebon and Bandung are short train rides away for weekend getaways, while Bali, Yogyakarta and elsewhere are short flights away. - Jul 2011
Shopping, travelling to other islands, exploring different ancient temples, trekking, cycling, golf, tennis, - Jul 2011
Indonesia is a beautiful country with easily accessible scenery, especially beaches. It is easy to get from Jakarta to the southeast Asian region, including Australia and New Zealand. - Dec 2010
You have to get out of the city to do anything interesting or fun and that is a feat in itself!Most people just jump on a plane in search of fresh air and clean surroundings. Good scuba diving out in the 1000 Islands and surrounding areas. - Nov 2010
Shop! There are tons of interesting shopping locals, handicrafts, pewter, rugs, etc. Bargain whenever possible. If you love golf, welcome to paradise. Play tennis with the gang at one of Jakarta's athletic clubs; join hash; hit one of Jakarta's hot restos (there's a new one every week); hit the jazz, r&b, punk scene; try your luck at the climbing wall at the mall; go toart, music, etc events sponsored by the many Embassies in Jakarta; love the Jakarta film festival. Spend a Saturday afternoon at the Jakarta museum-skimpy on the explanations, but the objects are amazing- take a Jakarta Heritage Society tour or guide and don't forget to check out the Treasure room. Travel all over Indonesia. Join Java Lava, the volcano hikers. Gather a group of friends and rent a sailboat. - Mar 2008
