Jakarta

Welcoming over 2.5 million visitors annually, Jakarta is a vibrant Asian metropolis famous for indigenous items like batiks, textiles, and jewellery. Over 150 world-class shopping malls offer high-end fashion, flea markets, and retail and wholesale shopping.

Here are some ways to make the most of shopping in Jakarta: -

• Jakarta is famous for its antique markets. The best antique markets are found in Old Town and near Sunda Kelapa, with all kinds of antiques ranging from old records to memorabilia from the Dutch period.
• Jakarta’s most-visited shopping destinations include Santa Modern Market, Thamrin City Trade Mall, Grand Indonesia, Mangga Dua Mall, and the high-end Tamman Anggrek, Indonesia’s largest mall.
• Tanah Abang Market is Southeast Asia’s largest textile market, with thousands of shops offering traditional fabrics and souvenirs.
• Allocated to crafts, antiques, woodwork, trinkets, beadwork, and even puppets, Pasar Seni, Jalan Surabaya Flea Market and Pasar Baru are Jakarta’s oldest shopping complexes.
• Glodok is the Chinatown of Jakarta, where you can buy an array of items from Chinese medicines, trendy t-shirts to electronics, and sample noodles and dumplings.
• Some other upscale places for shopping in Jakarta are Central Park Mall, Gandaria City, Summarecon Mall, Baywalk Mall and Plaza Senayan.

Jakarta offers chic and cosmopolitan nightlife owing to its swanky bars, nightclubs with electrifying DJs, sky-high lounges, night markets, nocturnal wildlife safaris and much more.

Here are the best ways to enjoy the nightlife in Jakarta -

• Pulsating with music, happy crowds, and unparalleled cocktails, Jakarta's best nightclubs include Colosseum Club, Dragonfly, Blowfish, and Fable.
• For panoramic skyline views, head to rooftop bars like BART - Bar At The Rooftop, Karumba, Three Horse Bar and Holywings Gatsu Club V. 
• Enjoy fine dining at Cloud Lounge on the 49th floor, Embassy Lounge, Awan Lounge, Henshin and Skyloft.
• Pick up traditional clothing, trinkets, souvenirs and tasty street food from Kota Tua and Pecah Kulit Night Markets. 
• Take your kids on thrilling wildlife safaris in the dark at Safari Park Cisarua or Ragunan Zoo. 
• Have a spiritual experience at Istiqlal Mosque, which remains open overnight. 

Pro Tips -

• Almost all nightclubs and bars in Jakarta have dress codes. Men must wear semi-formals, while women are required to be in dresses and heels.
• Always carry a valid ID card.

Jakarta used to be an important trading port (as evidenced by Sunda Kelapa) of the Hindu kingdom of the Pajajaran Dynasty. However, after the 17th Century, the Dutch established their colonial foothold in the Indonesian region, which created an entirely different culture which was a hybrid of traditional Indonesian and Dutch influences. Vestiges of this hybrid are still found in Jakartan architecture. Dutch colonial rule ended with the Japanese occupation in 1942, and the name Jakarta was restored. Still, it wasn't until 1950 that Jakarta officially became the capital of the new republic.

Read more about the history of Jakarta.

The language most commonly spoken is Bahasa Indonesian. In tourist-friendly places, English is also generally spoken but one can expect more of the local language to be used.

• Jakarta is relatively more conservative than other Indonesian areas in dressing, so it is advisable for tourists to dress modestly.
• Tipping is a practice in Jakarta.

The best time to visit Jakarta is from June to September when the weather is pleasant with a fair possibility of rainfall. Being a subtropical region, the weather in Jakarta is warm and humid throughout the year. There are two major seasons in Jakarta - Dry Season (May - September) and Wet Season (October to April). The dry months are the busiest time of the year to visit Jakarta with accommodation charges surging. October is the warmest month of the year, with an average high of 34-degrees Celcius because of constant rains and high humidity. July - August are the driest months, and the best months to travel to Jakarta.

The Wet Season does not attract a lot of people with January receiving the highest rainfall. It's advised not to visit during this time of the year as there are chances of intense thunderstorms and typhoons. However, accommodation is very cheap, and the city isn't crowded. The average temperature of all months is consistently around 25 - 28 degree Celcius. If you're visiting during the period of Ramadan (Early May - June) one must adhere to the rules of the state during the holy month.