Home to 8 million people, Jakarta is one of the most dynamic cities in the world. Located just on the northwest coast of Java, Jakarta is the capital and the largest city of Indonesia. Jakarta is a metropolitan city that offers more than just the crowdedness and heavy traffic jams.

When you come and visit Jakarta, you will most likely arrive at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. One thing that you need to remember when you arrive in Jakarta: if you need a taxi, you will need to order it at the booth just outside the baggage claim area; unlike other airports in the world where you line up in a taxi queue.

However, if you already know where you are staying, just kindly ask the hotel to pick you up prior to your arrival.

There are several places that we would recommend to visit when you are in Jakarta:

• Ancol is Jakarta’s largest and most popular recreation park. Located in North Jakarta, Ancol offers a variety of attractions, including Dunia Fantasi (Fantasy Land) amusement park, sea and fresh-water aquariums, water parks, an artificial lagoon for fishing and boating, a bowling alley, as well as an assortment of nightclubs and restaurants. For more detailed information, you can visit their official website at www.ancol.com.
• Kepulauan Seribu or Thousand Islands is a string of more than 300 islands just off Jakarta. Most of the islands are beautiful & secluded. Personally, I would recommend visiting Ayer Island, which is only 14km from Ancol Port (30 minutes of boat ride). Ayer Island is famed for its amazing sunset. For your accommodation, you can stay at Pulau Ayer Resorts and Cottages for as low as IDR 800,000/USD 80 per night. For packages and room reservation, you can go to www.pulauayer.com.
• Visiting Jakarta without shopping is like going to Hawaii without sun bathing. In Jakarta, shopping malls are everywhere. If you are looking for upscale and exclusive shopping centers, you might want to go to malls in the South Jakarta area, such as Plaza Indonesia, Grand Indonesia, Plaza Senayan, Senayan City or Pacific Place.
• On the other hand, if you are on a tighter budget, you might want to go to Mangga Dua district in Central Jakarta. Mangga Dua district is one of the most packed commercial areas in Jakarta. There are five giant shopping centers that are inter-connected: Mangga Dua Mall, Harco Mas Mangga Dua, ITC Mangga Dua I, ITC Mangga Dua II and Pasar Pagi Mangga Dua. In these shopping centers, you can find everything from clothing, accessories, cell phones and other electronics and with a little bit of negotiation skill, you might be surprised to get the same deals as the locals. Don’t worry; we will share how local people negotiate and get the best prices. Make sure to keep checking Turisku.com
• For buying clothes, the two best choices are the ITC Mangga Dua and the Pasar Pagi mangga Dua. Fashion lovers will be amazed with what they can buy there with minimum budget. Most of the goods can be bargained so definitely compare prices between stores before purchase since there is no such thing as refund there. For Electronics Shopping, Harco Mas Mangga Dua offers astonishing price tags. With a little extra bargain, you will most likely get a lower price than any other places in Jakarta.

In addition to all the attractions in Jakarta, you might want to explore the tasty and unique cuisine of Jakarta. On our next article, we will list some of the most popular restaurants in Jakarta to local hot spots for eating.

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