Jakarta, Pearl of Indonesia

Jakarta city; It is the capital of Endenozia, the world's largest island country located between the Indian and Pacific Oceans. Jakarta is also among the world's leading cities with its population. There are tropical weather conditions in Endenozia, the country where the most Muslims live in the world. For this reason, the weather in the country is quite hot and has a noticeable humidity. In Indonesia, which is rainy in all seasons, there is no winter season and features similar to those in our country. To visit the country, the April-October period, which is known as the dry period, can be preferred as the most suitable time.

Scheduled direct flights from our country to Jakarta are operated almost every day of the week. Jakarta Soekarno Hatta International Airport is one of the important points of the Far East, which has gained even more modern facilities with its new terminal. "Sukorna", the name of the airport, is the leader of the Endenozia Independence Movement and the first president of the country. Passengers travelling from our country are welcomed by the new terminal Terminal-3 facilities. All signs are in the local language and occasionally in English, and the staff are extremely friendly and helpful to the arriving passengers.

After collecting their baggage, travellers are greeted by customs officials who carry out strict controls. As in almost every island country in the world, there are strict customs controls against banned products (meat, dairy products, etc.). Afterwards, you will encounter quite hot and humid weather outside the terminal. Motors called "tuk-tuk", the symbol of the Far East, are not common here. If you do not have a pre-planned situation regarding your accommodation, blue coloured taxis named "blue bird" will transfer you to your accommodation at affordable prices.

Hotel fees in Jakarta have nightly rates around 50-250 U.S. dollars, depending on the level of comfort and luxury. Eating and drinking opportunities are quite cheap in a wide range. To give an idea in general; hamburger menu is around 3 dollars, pizza 3-4 dollars, steak and seafood are served in luxury restaurants around 5-6 dollars.

Street vendors are as popular as in Bangkok and other cities of the Far East and are much cheaper than the above prices. It is not recommended if you are not used to it and are sensitive about hygiene. However, I recommend you to try it once when you come here. If you get used to it like me, you will see that you can easily consume it everywhere. I can easily express that you can be more comfortable in such places where local people are concentrated. Especially the chicken soup, which is consumed intensively in the country, is among my favourites as spicy.

The most remarkable among the places to visit in Jakarta is Jakarta Cathedral in the old city area. Located opposite the Istiklal Mosque, the other symbol of the city in the "Old Town" area, which is always one of the most visited places in the city, the Cathedral has a remarkable architecture. The building, which does not contain many sculptures and miniatures, is visited by dense tourist groups. The symbolic mosque opposite it also has a very different architecture and a very large area. After the 2nd World War, the country declared its independence after the defeat of Japan, but this endeavour was not accepted by the allies and was given to the Netherlands. You can come across some artefacts and buildings from this period in this region.

Since it has a tropical climate and is an island country, there are many parks, aquariums, etc. places to visit are offered to those who come to the city. Since it is the place where many world-famous clothing and bag brands are produced, you can shop at very reasonable prices in street vendors and day/night markets almost everywhere. I would like to remind you that even if you insist on bargaining, you will not easily find a favourable price.

If you come here, I strongly recommend you not to return without buying "Kopi Luwak" coffee and definitely try it while you are here. This coffee is the most expensive and the least produced coffee in the world. It is produced from coffee beans eaten and defecated by a Palm Civet (Luwak in local language) belonging to this geography. It may sound a little different when you read it, but I can easily say that you will regret if you do not take this extremely delicious and valuable coffee with you on your return or if you do not buy it as a souvenir.

Although 3-4 days is generally enough time to visit Jakarta city effectively, those who come here generally prefer 10-14 days as they include Bali and Java islands, which are holiday resorts from here, in their programmes. Especially for honeymoon couples, Bali is very popular. I will try to tell you about Bali in my next article.

I wish you a pleasant trip.