Greater Jakarta
Discover Greater Jakarta
Greater Jakarta is a region in Western Java in Indonesia, including the national capital Jakarta and the surrounding region. It also spans areas of the provinces of West Java and Banten. The metropolitan area, which is the largest in the world, is also known as Jabodetabek. This travel guide covers this area with the exception of Bogor, which is in the article on Bogor Raya. The city of Bogor and the surrounding towns are also part of the Jabodetabek metropolitan area. Bogor is a mountain resort city surrounded by volcanoes, and included in the travel guide on Bogor Raya.
What to Experience in Greater Jakarta
Taste of Greater Jakarta...
The Betawi people of Jakarta have a range of special dishes, that are well-known throughout the country, such as Soto betawi (coconut milk broth with beef tendons, intestines, tripe). In the eastern and southern suburbs Sundanese food is traditional. However, because of migration from the other regions of Indonesia to the capital, in the Greater Jakarta area you can find the traditional food of all ethnic groups of Indonesia. Hawkers and roadside stalls offer a wide range of dishes, restaurants are spread throughout the region, and can also be found in the shopping malls. Hygiene is an issue when buying street food, but when a roadside stall is busy this is usually an indication that the food is safe. Apart from Indonesian food, Chinese and Japanese food is ubiquitous, and so are Western fast food chains. Most of the larger shopping malls in addition have a wide selection of other options, such as Italian food, pancake restaurants, and steak houses. Nightlife can be found in various areas throughout Jakarta, with most of the expats coming together in Kemang (South Jakarta). In the suburbs (especially Bekasi) it is harder to find alcoholic drinks, but most of the planned communities (such as BSD City in South Tangerang) have bars and beer gardens. It is often said that Jakarta is one of the safest megacities in the world, and violent crime is rare. However, be on your guard in crowded places such as markets, because pickpockets often steal wallets and mobile phones.
Essential Information
Getting There
Multiple OptionsWith Greater Jakarta being the political, economic, and cultural centre of the Indonesian archipelago, connections are very good. The extremely high population density however mean that the infrastructure has difficulty coping with the high number of travellers. You should therefore expect delays because of traffic congestion, and airports, ports, railway stations and bus terminals that are running well over their capacity. The Greater Jakarta area is served by Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (CGK) in Tangerang, and the smaller Halim Perdanakusuma Airport (HLP) in East Jakarta. All international flights, and most domestic flights, arrive at Soekarno-Hatta Airport, but if you have a domestic flight it may be a good idea to choose to fly to Halim, especially if your destination is in East Jakarta or Bekasi. There is also Pondok Cabe Airport (PCB) in South Tangerang. All cities in Greater Jakarta have large bus terminals, with direct buses from all major cities in Java....
Getting Around & Staying
Getting Around
Although Greater Jakarta has a dense network of trunk roads, tolled motorways, commuter railway lines, and bus (rapid transit) routes, getting around is often cumbersome and slow. Most of Jakarta is heavily congested during rush hours, but also outside peak hours traffic jams are common. The toll roads in and around Jakarta are especially busy during weekends and holidays, when the citizens of Jakarta go en masse to tourist destinations in the metropolitan area (such as Ancol in North Jakarta) and to the mountain regions of Bogor Raya and Parahyangan and the beaches of Banten. Public transport is severely overcrowded most of the time. The first MRT (rapid transit rail) line, from Lebak Bulus to Bundaran HI, was opened in March 2019. The easiest way to get around is either by Transjakarta bus rapid transit (there are now also BRT routes to the suburbs) or by commuter railway (KA Commuter Jabodetabek).
Safety Information
Safety Overview
It is often said that Jakarta is one of the safest megacities in the world, and violent crime is rare. However, be on your guard in crowded places such as markets, because pickpockets often steal wallets and mobile phones. For visitors, the biggest risk in the Greater Jakarta area is the traffic, which is very crowded and equally chaotic. If it is your first time in the region, it is not advisable to drive your own vehicle.