The first time I had the opportunity to visit Jakarta on a short business trip, I was quite excited, but when I asked a few friends about places to visit, almost everyone said "Jakarta only has shopping malls!".
I don’t believe it, is that all? In the spirit of “having fun”, I used all my skills of searching “professor” Google and asking the locals to “pocket” for myself interesting experiences in this land.
Visit Istiqlal Mosque and Jakarta Cathedral
I would say this is one of the most interesting places I have seen in Jakarta because of its religious diversity. The two mosques are located opposite each other so that from one side you can see the other. Indonesia’s first president, Soekarno, chose the location of the mosque to symbolize the country’s philosophy of unity in diversity, where all religions can coexist in peace and harmony.
Another interesting point I learned is that the mosque’s parking lot is used by Catholics during Easter and Christmas, and similarly, the Jakarta Cathedral’s parking lot is open to Muslims during prayers on major holidays. The two churches are also linked by an underground tunnel, which President Joko Widodo named the “tunnel of brotherhood.”
Visit Batavia old town in the early morning
The old town of Batavia in Indonesian is Kota Tua. Here, you can stroll around Fatahillah Square, visit museums, cafes or small shops next to each other. I arrived here at seven in the morning, when the shops were still closed, there were no tourists, only people exercising, cycling and environmental sanitation workers doing their duty. A strange sense of peace entered my heart, similar to when I walked around Hanoi's old quarter in the early morning. What impressed me most was the architecture here, with white buildings, orange tiled roofs built during the Dutch colonial period in the 17th century.
In a quiet place like this, without the sound of car horns, I felt like I was walking in a peaceful place in Europe until I heard Indonesian music playing from the bluetooth speaker of a middle-aged man exercising, "reminding" me that I was still in Jakarta. Although I didn't understand the meaning of the song, the melody was very catchy like the liberal spirit of the "thousand islands" country.
Horse-drawn carriage specialties
A friend jokingly told me that the “specialty” on the streets of Jakarta is horse-drawn carriages. At first, I didn’t believe it, but when I got to the street, I saw, “Oh! It turns out it’s true!”. The horse-drawn carriages are brightly decorated in many eye-catching colors, the horses run fast, the horseshoes clatter on the concrete road. Tourists coming to Jakarta can rent a horse-drawn carriage to ride around the riverbank to enjoy the cool breeze or around historical sites. There is also a three-wheeled vehicle called a bajaj, which looks similar to a Thai tuk-tuk. Technology vehicles are also developed here, especially Grab Bike, which also has the option of traveling by electric vehicle, which is smooth and environmentally friendly, and the fare is quite reasonable.
In terms of public transportation, Jakarta has a subway system, a light rail system (Jakarta LRT) and buses. You can use public transportation to see the streets of Jakarta at a cheaper cost than taxis. Personally, I recommend choosing the light rail system to see more of the city from above.
Walk in parks and squares
Amidst the hustle and bustle of Jakarta, visitors can find peace in nature. In addition to countless skyscrapers, Jakarta has many green parks and gardens. Trees and flowers are planted in abundance on the streets.
In addition, you will encounter countless stray cats on the street because cats are revered animals in Islam and cats here are very fond of people and love to be "petted".
Street food experience
The dishes are all quite spicy, sweet or salty compared to Vietnamese taste. Indonesian dishes often use some typical spices that Vietnamese tourists like me often find a bit difficult to eat. The dishes that I find easiest to eat and most suitable for my taste are probably nasi goreng (fried rice) and mye goreng (mixed noodles), and shrimp crackers. If possible, you can try to experience to learn more about the culinary culture of the natives.
Jakarta's weather is somewhat similar to Ho Chi Minh City, cool in the morning and evening, sunny at noon, not clear, cloudy. Temperatures range from 24-32 degrees Celsius.
The main language used is Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia), so sometimes it will be difficult to ask for directions and talk to the locals. However, most Indonesians are very enthusiastic, even if they don't know English, they still use Google Translate to talk and help you.
Transportation: To use public transportation, you need to buy different types of cards (subway, light rail, bus), not integrated into one card like some other countries. Google Maps is quite accurate and convenient for tracking the departure/arrival times of public transportation.
Source: https://baoquocte.vn/nam-trai-nghiem-thu-vi-o-jakarta-237899.html
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