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Jakarta - the sinking city

Monas -  Jakarta’s iconic symbol of independence

October 22, 2024: Arrival in Jakarta

After a long flight from the Netherlands, Mark and I safely arrived in Jakarta early in the evening. The flight went smoothly without any issues. We quickly grabbed a taxi to our hotel, Mercure Jakarta’s Batavia. After unpacking, we decided to grab a quick bite to eat at the hotel. A quiet first evening wrapped up with a nice meal. Then, off to bed to start our adventure in Indonesia refreshed the next day!


October 23, 2024: Exploring Jakarta

We started our day by visiting the Jakarta History Museum, located in the former VOC governor’s office. It was fascinating to see a piece of colonial history. 

Jakarta History Museum

After that, we enjoyed a lovely coffee at the charming café Batavia. 

Cafe Batavia - elegant, colonial-era room with high ceilings for creative Indonesian cuisine, coffees & cocktails.

 

Back at the hotel, we had a refreshing swim, and Mark went for a run. 

Hotel Mecure Batavia swimming pool

The hotel's classic architecture stands in harmony with the museums, cafes and restaurants, art galleries and old art-deco buildings that fill the area. 
Later in the day, we took a free city tour of the Old Port, where we were brought by buggy. It was super fun!

Jembatan Kota Intan - the oldest Dutch drawbridge in Indonesia
As part of the tour we were able to enter the area of the bridge which is otherwise closed to the public. The tour we took is sponsored by the Indonesian government to promote the local tourism.

Jakarta - the sinking city
It is estimated that by 2040, 30% of the city will be submerged. Beside the raising sea level, the city is struggling with overpopulation, congested traffic and air pollution. No wonder why the Indonesian authorities are building a new capital. 
Wooden boats in the Old Harbour are only for domestic transportation of goods
The tour guide told us that in 5 years the harbour will be closed and transformed into a touristic attraction, to preserve the local heritage.
In the evening, we had an amazing dinner at Dapur Babah Elite restaurant. Afterwards, heading to bed early to recharge for the next day!
Mie goreng for me and chicken sate for Mark

October 24, 2024 - Another day in Jakarta 🙄

Today we took a Grab to the National Museum of Indonesia. The traffic here is a nightmare! Our driver ended up dropping us off at the back entrance, and we walked along the side of the museum to the front, concluding that Jakarta might be the worst city we’ve ever been to. The museum itself was pretty OK, with a few interesting exhibits. In September 2023 there was a fire which devastated 6 big rooms and it reopened only a week ago.

One of the burnt statues
After the museum, we were done with the city, so we headed back to café Batavia for a refreshing iced coffee and lunch. 
Then back to the hotel, where we enjoyed drinks—cocktails for Mark and coconuts for Madalina.

For dinner, we went back to, you guessed it, café Batavia. We wanted to avoid the traffic, and it was the only place open at 8 PM. The staff even recognized us: “Oh, you’re back?!” 
We wrapped up the evening with some jazz and cocktails at the same café.


In conclusion, while Jakarta offers some historical and cultural landmarks, our experience was largely disappointing. The National Museum, damaged by fire and still under restoration, was underwhelming, and the city's chaotic traffic made getting around difficult. With few walkable areas and much of the central district closed off after the recent presidential inauguration, exploring Jakarta felt more like a hassle than a rewarding adventure. However, we're excited for our next stop—Bandung—where we'll experience Indonesia’s new fast train line, hoping for a much smoother and more enjoyable adventure ahead.

M&M
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