Jakarta - The City With A Million Charms

Monas Monument - Jakarta

As the capital of Indonesia, Jakarta is a modern metropolitan that offers an exciting mix of the old and new, the traditional and the sophisticated. It is the city with a million charms.

Jakarta is indeed the true melting pot of Indonesia, the fourth most populous nation with over 220 million people, 17,000 islands and over 200 ethnic groups speaking 350 different languages. And as the center of trade and commerce, finance and industry, Jakarta offers you all the comfort and luxury to make your visit a memorable experience - for business or pleasure.

Jakarta - Indonesia's bustling capital, and home to over 8 million people (although estimates do vary greatly) - dates back to the fifth century AD. The first confirmed record of inhabitants in the area comes from a Tugu inscription which refers to a community of the Tarumanegara kingdom living along the coast near what later become known as Sunda Kelapa. The city was officially founded in 1527, when the harbour town of Sunda Kelapa was renamed Jayakarta (meaning great victory) by the conquering prince Fatahillah but this was later changed to Batavia before becoming Jakarta.

Ondel-ondel - Jakarta's Mascot

For tourist, Jakarta offers a treasure trove of attractions, shopping, museums, golf, fine dining and nightlife that have made it one of Southeast Asia's best-kept secrets. An economic boom in the mid-nineties led to the construction of dozens of first-class hotels, some of which are rated as the best in the region - good news for business travelers to the capital who can have their pick of Jakarta's 20,000 hotel rooms at cut-price rates.

Another highlight of any trip to Jakarta is the food. The city offers a fantastic range of restaurants with every type of cuisine from Brazilian to Turkish to Korean, and everything in between.

The accompanying map and listing is not meant as a definitive guide to the city. Hopefully it will give unfamiliar visitors an overview of some of the delights on offer. If in doubt, consult the concierge or front desk at your hotel.

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