Southeast Asia’s Underrated Top Destination: Beyond the Thousand Islands, There Are 100 More Contrasting Experiences
🌴 Jakarta: The Tropical Heartbeat and Civilized Symphony of the Nanyang Capital
🏛️ Echoes of History and Faith
- Stroll through Jakarta Old Town (Kota Tua), where cobblestone streets connect Dutch colonial red-roofed buildings and the Indonesian traditional shadow puppet museum. Enjoy a cup of Javanese coffee at the century-old Cafe Batavia in Fatahillah Square, listening to the whispers of time. Southeast Asia’s largest mosque, Istiqlal, stands across the street from the Gothic-style Jakarta Cathedral. The dome of the mosque and the cathedral’s spire together sketch a skyline of faith for 120,000 worshippers.
🌊 The Blue Allure of the Thousand Islands
- Depart from Ancol Pier and reach Bidadari Island in 30 minutes, where you can snorkel over coral reefs in crystal-clear waters or participate in ecological conservation at the sea turtle conservation center on Pramuka Island. Return at dusk on a traditional sailboat as the sunset over the Thousand Islands paints the sea golden-red, like stepping into a postcard.
🍜 The Empire of Spices on Your Palate
- West Java-style satay with peanut sauce, Betawi sticky rice omelet Kerak Telor, and the rich coconut-flavored Gado-Gado salad—start your taste adventure amid the lively atmosphere of Pasar Baru market. When night falls, the aroma from charcoal-grilled seafood stalls on Jalan Sabang fills the air, paired perfectly with a refreshing Es Campur shaved ice dessert, savoring the tropical night’s delight.
🎨 The Collision of Tradition and Modernity
- At Taman Mini Indonesia, a miniature park representing Indonesia, you can see traditional houses from 27 provinces in one day, showcasing the archipelago’s culture; meanwhile, the 1905 Art Space, like a cultural and creative park, transforms old factories into avant-garde galleries and independent bookstores. For contemporary art experiences, the installations at the MACAN Museum and street graffiti in the Kemang district will captivate you endlessly.
✨ One-Sentence Guide
- From colonial red walls to the turquoise waves of the Thousand Islands, from spice markets to avant-garde galleries, Jakarta invites you to a multicultural melting pot and a tropical dream at 6° north latitude!
There is a historic cathedral in Central Jakarta. It is a European building and looks very majestic from the outside. It is still in operation and has holy meetings. Many believers come here to worship Jesus.
The Jakarta Cathedral is a very beautiful building with a very clever design inside. It is an ancient building and very beautiful inside. When I first arrived, there was a pastor preaching, so I went in and took a look. It's good and worth visiting.
Catholic Cathedral Jakarta, a place of worship for the Catholic religion but open to the non-Catholic public to visit with manners that must be obeyed such as maintaining order and not being noisy because many people are praying solemnly in the Cathedral and in Goa Maria on the back side of the church complex.
Jakarta Cathedral is opposite the National Mosque, across a road. When I went, the outside walls were decorated. People in twos and threes were visiting the church. The appearance of the church was like a double tower. There was a big space inside. There were many rows of seats in it. When I went, around three o'clock in the afternoon, a man was cleaning inside, a man was reading Sutras in his seat, and an old man was holy. Like the former worship, when I left, a woman came to light some candles for the Holy elephant. There were uniformed people on duty outside. I didn't know if I didn't notice when I went in. He didn't ask me where I came from, nor did he ask for donations, nor did I buy tickets. I took pictures inside and outside. No one stopped me. Maybe it was permissible. Now is the off-season tourism, may not be very formal.
The Catholic Cathedral in Jakarta, Indonesia, also known as the Messiah Cathedral (Jakarta Cathedral), was built in the 19th century. The entire building has a strong European neo-Gothic architectural style. There is a Catholic school next to it. The location of the church was also confirmed by the first president. As early as the beginning of the 19th century, Catholic missionaries had built a cathedral here. The original cathedral was opened in February 1810, but on July 27, 1826, a major fire broke out here, burning down the cathedral and 180 surrounding houses. After the fire, believers began to rebuild the church, but the church collapsed in 1890. Later, the believers continued to work hard and finally built the current cathedral, which is one of the landmark buildings in Jakarta. The elegant silver spire is a new building behind the main church, but it complements each other perfectly.
It is right across from the Istiqlal Grand Mosque. When you walk in, it looks like a European or Italian cathedral. There is a statue inside of the Virgin Mary holding Jesus. The cathedral is 60 meters high but not as big as the European cathedrals. There are stained glass windows around the building. The second floor is a museum.
It's worth visiting here. It's beautiful. It feels like a big church. It's suitable for playing. The whole feeling is good. There aren't many people. The church is Gothic. The greening is also good. The central courtyard is beautiful.
This is a country with very high religious beliefs. We must not go in loudly and noisily. We should not take photos with our cameras and feel the solemnity of the Democratic church quietly. The National Independence Memorial Tower is nearby. You can go up to the top of the tower. It is suggested that you go up at night. You can see the beautiful night scene of Jakarta and the National Museum. You can go on foot and finish your day.