JAKARTA

The capital of Indonesia, Jakarta, is located at the western end of Java, on the north coast. It is a huge city with incredible contrasts of wealth and modernity with seemingly more modern sections than many western cities and other parts representing some of the worst poverty in Indonesia.
 
Jakarta was established as a trading port centuries ago and was mainly used by Sundanese to ship spices to the rest of the world, along with local pepper. Over the years, the city has changed as a result of the constant battle for control of the lucrative spice trade. It eventually ended up in the hands of the Dutch and was named Batavia, which lasted for hundreds of years, and resulted in a distinct culture and language distinct from the surrounding Sundanese people.
 
The layout of Jakarta is quite simple, with Merdeka Square and the Monumen Nasional (Monas) an easy reference point for all the rest of the city. A short drive west from Jalan Jaksa will take you to Bundaran HI and two massive shopping malls, Grand Indonesia and Plaza Indonesia. South-east of Merdeka Square is Gambir Railway Station, Jakarta's main railway station. There are frequent links to Bogor, Bandung, Yogyakarta, Semarang and Surabaya. From here you can also take a bus to the airport.