My Hometown: Jakarta
In this blog, I would like to introduce my hometown, Jakarta. Jakarta (formerly known as Sunda Kelapa, Jayakarta, and Batavia) is the most populous city of the Republic of Indonesia. Jakarta is a home to 9.59 million people. During the day, the number increases to another 2 million as commuters travel their way to Jakarta to work in the city. Jakarta is a very interesting city because it has a historic mix of cultures - Javanese, Malay, Chinese, Arab, Indian, and European which then influenced the architecture, language, and cuisine of Jakarta. I would post several pictures, links, and probably some videos about Jakarta in this blog to give you a general overview of my hometown.
In my opinion, the top 11 things which you enjoy in Jakarta are:
1. Going to shopping malls - Jakarta is a city with the highest number of shopping malls in Southeast Asia. Shopping malls are can offer you a large variety of goods and services which might be difficult to find elsewhere.
2. Visiting the museum - Jakarta has many choices of museums that you could visit and the best part is the admission ticket price are usually very cheap.Some of the famous museums in Jakarta are National Museum of Indonesia, Wayang Museum, and Jakarta History Museum. Furthermore, I would post a link of the 10 best museums in Jakarta posted by TripAdvisor for those of you who need additional reference. https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attractions-g294229-Activities-c49-Jakarta_Java.html 
3. Kerak Telor - Kerak telor (English: Egg crust) is a traditional spicy dish in Indonesia. It is made from glutinous rice cooked with egg and served with serundeng (fried shredded coconut), fried shallots and dried shrimp as topping. It is considered as a snack and not as a main dish. 
4. Visit Modern Cafes - Local people in Jakarta are well known for their habit of staying at a restaurant or cafe for a long period of time with their friends and families just to catch up with each other. We even have a name for this kind of culture which we call "nongkrong" which is why there are plenty of modern cafes in Jakarta with a very nice ambiance. I would post a google street view of one of my favorite cafe, Union. It is located in a small shopping mall called Plaza Senayan. Union is a cafe that are well known for serving delicious cakes.
5. Try Gojek - Gojek is an online transportation application which you can use in my hometown. Gojek is an online based transportation which uses motorcycles. The background story of their business was because Jakarta is well known for their traffic, the founder thought that it was an opportunity to do business. The application is completely free and it helps a lot to tackle the traffic in Jakarta. 
6. Escape to Pulau Seribu - Pulau seribu literally means "Thousands of Islands". Indonesia is known for its archipelago which is why we have Pulau Seribu in Jakarta. It is a nice option for those of you who wants to escape from the hectic atmosphere of the city life. Here is a link on the recommended islands, how to get there, getting around, things to do, etc. http://atravellersjourney.com/how-to-get-to-pulau-seribu/
7. Visit Ancol - Ancol is famous for its theme park which we call Dufan (Dunia Fantasi) which means "Fantasy World", they offer a variety of rides that might be suitable for adrenaline junkies and families aswell. For the ones who are more adventurous, you can try the roller coaster but for those of you who would like to relax and enjoy the city you should try the ferris wheel so you can enjoy the view of Jakarta. 
8. Try Durian - The name comes from the Malay-Indonesian language for duri or "spike". It is often regarded by many people in Southeast Asia as the "king of fruits". Although Durian has a very strong odor which can be overpowering for some people, it is a very unique experience for you to try Durian when you visit Indonesia because you might have difficulty of finding this fruit when you are travelling outside Southeast Asia. Here is a link that shows you the types of durian available in Jakarta, how to choose the right one, and where you can get it. 
9. Visit Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII) - TMII or "Beautiful Indonesia Miniature Park" is located in East Jakarta, Indonesia. TMII showcase a miniature of Indonesian Culture (architecture, clothing, dances, and traditions). Here is a link of the official website of TMII for those of you that needs additional information, this website is in Indonesian language but you can translate the page if you are using google chrome. http://tamanmini.com/pesona_indonesia/
10. Visit the Old Town Jakarta - Old town is a top destination for travelers. The buildings in Old Town are mostly influenced by Indonesia's Dutch colonial roots because in the 1600s, Old Town Jakarta became the headquarters of the Dutch East India Company. Old Town Jakarta is perfect for those of you who would like to enjoy a more vintage side of Jakarta.
11. Exercise at Car Free Day - Car Free Day is a weekly event held on Sunday for people in Jakarta that would like to exercise in the main streets of Jakarta.It usually start at 6 AM and ends at 10 AM. Other than exercising, you could also find local delicacies in Car Free Day Jakarta.
Here are several links that you could check out to get around Jakarta
If you would like to visit my city, this is the google map link so you wouldn't get lost in all the hustle and bustle ;)
and lastly, here is an interesting video that shows an additional 20 ideas of things to do in Jakarta that you could watch. Please enjoy the video :)
Thank you for visiting my blog, please comment on this post if you have further questions or comments about Jakarta. I would love to respond to your comments and suggestions. See you on my next blog post :)
