Getting there
By air there are connections from all over the world with jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport located 12 km northwest of the city. Taxi fare into town is $15; there is also a regular AC airport bus service to downtown for $2.
By sea Pelni passenger ferries visit Tanjung Priok docks from all parts of Indonesia. Non-Pelni boats also take passengers; contact them at the harbour master’s office. There is also 24-hr ferry service from Bakauheni, Sumatra, to Merak, 140 km west of Jakarta; journey time 2 hrs.
It is also possible to go by ferry from Batan and Bintan, the two Indonesian Islands situated close to Singapore. Pelni services ply between these islands and Sumatra, as well as Jakarta and Surabaya.
Accommodation/dinning
There is a range of accommodation from the large international chains to the very inexpensive traveller’s’ losmen on Jl Jaksa, in the city centre near Monas square, but not much in the mid range for tourists. There is a very wide range of dining options: international standart (and price)! Restaurants through to roadside food stalls.
TransportBus very cheap but hot, cramped, crowded and dilapidated. Standard fare is about IDR 2,500. smaller Patas buses are slightly more expensive at IDR 6,000, but less crowded and stop anywhere. City bus route maps are (sometimes) available at theVisitor information centre in Djakarta Theatre building on Jl Thamrin. Pickpockets and bag slashers are a common hazard on buses. If you carrying expensive binoculars and cameras you will do much better to travel by taxi or hire a car.
Taxis plentiful, and can be flagged down anywhere. Fares are fairly cheap by international standards. AC flagfall is IDR 5,000, IDR 5,000/km thereafter; make sure the meter is on.
Car rental: many companies now offer both chauffer-driven (CD) cars with driver and gas included, as wel as self-drive (SD) cars. CD daily rates (12 hrs) range from $60 (kijang van) to $126 (Corola sedan); SD daily rates include insurance minus $50 deductible, range from $47 (kijang van) to $85 (corolla sedan).
General Information
Tourist Office Visitor Information Centre (for maps you can see google earth/maps and wikimapia)