Port Guide: Jakarta, Indonesia

This full-on, throbbing city isn’t for the fainthearted, but it does hide a softer historical core and dishes up great food.

Who goes there Jakarta isn’t a major cruise destination, with Denpasar in Bali the busiest Indonesian cruise port. Even so, cruise lines such as AIDA, Azamara, Holland America Line, Oceania and Regent Seven Seas visit on South-East Asian cruises, world cruises or while relocating across Asia and towards Australia. Keep an eye on Malaysian company Star Cruises, which has previously offered short cruises from Jakarta on Star Voyager, formerly Pacific Explorer, which was operated by P&O Cruises Australia.

Sail on in Jakarta Bay is big and wide with nothing but a few minor islands as you sail in, although the size of passing container ships is astonishing. You’ll see Jakarta’s skyscrapers if the heat haze isn’t too fierce, but the waterfront is industrial, so you have no particular need to abandon the delights of a leisurely cruise breakfast.

Berth rites Ships dock at Tanjung Priok, the industrial seaport 13 kilometres from downtown Jakarta or eight from Kota Tua. There are no notable facilities, and you’ll have to rely on your cruise-line shuttle to get into town, since there’s no convenient public transport and taxis aren’t allowed into the port. Leave yourself good time for the return as traffic after 3pm can be gridlocked.

Going ashore Jakarta is one of the world’s largest cities and its contemporary districts have little for the sightseer apart from the marble obelisk of the iconic National Monument, surrounded by statues of national heroes and housing a museum outlining Indonesia’s struggle for independence. Concentrate on the historical Kota Tua area, which features Dutch canals and colonial buildings, tranquil back streets and graceful Taman Fatahillah square. The Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics displays wood sculptures, ceramics and paintings by the country’s best contemporary artists.

Don’t miss Trace how Jakarta started at Sunda Kelapa at the mouth of the Ciliwung River, founded as a 12th-century port and later the heart of the Dutch trading empire. The traditional prahu sailboats in the harbour are a marvel from the tips of their tall masts to their high jutting bowsprits, and come in weathered shades of red, yellow and blue. Two other sights are the excellent Maritime Museum housed in a 1652 warehouse, and Pasar Ikan fish market, groaning with freshly caught seafood.

Get active Jakarta isn’t a city for walking or cycling thanks to heat, humidity and crowded footpaths cluttered with food stalls and parked motorbikes, so stick to your ship’s gym. But there are dozens of golf courses in Jakarta’s surrounds, including world-class Royale Jakarta Golf Club for a rolling course pitted with water hazards, and the more distant Klub Golf Bogor Raya, which is magnificently scenic and has the advantage of high elevation for a cooler round.

Best bites Shanghai Blue 1920 Restaurant takes you back to old Shanghai and has a menu that blends Chinese and Indonesian cuisine. It has a great bar with live jazz most evenings. Dapur Babah Elite Restaurant celebrates Perankan cuisine, a 1900s Chinese and Javanese fusion with Dutch influences. The glorious, antique-rich decor pays immaculate attention to historical detail.

Further afield An hour south of Jakarta and now linked by high-speed train, Bogor has excellent botanical gardens, riverside walking trails, Taman Safari Indonesia animal park and numerous golf clubs. The hills around Puncak, also south of Jakarta, offer more respite from the heat, spectacular views and the tea plantations of Gunung Mas, where you can tour the tea factory. Be warned that Jakarta traffic is horrendous, so you may not want to stray too far afield.

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