After spending Christmas in Singapore, the next leg of my Far East tour was a visit to Indonesian capital, Jakarta…. I honestly couldn’t wait to leave. The air smells foul, there are flying insects all over the place and trying to get anywhere by road is a nightmare. I pre-paid for my taxi from the airport to the hotel. Which turned out to be a wise move, because we spent so long in traffic jams that I’d have gone bankrupt if it was a metered fare!
So the only sensible option was to either walk where you wanted to go, or haggle with a rickshaw driver and take a tuk-tuk – then pray throughout the journey that you make it to your destination alive.
In truth, Jakarta probably isn’t totally unbearable. But having just come from Kuala Lumpur and Singapore, it felt hugely inferior in contrast. It is inferior, for sure. And the trip I took across Jakarta Bay to Bidadari Island was perhaps my biggest waste of time on this whole Far East tour. However, I’m sure there’s plenty to see, do and enjoy in the Indonesian capital if you are able to lower your standards a little and throw yourself into it. I just couldn’t do that on this occasion and was delighted to depart after just a couple of days.
The Jakarta skyline, as seen from my hotel suite.Rooftop pool at the hotelSome of the most impressive mansions in Asia are being built at the Jakarta Marina, despite this city being home to some of the poorest people in the world.The Marina at Jakarta, where you can grab a boat to the Thousand Islands.Bidadari (“Angel”) Island. From afar it seems to show so much promise and the brochure promises swimming with dolphins, a top restaurant, jetskis, canoeing and an old Dutch Fort.Bidadari (“Angel”) Island. From afar it seems to show so much promise and the brochure promises swimming with dolphins, a top restaurant, jetskis, canoeing and an old Dutch Fort.Bidadari (“Angel”) Island. In the pictures it looks beautiful. In person, it is hot, smelly, full of flies and mangy cats. Dolphins were impressive though.Bidadari (“Angel”) Island. In the pictures it looks beautiful. In person, it is hot, smelly, full of flies and mangy cats. Dolphins were impressive though.Bidadari (“Angel”) Island. In the pictures it looks beautiful. In person, it is hot, smelly, full of flies and mangy cats. Dolphins were impressive though.A strange-looking fishing boat off the coast of Bidadari (“Angel”) Island.Bidadari (“Angel”) Island. From afar it seems to show so much promise and the brochure promises swimming with dolphins, a top restaurant, jetskis, canoeing and an old Dutch Fort.Bidadari (“Angel”) Island. From afar it seems to show so much promise and the brochure promises swimming with dolphins, a top restaurant, jetskis, canoeing and an old Dutch Fort.Bidadari (“Angel”) Island. From afar it seems to show so much promise and the brochure promises swimming with dolphins, a top restaurant, jetskis, canoeing and an old Dutch Fort.Bidadari (“Angel”) Island. From afar it seems to show so much promise and the brochure promises swimming with dolphins, a top restaurant, jetskis, canoeing and an old Dutch Fort.The Jakarta skyline, as seen from my hotel suite.
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