![]() The passengers, young Muslim schoolgirls in jilbabs, chuckle when he croons a love ballad whilst keeping his cool in a nose-to-tail macet, the kind of congestion which has created the city’s unique gridlock economy of snack hawkers and guttersnipe traffic boys.ĭespite Jakarta’s sub-equatorial and coastal profile, Indonesia’s economic dynamo boasts no beautiful beaches or no palm-lined avenues, yet its nightlife is world class, its colonial history worth exploring, and its citizens so friendly that you’re bound to create lasting friendships.įrom Jakarta’s urban jungle of high-rise buildings, highways and open sewage canals, the only place to escape to is an air-conditioned shopping mall with free Wi-Fi, an international food court and brand-name shops. Hardly a halcyon vacation spot, the ‘Big Durian’ compensates with rewarding experiences, should the more adventurous accept its sights, sensations and challenges.Ī muezzin summons the faithful from one of Jakarta’s many mosques, but the driver of the angkot (minibus) you’re riding in blasts disco dangdut music from his dusty car stereo. Make no bones about it: Jakarta is definitely a traveller’s tightrope walk.
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