6 Things to Know Before Going to Jakarta

Jakarta is the capital city of Indonesia as well as the first metropolitan city in Indonesia. In fact, Jakarta is the second largest city in the world with over 30 million people. It’s quite a huge city! If you plan to have an internship in Jakarta, pay attention to these 6 important things before going to Jakarta. This will help you to prepare yourself and know what to expect when you arrive at Jakarta.

Image source: hindustantimes.com

The traffic jam is bad. Really bad.

When you arrive at Jakarta, the first thing that you’ll more likely to learn is the horrific traffic. There is no any locals or travellers of Jakarta who isn’t mentioning the traffic jam. Because of the abundance of cars and motorbikes on the roads, it can literally take hours to go a few measly kilometers in this city. You have to exercise a lot of patience! Also, knowing the bad traffic jam, you must time your arrival if you don’t want to be late.

Watch your back

Crime, in particular theft, mostly pick-pocketing and muggings, can be a problem. Always be aware of your surroundings wherever you’re. Try not to wear flashy jewelry and carry large sums of money. Also, never hang a bag or backpack over the back of a chair in a restaurant or other public place. Pickpocket is still there and they are quite professional. So, no need to make yourself a prime target.

Don’t drink the tap water

It doesn’t only apply in Jakarta but also in every city in Indonesia. Unlike in other countries, tap water in Indonesia isn’t drinkable. So you better avoid it at all cost if you don’t want to get stomachache.

Be careful during the flood season

Another thing you must pay attention before going to Jakarta is the flood. It can be problematic especially in rainy season. It mostly occurs in lower parts of the city. The flood is quiet prevalent. Even more so in areas nearby rivers.

Jakarta’s Public Transportation

There is many kind of public transportation in Jakarta. On eof it is Transjakarta which is a good choice for you who wanna going around the city center. They have some lines that bring you from one stop to another. You can always ask the crew where to stop to reaching your destination. And again, please be careful of your belongings, especially if you take public transportation during peak hours.

Jakarta is a city of malls

Ask any local what they suggest you do for fun and they will almost always suggest going to a mall. Jakarta has so many malls. You’ll need few days to explore mall in Jakarta. On nights and weekends, the city’s malls are jam packed with the locals. Also, malls in Jakarta can be very glamorous affairs.