Jakarta

Merdeka Square is located in the Central District of Jakarta. It is now one of the most important sites in Indonesia, housing many significant landmarks such as the National Monument, Merdeka Palace, the Supreme Court of Justice,the National Museum and many important government offices including the office of the Governor of Jakarta as well as the American Embassy.

The Thousand Islands are a chain of tropical islands scattered in the Bay of Jakarta. 110 islands congregate there to form the district that is a half hour to a three hours boat ride from the north coast of the capital city. The islands are a snorkeling haven and water sports playground for the inhabitants of Jakarta. During holidays, domestic tourists throng to the islands to have fun under the sun on these many recreational islands.

Located in Medan Merdeka Barat, Central Jakarta, on the west side of Merdeka Square, the National Museum of Indonesia is the pride of Jakarta, providing visitors an insight into Indonesia’s long history and cultural heritage from the prehistoric days up to today. Having recently been expanded, the museum houses an impressive collection of no less than 109,342 objects covering Indonesia’s Prehistory, Archaeology, Ethnography, Numismatics-Heraldic, Geography and Historical Relics. The museum is regarded as one of the finest museums in Indonesia and Southeast Asia.

Jakarta's most popular landmark is certainly a large one: the Monas obelisk stands at 132 meters and is capped with 35 kilograms of gold. It was finished in 1975 and houses a number of museums, including Freedom Hall and the Hall of Contemplation. Admission is free of charge.