Home to around 10.2 million people, the nation’s capital is a vast, modern megacity sprawling from the feet of the Bogor Hills to the Java Sea. Its airport is the point of arrival for many visitors to Indonesia. Among the highlights are the atmospheric old Dutch quarter at Kota, and the fascinating port of Sunda Kelapa, with its jetties of traditional, two-masted pinisi boats being loaded and unloaded by hand. The harbour is best visited around sunset time, after a leisurely lunch at the famous Café Batavia, and tour of Jakarta’s excellent museums.

The National Monument is said to be constructed entirely of marble and offers good views of Jakarta from the top, whilst the Miniature Park measuring 100 hectare showcases the country’s buildings in full scale, handicrafts, and clothing all on one site. The cobbled Fatahillah Square and its old town hall ‘transports’ visitors to Europe with its colonial flavour stemming from Dutch rule.