Jakarta Private Tour with Guide and Lunch

The National Monument or popularly abbreviated as Monas or Tugu Monas is a 132 meter (433 ft) tall monument that was erected to commemorate the resistance and struggle of the Indonesian people to seize independence from the Dutch East Indies colonial government. The construction of this monument began on August 17, 1961 under the order of President Sukarno and was opened to the public on July 12, 1975. The monument was crowned with flames covered in gold sheets which symbolized a burning spirit of struggle. The National Monument is located right in the middle of Medan Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta.

Guide and Client walk Kota Tua Jakarta, also known as the Old Batavia (Oud Batavia), is a small area in Jakarta, Indonesia. This special area has an area of 1.3 square kilometers across North Jakarta and West Jakarta (Pinangsia, Taman Sari and Roa Malaka).

Nicknamed the "Asian Gem" and "Queen of the East" in the 16th century by European sailors, Jakarta Lama was considered the trade center for the Asian continent because of its strategic location and abundant resources.

Sunda Kelapa, better known as Pasar Ikan (meaning fish market) is located at the mouth of the Ciliwung River. The fish catch of the day was auctioned in the early morning at the old fish market. The street leading to it was lined with shops selling all sorts of shells, dehydrated turtles, lobsters and mostly everything the seafarer might need. This 500-year-old harbor area was a vital link to markets of the outside world for the 15th century kingdom of Pajajaran. It was formerly the harbor town of Sunda Kelapa where the Portuguese traded with the Hindu Kingdom of Pajajaran in the early 16th century. Since than this port has belonged to the portuguese and Dutch.

Dutch domination of Jakarta and the rest of Indonesia began from this area, whereas the remnants of Kasteel Batavia, an old fort and trading post of the Dutch East Indies Company can still be seen now. Sunda Kelapa is at present a fisherman's wharf and an inter island port. Tall-misted Bugis schooners from South Sulawesi anchoring there offer a picturesque scene. They belong to one of the last-fleets of sailboats in the world and still ply the seas between the islands, as they did centuries ago, carrying merchandise.

Tough little remains of bustling old Sunda Kelapa except the name, the harbor is still one of the most important calls for sailing vessels from all over Indonesia. The magnificent and brightly painted Makassar schooner called Pinisi is still an important means of transporting goods to and from the outer islands. This is one of the finest sights in Jakarta.

Wander around the old Sunda Kelapa port, watching gangs of sinew-stretched coolies smoking pungent clove-laced cigarettes unload cargos of timber, coal and spices from stunning wooden schooners. Hire a dugout canoe and paddlers and enjoy the waterside scenery. The boats also go to the nearby old fish market, which can be reached easily by foot from the port and is free to enter. Work starts here at 3am and it's essential to arrive by 6am to see the best of the action.

Besides Singkawang and Semarang, Jakarta also has a bustling Chinatown complex ahead of Lunar New Year, as well as Tangerang. Chinatowns in Jakarta and Tangerang will of course also be festive with decorations and red attributes.

There is no need to go far to China to see Chinese New Year celebrations. For those of you who live in the capital and surrounding areas, you can stop by in Chinatown in the Glodok 9th plot, as well as the Lama Market in Tangerang.

The 9th plot area and the Old Market are indeed famous as areas which are crowded by Chinese. No wonder the two places are very lively and crowded before the Chinese New Year celebration. Crowd is certain to occur around the temple.

Istiqlal Mosque in Jakarta, Indonesia is the biggest mosque in Southeast Asia, befitting its location in the largest Muslim country in the world (in terms of population). The mosque was constructed to conform to then-President Sukarno's grand vision of a strong, multi-faith state with the government at its center: Istiqlal Mosque stands across the street from the Catholic Jakarta Cathedral, and both places of worship stand next to Merdeka Square, home to Monas (Independence Monument) which towers over them.