One
of the world’s greatest megalopolises, Jakarta is a dynamic city of
daunting extremes that's developing at a pace that throws up challenges
and surreal juxtapositions on every street corner. An organism unto
itself, this is a town in the midst of a very public metamorphosis, and
despite the maddening traffic, life here is lived at an all-out pace,
driven by an industriousness and optimism that's palpable. Dysfunction
be damned.
Translation: it's no
oil painting, yet beneath the unappealing facade of new build
high-rises, relentless concrete and gridlocked streets, fringed with
rickety slums and shrouded in a persistent blanket of smog, Jakarta has
many faces and plenty of surprises. Its citizens – even the poorest
among them – are remarkably good-natured and positive, and compared to
many of the world’s capitals, crime levels are low.
From
the steamy, richly scented streets of Chinatown to North Jakarta's
riotous, decadent nightlife, the city is filled with unexpected
corners. Here it’s possible to rub shoulders with Indonesia’s
future leaders, artists, thinkers, movers and shakers in a bohemian
cafe or a sleek lounge bar and then go clubbing till dawn and beyond,
the sober desires of current lawmakers notwithstanding.
Show in Lonely Planet
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