Jakarta Flights

European colonial interests in the region began in the early sixteenth century when the Portuguese explored their options of leveraging control of the spice trade. The Portuguese influence gave way to Dutch colonisation - the Dutch established a base at what is now Jakarta and called the city Batavia. Following the end of World War II and liberation from the Japanese, Indonesia declared independence in 1949 with Jakarta as the nation's capital. Today Jakarta is the country's economic and political heart.

National Monument or Monumen Nasional

The city's most famous landmark, located in the colonial heart of Batavia now central Jakarta, is the National Monument or Monumen Nasional. The towering obelisk sits in the middle of the one square kilometre Medan Merdeka or Freedom Square and offers spectacular views of the sprawling city from its observation deck. The nearby National Museum contains more than 100,000 cultural objects to offer visitors a comprehensive understanding of Indonesian history and culture. Other monuments worth investigating in central Jakarta include the Farmer Statue, Freedom of Irian Jaya and the Welcome to Jakarta.

City Skyline

The vibrant Chinatown in the west of the city is always worth exploring. While in the area, consider checking out the Puppet Museum, the Museum of Fine Arts and Ceramics and the colonial Diamond City Hanging Bridge. After a full day's sight-seeing chill out at either the Ancol Jakarta Bay City, a complex that boasts a theme park, beach, swimming pool and aquarium or at the Waterbom, a water park with eight waterslides. To escape the pace of the city take a trip to the Thousand Islands, a group of 110 picturesque islands. You can explore these sights and more with our cheap flights to Indonesia.