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“Go fast,” Risa Mia said.
She was three years old. She was sitting on the front of my electric scooter at Ragunan Zoo in South Jakarta, 127 hectares of animal enclosures opening up in front of us, and she had made a decision about how this day was going to go.
I went faster. She approved.
That is not the Jakarta you read about before you visit. The Jakarta you read about is traffic and heat and a megacity that works best as a connection point to somewhere better. Skip it, or spend two days maximum, or just use it to get to Bali.
We have been going to Jakarta with our three kids for years. Our last stay was two weeks. We were not stranded. We chose to stay that long. And this is the guide I wanted to read before our first trip with the kids, written by someone who had actually stayed long enough to find out what the city is.
This guide is for families who are willing to give Jakarta a proper chance.
Why Jakarta is better for families than its reputation suggests
Jakarta is a megacity of 10+ million people, the largest city in Southeast Asia, and for a long time the capital of Indonesia (the administrative capital has since moved to Nusantara in East Kalimantan, though Jakarta remains the economic and cultural center of the country). By reputation, it’s traffic, heat, and pollution. By reputation, it’s not a place you take your children.
That reputation is partly earned and partly outdated. The traffic is real. The heat is real. But what the reputation misses is everything else: an extraordinary food city, some of the most spectacular shopping malls in Southeast Asia, a genuine urban energy that the kids respond to, and a cost of living that makes a two-week family stay genuinely accessible.
The family comes to Jakarta because we have family here. That’s the honest starting point. But over the years, what has kept us coming back, and staying longer, is that we genuinely enjoy the city. Rico Jr loves the skyline. Rosalia loves the malls. Risa Mia loves that everything is big. And we love that our money goes further here than almost anywhere else in Indonesia.
If you’ve been to Bali and Yogyakarta and want to understand what Java is beyond the temples, Jakarta is where you come next.
What surprised us about Jakarta with kids
The traffic was not what we expected
Every article about Jakarta mentions the traffic first. We went in prepared for the worst. What we found was something more nuanced: yes, there is traffic, and yes, central Jakarta moves slowly at peak hours. But it moves. The city is not frozen. You sit in slow-moving flow rather than dead-stop gridlock (mostly), and once you’re past the central business district, things open up.
Our strategy: use Grab for short trips across the city, hire a driver for longer days with multiple stops, and plan activities that don’t require constant transit. When we had a driver and a plan, the traffic became background noise rather than a crisis. The kids don’t mind a slow car ride if there’s something to look at, and Jakarta from a car window is genuinely interesting. The towers, the overpasses, the sheer vertical scale of the city from street level is unlike anything you see in Bali or Yogyakarta.
The scale delighted everyone
This was the unexpected win. All three kids. Rico Jr at twelve, Rosalia at five, Risa Mia at three, loved the size of Jakarta. Not just tolerated it: loved it.
The skyscrapers are part of it. Jakarta’s central business district, particularly the Sudirman corridor and the SCBD area, has some of the most dramatic urban architecture in Southeast Asia. Glass towers, elevated highways, luxury hotels disappearing into the sky, the kids had never seen anything like it. Rico Jr kept asking which building was the tallest. Rosalia kept pressing her face against the car window.
For children who have spent their Indonesian time in Bali’s low-rise, green, relatively flat landscape, Jakarta feels like landing on another planet. That contrast turned out to be one of the best things about the trip.
Things to do in Jakarta with kids
MONAS: the National Monument
MONAS is Jakarta’s defining landmark: a 132-meter obelisk rising from the center of the city, topped with a gold-flamed torch that is literally covered in gold. It was built to commemorate Indonesian independence and opened in 1975, and it remains one of the most recognizable structures in all of Indonesia.
We went with the kids and it was worth it for reasons beyond the tower itself.
The park surrounding MONAS is enormous, one of the largest green spaces in central Jakarta, and on the day we visited it felt like the whole city had come out. Local families with children, joggers, food vendors, groups of teenagers. It has that quality of being a genuinely public space in a city that doesn’t have many of them, and the energy there is warm and lively in a way that touristy sites often aren’t.
The history museum is underneath the monument and tells Indonesia’s story through dioramas, hundreds of scenes from prehistory through to independence. For older kids with an interest in history, it’s genuinely engaging. For Risa Mia it was mostly very dark and then very suddenly a lot of scenes at once. She was fine.
The observation deck at the top requires a separate ticket and can have queues, especially on weekends. If you’re going up, arrive early in the morning. The views over Jakarta from 132 meters are spectacular, the scale of the city becomes comprehensible from above in a way it isn’t from street level.
One practical note: MONAS is closed on Mondays. Plan accordingly.
Entrance fees: IDR 10,000 per adult, IDR 2,000 per child, essentially free.
Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 8am to 4pm.
Merdeka Palace
While you’re at Merdeka Square for MONAS, walk the perimeter of the square and take in Istana Merdeka, the Merdeka Palace, which faces directly onto the square’s north side. It is the official ceremonial residence of the President of Indonesia: a grand white colonial-era building behind tall iron gates, flanked by ceremonial guards.
You can’t go inside on a regular visit, but the exterior is genuinely impressive, and the combination of MONAS behind you and the presidential palace in front of you gives a real sense of the weight of Indonesian independence, the square was the site of major independence-era gatherings, and the spatial relationship between the monument and the palace is intentional. Rico Jr immediately wanted to know who lived there and what they did all day.
The Changing of the Guard ceremony takes place at the palace and is worth timing your MONAS visit around if you can, the ceremonial precision is something older children find impressive. Check the schedule before visiting as it is not every day.
Ragunan Zoo
This was the clear highlight of our Jakarta trip for the kids, and it’s not even close.
Ragunan is one of the oldest and largest zoos in Southeast Asia, a 127-hectare park home to over 2,281 animals and 270 species, located in South Jakarta. The size is the thing. It’s not a zoo you walk around in an hour. It’s a place you spend most of a day, and the way you get around it is the part that makes it genuinely special for families with children.
You can rent electric scooters at the entrance.
We rented scooters and drove them through the zoo. The kids rode with us along the wide paths between enclosures, past orangutans and Komodo dragons and sun bears and the enormous bird habitats, and the whole experience felt nothing like a typical zoo visit. It felt like an adventure. Risa Mia sat on the front of the scooter and pointed at animals. Rico Jr drove his own with Dian. Rosalia kept asking to stop for the animals she wanted to see for longer.
The scooter rental costs around IDR 35,000 per hour for children-sized scooters and IDR 50,000 per hour for adults, genuinely cheap. The zoo’s paths are wide and well-maintained and the whole thing works beautifully. Note that scooters are not permitted inside the Smutzer Primate Center (the orangutan enclosure), but the rest of the zoo is open to them.
The zoo also has a children’s zoo section with more interactive elements, and the sheer variety of Indonesian wildlife on display here, species you won’t see anywhere else, makes it a genuinely educational and exciting day for kids at every age.
Practical: The zoo is closed on Mondays (same day as MONAS, don’t plan both as a Monday). It opens at 7am; arriving early means cooler temperatures and more active animals. Bring water and sun protection, there is shade from the tree canopy but the heat in Jakarta is real.
Jakarta Aquarium & Safari
Jakarta Aquarium & Safari is the largest indoor aquarium in Indonesia, located inside Neo SOHO mall in West Jakarta. It occupies two floors and twelve zones across approximately one hectare, and it is legitimately impressive.
The aquarium combines traditional aquatic exhibits, sharks, rays, sea turtles, thousands of fish across every type of habitat, with a “safari” level that includes non-aquatic animals, creating a combination that the kids found far more interesting than a standard aquarium. The layouts move you through different environments: you’re in a deep ocean tunnel, then a coral reef zone, then something that feels more like a tropical safari.
The highlights for our family were the touch pools (you can handle starfish and sea cucumbers), the mermaid performances (theatrical underwater shows that genuinely hold young children’s attention), and the 5D cinema. Rosalia was completely transfixed by the mermaid performance. Risa Mia touched approximately everything in the touch pool.
The aquarium is located inside a mall, which means full air conditioning, good food options nearby, and easy logistics. When the kids needed a break from the exhibits, we sat in the mall and had food and then went back in. No heat, no logistics problem, no traffic to navigate mid-day. For families with young children, the mall location is a feature, not a flaw.
Location: Neo SOHO, Jl. Letjen S. Parman Kav. 28, West Jakarta.
Hours: 10am to 9pm daily.
Tickets: Vary by day (weekday vs weekend) and age; children under 2 years are free. Check the current price on the official website before visiting.
The malls of Jakarta
We need to talk about the malls.
Jakarta has some of the most spectacular shopping malls in Southeast Asia. Not good malls. Not adequate malls. Genuinely spectacular ones, enormous, immaculate, fully air-conditioned cities-within-cities with food courts, play areas, cinemas, ice skating rinks, aquariums, theme park zones, and restaurants covering every cuisine imaginable.
For our family, the malls were a genuine highlight of every Jakarta visit. Not a backup plan for bad weather. An actual attraction.
Grand Indonesia is one of the largest malls in Southeast Asia and the one we return to most often. It’s in central Jakarta, connected to Mandarin Oriental and flanked by towers. The Miniapolis children’s play zone has rides, games, and interactive attractions specifically for younger children. The food options across both towers are extensive. It’s the kind of mall where you arrive in the morning and emerge in the afternoon not entirely sure where the time went.
Pacific Place in the SCBD area houses KidZania Jakarta, a full-scale interactive city for children where kids can try over 70 professions (doctor, pilot, journalist, chef, firefighter) in a realistic miniature environment. Rico Jr went through this at age 10 and still talks about it. For children between about 4 and 14, KidZania is a serious half-day activity. The mall around it is polished and upscale, with good restaurant options.
AEON Mall Jakarta Garden City is worth a special mention for families: it has an ice skating rink, a large indoor playground, a water play area, and a giant rooftop Ferris wheel that gives panoramic views over the eastern Jakarta skyline. Risa Mia rode the Ferris wheel four times.
Pondok Indah Mall (specifically PIM 2 and PIM 3) has the best cluster of indoor activity venues in the city: SuperPark Indonesia (trampolines, obstacle courses, sports zones), Pororo Park (themed indoor playground for young children), and Houbii Urban Adventure Park. If you have a morning to spend purely on children’s entertainment, this complex will absorb it completely.
Taman Anggrek has an ice skating rink that’s popular and accessible, good for older kids.
The honest truth about Jakarta’s malls: in Bali and Yogyakarta, you generally avoid them in favor of outdoor experiences. In Jakarta, you embrace them. They’re central to the city’s identity, they’re used by local families as everyday social spaces (not just tourist attractions), and the quality is genuinely high. The kids look forward to them in a way they don’t look forward to malls anywhere else.
Jakarta by age: what each of our kids found here
Risa Mia’s Jakarta (age 3)
Two defining experiences, and she will tell you about both unprompted.
The first is the Ferris wheel at AEON Mall Jakarta Garden City. She rode it four times. The fourth time was not negotiable in any direction. The views over the eastern Jakarta skyline from the top, towers and overpasses and the sprawl of the city stretching to the horizon, are genuinely something, even from the perspective of a three-year-old who mainly cared about going around again.
The second is the scooter at Ragunan Zoo. She sat on the front and considered herself in charge.
The touch pool at Jakarta Aquarium was also a significant moment. She handled a sea cucumber with the same seriousness she brings to holding cats.
Practical for toddlers in Jakarta: the city works best when air conditioning is always one step away. The heat and humidity outside are real. The malls and the aquarium are fully climate-controlled and there is always something to look at. Ragunan is outdoor but the tree canopy provides shade, and the scooter means you are not asking a three-year-old to walk 127 hectares on her own feet.
Rosalia’s Jakarta (age 5)
Rosalia’s Jakarta is the mermaid performance at Jakarta Aquarium, the AEON Ferris wheel, and Pondok Indah Mall’s indoor play complex. In roughly that order.
The mermaid show at the aquarium held her for the full duration. Theatrical underwater performances behind glass, theatrical enough to make her ask whether the mermaids were real. We said sort of, which is the correct answer.
KidZania at Pacific Place is the right level for five-year-olds. The roleplay format clicks for kids old enough to understand the premise. Rosalia was a baker and a firefighter, and considers both career paths still open. She spent longer inside KidZania than we expected and emerged with a serious opinion about which profession was better.
Rico Jr’s Jakarta (age 12)
Rico Jr’s Jakarta is about scale, and Jakarta has it.
The skyline from the elevated Sudirman highway pressed his face against the car window. The observation deck at MONAS gave him a version of the city he could comprehend from above, all 10 million people of it spread out below. The history museum underneath MONAS sent him back to the hotel with questions we could not fully answer about independence and the colonial period.
At Ragunan he drove his own scooter through the animal sections, which at twelve is the kind of independence that makes a place stick in the memory. The primate center was the section he went back to twice.
What Jakarta does for a twelve-year-old that Bali does not: it shows him what an Asian megacity actually looks like from the inside. He came away wanting to return, which is the best thing a place can do.
Where to eat in Jakarta with kids
Jakarta is one of the best food cities in Indonesia. This is not a controversial claim, the variety, quality, and price point here are exceptional.
Indonesian food in Jakarta
The diversity of Indonesia’s regional cuisines is represented in Jakarta better than anywhere else. Padang food from West Sumatra (rich curries, slow-cooked meats) sits next to Javanese gudeg, Sundanese grilled fish, Batak dishes from North Sumatra, and seafood from the coast. The city’s population of migrants from across the archipelago means you can eat very well across the whole country’s cuisine without leaving Jakarta.
For families, Padang food is a reliable hit with older children, the format (dishes arranged on the table, you pay for what you eat) is fun and the flavors are bold but approachable. Look for any Rumah Makan Padang (the green-and-white storefronts are everywhere).
Soto is Jakarta’s local soup, a light, turmeric-based broth served with chicken or beef, rice, boiled eggs, and various garnishes. It’s sold at small warungs throughout the city, it’s excellent, and it’s one of those dishes that even selective eaters typically accept.
Nasi Goreng (fried rice) and Mie Goreng (fried noodles) are everywhere and reliably good. If you have children who need a safe, familiar Indonesian option, these work anywhere.
Food courts and restaurants in malls
Jakarta’s mall food courts deserve their own mention. Unlike shopping center food courts anywhere in Europe, these are genuinely good, large, varied, and staffed by vendors who are often very good at what they do. Grand Indonesia’s food court alone has dozens of options across cuisines. For families with children at different food tolerance levels, a good food court solves everyone’s problem in one stop.
The sit-down restaurant options across Jakarta’s better malls are excellent. You can find Japanese, Korean, Italian, Thai, and upscale Indonesian at reasonable prices, far less than comparable quality in Bali’s tourist areas.
Practicalities for families eating out
Jakarta restaurants tend to accommodate children well. High chairs exist in more places than you’d expect. Portions are generous. Prices at local and mid-range restaurants are very low by European standards, a full family meal at a decent restaurant typically costs a fraction of what the same quality would cost in the Netherlands.
Getting around Jakarta with kids
Getting to Jakarta: and onward to Yogyakarta by train
We fly into Jakarta from Bali. The flight takes about 1h30m on a direct route (multiple airlines, multiple daily departures), and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport is Jakarta’s main gateway, large, modern, and manageable with three children once you know where you’re going. Grab works at the airport arrivals area.
If you’re planning a Java trip that combines Jakarta with Yogyakarta (which we’d recommend, they complement each other well), the train between the two cities is the right way to connect them, and it’s a genuinely good travel experience.
The Gambir station in central Jakarta is the main intercity rail hub. From here, trains to Yogyakarta run multiple times daily, and the journey on an express service takes around 7 to 8 hours. The trains are comfortable, air-conditioned, have proper seats (executive and business class carriages are worth booking for families), and the views as you move across Java, rice paddies, volcanoes, small towns, are some of the best scenery of the whole trip.
We booked in advance through the KAI (Kereta Api Indonesia) official app. Book as early as possible for good seats, particularly on weekends or holidays. For a family of five, booking a block of seats in the same carriage takes a bit of planning but is straightforward.
The kids found the train journey easy and entertaining. It’s long enough that you want snacks, activities, and realistic expectations, but for children who’ve done long-haul flights, eight hours on a comfortable train through Java is nothing.
→ Full guide to getting around Java by train and flight: Java Transport with Kids. Trains, Flights, and Getting Between Cities (coming soon)
Grab and Gojek
These ride-hailing apps are essential. Both work reliably in Jakarta, pricing is transparent, and you can book car rides large enough for a family. GrabCar is our default for getting across the city, it removes the negotiation problem entirely and the drivers are generally straightforward.
GrabFood and GoFood (the food delivery versions) are also worth knowing: if you have an apartment or hotel room and need to feed three tired children at 7pm without going anywhere, both apps deliver from hundreds of restaurants within 30-60 minutes.
Private driver
For full-day excursions. Ragunan Zoo, for instance, which involves a lot of distance, a private driver makes the day significantly easier. Rates for a full day with a driver are very reasonable. Your hotel can arrange one, or ask a local contact. A driver who knows the city will navigate better than any app during heavy traffic.
MRT Jakarta
Jakarta’s MRT has expanded significantly in recent years and now connects the southern suburbs to the central business district efficiently. It’s clean, air-conditioned, and inexpensive. With children old enough to walk and manage a train platform, the MRT is a good option for north-south movement through the city. Risa Mia’s contribution to the MRT experience was pushing the platform barriers several times until we stopped her.
Traffic management
The honest version: avoid central Jakarta between 7 to 9am and 4 to 7pm if possible. Outside those windows, the city moves. During rush hour, plan on everything taking longer than the map suggests. If you have children who get carsick or restless, time your trips accordingly. We found that a morning departure (8am) for a zoo visit or afternoon departure (10am, after morning rush) for a mall worked reliably. Don’t try to cross the city during peak hours with a three-year-old who has decided she’s done with being in a car.
Where to stay in Jakarta with kids
Central Jakarta (Sudirman / SCBD / Thamrin)
The most convenient area for first-time visitors. You’re walking distance from Grand Indonesia, Hotel Indonesia Roundabout, and the start of the Sudirman corridor. Taxis and Grab are everywhere. If you want to see the skyline and the business district and be in the middle of the city’s energy, this is where to stay.
Good for: First-time visitors, families who want to be close to Grand Indonesia and Monas, urban experience.
South Jakarta (Pondok Indah / Kemang / Cilandak)
This is the expat and long-term family zone of Jakarta, quieter, greener (relatively), and home to the best cluster of family entertainment venues in the city. Pondok Indah Mall’s complex, Ragunan Zoo, The Wave water park, and numerous international restaurants are all in this area. Many Jakarta expat families live here, and the neighborhood infrastructure for families with children is better than anywhere else in the city.
Good for: Longer stays, families with young children, access to Ragunan and the PIM complex.
West Jakarta (near Neo SOHO)
If Jakarta Aquarium & Safari is a priority, staying near Neo SOHO in West Jakarta puts you right on top of it, the aquarium is inside the mall. Central Park Mall is nearby, as is Taman Anggrek. This area makes sense for families who want to anchor around those specific venues.
Good for: Families prioritising the aquarium and West Jakarta malls.
Practical notes on accommodation
Jakarta has a full range of accommodation from budget guesthouses to international five-star hotels, and prices at every level are lower than comparable quality in Bali. For a family of five, serviced apartments in the Kuningan or SCBD area offer good space with kitchen facilities, practical for longer stays, and several options have pools and children’s facilities.
Practical tips for families visiting Jakarta
Affordability: Jakarta is very good value for a European family. Food, transport, and accommodation cost significantly less than Bali’s tourist zones. Eating local, using Grab, and staying in a mid-range serviced apartment is comfortable and inexpensive. Even the premium malls and restaurants are priced well by European comparison.
Air conditioning: Jakarta is hot (30 to 34°C most of the year) and humid without Bali’s coastal breeze. The city compensates with aggressive air conditioning everywhere indoors. The malls, restaurants, aquarium, and most hotels will be very cool, sometimes too cool for small children. A light layer for the kids is worth packing.
Air quality: Jakarta’s air quality varies and is not consistently good. The AirVisual app (or any AQI tracker) is worth checking on days you plan outdoor activities. MONAS and Ragunan are both outdoor, pick days with reasonable air quality for those. Mall days can be any day.
How many days? Our standard is now one week minimum to properly enjoy Jakarta with children. Two weeks, as we did most recently, lets you relax into the city rather than rushing. Most families passing through will have two or three days, that’s enough for MONAS, Ragunan, the aquarium, and time in a couple of malls. Don’t come for one day and then tell people Jakarta isn’t worth visiting.
Language: Bahasa Indonesia is spoken everywhere. English works in malls, hotels, and most tourist-facing contexts. In local warungs and markets, having a few phrases (terima kasih, thank you; berapa harganya?, how much?) goes a long way and is always appreciated. Dian handles the language; for Dutch families without an Indonesian connection, a translator app covers most situations.
Connectivity: A local SIM with data is the single most useful thing you can have in Jakarta. Without navigation and Grab, the city is significantly harder. The Airalo Indonesia eSIM works reliably and you can activate it before landing. → Get an Indonesia eSIM on Airalo
Sample itinerary: Jakarta with kids
3 days
Day 1: MONAS and the city center
Morning: MONAS, arriving early before the heat builds and the queues form. History museum underneath. Walk the perimeter of Merdeka Square to Merdeka Palace. Time the Changing of the Guard if you can. Afternoon: Grand Indonesia mall, recover from the heat, lunch in the food court. Evening at leisure.
Day 2: Ragunan Zoo
Full day. Pack water and sun protection. Arrive at 7am for the coolest window and the most active animals. Rent the electric scooters immediately, do not save it for later. Allow four to five hours minimum. Lunch at the zoo or nearby. Afternoon: hotel, rest, GrabFood for dinner. The kids will be satisfied and tired, which is the right combination.
Day 3: Jakarta Aquarium & Safari
Morning arrival at Neo SOHO when the aquarium opens at 10am. Two to three hours inside. Lunch in the mall. Afternoon: Central Park Mall or Taman Anggrek ice rink if the kids want more. GrabCar home.
A week in Jakarta with kids
Days 1 to 3 as above. Day 4: Pondok Indah Mall complex, SuperPark Indonesia in the morning, Pororo Park or Houbii Urban Adventure in the afternoon depending on ages. Day 5: KidZania at Pacific Place (book in advance, it fills up on weekends). Day 6: AEON Mall Jakarta Garden City for the rooftop Ferris wheel, ice skating, and a slower east-Jakarta day. Day 7: Kota Tua (Old Town). Jakarta’s colonial Dutch quarter, the Fatahillah Square museum complex, batavia-era architecture, a different pace before departure. We have been meaning to do this one with the kids. It is on the list for next time.
Plan your trip: family hotels in Jakarta · airport transfer · travel insurance
FAQ
Is Jakarta worth visiting with kids?
Yes, especially if you’re already visiting Java. Jakarta is a genuinely exciting city for children who can appreciate scale, energy, and variety. It’s also very good value. The framing of “skip Jakarta” is outdated and undersells what the city actually offers families.
How many days do you need in Jakarta with kids?
Three days at minimum covers the main attractions: Monas, Ragunan Zoo, Jakarta Aquarium, and a couple of malls. A week lets you breathe and enjoy the city properly. We’ve spent two weeks and had more to do.
Is Jakarta safe for families with children?
Yes, within normal urban travel awareness. Use Grab rather than flagging street taxis. Keep an eye on children in busy mall areas and public spaces. Traffic on foot is the main hazard, jaywalking in Jakarta requires attention. Crime against tourists is low.
What is the best area to stay in Jakarta for families?
South Jakarta (Pondok Indah / Kemang) for longer stays and best access to family venues. Central Jakarta for first-timers who want convenience and the city-center experience.
Is the traffic really as bad as people say?
It depends entirely on when you’re in it. Rush hours (morning and late afternoon) in central Jakarta are genuinely slow. Outside of those windows it’s very manageable. With a driver and a plan, traffic becomes a non-issue, you sit back, look out the window, and arrive when you arrive.
How do you get around Jakarta with kids?
Grab for most trips, a private driver for full-day excursions, the MRT for north-south movement in the city. Walking is not the main mode. Jakarta is not a pedestrian city in the European sense.
Is Jakarta affordable for a European family?
Very. Food at local restaurants is inexpensive. Transport via Grab is cheap. Even mid-range hotels and serviced apartments are well-priced compared to Bali’s tourist zones. Your money goes significantly further here.
What didn’t we do that we want to try?
Kota Tua (Old Town). Jakarta’s colonial Dutch quarter with the Fatahillah Square museum complex. We’ve been meaning to go with the kids for years and haven’t made it happen yet. It’s on the list.
Jakarta doesn’t market itself as a family destination, and it doesn’t particularly try to. The city doesn’t need to. It has too much going on to spend energy on branding.
What we’ve found, over years of visiting with three children at every age, is that Jakarta rewards families who show up willing to take it on its own terms. It’s not Bali. It’s not Yogyakarta. It’s a sprawling, vertical, energetic megacity with extraordinary food, malls unlike anything in Europe, a zoo where you drive scooters through 127 hectares of animal enclosures, and skyscrapers that make twelve-year-olds press their faces against car windows.
Rico Jr decided on the drive from Ragunan Zoo back to the hotel, watching the towers catch the late afternoon light on the Sudirman skyline, that Jakarta was his favorite city in Indonesia.
He’s twelve and he’s wrong about a lot of things. On this one, we think he might be right.
→ More things to do: Things to Do in Jakarta with Kids
→ The rest of Java: Yogyakarta with Kids · Borobudur with Kids
→ The bigger picture: Indonesia with Kids
