Many people ask me if Jakarta is a dangerous city or not. I tend to think that it is very safe because after living four years here, I’ve never had a problem except for a few very minor annoyances.
But bad things happened to other people and I want to be as fair as possible in order to give you an objective point of you on whether Jakarta is a dangerous city or not.
Danger is not limited to robbery or crime. To be complete, here is a list of the 10 dangers you may face while staying or living in Jakarta as an expat or foreigner. I also write an estimation of the level of risk.
If you are going to Jakarta without a travel insurance, you should read the following: Choosing Your Travel Insurance in Indonesia.
Safety on the road: High
I think that your biggest threat while being in Jakarta will be dealing with motorized vehicles, whether your are walking, in a car, or in a motorcycle. If you take the taxi for instance, you will notice cars don’t have a safety belt in the back. If you take an ojek (moto-taxi), the driver will give you a shitty helmet and drive recklessly, putting your life in danger every second.
How to avoid it: Take silver bird taxis, go in the passenger seat, avoid taking ojeks, be very careful when walking in Jakarta.
Natural Disaster: High
Flood, earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis… Jakarta, as the rest of the country, is prone to natural disasters. In fact, according to the Natural Disaster Risk Index, Indonesia is the world’s second most dangerous nation regarding natural catastrophes after Bangladesh. I don’t think it can impact your stay in Jakarta though, because it is something you cannot really protect yourself from. All you can do is cross your finger and hope that everything will be OK.
Terrorism: Medium to High
I don’t know what I should say about terrorism. It happened in Jakarta and Bali, and even though the government is very active in fighting terrorists, we cannot ignore that new bombings could happen again in Jakarta/Indonesia in the future.
The targets of terrorists have always been places frequented by expats, like embassies, night clubs, restaurants or 5-star hotels. A safe precaution therefore is to avoid too crowded areas.
Some extremist religious groups have been attacking entertainment venues too, especially during religious times of the year like Ramadan. It is quite rare though and they are more scary than dangerous.
Pickpockets: Medium
It is the most common offence in Jakarta affecting expats: Having a small thing stolen while in a bar (usually a phone) or in a crowd. It is not so common either, but it happened to me with a camera, and it happened to a few of my friends, in particular in Stadium nightclub. I had once a problem with a drink that almost made me pass out… The guy I was with may have put something in it, but I’ll never know that for sure.
Robbery: Medium
I don’t have statistics about robbery, but from what I could observe, it involves most of the time the people working in your house: Maids, cooks, guards. It is usually low value items (in my situation, I had all my cleaning products disappearing…), but very annoying. To avoid any problems, look for staff that has been recommended to you by fellow expats, and pay them more than average.
Scams: High
Getting to pay the right price for things is a challenge in Jakarta when you are or when you look like an expat. Most of the times, it only requires negotiation, but sometimes, it gets tougher. Taxis are usually a pain in the ass: Apart from the reputed Blue Bird and Express brands, many drivers will try to get more from you by using various tricks: No meter, longer routes, fiddled meters. Beware also of “fake” Blue Bird taxis: They look exactly like them but belong to other companies. The danger is not so high, usually you only end up paying a few dollars extra, but in some cases, drivers can get violent (it happened with girls travelling alone).
Some people will warn you about credit card fraud, and you should be cautious about that. The same precaution applies when you want to change money: Always prefer a bank rather than street vendors.
Police: High
Having to deal with the police is one of the worst annoyances in Jakarta for an expat, especially if you own a car or a motorbike. Personally I take a personal pride in never bribing policemen, but to do so you need to be “clean” and have all the appropriate documentation with you (a copy of the passport, driving license, etc..).
Political instability: Low
Many tourists are afraid of the potential instability of Jakarta and Indonesia. I know many people in Malaysia from Chinese descent who refuses to come to Jakarta, because they are scared of what happened during the 1998 riots. I also know many people who are afraid of going to a Muslim country, because they think people won’t be tolerant if they say they are Catholics. I think there is absolutely no reason to be scared. Indonesians are among the most welcoming and tolerant people on earth. Terrorism is only supported by a extremely tiny minority, and you will realize that Indonesia is not the dark, dangerous country some medias are trying to describe.
Health Hazards (Food poisoning, pollution, etc): Average
Jakarta is often dirty and not always very hygienic. It is very easy to get small diseases or asthma. If you are fragile, or if you are travelling with children or elderly people, I would advise you to be prepared to be in a hostile environment. I think if you avoid the most risky situation everything should be OK: No walking, no street food, do wash your hands, peel your fruits, drink bottled water, etc…
Physical assault: Low
It is very uncommon, but it happens. The most often, crime happens in Jakarta among gangs so you shouldn’t have troubles with it. Some clubs in North Jakarta have the reputation to be controlled by mafias, so if you want to be safe, you can start avoiding those.
For updated information about the security in Jakarta, you can check the website of the American embassy in Jakarta: Safety in Jakarta for travellers and expatriates.
Photo Credit: Enda, Indrani.
But bad things happened to other people and I want to be as fair as possible in order to give you an objective point of you on whether Jakarta is a dangerous city or not.
Danger is not limited to robbery or crime. To be complete, here is a list of the 10 dangers you may face while staying or living in Jakarta as an expat or foreigner. I also write an estimation of the level of risk.
If you are going to Jakarta without a travel insurance, you should read the following: Choosing Your Travel Insurance in Indonesia.
Safety on the road: High
I think that your biggest threat while being in Jakarta will be dealing with motorized vehicles, whether your are walking, in a car, or in a motorcycle. If you take the taxi for instance, you will notice cars don’t have a safety belt in the back. If you take an ojek (moto-taxi), the driver will give you a shitty helmet and drive recklessly, putting your life in danger every second.
How to avoid it: Take silver bird taxis, go in the passenger seat, avoid taking ojeks, be very careful when walking in Jakarta.
Natural Disaster: High
Flood, earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis… Jakarta, as the rest of the country, is prone to natural disasters. In fact, according to the Natural Disaster Risk Index, Indonesia is the world’s second most dangerous nation regarding natural catastrophes after Bangladesh. I don’t think it can impact your stay in Jakarta though, because it is something you cannot really protect yourself from. All you can do is cross your finger and hope that everything will be OK.
Terrorism: Medium to High
I don’t know what I should say about terrorism. It happened in Jakarta and Bali, and even though the government is very active in fighting terrorists, we cannot ignore that new bombings could happen again in Jakarta/Indonesia in the future.
The targets of terrorists have always been places frequented by expats, like embassies, night clubs, restaurants or 5-star hotels. A safe precaution therefore is to avoid too crowded areas.
Some extremist religious groups have been attacking entertainment venues too, especially during religious times of the year like Ramadan. It is quite rare though and they are more scary than dangerous.
Pickpockets: Medium
It is the most common offence in Jakarta affecting expats: Having a small thing stolen while in a bar (usually a phone) or in a crowd. It is not so common either, but it happened to me with a camera, and it happened to a few of my friends, in particular in Stadium nightclub. I had once a problem with a drink that almost made me pass out… The guy I was with may have put something in it, but I’ll never know that for sure.
Robbery: Medium
I don’t have statistics about robbery, but from what I could observe, it involves most of the time the people working in your house: Maids, cooks, guards. It is usually low value items (in my situation, I had all my cleaning products disappearing…), but very annoying. To avoid any problems, look for staff that has been recommended to you by fellow expats, and pay them more than average.
Scams: High
Getting to pay the right price for things is a challenge in Jakarta when you are or when you look like an expat. Most of the times, it only requires negotiation, but sometimes, it gets tougher. Taxis are usually a pain in the ass: Apart from the reputed Blue Bird and Express brands, many drivers will try to get more from you by using various tricks: No meter, longer routes, fiddled meters. Beware also of “fake” Blue Bird taxis: They look exactly like them but belong to other companies. The danger is not so high, usually you only end up paying a few dollars extra, but in some cases, drivers can get violent (it happened with girls travelling alone).
Some people will warn you about credit card fraud, and you should be cautious about that. The same precaution applies when you want to change money: Always prefer a bank rather than street vendors.
Police: High
Having to deal with the police is one of the worst annoyances in Jakarta for an expat, especially if you own a car or a motorbike. Personally I take a personal pride in never bribing policemen, but to do so you need to be “clean” and have all the appropriate documentation with you (a copy of the passport, driving license, etc..).
Political instability: Low
Many tourists are afraid of the potential instability of Jakarta and Indonesia. I know many people in Malaysia from Chinese descent who refuses to come to Jakarta, because they are scared of what happened during the 1998 riots. I also know many people who are afraid of going to a Muslim country, because they think people won’t be tolerant if they say they are Catholics. I think there is absolutely no reason to be scared. Indonesians are among the most welcoming and tolerant people on earth. Terrorism is only supported by a extremely tiny minority, and you will realize that Indonesia is not the dark, dangerous country some medias are trying to describe.
Health Hazards (Food poisoning, pollution, etc): Average
Jakarta is often dirty and not always very hygienic. It is very easy to get small diseases or asthma. If you are fragile, or if you are travelling with children or elderly people, I would advise you to be prepared to be in a hostile environment. I think if you avoid the most risky situation everything should be OK: No walking, no street food, do wash your hands, peel your fruits, drink bottled water, etc…
Physical assault: Low
It is very uncommon, but it happens. The most often, crime happens in Jakarta among gangs so you shouldn’t have troubles with it. Some clubs in North Jakarta have the reputation to be controlled by mafias, so if you want to be safe, you can start avoiding those.
For updated information about the security in Jakarta, you can check the website of the American embassy in Jakarta: Safety in Jakarta for travellers and expatriates.
Photo Credit: Enda, Indrani.
Good article and well described. I would increase the risk for food and enviromental poisoning, since air is really terrible and the water is full of bacteria. I found really few big cities in South East Asia with the same low hygiene conditions (of course can not compare with Africa or remote places in India). Oh, an other point is the poor quality of health care, especially hospitals, public or private. Sometimes for a small thing is better to go to Singapore.
ReplyDeletejakarta is dangerous, things have changed in the last 5 years, the indigenious are getting poorer and more desperate - and then they see the BULE walking around with jutas of rupees and their women and guess what? the local men are not happy. Jakarta is 1000% more dangerous than Bangkok. in jakarta heres how it happens, one peasant male will pick a fight with YOU the bule, then seconds later you will be surrounded by locals from the street, mobbed, and then come out the kris (knives). and you are FU**ked.
ReplyDeletejakarta - very dangerous. not worth your life over pussy
Agreed with you. I'm indonesian chinese and my family planned to move to singapore.
DeleteThis country is very dangerous to non muslim. Now a day, one organisation called fpi try to coup the president with non make sense reason.. just becarefull...you are in a most dangerous city .
Hey anonymous, what you talk about is pure fantasy. The kind of event you describe may have happened a few times, but it surely does not make Jakarta a dangerous city.
ReplyDeleteAs an expat living in Jakarta for 8 years now, I still have nothing to complain about. Jakarta is more safe than any other cities in Australia, Europe or America.
This comment is misleading and irresponsible. If you go to jakarta thinking that you can be as carefree as you can walking the streets of say, Brisbane, at night, you are quite possibly in for a rude shock. I'm not saying you've got a death wish if you visit jakarta but you most definitely need your wits about you.
DeleteI'm suprised that Anonymous said what he said. I suspect he has other motives.
ReplyDeleteI am from Malaysia and the likes of Anonymous had warned me many times not to visit Indonesia because the Indoenesians are after the blood of us Malaysians.
Yet I had been going there regularly for business (and pleasure too, of course) and agree with other comments here that Jakarta is safe.
KL BOY
I too have been staying now for over 3 years and I have no complaints from this place. Infact I find this place better than some Indian cities I have experienced. At the maximum the cost of avoiding the trouble is 1K-10K rupiah, nothing more than this.
ReplyDeleteHmmm , 12 years here , I've had 3 attempts at pick pockets and robberies here , 1 at Taman Angrek where someone slashed open my backpack with a knife on an escalator in the Angrek Mall in 2002 and in 2010 when a 'tricky taxi' driver tried to grab my Blackberry when reaching over to open the door for me. Otherwise I tend to agree with the original poster. I live ALONE (part time pembantu) in a normal indonesian complex with nobody in the house except me and a german shephard and I've never had a problem. The only advice I would add is NEVER get into a physical fight with a local , you are really asking for trouble.
ReplyDeleteThe safety in Jakarta is not an issue for me.. I feel much more free to move around than in any other cities I've been to before.
ReplyDeleteI worked out there for a while and I saw a fair bit of violence in my time there but none directed at me. it wasn't uncommon for a thief to get mobbed although I only saw the outcome of this once.
ReplyDeleteI was in JJs nightclub once when it was attacked by a couple of busloads of protesters but their violence was mainly directed to the club and to the women who were prostitutes working from the venue. The Taxi drivers had a fair old scrap with them but in general the Indonesian people are very good people and you would have no problem if you respect their religion, culture and understand that their interpretation of the spirit world is unlikely to be the same as someone from the West.
Thanks for this blog and comments as well... I do a lot of research because I'm Going to Jakarta by next month. Although I had experiences traveling in some Muslim Countries. I hope things will be fine!=)
ReplyDeleteJakarta is safe been going there since 92 when I was a 11 year old boy and would wander out of my complex and explore while dad was at work and ever since I have been to most areas of Jakarta. I been in the slums smoking weed when I was 16 I been to nightclubs in the smallest hotels on Pramuka road and had a blast. I road a motorbike that I borrowed from a friend of a friend not having a clue how to get back to kemang from Pulo Mas and made it safe and sound. Even my local friends said I was crazy going through those areas alone. And I can not speak Indonesian other then left,right thank you ect very basic so I can honestly say from 1992-2011 I have personally have never had a problem in Jakarta or Indonesia to be frank( OK 1998 riots was horrible and seeing the place on fire driving to the airport was bad but still no one bothered me). However I have been mugged in Hyde Park Sydney, Beating up in London UK, no one would help me buy a train ticket in Italy had my credit card stolen from my hotel safe in KL Malaysia. All I say is be polite and if you feel a bad vibe just do not make eye contact with people around you and get out of where ever you are. OHHH and make sure you got some local mates guys from Ambon are good to know for the unexpected call from the girl last night boyfriend. And if you have the chance a couple of friends who are in government positions makes you feel a bit safer however have never really need to call a favour other then when I did a u turn on the highway and the toll box guy was not impressed. I say live like a local not like an expat (even though I can not speak Indonesian which is really slack of me I know but I never there for more then 1 month at a time especially now its only every 6 month I make it over.) OHH and I am a white expat tall blue eyed fair hair ect so i do stand out if some felt the need to target bule.
ReplyDeleteWhen in rome do as the romans do, When in jakarta drink , party and be polite andall will be good. Obviously stay street smart but hey thats the same the world over. Isjakarta dangerous i say yes because of the holes in the sidewalks that are everywhere with a 3ft drop into filth. adviceat night watch where you walk if no street lamps walk in the roads. Big rob.
ReplyDeletei am talking as an Indonesian girl here, jakarta is getting less safe these days. but, i know it sounds cliche and all, it's all depend on yourself. we are all big enough to know when danger comes in our way. anonymous before me is truly right, no waking in the roads when there is no street lamps, you never know what's hiding behind the bushes.
ReplyDeletebut, despite all, i love jakarta. with its traffic (pfffttt, yeah right) and everything it owns.
-D
i felt safer in jakarta than on the gold coast one rule:act like an a/hole and you'll be treated like one,same as any where in the world.
ReplyDeleteok so where is the most dangerous areas in Jakarta to avoid???
ReplyDeleteim a local jakarta boy and iam sure that my city is very safe for expat/foreigner. nobody want to hurt you all,except some people that have problem with their economy,and im sure thats minority.
ReplyDeletethe most dangerous area in jakarta is tanjung priok,cilincing and some underpass. visit my city and you will know,indonesia is a good country
and i suggest you to visit jogjakarta,the heritage city. some people say jogja and solo are the spirit of java,you have to visit it. very entertaining and cool! HEHEHE
ReplyDeleteJakarta is a safe city on the whole.
ReplyDeleteIt helps if you can speak some bahasa and understand the culture a little.
But even without those, you should generally be ok. You can go pretty much anywhere during the day and you will be ok, except for the odd beggar you're unlikely to get much more than a "Hello Mister" unless you engage someone.
At night you have to be a bit more careful, my main advice would be to always remember to be polite. Indonesians are a very friendly and polite race. If someone offers you something in the street 'bajai' 'taxi' or whatever it is they're trying to sell, don't completely ignore them, just smile and say 'no thankyou'. You're less likely to be remembered as 'that arrogant bule' that way.
For clubs, if you're worried about safety stick to higher class places,like Red Square or go down to Kemang or Blok M, westerners have been there for decades now and the locals are used to seeing drunken foreigners. You're unlikely to get too badly scammed (pay attention to the advice about taxi's though)and you'll always be safe in the bars unless you start acting like an idiot.
If you're staying in jakarta for any length of time, talk to the people near where you live, 5 minutes chatting to an ojek driver or a nasi goreng seller can make all the difference.
Word spreads fast, and if people know that you are a nice guy and friendly, you're unlikely to get picked out as a target.
And don't carry tons of money. Use the atms, or wear a money belt and just have 200,000 in your wallet. If you do get robbed, just give it up.
In 16 years in Jakarta I have been ripped by 5 or 6 taxis, assaulted once (my fault, i was new here and didnt realise how rude i was being). If you do get in a fight with a local, just put your hands up. Don't fight back unless they're really going mental. Oh and I lost my wallet once when I was drunk, classic pickpocket diversion tactics.
Finally, if you feel a bad vibe, keep your eyes on the road and jump in a cab.
Indonesia is NOT a Muslim country,although it is a country with the most Musim citizens in the world. A lot of locals are nice to what we call 'bules' so yeah, even nicer to bules than other locals but thats a plus
ReplyDeleteLived in Malaysia 2 years and now in Jakarta.Jakarta is much safer than Kuala Lumpur for example, where you may feel in trouble in KLCC itself.
ReplyDeletebeware of the bar girl, they can make you pennyless and forget about your family..
ReplyDeleteif you want to hv fun.. this is the place but must be prepared not to be seduced by bar girl who after your pocket.
ReplyDeletewas in Kota, walking up and down the streets at 1 am...pretty safe but don't ever let your guard down. Just be extra careful. Yeah many locals will try to talk to you (mostly Q on girls) just politely said Terima Kasik Pak! Knowing Indo, Malaysia / Melayu make it easier i guess. And ya..never walk a street where there are no street lights...you are asking for trouble...and one last thing...smile, don't act like a prick!
ReplyDeleteDrink the coconut water it will cure all your stomach problems from the street food. coconut water/milk is the best medicine you will ever buy, very pleasant and cheap just ask for a "green coconut" everyone knows what you want. It is so pure it can be used directly as a blood volume expander injected straight into the veins how wild is that. Im sure you won't need to do more than drink it unless war breaks out. Aug
ReplyDeletejakarta is safe, nothing to be paranoid of, go walk around and keep on smiling no harms done.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the above be on the look out for huge holes in the floor which drop into the sewers if your not looking you will go down
ReplyDeletemy favorite dish is rendang it is truly delicious
Stadium is a shitty place to hang out and grab some drinks. The one that been put into your drink is probably Happy 5. Or perhaps an ecstasy. Seriously dude im a local and im chinese. You guys an expats should not ever put your leg in stadium. And i would love to hang out with you guys. My risk: none. Haha
ReplyDeleteI am a bule living in Jakarta for several months now...and i must say it is save....i dint feel scared..you only get stared at by the locals special of you go off the beaten track. Just use your common since like you would back home and your fine...Oohhh i recommend to eat in padang restaurant and try rendang is super nice...
ReplyDeleteEnjoy your stay
I personally think jakarta is asafe place. Just do not find or cause trouble and try to befriend the locals near your area and everything should be fine :)
ReplyDeleteI have been in Jakarta for 16 months now as a expat living near Kuningan. I do not feel unsafe at all however I tend to stick to well know places for food or drinks. I do not "roam" Jakarta not speaking Indonesian very well. I have not seen any violence towards others.
ReplyDeleteI believe Jakarta is like any other major city in the world. Use common sense and you will be fine. The biggest issue I have is not getting hit by a motorbike or car when walking.
I have visited Jakarta twice. each for approximately 3-4months. I do believe that jakarta is a very safe city. No racist people here (they even more racist to their own I guess since my girlfriend who i've been dating for 2 years always gets funny look when we are walking together), No violence occurred, and all I have experienced is kindness. I have tried the 'angkot", "ojek", economic train and all are sweet as. Go to SpinCity bowling or Q billiard in EX Plaza Indonesia every weekend after 10pm. You will find out why Jakarta is definitely one of the best city in the world. I went to Mangga Dua market (since I'm from Sydney, its like Pedys market but way bigger) and I love when they always said "shopping mr". Come to Jakarta! it's awesome!
ReplyDeleteJakarta Is a pleasant place to stay or even living for couple years. Hell jJakarta Rocks! Yes there are some dangerous and unfriendly area, but actually its not the place that interresting to be visited. Some of those dangerous places I, as local guy may describe are slums area that the name probably wont appear on Jakarta's most happening scenes directory. The medium to up level neighborhood are mostly friendly and very welcome. Yeah Indonesian are very welcome to bules indeed :D
ReplyDeleteAnyway, if there is one of you happen to stay/live in Kedoya Apartment-West Jakarta, we can catch up sometimes and I'd love to escort you in journey to discover the great places in Jakarta, or maybe need advice in adapting your self with local environment? Yeah Im your consultant for free! Haha. Leave ur email and i'll reach you and see what i can do :)
I love jkta city it's a place like most city's there is good and bad yes pickpockets
ReplyDeleteTaxi drivers will rip you off, bluebird silver bird are best rule to get thru jkta city
Bars restaurants are always sprouting up new, if you got poor you gonna get crime! Isn't that in most global cities
Indonesian people are nice and I've always find them welcome and helpful also
I hope jkta infrastructure will improve and the drainage systems as these are the most serious improvements for the city, and of course for the poor to have jobs and decent living accommodation
I LV JKTA :)
Been here for yearsss.. Sure I had a few situations here and there, partly my fault i'll admit. At one point had to do some Steven Seagal techniques on one guy trying to grab my watch of all things and oh yeh had some fuckers slashed my bag on a bus, stealthily grabbing my mobile phone like a pro, I was fully impressed by their amazingly efficient skill more so because i'm usually aware of that kind of crap happening on them shit box buses.. And oh yeh you also get the occasional riot. But overall it's pretty safe. Like anywhere in the world don't be walking down dodgy dark alleys in the middle of nowhere or the slums causing a ruckus. Police are generally the most annoying, thugs in costumes... Had some dickheads waiting for me outside an atm one eve... They cleaned me out. Argued for about 45 minutes..finally reaching an uncomfortable moment, more so me. but hey, just give'em the cash asap, don't even open your mouth..wave that candy.. and as they like to say 'we.. no problem', hell they may even give you change if your polite. As for Bars.. I've seen maybe max 3or 4 fights in the 9 years I've been here... and three of them were between two chicks fighting over their ticket. Pretty tame. Nothing like a common night out in Sydney or pausing at some lights in NewYork getting jacked. Yep like I said, don't be pissing off people.. Use common sense and you'l be fine. Maybe back in the 80s there was some fucked up shit going on, and yeh during the 98 riots.. but all round Jakarta is generally one of the safest places around.
ReplyDeleteIf it happens to argue with someone, NEVER put your hands on your hips! That means you want to fight!
ReplyDeleteJKT is not a dangerous place to me so far except that the holes on some road need to be filled and levelled.
ReplyDeleteWhile walking on the road with flooded rain water 2 nights ago, in front of some shop houses and restaurants in Manggar Besar,my friend step into a hole which is 2 feet deep.The hole cannot be seen due to the road being flooded after raining within minutes.Must be extra careful if one need to walk on the road with flooded rain water .
is there a place where you can sit have a drink while a girl/ladyboy gives you a blowjob
ReplyDeleteHi.
ReplyDeleteI think crime can happen anywhere in the world.
So can natural disasters.
So it is not fair to judge Jakarta as being dangerous and other places safe.
If we mind our own business and not disturb other people and stay where we should and not go to places we shouldn't then all should be well.
I have been residing in Jakarta for 25 years, originally from Japan, and I have experienced minor earthquakes and have seen / heard about major earthquakes, tsunamis, crime, terrorism in Japan.
Same can be said for other countries - USA, India, China, Hong Kong, etc.
So one should not judge Jakarta as being dangerous.
Is Pluit still flooded and has the rain stop?Though this serious flood since last Thursday may not be a yearly affair,it is a concern to me.I think its safer not to visit during the month of December and January as its raining season.As mentioned earlier,it would be great if the drainage and canal can be look into.The only fear I had in JKT is only rain and flood.I still love Jakarta.
ReplyDeleteAnonymous, if all you want is a BJ bar, just go to Bangkok or Pattaya - if you had read even a small section of this site you would know that sex isn't usually sold in that fashion in Indonesia. Even if you do find that sort of service in a private room in a men's club, it will cost you far more than in Thailand. Do the math.
ReplyDeleteGetting back on topic, I'm reading a disturbing number of accounts lately of street robberies in KL - up till then, I considered KL and Jakarta to be roughly the same in terms of safety for foreigners - much safer than Australian cities at night. When I told an older Singaporean couple en route to Sydney a couple of years back that it can be a very dangerous city, they were wide-eyed : it seems that our tourist people don't tell tourists *everything* about the Land Downunder. Transplant Jakarta's population and wealth gap onto Sydney and it would be a 24-hour bloodbath, IMO.
roads and streets in Jakarta are awful. they are scary. if i was asked to judge which country has the best drivers, then indonesian drivers are one of the best. especially the motorbikers. while angkot and bus drivers have very bad habits.
ReplyDeleteeveryday is traffic jam and full of vehicles. and too many people who sell stuff in bridges for walkers and pedestrian paths. if you look for fresh air when you go to work or jogging, forget Jakarta. its stressing depressing morning.
Jakarta is awesome. The people in Jakarta is very humble and friendly. Many cheap food but tasty you can find on the street. The Bars, Clubs, Lounges, Bowling Alleys, Restaurants, Wine Bars, Karaoke and the Culture are Great. So many places i have been, but never been as good as Jakarta.
ReplyDeleteThe Traffic on Monday - Friday may be very mad. But you'll love the night life and the weekend in Jakarta. Jakarta is Safe, Jakarta is friendly, Jakarta is just Awesome. Visit Jakarta :)
I don't need to comment anything anymore about Jakarta's safety.All comment above are very acurate exept some who never visit Jakarta but give some shitty comment.
ReplyDeleteWhat i need to say is Jakarta is much safer now than a decades or 2 decades ago,because Indonesian economy is booming in the past decades,in 2012 Indonesian economy grew 6,2 percent which is the 2nd highest in the world behind China,Indonesian middle class is booming,they numbered in 162 million out of 240 million total of Indonesian population,Indonesian GDP reach $1 trillion last year,member of G20,largest economy in South East Asia.
Back to Jakarta,from the annual crime rate Jakarta might be 10 times safer than let say Rio De Jainero,Sao Paolo,Caracas,Mexico City,Johanesburg.More safer than let say Moscow,New York,Los Angeles,Chicago, London,Sydney,no kidding.
Jakarta Metropolitan area is believed to be the 3rd largest metropolis after Tokyo(38 million) and Chong Qing China(32 million) with population over 28 million,Jakarta DKI population is about 9,7 million,not included satelite cities which is part of greater Jakarta Metropolitan area like Tangerang city,Bogor,Depok,bekasi.
Now Jakarta governed by new Governor Jokowi and Vice Governor Basuki or Ahok from Chinese descent(first time in Indonesian history),both of them are extremely popular,known for their corruption free reputation which is hard to find in Indonesia this day,very humble,down to earth,hard worker,loved by people from all of Indonesia,at their hand they had several mega-project like to be launch soon or under construction like new elevated and underground Subway line,Elevated Monorell,new high-ways,changing all old bus with new ones including busway,giant sea walls at the coast of Jakarta,multi-function deep tunnel,cleaning-out all of Jakarta's dirty rivers and lakes,re-shaping all the slump arround Jakarta with thousands of appartment blocks for poorer people,free health care benefits for all poor people,free education up to high-school for all Jakarta people,all of this is for making Jakarta one day free of traffic and flood,better and safer city,reducing poverty by creating new jobs for all Jakarta people,rooting-out all dirty corrupt Jakarta government officials,what else would you expect.
Another important thing foreigner must know is Indonesia might be the most populous Muslim country in the world,85% out of 240 million,but Indonesia is not a Muslim states.Indonesia is the thirt largest democracy in the world behind India and USA,a very secular states,friendly people.
For you, expats.. Indonesians always respect a down-to-earth person. It means don't wear your rolex or fancy clothes when you are in slum / marginalized area. It is always good to have one or two local companions with you. Never (..and it means NEVER!!) get into a fight with local guys.
ReplyDeleteActually i find to be very safe in jakarta. The only problem i had was with standard police control when passing by in a taxi. Always trying to get money. But if you do not hand over things to them and stay seated they give up eventually.
ReplyDeleteAbout the clubs in north jakarta, if they are controlled by organized crime you should be more safe then if they were not. They would not want waste custumores over small stuff.
I never had any problems with fancy clothes in slums. Just give a smile and a polite local word. If the person trying to chat with you does give you a bad feeling, just move on. I prefer the rolex in jakarta slums over walking around in any europe city by night.
I was in Jakarta for work in 2009. My employer booked me into Gran Melia. My work was complete one day early, so I was a visitor on my last day in Jakarta.
ReplyDeleteI walked, yes, walked, from Gran Melia to Monas, and back. I felt completely safe. Yes, lots of people looked at me with curiosity, and some people including those in the hotel thought I was crazy, but hey, I did it. And without a map, either, by the way!
I've visited four continents and several countries, including Singapore, Thailand, South Korea, Vietnam, Brazil, England, Scotland, Germany, Wales, France, Italy, etc, and I felt no more at risk in Jakarta as in any city in those countries.
I plan to return in January 2014, staying in Cikini / Jaksa area, and will again feel free to walk (unless the January rain interferes, in which case it's TransJakarta and BlueBird!).
Hello, first I want to say that this blog is hot. I like your writing style and you make very realistic articles :) congrats. Second, I'm surprised you're not even Indonesian or Jakarta native! Wow. You seem to know even the smallest thing about Jakarta and that's really cool. Could you write more articles about Jakarta? I believe that there's a lot expats who know Jakarta just like you, or maybe enjoy living here.
ReplyDeleteA good article about Indonesia from expat point of view. Nice blog! :)
ReplyDeleteI want to add that if you go to the bar, please be polite and don't act like every girl in the bar is easy and wanted to hook-up with bule. I go to Loewy recently, sit in the bar area with my friend and ended up with 3/4 guys asking for our phone number & try to invite us to "somewhere quieter". We dress in our casual working outfit so it's pretty obvious we're not hooker. One of them try to touch and hug us not only once, until i lost my tolerance and shout at him to not touch me. The bartender then ask me if i want them to call security and guard the guy out the bar. I don't want to make any row so i just tell the guy to leave us before i call security.
Mostly Indonesians are really nice and friendly, so If you act polite and respect our culture, then you won't get any trouble. :D
Happy travelling!
-ivy-
Good article!! I wish to know how do you think about slum tourism? safety? any contacts?
ReplyDeletetks
Hi, i don't know of any slum tourism agency in Jakarta... if you do during the day, I don't see any risks if you go to some lower to mid class areas (not exactly slums though) like Tanah Abang or Glodok. To make it interesting, go inside small gangs and you should be able to see every day Indonesian life in the most authentic way...
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Local Indonesian girl here! Imma try to contribute a bit here lol
ReplyDeleteAlrite, im going to focus more on some important subjects for girls coming here , especially if ur planning to stay in a long term. So, yeaaah jakarta is so much safer now, but if ur a girl, u might experience some catcalling, but to my friends' experiences (and mine, too), the catcalls are not as degrading as people think, most of the male passerby would just say things like "waduh cantik amat mbak" (wow miss you're so pretty) or singing melayu love songs to pretty girls on the streets, annoying, yes, but try not to think about it too much. Most people here are not physically violent, in fact, Jakartans are pretty chill people, nice and sociable! Another thing, don't wear too revealing clothes if u dont want stares and major catcalls. tshirts and shorts are still okay in the more urban places like in malls (like taman anggrek, central park, plaza indonesia, grand indonesia), and the jakarta selatan area, but if ur going to north jakarta areas, especially tanjung priok, and shady red light streets and clubbing areas like hayam wuruk, ancol - better cover it up. It sucks, because long trousers and jackets in the hot sunny day in jakarta? it's tortuuureeeeee.
But nevertheless, jakarta is alive and kicking, as long as you're nice and you use your common sense, locals here will love you (especially the street food vendors like nasi goreng vendors, chit chat and be nice a bit and you might get bigger portions ! :D)
What ive written here might not be true to some of the other locals, but at least in my point of view, jakarta is still a great place to hangout, and even tho ive been living here for nearly 20 years, i always found a new place to hang, and it's really nice.
Have fun you guys! ˋ▽ˊ