Feeling jaded? A trip to Jakarta could be just the thing for you

There are endless reasons to book a flight to Indonesia. There's lots for the family to do. A tropical country with forests, mountains, great food, museums, the works. You might even bump into the Komodo Dragon

Jakarta can mean many things to many people. Part appealing, part frustrating, the Indonesian capital will fascinate its visitors as much as it distracts.
As soon as you step out of the Soekarno Hatta International Airport, you have to come to terms with the maddening traffic that will make Dubai's peak-hour traffic appear like a fond road trip memory.
The unrelenting gridlock means you spend half of your time inching through the dust-choked streets of a city that perennially crawls. But the nonchalance and carefree optimism of the general populace that goes about its daily business soon rubs off on you. It's like ignoring the elephant in the room. It's there but you don't pay attention.
Downtown Jakarta first struck me as a city that is effortlessly at peace with its history. Towering statues and architectural works that draw inspiration from the great Hindu epics adorn the roundabouts and town squares. Some of the most notable landmarks and government buildings are named after Hindu deities.
The capital of the world's most populous Muslim country, unabashedly showing off its Hindu heritage, I thought, is a welcome relief from the xenophobic paranoia jarring our ears these days.
At the turn of the streets, you will find the modern and contemporary lying cozily next to the traditional and conventional. The old town of Kota Tua, with a heavy Dutch colonial hangover, and the old port of Sunda Kelapa will allure you as much as the newly developed face of the city in the South.
The Merdaka Square with its gleaming shopping malls, five-star hotels and mega-developments is the showy façade of the new city. That is where the world comes to do business with Jakarta.
Jakarta's people also seem to thrive on their comfort with contradictions. Its youth sport both brands and batik (textile using traditional dying technique) with élan. Within the same family, you will see women who stick to the Islamic dress code coexisting with those who prefer the western garb.
"Dressing is a matter of choice in Indonesia. We don't have to justify our choice. My sister wears a headscarf, but I don't," my travel companion from the Indonesian embassy in the UAE, told me. I was also happy to mee the Muslim couple Amri and Rasti who happily introduced their only son, Arjun to me during a photo-op atop the 132m National Monument, a symbol of the Indonesian national pride.
Much like its eclectic mix of population - Malay, Javanese, Chinese, Indian, Arab and European - the teeming metropolis offers a mélange of everything a nosy tourist seeks. Soaking in the museums (the unique Puppet museum, Wayang museum, Jakarta history museum), alleys filled with vestiges of the past, sweetly-scented streets, colonial architecture and the alluring mix of cultures and their spinoffs were some of the touristy fixes I had in Jakarta.
The foodie in me had some nirvana moments too while indulging in the dizzying variety of street foods. I am already missing the Nasi Goreng. Having said that, my unforgettable supreme fine-dining experience was at Tugu Kunstring Paleis hotel. Once a world class art gallery, its palace-like interior is adorned with gilded chairs and frames and antique paintings. Ordering rijsttafel (or rice table) is the highpoint of imperial dining. The staff, dressed up in traditional attire, brought out a variety of dishes (sambals, salads, soups, stir fries, desserts) in a palanquin, and paraded it in our dining room, matching their steps with the traditional Batavia music. The Dutch-style and the Dharmawangsa Hotel with its heavenly spa are also two items I ticked off on my Indonesian itinerary.
A day trip to the tranquil quiet of the mountains was nice. And the balmy weather wasn't altogether unpleasant. It was quit the respite from the rigmarole of day-to-day life in Jakarta. Less than an hour's ride from Jakarta, the riverside restaurant Cimory is the place we relished a warm Oxtail soup and scenic views after trying some great dairy products by the same brand. The mini zoo, kids club, a 3D arcade make for a fun family experience.
My biggest surprise in Jakarta came in the form of a thrilling wildlife safari at the Taman Safari park in Bogor at the West Java province. Covering an area of 170 hectares, the wildlife park that has more than 2,500 animals ranging from Bengal tigers, orangutans, hippos, cheetahs, elephants, bear, deer, giraffes and Indonesia's unique Komodo dragons, Taman is a hidden treasure, not much known to foreign tourists.
Forget Masaai Mara and Kenya. A safari through the thick foliage and forests of Taman brushing past the wildlife - where you can handfeed zebras, deer, and giraffes, while cheetahs, lions and tigers amble a few inches from your vehicle - the drive will keep you on the edge of the seat throughout. The daily elephant and dolphin shows are a great hit with the weekend family crowds.
And who wants to come back from a nice trip without a new Facebook profile picture? I have mine with a baby Orangutan grinning and clutching my hands tightly. My more daring travel companions went a step further and struck a pose with the baby lions at the pet zoo. The likes we racked up will make you curl with envy.
anjana@khaleejtimes.com
Anjana is a humanist by passion. Her cluttered desk is not indicative of her state of mind