Jakarta
Indonesia’s sprawling capital is one of the fastest-growing, most chaotic and most exciting places in South-East Asia. It is the gateway to a vast, vibrant and varied island nation that is home to dozens of fascinating cultures.
Formerly the colonial capital of the Dutch East Indies--when it was known as Batavia--Jakarta has grown from its original seaport district into a huge modern conurbation of high-rise hotels and apartments, thronged shopping malls and wide, crowded avenues.