Jakarta Warnings and Dangers

Sometimes there are police road blocks. I was stopped (riding Taxi) at a police checkpoint. I only had my New York State driver license with me at that time. It costed me 100,000 rp bribe in order to proceed quickly. Several days later I was stopped again on the same main road but at different section. This time I had my passport with me. Even then the police officer taunted me that the visa has expired and pointed me the date of entry as expiration date. I protested it was entry date. He shouted to intimidate me. I calmly asked for his superior. He let me go. So, bring your ID (passport for non-Indo nationals) with you.

Being nice is good but you just cannot be too nice in Jakarta or else you will end up with hundreds of kids following you for small change. Pity there so much hungry faces around us. There are everywhere and even at traffic light knocking on the window for small money. On the good part, when you are travelling by bus, there are singers - solo or in group locally called " pengamen " playing their music and of course hoping for donation. Some of them do have good voice.

Please keep all of the drug stuff away from your pocket because you might endup in jail.
Its better off if you leave your passport and all valuable stuff at your hotel safety box just as a precaution. Anything can be happened and its too late to feel sorry for that.

Go by meter. Probably always cheaper than a fixed price. If you haven`t been there before it will be wery hard for you to judge if the fixed price is a fair one.

You can order Bluebird taxi from a counter on yhe right side just after imigration on Soekarno Hatta airport. They offer various standard of car transport from limo to Bluebird by meter.
There is also a counter beside the taxi counter where you can book hotel.

Example. We paid 210 000 for a kind of cheap Limo ( New and nice Camry with ac) fixed price from airport to hotel. When we left the Bluebird charged us 60-70000 by meter for the same distance (a nice Toyota also)

Most of the Jalan M.H Thamrin, Jalan Sudirman is designated as No Smoking Zone (DILARANG MERKOK or TIDAK MERKOK).

If you see the red color foot path/walk way as shown in the pic, avoid smoking there not because of the fear of getting caught and fined or stopped by the police but for the sake and respect of the law. Although you may find very few local peoples smoking under the bus shelter.

Keep IDR100,000 with you as you have to pay the Departure Tax at Jakarta Airport which can not be included in your Ticket by the airline, Payment is only acceptable in Indonesian Rupiyah and you will end up breaking your foreign currency at the lowest possible rates offered by the Money Changers at the airport.

The Airline will collect the payment at the time of boarding and the sticker will be pasted on your boarding card,

I have family in Jakarta and often go visit them, scince my last visit i have noticed that the crime rate has increased. My grandpa keeps a golf club near his car door because the carjacking rate has gone up. so if you are ever walking in the backstreets of jakarta avoid making any eye contact (they will find any excuse to rob you) and remember if you get into a argument with a local just bare in mind that people dont play by the rules It is a great place but crime is starting 2 consume that great city

"Money makes the world go 'round", sings Liza Minelli in Cabaret. At least I should nod money made Indonesia disturbed. Guaranteed to become millionair on holiday is called "Rupiah", the Indonesian currency. Denominated in the thousands of bills and coins while the exchange rate still is fluctuating regularly.

Pay attention to the balances that are reported in Indonesian Rupiah or in the currency of the country where the account resides. Having 4 obtions (cash, travellers checks, credit and debit cards) in Indonesia money speaks louder than words, so try to get the best info to become a millionaire ...

And at long last, the virtual rainbow of colors of the various Indonesian banknotes may come to you as a big surprise. Even though Miss Diana Ross sang "Even Money Is Green" ... (at the moment 1 Euro = 11,500 Indonesian Rp & 1 US Dollar = 9,072 Indonesian Rp)

Exchange Rates Rupiah
Exchange Rates Rupiah
Exchange Rates Rupiah
Exchange Rates Rupiah