If you feel like a break from the city, there are lots of great beaches that are easily accessible from Jakarta’s centre.

For a quick day trip or overnight, Thousand Islands, just across Jakarta Bay, has beautiful white beaches and clear waters perfect for swimming and snorkelling and is easily reached by ferry.

Further afield, both around three hours drive away, are Carita Beach, known for its idyllic sands, coconut palms and increase seafood and Pelabuhan Ratu Beach, a stunning resort surrounded by forest-clad hills, perfect for a hike if you get board of sunbathing.

As well as the charms of the surrounding coastline, its also worth travelling the 50 kilometres from Jakarta to Bogor, an elegant town known for its fantastic Botanical gardens, where you can have a sniff of the Rafflesia (the largest-and smelliest- flower in the world) and explore the impressive collection of orchids.