There’s nothing relaxing about Jakarta’s chaotic, sprawling streets, but this welcoming, diverse city provides a unique insight into Indonesian life.

Flying from Australia to Jakarta

Globehunters provides flights from Australia to Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport, including direct flights operating from Perth and Sydney.

Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta airport is 20km west of the city centre, accessible by shuttle buses that run to and from the centre every 15 to 30 minutes and cost 30,000Rp (around $3), or by taxi. It’s best to ignore the touts at the terminal and head for one the airport’s reliable taxi ranks, such as Blue Bird taxis, who will charge around 250,000Rp ($25) to take you straight to your destination.

Once you’re ready to start travelling around the city, you have several options when it comes to transport.

Most visitors use taxis, which are reasonable, but can be very slow, owing to the city’s infamously gridlocked streets. Motorbike taxis, or ojek, can be a way of dodging the traffic if you’re feeling brave (wear a helmet) or the city’s answer to tuk-tuks, ‘bajajs’ also do a good job of weaving through the traffic.

Buses in Jakarta are cheap, although the routes can be difficult to get your head around. All routes apart from the TransJakarta bus rapid service are best avoided during rush hour.