A morning city, its streets become busy by 5.00am, especially in Menteng, the central suburb and home of the president. Jalan Imam Bonjol is a wide, beautiful boulevard with rows of camphor laurels which give pools of shade. The street is lined with steep-roofed two-storey houses and combines the best of Dutch and Arabian architecture right down to the food stalls and canal a block away.

Despite the traffic, much of the life of this teeming city is lived on the streets and it is fascinating for tourists to view this 'other' society; from the outdoor barber with his bench on the footpath to street vendors on wheels selling everything from bread to umbrellas.

The old Supreme Court building is now a museum of fine arts and has a superb Chinese porcelain collection. Further down is the Wayang Museum with a collection of puppets from all over Indonesia. Wayang performances are held regularly. The old Town Hall is the Jakarta Museum displaying rare items, historical documents and Dutch period furniture. Even the city's tower clock, which was returned to England for repair under a lifetime guarantee, ticks on, having lasted hundreds of years.

Places of interest include the national monument or 'Monas', built during the Sukarno era. Obelisk in shape, it is 137 metres tall, made of marble, topped with a flame, and coated in 35 kilograms of gold. In the base is a historical museum and a hall of meditations. Go to the top for a bird's-eye view of the city.

The parliament building on Jalan Gatot Subroto is strikingly modern and, when not in session, visitors are allowed to stroll through.

The orchid gardens are full of the most exotic orchids to be found in Indonesia. Several commercial orchid gardens are also open to visitors, the best known are at Slipi and Taman Mini.

A visit to Condet is not to be missed. This is a village in southern Jakarta, the surrounds of which are protected as it preserves the old rural lifestyle of Jakarta.

At Taman Mini, the Museum Indonesia is a richly decorated building in Balinese style which houses contemporary arts, crafts and traditional costumes from the different regions of the country. At the neighbouring Museum Komodo, built in the form of the Varanus Komodiensis (the world's only prehistoric giant lizard, found exclusively on Komodo Island), you can see exhibits depicting the insects and wild animals of the region.

Finally, don't miss visiting Jalan Surabaya where the flea market is held. There you can bargain for a wide range of goods including ornate lamps, porcelain, brassware and handicrafts. You will need a keen eye, though, to distinguish authentic antiques from imitations.

For more information on Jakarta, go to: 

• Jakarta Soekarno Hatta International Airport
• Java