• National Monument (MONAS) - The guide will offer several engaging activities, including:

1. Take a Tourist Train
   Navigating Monas, which spans 80 hectares, is made easy with the tourist train facilities provided at designated stops by the Monas management.

2. See Spotted Deer
   Monas features expansive grasslands and a deer park with numerous spotted deer. Located in Medan Merdeka Park, visitors can interact with the deer by feeding them with food available from local vendors.

3. Visit the Monas Museum
   Within Monas, the Indonesian National History Museum can accommodate around 500 visitors and showcases 48 dioramas depicting Indonesian history from prehistoric times to the New Order.

4. Ascend to the Peak of Monas
   While visiting Monas, take the opportunity to ascend to the National Monument Peak Square. From a height of 115 meters, you can enjoy a panoramic view of Jakarta.

• Jakarta Cathedral - The Rich History of Jakarta Cathedral Church

The Cathedral Church is a significant cultural heritage site in Jakarta. Before its designation as a cultural heritage building, the Cathedral Church underwent a long construction history. The construction began when Pope Pius VII appointed Father Nelissen as the apostolic prefect of the Dutch East Indies in 1807, marking the start of the Catholic church’s mission and development in the archipelago, including Jakarta.

In 1808, Father Nelissen and Father Prinsen arrived in Batavia via the Fish Market Harbor. They met with Doctor FCH Assmus to discuss establishing a Catholic church in Batavia. That same year, Father Nelissen secured a loan of a bamboo house in the southwest corner of Buffelvelt (now a religious department building) to serve as a church and an officer’s residence as a pastoral home. These buildings were loaned by the government.

A year later, Catholics received a plot of land northwest of Banteng Square near the floodgates as a replacement for the bamboo house. However, due to financial constraints, the church’s construction was not completed. The church requested the Batavian government to provide a small building on Kenanga Street in the Senen area to serve as a Catholic church. The building, owned by the Governor and built in 1770 by Cornelis Casteleijn under Governor Van Der Parra’s supervision, was loaned to the church.

The Gubernemen building, measuring approximately 8x23 square meters, also served as a church for Malay and Dutch-speaking Protestants in Batavia. After renovations, the building was converted into a Catholic church accommodating up to 200 congregants. Father Nelissen later blessed the church building, with Saint Ludovikus as its patron.

The Catholic church’s establishment was short-lived; in 1826, a great fire destroyed many buildings in the Senen area. Although the pastoral buildings were lost, the church building survived with some damage. After the fire, the damaged church building was not renovated, as the land did not belong to the church.

Following this tragic event, Catholics found a new location for a church, the vacant official residence of the generals. On behalf of Commissioner General Du Bus de Gisignies, Catholics were granted buildings and land measuring 34x15 square meters under certain agreements. The church received the building and land by paying 20,000 guilders and was entitled to 10,000 guilders for repairs. Additionally, the church received an eight-guilder loan, repayable within a year.

Challenges persisted. In 1890, the Cathedral Church building collapsed three days after Easter celebrations. A year later, the church building underwent renovations in two stages, completed within 10 years despite construction delays. Now, the church building on Jalan Cathedrals, Pasar Baru Sawah Besar, Central Jakarta, has been a protected cultural heritage site since 1993.

The Cathedral Church’s architecture is European in neo-gothic style, designed by architect Ir MJ Hulswit. It features high doors and numerous windows adorned with paintings depicting the events of the cross experienced by Jesus Christ. Below the paintings, on the church’s right and left sides, are confession booths. At the front is a sacred altar gifted by Commissioner General Du Bus de Gisignies. Despite its age, the altar table remains the main altar for various masses.

The Cathedral Church is a vital cultural heritage of Indonesia that requires preservation. It houses libraries and museums detailing the history of Catholicism’s spread in Jakarta. Additionally, the Cathedral Church’s location opposite the Istiqlal Mosque symbolizes Indonesia’s long-standing tradition of tolerance and unity.

• Istiqlal Mosque - Istiqlal Mosque, a Symbol of Indonesian Independence

In 1953, following independence, Islamic leaders convened to propose the establishment of a mosque. Prominent figures like Wahid Hasyim, Agus Salim, Anwar Tjokroaminoto, and others gathered with the primary aim of creating a mosque symbolizing Indonesia’s independence. A year later, on December 7, 1954, a foundation was established to oversee the mosque’s construction. The name “Istiqlal,” meaning independence in Arabic, was chosen for the mosque.

The Istiqlal Mosque Foundation organized a contest in 1955 to find an ideal mosque design representing Indonesian independence. The contest attracted 30 participants, with 27 submitting designs. After further selection, 22 eligible participants were shortlisted, and five finalists were chosen. Ultimately, the design by Batak architect Frederich Silaban, a Christian, was selected.

The construction of the Istiqlal Mosque spanned 17 years, beginning in 1961 during Sukarno’s presidency and concluding in 1978 under Soeharto’s leadership. The mosque occupies a 9.5-hectare area, encompassing the mosque building, garden, parking lot, and fountain pond. The mosque building comprises several sections, including the main building, preliminary building, giant terrace, tower, and ground floor.

The Istiqlal Mosque’s main floor accommodates up to 16,000 worshipers. Surrounding the main floor are 5-story sections that can host up to 61,000 pilgrims. The main floor features 12 pillars, symbolizing the Prophet Muhammad SAW’s birth date, 12 Rabi’ul Awwal. These pillars support the mosque’s main dome, 45 meters in diameter, commemorating Indonesia’s independence. The dome is inscribed with a verse from Al-Ikhlas and a chair verse.

The mosque’s main floor is adorned with marble and calligraphy, with “Allah” and “Muhammad” inscribed on the left and right sides. In another room, the shahada is inscribed, with the mihrab and pulpit below, used during Friday and Eid prayers. The preliminary building, part of the main building, connects the upper floors.

• Jakarta Old Town - Jakarta’s Old City offers numerous attractions for visitors to explore and photograph.

The guide will introduce you to the art of puppetry and the history of colonial-era legacies, such as the Fatahilah Museum.

This museum is a popular tourist destination, located near Kota Station. It once served as a town hall, court, civil registry office, Sunday worship venue, and Municipal Council meeting place.

In 1968, the building was officially transferred to the DKI Jakarta Regional Government. It was then inaugurated as the Jakarta History Museum by the then-Governor of DKI Jakarta, Ali Sadikin.

The Fatahillah Museum houses a collection of historical items, including original and replica artifacts. Visitors can see replicas of Tarumanegara and Pajajaran relics, archaeological finds from Jakarta, antique furniture, ceramics, pottery, inscriptions, and more.

Additionally, the Fatahillah Museum features an underground prison, said to have witnessed the suffering of prisoners.

• Sunda Kelapa Harbour - Sunda Kelapa, commonly known as Pasar Ikan (Fish Market), is situated at the Ciliwung River’s mouth. The day’s catch is auctioned early in the morning at the old fish market. The street leading to it is lined with shops selling various shells, dried turtles, lobsters, and other seafaring essentials. This 500-year-old harbor was a crucial link to the outside world’s markets for the 15th-century Pajajaran kingdom. It was once the harbor town of Sunda Kelapa, where the Portuguese traded with the Hindu Kingdom of Pajajaran in the early 16th century. Since then, the port has been under Portuguese and Dutch control.

Dutch domination of Jakarta and Indonesia began in this area, where remnants of Kasteel Batavia, an old fort and trading post of the Dutch East Indies Company, can still be seen. Today, Sunda Kelapa serves as a fisherman’s wharf and inter-island port. The tall-masted Bugis schooners from South Sulawesi, anchoring there, offer a picturesque scene. These schooners belong to one of the world’s last fleets of sailboats, continuing to ply the seas between islands, transporting goods as they have for centuries.

Although little remains of the bustling old Sunda Kelapa except its name, the harbor remains a vital stop for sailing vessels from across Indonesia. The magnificent and brightly painted Makassar schooner, known as Pinisi, continues to play a crucial role in transporting goods to and from the outer islands. This is one of Jakarta’s most captivating sights.

Explore the old Sunda Kelapa port, observing sinew-stretched coolies smoking clove-laced cigarettes as they unload timber, coal, and spices from stunning wooden schooners. Hire a dugout canoe and paddlers to enjoy the waterside scenery. The boats also travel to the nearby old fish market, easily accessible by foot from the port and free to enter. Work begins here at 3 am, and arriving by 6 am is essential to witness the peak activity.

• Private transportation
• Bottled water
• Lunch
• All Fees and Taxes
• In-vehicle air conditioning

For a full refund, cancel at least 24 hours before the scheduled departure time.