4 most beautiful churches in Jakarta, Indonesia

Charming colonial buildings, tradition-influenced design and even charming fusions make these churches more than just a place to attend masses. These beautiful churches in Jakarta are also historical landmarks, a cultural heritage, and are architectural feats.

Stella Maris Catholic Church

This church’s sophisticated wooden interior creates a solemn and relaxing ambiance for those who come to worship. A soft earthy palette is also reflected by the stone floor and exterior, together creating a local and natural feel. The façade takes the form of three concentric ovals adorned by long windows and framed by greeneries. Thoughtful and aesthetic design granted Stella Maris a number of architectural awards, including the honour of getting International Architecture Commendation from The Australian Institute of Architect for its graceful interior.

GPIB Pniel

Like many colonial heritage structures in Indonesia, this church manifests a certain classy and nostalgic feel in its architecture. Started off as a small chapel in 1856, the church building has since undergone a number of rebuilding and revitalisations. Now, the whitewashed building has two main towers, with a rose window and other design elements typical of old European churches. Many of its interior components are remnants of history, including an 1855 bible in Dutch.

Jakarta Cathedral

Built with the Neo-Gothic style typical of the time of construction in 1901, this cathedral looks more like the ones you’ll encounter in Europe than at the heart of the world’s largest Muslim nation. The façade mimics natural stone construction with towering spires and interiors adorned with statues and symbolic objects. This church also serves as a heritage site and destination with one of its three main spires housing a museum showcasing relics of Catholic rituals.

GPIB Immanuel Jakarta

In addition to being a prominent place of worship, this church at the heart of Jakarta is also a historical landmark, having been built during the colonial era in 1834. Moreover, this Protestant church is an architectural feat with monumental pillars and exquisite Corinth-style carvings, a stunning circular layout covered with marble tiles. Inside the effortlessly elegant interior sits an antique pipe organ from 1843 that continues to be used for church services to this day.

See more: Top amusement and theme parks to visit in Jakarta, Indonesia

Source: Internet

5 best street food stalls in Jakarta, Indonesia

Indonesian street food is a wonderful mix of local, Chinese, Straits Chinese (Peranakan) and Dutch influences. Here are the must-try street food stalls in Jakarta, Indonesia’s lively capital.

Santiga Seafood Stall

One of the most beloved street eats in the city, Santiga is open all night long, serving fresh seafood grilled or stir fried. Diners sit at low, plastic-covered tables, and are presented with delicacies such as boiled cockles with pineapple sambal sauce, kepiting saus padang (spicy crab) and perfectly breaded fried cuttlefish. Most importantly, Santiga is unusually clean, by Jakarta street food standards, so you can enjoy your seafood without sorry,

Aneka Gorengan

This roadside cart is one of the best places for gorengan, or fritters. Nearly everything is deemed fit to be battered and deep fried here, including pineapple, tempeh (fermented beans), breadfruit, and mashed potato. Stop at Aneka Gorengan for an indulgent mid-day nibble, or for a tasty distraction while stuck in Jakarta’s notoriously bad traffic.

Sate Khas Senayan

Sate Khas Senayan is one of the many street food names in the city that have evolved into casual restaurants thanks to their enormous popularity. The speciality here is sate (or satay), meat skewers dipped in delectable peanut sauce. Other good options at Sate Khas Senayan are the Nasi Pecel Komplit set (rice, salad with peanut sauce and prawn crackers), and Tahu Telur, crispy fried tofu with peanuts, beansprouts, and spicy gravy.

Kwetiau Bagan Bandengan

Kwetiau, a type of flat rice noodle, is an example of the Chinese influence on Indonesian cuisine, and there are analogous dishes in neighboring Malaysia and Singapore that make use of the same type. At Kwetiau Bagan Bandengan in Jakarta, the noodles are stir fried in homemade chili sauce, and topped with tiny shrimp and bean sprouts. There are a number of stalls in the area selling Kwetiau Bagan, but Bandengan is arguably the most authentic and best replicates the flavors of Bagansiapiapi (a predominantly Chinese coastal town in Riau).

Gado Gado Bon Bin Cikini

Gado Gado Bon Bin Cikini has been around since the early 1960s, and has retained its old-fashioned, lovingly prepared flavors. Still run by the same elderly couple, the stall specializes in gado gado, an Indonesian salad comprising fried tofu, tempeh, crispy blanched vegetables, eggs and tapioca crackers, topped off with a sweet peanut sauce. You can choose to add lontong (banana leaf-scented rice cakes) to your salad, turning it into a substantial meal.

See more: 5 most beautiful churches in Jakarta, Indonesia

Source: Internet

Top cultural experiences you cannot miss in Jakarta, Indonesia

Jakarta is the busy capital city of Indonesia. There are many cultures coming together that make Jakarta very unique. If you are interested in learning the culture of Jakarta, here are cultural experiences in Jakarta.

 Explore the Jakarta Old Town

Once one of the most prominent neighbourhoods during colonial era, Jakarta’s Kota Tua (Old Town) is a slice of history in the bustling metropolitan. The area is packed with old government buildings and trade centers kept alive as museums and heritage sites. From riding a colourful bicycle through Fatahillah Square to taking pictures inside the quirky Rumah Akar, you can conveniently explore the Old Town’s highlights just by strolling around the area.

Read more: 5 places you should not miss in Jakarta

Attend Jakarta Fashion Week

If you have the chance to attend Jakarta Fashion Week then you should definitely do. It is a great way to understand the culture within Jakarta in a stunning way. Some clothing design in Jakarta Fashion Week have designers from all over Indonesia that put the Indonesian culture into their fashion statement.

Explore mini Indonesia

This is your best chance to see Indonesia’s different cultures in just a day. Serving as the miniature of the sprawling archipelago, Taman Mini Indonesia Indah has dedicated areas for every major province or culture in Indonesia. Each area highlights everything you need to know about the culture: traditional houses, customs, attires, and more. You can also explore different science and nature museums, watch documentaries in an iconic cinema, and take a ride on a cable car that goes across the compound.

Enjoy the rich artisan heritage in Java

One of Indonesia’s most popular cultural exports is batik, a fabric seen all around the country, often in Indonesian traditional dress. Batik comes in all colours, patterns and sizes, and is created by tracing designs with wax and then dyed to produce impressively intricate patterns. From touristy gift shops to swanky upscale boutiques, you can find batik pretty much anywhere in Indonesia, but Java is where it originates, and there are plenty of amazing opportunities to see it getting made.

Visit the Museums

There are many museums that lie in Jakarta. For example, you can come to the Jakarta History Museum, the Puppet Museum and the Museum of Fine Art and Ceramic. Moreover, definitely spend some time to visit the National History Museum. There is another interesting museum that you can go to in Jakarta. It is the Kite Museum. Kite is a cultural part in Indonesia since a lot of people are passionate about it.

Source Internet