CONVERGENCE MAR-APR2017

Travel
DISCOVER JAKARTA
The streets are busy but the people are jovial, the structures are old within north Jakarta but they're
hidden jewels from an era of Dutch colonisation. Indonesia's capital and largest city is steeped in history
and culture and is a city that barely sleeps; home to almost 10 million people. So, if you're looking for
a short yet educational getaway, this is the city we recommend.
DAY 1
National Monument
Towering above everything around it, the monument is also
known as Monas and stands at 132 metres. The tower, located
in Merdeka Square, symbolises the country's fight for
independence. Apart from that, the tower resonates to the
philosophy of 'lingga' and 'yoni'. Lingga resembles a pestle
while yoni resembles a mortar, important and traditional
Indonesian tools. The tower is also a representation of both
man and woman, masculinity and femininity. Monas is a
117.7-metre obelisk on a square platform, topped with a flame
covered in gold foil. It is open daily between 7am and midnight
except for the last Monday of each month when the monument
is closed.
National Museum
Closed on Mondays and holidays, the museum is also known
as the Elephant Museum. It’s called as such because there’s
an elephant sculpture made of bronze medal at the entrance
of the museum. The sculpture was a gift from Thailand's King
Chulalongkorn who visited the museum in 1871.
Istiqlal Mosque and Jakarta Cathedral
In Arabic, 'istiqlal' means independence. The mosque, built
over a span of 17 years, is the largest in Southeast Asia and
was surprisingly designed by a Christian architect. Also, the
level of religious tolerance in this country can be noted by
the fact that the Roman Catholic Cathedral is located just a
stone throw's away from the mosque.
National Monument
Istiqlal Mosque
National Museum
50