Where to Stay in Jakarta: Menteng, Kuningan and SCBD, with the City’s Art and Rail

Menteng, the leafy centre

Menteng is a former colonial suburb, now the administrative heart of the city, with tree-lined streets, parks and a sense of calm that Jakarta rarely offers elsewhere. It suits travellers who want a central, quieter base. Hotel Indonesia Kempinski stands on the Bundaran HI roundabout and is one of the city’s landmark addresses, while Park Hyatt Jakarta occupies the top of a tower in the same part of the city.

For art, the destination is Museum MACAN in west Jakarta, the private museum of modern and contemporary art that opened in 2017. Its collection of about 800 works, gathered over some 25 years by the businessman Haryanto Adikoesoemo, includes Indonesian artists such as Raden Saleh alongside international names.

Kuningan and SCBD, the business towers

South of the centre, Kuningan and the Sudirman Central Business District are the city’s corporate quarter: offices, shopping and entertainment, with the city’s nightlife close at hand. By day they are mostly business-focused, so travellers usually go elsewhere for sightseeing.

Raffles Jakarta in Kuningan is known for its collection of works by Hendra Gunawan, and Four Seasons Hotel Jakarta has a residential feel.

The Langham, Jakarta in the SCBD is Langham’s first hotel in Southeast Asia.

Getting around

Traffic in Jakarta is notoriously bad, and the public network is weaker than in other Asian capitals, although the city now has a metro line. Choose a base near what you plan to see and allow generous journey times. For the city’s dining, see a gastronomic guide to Jakarta.

Sources: Travelling King: Where to stay in Jakarta; Smithsonian Magazine: Indonesia gets its first contemporary art museum. Check the official websites for current information.