Road to Asian Games 2018: Enjoy Jakarta!

Although it is notorious as a hustle and bustle city, Jakarta hides immeasurable charms. It is the capital city of Indonesia and also the biggest city in Indonesia. Jakarta is the melting pot where you can see both modern and traditional cultures living side by side.

If you try to emerge into its local people and cultures, you will realize that Jakarta has been influenced by a blend of cultures from Javanese, Malay, Chinese, Arab, Indian and European. The mix is also seen in its architecture, language and cuisines spreading all over the city.

Jakarta is one of Indonesia’s cities that has rapid development. It has been more rapidly developing particularly prior to the 2018 Asian Games. Along with Palembang and West Java, it will host the quadrennial sporting games from August 18th to September 22nd.

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The government has been building supporting transportation facilities, like Mass Rapid Transit and Light Rail Transit. It has also been decorating the city with better and more comfortable pedestrian facilities.

Below are things you should know about Jakarta and its preparation prior to the biggest sporting games in Asia:

1 | Main venue of the 2018 Asian Games

Jakarta gets the privilege to hold both opening and closing ceremonies of the 2018 Asian Games at sporting complex Gelora Bung Karno in South Jakarta. In addition, it will host more than 15 sports, such as archery and basketball. The sports are set to be competed in five sport sites in Jakarta. They are Gelora Bung Karno sport complex, Istora Senayan – all in South Jakarta, Britama Basketball Arena in North Jakarta, as well as Jakarta International Equestrian Park and Rawamangun Velodrome in East Jakarta.

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Gelora Bung Karno’s stadium in particular was just finished being renovated prior to the Asian Games. It now looks grander with lighting integrated with more sophisticated sound. The Indonesian government said that the sound system will create dramatic atmosphere whenever national anthems are played. However, the stadium now has only a capacity of 80,000 spectators because of the current single-seat system while previously it could accommodate 90,000. The Gelora Bung Karno stadium will be the venue for soccer and athletics during the multisport games.

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2 | Melting pot with various traditions, festivities

As the melting pot, Jakarta is the best place to seek for numerous traditional festivities. It, for instance, has Lebaran Betawi festival every after Eid al-Fitr which showcases traditions of Betawi or Jakarta’s native. Jakarta is also the host of many massive events, like annual shopping fiesta Jakarta Great Sale and quadrennial sporting games Asian Games 2018. This year is special as Jakarta Great Sale will be held together with the 2018 Asian Games.

The sporting event is planned to kick off on 18th of August, 2018. So, if you have planned to join the joy of Asian Games in Jakarta, you should bring extra cash. Who knows, you will find something cute to buy in a mall in Jakarta. Also, a day before the start of Asian Games, Indonesians will celebrate their independence. Therefore, there will be a lot of unique competitions in the neighborhoods, like panjat pinang where people will make a human tower by a pole to get a prize hanging at the top.

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Jakarta has also tasty local culinary, including that from Betawi. Betawi is famous with nasi uduk or savory rice cooked with coconut milk. It is usually served with eggs, local-style fried chicken, crackers, and a bit chili condiment. In some places, you can also find nasi uduk served with other infamous Betawinese delicacy semur jengkol (dogfruit stew). Although it smells really strong, semur jengkol is hailed by many people because of unique flavor and texture. Other Betawinese culinary you must try are gabus pucung, kerak telor, and soto betawi.

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Jakarta offers not only tasty cuisine but also legendary sights, like the National Monument in Central Jakarta. The National Monument is Jakarta’s most famous landmark and located at the heart of Jakarta. It was built in 1975 to commemorate the fight of Indonesian people for their independence. If you enter the monument’s lower structure, you will find a museum depicting dioramas of how Indonesian people gained their independence. You should take lift to the observation platform so that you can see the city landscape in a bird view.

3 | Home for all accommodation

Jakarta is Indonesia’s largest and busiest cities. Many people come to Jakara for transit, leisure, business, and many other purposes. Therefore, Jakarta is developed with a lot of facilities, including wide range of hotels, to accommodate all kinds of travelers.

There are houses or apartments you can rent via digital applications. You can also stay at budget hostels that offer fine services and facilities. Meanwhile, Jakarta’s luxurious hotels offer facilities and even architecture designs that will make you leave all of the megacity’s hustle and bustle behind.

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If you want to experience the elegance of Jakarta while enjoying the Asian Games atmosphere, you should stay at The Suites at Mulia Hotel. It is a romantic getaway nestled in the prestigious Senayan vicinity.

Some meters away from Mulia, Fairmont Hotel stands tall among office towers, golf course, and best city landmarks like Gelora Bung Karno sports arena and Jakarta Convention Center. The Fairmont Hotel is also conveniently linked to an upscale shopping center, Plaza Senayan, through an underground passageway.

However, if you are in the middle of a biz trip but want a relaxing place to stay, go try The Ritz-Carlton Hotel in Pacific Place. It is adjacent to a luxurious shopping mall at the heart of a business district. Apart from Pacific Place, The Ritz-Carlton Hotel also enables its chain in a prestigious business area, Kuningan.

So, have you booked your hotel room? If you did, now you can start booking tickets for any games you'd like to watch at the Asian Games 2018! It's just a click away: http://www.asiangames2018.id/

See you really soon in Jakarta!

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