Jakarta

Jakarta is where Indonesia puts on its best face. It has the country’s top museums, the greatest diversity of restaurants and public spaces in countless shopping malls that rival anything in Singapore or Bangkok. You can stroll the grand boulevard of Jl Thamrin when it's closed to vehicles on Sunday mornings and marvel at all that’s been built. Although religious pressure has slightly dimmed Jakarta’s reputation as a place to party beyond bounds, it is still a city where people can enjoy long nights in lounges and clubs or linger with gatherings of friends.