Hello! My name is Lusiana. I was born, raised, and educated in Jakarta. I love traveling, exploring new places, cooking, and eating different kinds of food. I love art and other creative things as well. And yes, I love being a Local Guide! It is always nice to be able to help others. I love the fact that my contributions on Maps might help someone in need. I have made some new friends and learned different cultures from Local Guides Connect, which made me view things from different perspectives and appreciate my surroundings even more.
As part of #CommunityLoveChallenge, initiative by @AdrianLunsong , I would like to take this opportunity to show a glimpse of my beloved city.
Ladies and gentlemen, we have arrived at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta 
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Although Jakarta only occupies a small area of the Indonesian archipelago, but it is the country’s most populous urban area. Jakarta is the center of economy, politics, and culture of Indonesia that filled with busy streets, skyscraper buildings, and luxurious shopping malls. Also, Jakarta has many interesting historical places, museums, culinary spots, and recreation places for tourists to visit.
Greetings from The Selamat Datang (Welcome) Monument 
The monument, which is also called Bundaran HI (Hotel Indonesia roundabout), is situated right in the middle of the city center and surrounded by Jakarta’s best hotels and shopping malls. This iconic landmark depicts two bronze statues of a man and a woman, waving in a welcoming gesture. It was originally built to welcome visitors for the Asian Games in 1962, but it still currently welcomes visitors from around the world to the capital city of Indonesia.
Bundaran HI, the five-star luxury hotels, and high-quality shopping malls in this area are now connected to the first ever MRT Line in Jakarta (and in Indonesia) that was officially opened for public on March, 2019. I still remembered the excitement I had when I experienced the Jakarta MRT for the first time. It felt surreal! I’m so proud of Jakarta’s milestone in public transportation facilities. MRT is such a big game changer for tourism in the city. It makes a trip to Jakarta more convenient than in the past.
The icon of the city 
The Monumen Nasional (National Monument), abbreviated Monas is a 132 meter tower standing in the center of Medan Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta. For some Jakarta people, Monas is just a recreation park where they can do some exercises on Sunday morning, or maybe they even have no idea of what’s inside Monas. But for me personally, Monas is much more than that.
With a 14,5 ton flame shaped bronze layered with gold on top, Monas is a symbol of the spirit of Indonesian, the struggle for Indonesian independence. It has a history museum at the basement displaying a lot of dioramas which are super cool! We can also take the elevator up to see the view of Jakarta from the top of Monas. I have passed this monument a hundred times and although it is not quite as tall as some of the world’s famous towers, but Monas has its own charm and history that makes me love Jakarta even more.
Betawi cuisine of all time 
One of the best things of visiting Jakarta is that, the capital city is home to many culinary delights. We can easily find any dish from the Indonesian archipelago in Jakarta. But for an authentic cuisine from the city itself, Soto Betawi is certainly a must try. The dish is originated in Jakarta among the Betawi people as the native inhabitants. It consists of beef and offal, or other beef organs, fried potato, and tomato that are slowly simmered in santan (coconut milk) broth and enriched with aromatic herbs and spices like galangal, lemongrass, turmeric, coriander, bay leaves, and kaffir lime leaves. The difference between Soto Betawi and other types of soto (traditional Indonesian soup) is that, it has slightly creamy taste. Topped with scallions, crispy fried shallots and emping crackers, Soto Betawi is best eaten along with rice. So delicious!
There are a number of street stalls and restaurants that serve Soto Betawi. One of them is Soto 69 Ibu Sri. It might not be the best in the city, but I’m glad that I’m able to add some nice pictures and detailed review to support this small business. Read my review here.
If you are craving for sweets after a meal, try Betawi traditional dessert named Selendang Mayang. The remaining Selendang Mayang’s sellers still exist in Kota Tua area. It is actually quite easy to make at home. Read my post about Selendang Mayang: A Legendary Indonesian Dessert to see the details 
Underwater world in the city 
For animal lovers, especially aquatic animals, a public aquarium seems to be a perfect place to relax after a tiring day of exploring the city. Jakarta Aquarium is located inside Neo Soho shopping mall in West Jakarta. It is the first mall-based aquarium in Indonesia that focuses on conservation and preservation in edutainment concept. Jakarta Aquarium has several zones with different themes, displaying the beauty and diversity of the Indonesia’s wildlife and marine biota. It offers opportunities for everyone from soothing to adventure experience in discovering the underwater world and seeing aquatic creatures closer. Read more about my experience: A Visit to Jakarta Aquarium
Thank you for reading. I hope you have enjoyed learning a bit more about me and my city 
