Jakarta isn’t an obvious place to advertise the unending charms of Indonesia but my trip here was a highlight of a journey across the country.

Usually one flies into the Soekarno–Hatta international airport and quickly shift too either Bali, Sumatra or onto the hinterland of Java but as I love cities I checked into a good hotel and made a trip of it whilst visiting a friend in the city. Jalan Thamin is a main drag that sucks most people to the centre of town, not really for the faint hearted if you’re driving but walking along you are meeting many characters that you wouldn’t meet on a charmed Kuta or Sulawesi beach.

Smiles and curiosity are what you encounter on a walk through the city. The Selamat Datang Monument is a Soviet style man and woman striving into the future kinda vibe, plenty of water at its base and enough traffic to tell you this is very much a working city.

Jalan Jaksa in the centre of town was a hippy hangout and years ago would have housed the hostels for the few brave who had hopped over from the Malay side of things, these days it’s cooled down and I met a couple of people who were telling me of the old days and the changes ongoing in the area. Fewer people are specifically visiting Jakarta and the rundown of the street showed. But I still had a hearty meal, very tasty and not costing the earth!

For me the heart of the city has to be around the Café Batavia towards the dock area and situated in Fatahillah Square, an oasis of car free car encouraging young women in particular to cycle around on really colourful bicycles and having genuine fun. That was my highlight of the trip. The café itself is a very European place built by the Dutch in 1837, wasn’t always a bar but the pre-war atmosphere is good and works for the place and the location, it’s now a focal point for the happenings in that part of town, can’t wait to get back.

The dock rea of northern Jakarta has been the subject of discussion in the argument against climate change. Flooding and waterlogging is all to evident when you visit some of the communities resident on the spits of land away from the mainland; wonderful people very curious which is always a sign of great civilisation. I was fascinated by the shipping, music and the Museum Bahari which was interesting and a good retreat from the sun as you’re practically on the equator here.

Cities can be daunting places for the most part but much of this city is off the tourist trail and was a pleasant surprise.