Set aside a weekend for a whirl through Jakarta Hot Tip Jakarta is a city of cultural contrasts, especially in its treasure trove of museums Short Cuts Hilton International has withdrawn from its namesake properties in Indonesia Web Crawling Indonesia's official national tourism site is a worthwhile pit stop Beat the heat in Jakarta by heading south.
West Java offers spectacular drives and diversions from the capital.
Begin with a spin to Bogor, a former Dutch hill station perched in the mountains, some 40 min. The botanical gardens are the main draw here, and if you forget to pack a picnic basket you can unwind at the cafe overlooking a water-lily pond on the eastern side of the gardens. An hour's drive south of Bogor is Puncak, a great stop on the winding, hilly road to Bandung. Those who want a more rigorous sidetrip can drive another 30 min. to Cibodas town at Mount Gede-Pangrango National Park. Hikers can reach the base camp of the 2,800 m-high Mount Gede and its 3,000 m neighbor, Mount Pangrango, in a five hour circuit through dense rainforest and past waterfalls and hot springs before ascending the peak of their choice.