Stretching 400 metres through Central Jakarta, Jalan Jaksa is one of the city’s most popular tourist residential hubs. It’s renowned particularly for its hostels and affordable eateries, as well as being a favourite nightlife area for expat residents of Jakarta.
In addition to its accommodation options, Jalan Jaksa is home to numerous travel agencies which can facilitate travel across the country, as well as visa extensions for those wanting to lengthen their stay. Money exchange bureaus and laundry services are also available, together with second-hand bookstores and shops selling Indonesian souvenirs. Restaurants serving international favourites such as pizza and steaks can be found, together with warungs dishing up Indonesian staples that have been tweaked for international palates. Live music bars and those broadcasting international football matches are also popular, with most featuring local Bintang beer and pool tables. Jalan Jaksa is within easy walking distance of the National Museum, National Gallery and Merdeka Square which are all situated just to the north.
It was in the late 1960s that the secretary general of the Association of Indonesian Youth Hostels transformed his house into Wisma Delima, the first hotel on Jalan Jaksa and the only one in the city to be listed by the International Youth Hostel Federation (IYHF). Since then, numerous hostels and accommodation options have mushroomed on the street, asserting it as the major traveller hub in Jakarta.
Jalan Jaksa lies a ten-minute walk to the west of Gondangdia Railway Station, from where there are train connections across the city, while public buses stop on Jalan Kebon Sirih which runs perpendicular to the north. There are also plenty of Bajaj rickshaws and ojek motorbike-taxis available for private hire along the street.