Kota
The centre of old Batavia, the Kota district, is the tourist hub of Jakarta. The heart of the action is on historic Taman Fatahillah, a cobbled timewarp of a square that still somehow survives in modern Jakarta. Sunda Kelapa is the old port area and many of the scenes there today are unchanged since the likes of Joseph Conrad evocatively described the sailing schooners striding around the high seas and then tying up at the quayside here to trade exotic spices.

Free admission.

Maritime Museum
What was once a warehouse as far back as the 19th century for the Dutch down in Sunda Kelapa is now fittingly home to a museum that tells the story of Jakarta's rich maritime history. Model boats and faded sepia photos depicting various adventures at sea and in and around the Batavia waterfront are the highlights. The old watchtower offers good views out over the area.

Jalan Pasar Ikan 1
Tel: (021) 669 3406.
Admission charge.

Puppet Museum
Housed in an early 20th-century colonial legacy, the building that stands on the site of an old Dutch church is in itself part of the attraction. Those interested in traditional wayang kulit and wayang golek Indonesian puppets will be in heaven in this illuminating museum. As well as thousands of puppets from all over Indonesia, there are also exhibits from elsewhere around Southeast Asia. The museum also hosts regular puppet shows.

Jalan Pintu Besar Barat 27
Tel: (021) 692 9560.
Admission charge.

National Museum
The city's most impressive museum really delves into the history both of the capital city and the rest of Indonesia. The 19th-century building is suitably dramatic and its highlights include early Chinese ceramics, pieces culled from Java's myriad temples and a bronze elephant that was gifted to the museum by the King of Thailand. The museum is also home to a number of eclectic temporary exhibitions.

Merdeka Square
Tel: (021) 381 1551.
Website: www.museumnasional.org
Admission charge.

National Monument
This literally unmissable column rises over 130m (426.5ft) into the heavens above Independence Square. It is a potent symbol to many people in many ways. For some it is a celebration of Indonesia's successful drive to escape from the claws of the European colonial powers, while others see it as a fittingly vacuous legacy of the man who commissioned its construction, Soeharto, the former dictator still beloved of some Indonesians but reviled by many others. At a time when much of the country lived in poverty, its grand gold leaf topping said enough for many critics.

Merdeka Square
Free admission.