Arriving from Bandung, I headed straight to Wonderloft Hostel, where I had reserved a bunk bed for one night before flying back home to Manila. I originally planned on catching up on sleep, but when I learned from the receptionist that the hostel was just a few steps away from the historic Kota Tua Jakarta, I ditched rest in favor of the chance to explore more.
A Javelin’s Throw Away from My Hostel, Old Batavia (Kota Tua Jakarta) | Indonesia
Old Batavia, Old Town Jakarta
"Kota Tua Jakarta," which meant "Old Town Jakarta," was more commonly known as Old Batavia from the Dutch word Oud and Batavia—Jakarta's old name. Originally a walled city housing a Dutch settlement with its very own castle, Old Batavia was the de facto capital of the Dutch East Indies when Jakarta came under colonial rule in the seventeenth century until the Japanese wrested control of Batavia during World War II.
Centering around Fatahillah Square that fronted the former Batavia City Hall and now Jakarta History Museum, the area of Kota Tua spread 1.3 square kilometers. Today, rows of Dutch-styled buildings remained, with several of them converted into charming cafes and restaurants.
Cafes, Puppetry, and Trading Posts
Thirsty for some beverage and starving for Indonesian food, I entered a random café and ended up chilling for more than an hour as I devoured my food while people-watching.
Outside the café and in the square, there were a lot of sparkling activities thanks to various street buskers playing guitars and beating on their bongo drums. Places of interest located around Fatahillah Square included the Wayang Museum, which exhibited Javanese Wayang Puppetry creations and was built on the site of a 1640 Old Dutch Church.
There was also the Kafe Batavia building that was used by E. Dunlop & Co. as a trading office in 1884 until it became Kantor Kapal Hadjii's office in the 1920s before becoming Kafe Batavia in 1992.
Nightfall in the Colonial Square
A little further ahead were the Bank Indonesia Museum, formerly the main bank of the Dutch East Indies, the Old Post Office, the Fine Art and Ceramic Museum (former Court of Justice of Batavia), Luar Batang Mosque, the old Batavia railway station, the seventeenth-century Gereja Sion Church, and the eighteenth-century Governor Mansion Toko Merah.
After satisfying my curiosities and appetite, I went back to the hostel for a hot shower, only to walk out of Wonderloft during the night for another stroll around Old Batavia.
There, I was met with a festive vibe of locals singing and playing musical instruments in the square as an orgy of colorful lights shimmered from different storefronts.
