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11. Living in Jakarta

Jakarta at a Glance

Districts and Health Care in Jakarta

Many expats live on the outskirts of Jakarta.

Municipalities

Jakarta is divided into several municipalities, each of which has its own administrative system. As Jakarta is officially not a city, but rather a province, it is best to briefly introduce each of the municipalities:

• Central Jakarta, Jakarta Puscat, is the smallest municipality. Despite being the administrative and political heart of Jakarta, it is also a very lovely place to live. With large parks, Dutch colonial buildings and an all around European feel, it is often preferred by expats.
• West Jakarta, Jakarta Barat, contains the largest number of small-scale industries. It is also home to Jakarta’s “China Town”, as there is a significantly large population of Chinese living in Jakarta.
• Jakarta Selatan, or South Jakarta, is probably the wealthiest part of the province of Jakarta. With large upscale shopping centers and affluent residential areas, it can – if one’s budget suffices – be a comfortable district to live in. In addition to the shopping and residential section, it also includes the Jakarta Central Business District within its administrative boundaries.
• East Jakarta, Jakarta Timur, is a less residentially-friendly area, as it contains not only several of Jakarta’s industrial sectors, but also the Halim Perdanaksuma International Airport.
• North Jakarta, Jakarta Utara, located on the Java Sea, is also not a preferred place for expat living, but it does contain the largest tourism area in all of Southeast Asia: the “Ancol Dreamland”.

Health Care

If you are expecting 5-star service in a health-care facility in Indonesia, you may be disappointed. Although medical facilities usually have the most up-to-date standards, most expats prefer to jet off to Singapore in the event of a more serious operation or procedure.

Although hospitals in Jakarta have indeed very good standards, they are – due to high demand – often overcrowded. In order to quickly get treatment for a smaller medical emergency or simply a general check-up, it is advisable to visit the clinics. There are several of these in Jakarta and their medical staff is highly qualified.

Due to the lack of social insurance in Indonesia, it is recommended to invest in a very good and comprehensive international health insurance. Please remember that if you plan on living in Jakarta with your family, to get them insured as well. Allianz Worldwide offers a list of hospitals and medical facilities located in the various municipalities of Jakarta.

Health Concerns

Despite there not being any dangerous viruses in Indonesia, the World Health Organization advises any person planning on staying in Jakarta over a prolonged period of time, to get the following vaccines as a measure of caution: Japanese encephalitis, rabies, Hepatitis A and B, and typhoid fever.

As always when someone moves abroad to a tropical clime, it is not uncommon to suffer a bout of sudden illness, which may be related to the heat, water consumption or a certain spice, etc. In this case, rest assured that all pharmacies (apotik) in Jakarta have medication similar to that which you are used to from your country of origin. It is wise to get the generic and medical names of any medication you take on a regular basis, as well as those you wish to take against, say stomach flu, in English and Indonesian. This will make getting the proper medication at the pharmacy in Jakarta a lot easier.