A Photographer’s Lifestyle Guide to Jakarta, Indonesia

Jakarta is a megacity that 23 million Indonesians call home. This city never sleeps – from the old town in the north with its Javanese, Chinese, and Arab quarters, to central Jakarta with its high-rise buildings, and the modern residential suburbs in the south. Are you ready for your next urban adventure?

Kota Tua Jakarta: Observe stylish European-style buildings, enjoy the open air, dine at colonial-inspired restaurants, and capture it all with your analogue camera. We think that this is the place to practice your street photography skills, perhaps using the Half-frame Lomourette to make the most of its 72 frames! Photo by ekeupratama

Kota Tua Jakarta: Observe stylish European-style buildings, enjoy the open air, dine at colonial-inspired restaurants, and capture it all with your analogue camera. We think that this is the place to practice your street photography skills, perhaps using the Half-frame Lomourette to make the most of its 72 frames! Photo by ekeupratama

Kawasan Kota Tua, Taman Fatahillah No.1 7, RT.7/RW.7, Pinangsia, Kec. Taman Sari, Kota Jakarta Barat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 11110, Indonesia
Jakarta-based Nurum is a Lomography partner and serves as a gallery where artists can showcase their work, allowing for the presentation of photography, prints, and other visual art forms. Furthermore, it offers alternative print workshops, where individuals can explore old printing techniques (cyanotype, salt prints, etc) and experiment with various materials to create unique artworks. Photo by Nurum

Jakarta-based Nurum is a Lomography partner and serves as a gallery where artists can showcase their work, allowing for the presentation of photography, prints, and other visual art forms. Furthermore, it offers alternative print workshops, where individuals can explore old printing techniques (cyanotype, salt prints, etc) and experiment with various materials to create unique artworks. Photo by Nurum

Jl. Panglima Polim V No.4, Melawai, Kec. Kby. Baru, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12160, Indonesia
M Bloc Space is one of Jakarta’s iconic venues that has become a hub of creativity and culture. It is a magnet for a community of artists, musicians, culinary entrepreneurs, and creative individuals from various backgrounds. We think that the best camera to use in this place is the Lomo LC-Wide! There’s so much to see here, especially when there’s a band or musician performing in the afternoon. Beside that, there’s a museum where you can learn about Indonesia’s history. Photo by nadianar

M Bloc Space is one of Jakarta’s iconic venues that has become a hub of creativity and culture. It is a magnet for a community of artists, musicians, culinary entrepreneurs, and creative individuals from various backgrounds. We think that the best camera to use in this place is the Lomo LC-Wide! There’s so much to see here, especially when there’s a band or musician performing in the afternoon. Beside that, there’s a museum where you can learn about Indonesia’s history. Photo by nadianar

Jl. Panglima Polim No.37, RT.1/RW.1, Melawai, Kec. Kby. Baru, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12160, Indonesia
Pasar Santa or Santa Modern Market is both traditional and modern. Pasar Santa began to be widely recognized by the public since its renovation, as the market offers a lot of cool shops, including our partner Fine Grain! There’s also a few bookstores that you can visit. Bring your Lomomatic 110 to accompany your market adventure here! Photo by armandioalif

Pasar Santa or Santa Modern Market is both traditional and modern. Pasar Santa began to be widely recognized by the public since its renovation, as the market offers a lot of cool shops, including our partner Fine Grain! There’s also a few bookstores that you can visit. Bring your Lomomatic 110 to accompany your market adventure here! Photo by armandioalif

Santa Modern Market Lt. Semi Basement, Jl. Cipaku I No.233, RT.5/RW.4, Petogogan, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta City, Jakarta 12170, Indonesia
One of the oldest and most prestigious neighborhoods in Jakarta, Menteng has the city’s most elegant buildings, from restaurants to houses. Many of them are considered cultural and historical landmarks, and new buildings must follow a set of specific guidelines to assure aesthetic and quality. You can shoot this neighborhood with the mighty medium format LC-A 120 camera paired with Lomography Color Negative film to get detailed colors. Or if you’re feeling experimental, try the LomoKino to create your own mini-movie about Menteng! Photo by thesndx

One of the oldest and most prestigious neighborhoods in Jakarta, Menteng has the city’s most elegant buildings, from restaurants to houses. Many of them are considered cultural and historical landmarks, and new buildings must follow a set of specific guidelines to assure aesthetic and quality. You can shoot this neighborhood with the mighty medium format LC-A 120 camera paired with Lomography Color Negative film to get detailed colors. Or if you’re feeling experimental, try the LomoKino to create your own mini-movie about Menteng! Photo by thesndx

Menteng, Central Jakarta City, Jakarta, Indonesia

Jakarta is heaven for foodies and coffee lovers, but Panglima Polim is the one area to visit to experience a hipster, quirky vibe. It has numerous hipster-inspired coffee shops, restaurants, even concept stores. Bring your Lomo LC-Wide with you and go crazy shooting here & there, close-ups and from the hip! Beside all of that, this area is home to one of our partners too! Soup N Film!

Jl. Panglima Polim IX No.18A 2, RT.2/RW.7, Melawai, Kec. Kby. Baru, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12160, Indonesia
This neighborhood in South Jakarta is the city’s most fashionable district, its streets lined up with the best fashion boutiques, from local labels to imported, limited items. Kemang is also packed with modern, youthful restaurants and cafés with creative, artsy concepts. This is a chance to shoot with your Fisheye No.2 while walking the streets of Kemang! There’s a lot see here too so we recommend you to take a walk and if you feel tired, you can always take a rest and drink some cold ice coffee in a cafe. Photo by elische

This neighborhood in South Jakarta is the city’s most fashionable district, its streets lined up with the best fashion boutiques, from local labels to imported, limited items. Kemang is also packed with modern, youthful restaurants and cafés with creative, artsy concepts. This is a chance to shoot with your Fisheye No.2 while walking the streets of Kemang! There’s a lot see here too so we recommend you to take a walk and if you feel tired, you can always take a rest and drink some cold ice coffee in a cafe. Photo by elische

Kemang, Cipete Sel., Kec. Cilandak, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta, Indonesia
One of the city’s most prominent business centers, Sudirman-Thamrin, is a neighborhood that contributes greatly to Jakarta’s ever-growing skyline, with tall stylish buildings that host hundreds of businesses. This area is also just as lively at night when vibrant bars and clubs in the neighborhood transform it into a youthful nightlife hub. Photo by stefankarelyang

One of the city’s most prominent business centers, Sudirman-Thamrin, is a neighborhood that contributes greatly to Jakarta’s ever-growing skyline, with tall stylish buildings that host hundreds of businesses. This area is also just as lively at night when vibrant bars and clubs in the neighborhood transform it into a youthful nightlife hub. Photo by stefankarelyang

Gondangdia, Menteng, Central Jakarta City, Jakarta, Indonesia
Photo by ekeupratama
Photo by ekeupratama

Museums, Art, Photography and Culture in Jakarta

We’ve curated a list of our favorite museums, art galleries and cultural landmarks in Jakarta to give you an exhaustive guide to the best creative hot-spots to visit on your trip.

Taman Ismail Marzuki
Jakarta Arts Center Taman Ismail Marzuki, popularly known as Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM), is an arts and cultural center located in Central Jakarta. In the TIM complex, there is also the Jakarta Institute of Arts and the Jakarta Planetarium. TIM also has six modern theaters, a library, exhibition hall, gallery, and archive building. Various types of traditional and contemporary art, both indigenous to Indonesia and from abroad, can also be found here.

Art:1 New Museum
Visitors here can find a variety of collections such as paintings, installations, videos, and photography works.

MoJA
MoJA has a number of locations, including RoJa, Golf by MoJA, MoPAINT. If you want to see a diverse collection of artworks with a unique concept, then you can visit RoJA. Visitors can find a variety of interactive art exhibitions and Instagramable photo spots. Uniquely, MoJA Museum provides roller skates that you can use to get around the museum area.

Taman Mini Indonesia Indah
Taman Mini Indonesia Indah is one of Jakarta’s favorite recreational areas. It is also the most suitable place to learn about the ins and outs of Indonesia. Inside TMII, you can find various museums such as the Stamp Museum, Insect Museum, Science and Technology Museum, Hakka Museum, Heritage Museum, Electricity and New Energy Museum, Asmat Museum, and many others.

Museum Wayang
Wayang is one of Indonesia’s most loved traditional art forms. For those of you who are interested in learning about these incredible puppet shows, the Wayang Museum in Kota Tua is a must see destination.

Photo by ekeupratama
Photo by ekeupratama

Museum Nasional Indonesia
Want to hunt for beautiful photo spots while learning the history of the Indonesian Nation? The National Museum of Indonesia, also known as the Elephant Museum, has been very creative in designing concepts for public entertainment as well as historical education.

Street Photography & Lomography Film Community Scene in Jakarta

The wealth of knowledge and experience that comes from the Lomography Community is simply unrivaled. In this section we share some of our community’s top-tips about the city of Jakarta. This includes their favorite locations for visiting and photographing and some invaluable tips on shooting in analogue. We will also showcase some of our most inspiring Jakarta-based LomoHomes and Partners.

Jakarta Old Town
There’s no doubt that Jakarta’s Old Town area is very aesthetic and suitable for those of you who like photography. The area of the former government center of the VOC era to the Dutch East Indies Colonial is indeed beautiful with its rows of old buildings. The distinctive architecture of classic colonial buildings is very fitting to be immortalized using your Petzval lens to get the breathtaking swirly bokeh that you love. To explore the Kota Tua area, you don’t need to spend a penny because it’s free. The cool photo spots here include the Fatahillah Museum field, the Puppet Museum, the Ceramics Museum, and the Red Shop. In addition, you can also take pictures with the “freedom fighters” and “Dutch noni” who are displayed in this area.

Photo by ekeupratama
Photo by ekeupratama

Glodok Chinatown
The Chinatown of Jakarta began long before Indonesia existed as a nation and was originally the Chinatown of Batavia. This was the area where the Dutch required the Chinese to live. Today, the whole area is called Glodok and includes traditional houses, markets, architecture and some very beautiful Chinese temples – the Da Shi Miao and the Vihara Dharma Bhakti.

Photo by joseline
Photo by joseline

ASHTA District 8
The new mall in the elite SCBD area called ASHTA District 8 is indeed a hit and a favorite photo hunting spot in Jakarta. Surrounded by tall buildings typical of business districts. One of the ideal and favorite spots to capture the high-rise area is the UG7 balcony area. Use a wide-angle camera like the Lomo LC-Wide or LomoApparat to capture a beautiful view of the modern building backdrop.

Photo by ekeupratama
Photo by ekeupratama

Sarinah Mall
This historic mall inherited from Indonesia’s first President certainly has a very beautiful new face and is suitable for photo hunting in Jakarta. Moreover, the current concept is a community mall that is a gathering place for young people, various communities, and all people without discriminating. Beautiful and historic spots inside include masterpieces of relief art inherited from President Soekarno, the oldest escalator, and a reflecting pool. You can also find a skydeck and amphitheater perfect for your photo backgrounds. The front garden is also very cool for hanging out while channeling your photography skills.

Lapangan Banteng
Another open public space that is great for street photography is Banteng Field. Since 2018, the park located next to the Cathedral Church and Istiqlal Mosque has been revitalized. The field, in which there is a West Irian Liberation Monument, is even more beautiful with a fountain pool. There is often a colorful dancing fountain show on weekend afternoons. In addition, there is also a running track that can be used for exercise.

Photo by priyotrilaksono
Photo by priyotrilaksono

Tebet Eco Park
The latest photo spot in Tebet is in the form of a green open area that called Tebet Eco Park. This 7-hectare park with a shady green tree area is free for all to enter. The most iconic spot here is the infinity link bridge that connects the north and south parks, and has an eye-catching orange color. You can also take pictures while enjoying the shade against the backdrop of beautifully arranged trees.

Photo by ekeupratama
Photo by ekeupratama

Anything missing?

Got a favorite photo gallery, hidden photo spot or local tip we haven’t covered in this city guide? Help us make this the best analogue travel companion! Send your suggestions to travel@lomography.com and we’ll take a look.

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Tips from Lomography Magazine

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Where to Buy Analogue Photography Cameras & Develop Films

Nurum

Jl. Panglima Polim V No.4, Melawai, Kec. Kby. Baru, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12160, Indonesia
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Ojisan Film Lab Jakarta

Jl. Panglima Polim No.72, Pulo, Kec. Kby. Baru, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12160, Indonesia
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Bursa Kamera Profesional

Jl. Gn. Sahari No.1 Blok B4, RT.16/RW.3, Gn. Sahari Utara, Kecamatan Sawah Besar, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10720, Indonesia
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Bursa Kamera Profesional

Mal Ambassador, Lantai Dasar No 43-45, Jl. Prof. DR. Satrio No.45, Kuningan, Karet Kuningan, Setiabudi, South Jakarta City, Jakarta 12940, Indonesia
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Bursa Kamera Profesional

ITC Fatmawati, Kby. Baru Ruko no 28, Jl. RS. Fatmawati Raya, RT.1/RW.5, North Cipete, Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta City, Jakarta 12150, Indonesia
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Fine Grain

Santa Modern Market, Jl. Cipaku I No.5, RT.5/RW.4, Petogogan, Kec. Kby. Baru, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12170, Indonesia
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Focus Nusantara - Tanah Abang

Jl. Tanah Abang II No.77, Petojo Sel., Kecamatan Gambir, Jakarta, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10160, Indonesia
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Soup N Film

vineth building, Jl. Panglima Polim No.63-65, Melawai, Kec. Kby. Baru, Jakarta, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12160, Indonesia
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MLM Foto

Metro Atom Plaza Lt.2 Blok BKS no.37-40, Jl. H. Samanhudi No.1, RT.1/RW.3, Ps. Baru, Kecamatan Sawah Besar, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10710, Indonesia
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Focus Nusantara - Hasyim Ashari

Jl. KH. Hasyim Ashari No.18, RT.1/RW.2, Petojo Utara, Jakarta, Kota Jakarta Pusat, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 10130, Indonesia
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Focus Nusantara - Panglima Polim

Jl. Panglima Polim IX No.10, RT.2/RW.7, Melawai, Kec. Kby. Baru, Kota Jakarta Selatan, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 12160, Indonesia
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