Getting to Jakarta: By plane

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Soekarno Hatta International Airport (IATA: CGK; ICAO: WIII), www.soekarno-hatta-airport.com at Tangerang, Banten. All international and nearly all domestic flights land here 20 km (12 miles) to the northwest of the city. The unintuitive airport code comes from Cengkareng, a district near the airport. During the rainy season the road to and from Cengkareng can be flooded, so be prepared and allow more time to reach the airport if you have a flight to catch. If you don't have non-stop options between your origin city and Jakarta, try connecting via Singapore as there are more than a dozen flights a day between those 2 cities.

The Soekarno Hatta airport has three terminals, further split up into subterminals, which are really just halls in the same building:

• Terminal 1 (A-B-C). Used by domestic airlines except Air Asia, Mandala, Garuda.
• Terminal 2. All international airlines (D-E) and domestic Garuda flights (F).
• Terminal 3 (Low Cost Carrier Terminal). The newest and nicest of the bunch, Pier 1 serves Air Asia domestic flights and all Mandala flights.

A free but unreliable shuttle bus runs between the terminals; if you're in a hurry, it's a safer bet to take a taxi, although they'll ask for a rather steep Rp50,000 for the service (not entirely unjustified, as half of this goes to paying their parking fees).

Visas on arrival are available at the airport, see the main Indonesia article for the details of the rules. If possible, use exact change (in US dollars) and ignore any requests for bribes. ATMs and currency exchange services are available in the baggage claim hall, and Terminal D has a left luggage service. Exchange rates are not significantly worse than the centre of town and better than you will get from hotels. Bear in mind that you will need some cash and Jakarta is not a place where you can just stroll down to the nearest bank in town as it is pedestrian unfriendly.

To get to the city, the easiest option is to contact your hotel to pick you up in the airport, as many hotels in Jakarta provide free airport transfers. Getting a taxi is a little more complicated:

• If you book from the counters right outside Customs, you'll get a nice car, jump to the head of the queue and pay around Rp. 175,000 for a trip to the Golden Triangle. These counters can also sell you SIM cards and refills.
• If you head past the counters, you'll get to the ordinary taxi ranks — and encounter many touts, who can and should be ignored. Silver Bird is a very reliable operator with good drivers and plush Mercedes cabs, but pricier than the rest at around Rp 120,000 to the Golden Triangle. Other operators will charge you in the vicinity of Rp 70,000-90,000.

Xtrans, Telephone: (62)-(21)-5296-2255 and (62)-(21)-5296-4477. Provides airport shuttle service from Soekarno Hatta airport to major hotels in Sudirman and Thamrin Street in Jakarta and Bumi Xtrans in Cihampelas Street in Bandung. Cost: US$3.30/adult and US$2.20/child. Schedule: once every hour from 0500h to midnight. Xtrans booth are available at Terminal IA, IB, IC and IIE.

If you have more time than money, hourly DAMRI shuttle buses connect to Jakartan destinations Rawamangun, Pasar Minggu, Blok M and Gambir (Rp 20,000) as well as directly to the neighboring cities of Bekasi and Bogor (Rp 30,000). The bus service operates until midnight and is comfortable. You can get the tickets in the many counters after the airport exit.

For overnight transits, there are a few hotels near the airport:

• Sheraton Bandara Hotel www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=107 Bandara Soekarno-Hatta (3 km from airport), Jakarta 19110, Indonesia. Phone:(62)(21) 559 7777. Sheraton Bandara is a 5-star hotel with 205 Deluxe rooms and 15 Suite rooms. Rooms have Sheraton Sweet Sleeper beds and 32" LCD TVs. Complimentary shuttle airport pick-up and drop off and a private lounge at the airport. Check the special offers on the hotel's website to find special packages such as day use, special rewards and offer on related deals. From US$100.

The older Halim Perdanakusuma Airport (IATA: HLP), to the southeast of the city, is used by military, VIP flights, charter flights, helicopter leasing companies and private jets.

• Susi Air www.susiair.com to local destinations across Western Java from Halim Airport. +62 811 211 3080

• www.soekarno-hatta-airport.com
• www.starwoodhotels.com/sheraton/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=107
• www.susiair.com