Navigating Jakarta: A Complete Transportation Guide to Indonesia's Bustling Capital

Landing at Soekarno-Hatta is your first test. This sprawling airport sits about 20km from central Jakarta, and how you tackle this initial journey sets the tone for your entire visit.

Forget those dodgy airport taxis with their 'special tourist prices' (translation: daylight robbery). Instead, download the Grab app before you even leave home. It's Southeast Asia's Uber and your absolute lifeline. The app works on minimal data, shows prices upfront, and the drivers actually know where they're going – revolutionary, innit?

If you're proper skint like I was on my first visit, there's the DAMRI airport bus for around 40,000 IDR (about £2). These big blue buses leave from outside all terminals and hit major points across the city. They're dead reliable, air-conditioned, and give you a chance to peep the cityscape as you roll in.

For the business types on expense accounts, the airport now has a proper train link too. The Airport Rail Link connects to Jakarta's central stations and costs about 70,000 IDR (£3.50). Absolutely worth it during rush hour when the roads look like carparks with angry horns.

Listen up, because this is the absolute game-changer for Jakarta: motorbike taxis, or 'ojeks' as the locals call them. In a city where traffic moves slower than my nan after Christmas dinner, these two-wheeled wizards are your ticket to actually making that meeting on time.

The traditional way is flagging down a random bloke in an orange vest, but the 21st century version is using the GoJek app – Indonesia's homegrown super-app that'll sort you with rides, food delivery, massages, and probably your taxes if you ask nicely. The app's dead simple to use and ridiculously cheap – most cross-city rides cost me under £1.50.

First time I hopped on the back of an ojek, I was bricking it. The driver weaved through gaps I swear didn't exist, occasionally mounting pavements and going the wrong way down one-way streets. But here's the mad thing – it works. A journey that would take an hour in a taxi took 15 minutes. Just make sure you've got a pollution mask because Jakarta's air isn't exactly mountain fresh, and the exhaust fumes hit different when you're in the thick of it.

For the business traveler with meetings across town, this is your secret weapon. Keep a shirt in your bag, wear the mask, and you'll arrive on time while your competitors sit fuming in taxis. Just maybe don't tell your insurance company how you're getting about.

Now, I'm a Liverpool lad, so I know a thing or two about dodgy bus systems. But Jakarta's TransJakarta? Proper impressive, that. It's a network of dedicated bus lanes that slice through the city's traffic like a hot knife through butter.

The buses are these massive red beasts that run on their own lanes – actual proper lanes that cars can't use. Revolutionary concept, right? A single journey costs 3,500 IDR (about 18p) regardless of distance, making it the best value transport in the entire city. You need a tap card to use them, available at any station for about 40,000 IDR with some preloaded credit.

The stations are elevated above the road, connected by pedestrian bridges, which means you're not playing human Frogger trying to cross Jakarta's mental streets. Inside, they're air-conditioned (crucial in this sweatbox of a city) and usually not too rammed outside peak hours.

I used these buses daily during my week in Jakarta, and they're surprisingly reliable. The network covers most of the business districts and tourist spots, with digital displays showing when the next bus arrives. Pro tip: download the TransJakarta app, which gives you real-time updates on bus locations – dead useful when you're trying to make that morning meeting.

For keeping organized while hopping between buses and meetings, I never leave my accommodation without my travel organizer to keep all my cards, cash, and tech bits sorted. When you're sweating in 34-degree heat, the last thing you need is to be fumbling for your bus card.

Jakarta's finally joined the 21st century with its spanking new MRT system, and it's a proper game-changer. Opened in 2019, this underground/elevated train currently only covers a single north-south line, but it's expanding faster than my waistline after discovering Indonesian food.

The stations are all gleaming marble and glass – wouldn't look out of place in Singapore – and the trains are dead punctual. For business travelers, this is your express route between the central business district (Sudirman) and the more upmarket southern areas like Blok M and Lebak Bulus. Fares start at 5,000 IDR (25p) and max out at about 14,000 IDR (70p) for end-to-end.

Then there's the older commuter trains (KRL Commuterline), which are more extensive but a bit rough around the edges. These are your budget option for reaching Jakarta's outer suburbs and neighboring cities. They're packed during rush hour – and when I say packed, I mean 'question your life choices' packed. But at 3,000-9,000 IDR per journey, you can't argue with the price.

For both systems, you'll need a top-up card. I use the Multi-trip e-money card which works across all Jakarta's public transport. Dead handy for not ending up with seventeen different travel cards.

If you're planning to use trains regularly, especially during Jakarta's biblical downpours, grab yourself a quick-dry travel towel. Those sudden tropical storms can leave you soaked in seconds, and nothing says 'unprofessional' like dripping all over the boardroom.

Some days in Jakarta, especially after you've been marinating in your own sweat for hours, you just want the blessed relief of air conditioning and personal space. That's when taxis and car ride-hailing services come into their own.

Bluebird is the only taxi company I trust here – they're the blue taxis you'll see everywhere. They always use the meter (starting at 7,500 IDR), the drivers don't try to sell you their cousin's batik shop, and the cars actually have functioning seatbelts (a novelty in these parts).

But even better than street-hailing is using the Grab or GoJek apps for cars. The prices are fixed upfront, the cars are usually newer, and you don't have to attempt to pronounce Indonesian street names – just drop a pin and you're sorted. During my week here, I found Grab slightly cheaper for cars, while GoJek was better for motorbikes.

If you're a business traveler with meetings across town, consider booking a car for a few hours. Both apps offer this option, and it's cheaper than taking separate rides. My GoJek driver Pak Andi became my unofficial tour guide, waiting patiently while I popped into meetings and showing me local lunch spots between appointments.

For keeping cool in Jakarta's relentless heat while waiting for your ride, I swear by my portable fan. Looks a bit daft, but when you're standing on a street corner in 90% humidity, you'll be too grateful to care what the locals think of you.

If you're proper skint like I was on my first Jakarta visit, or just fancy a transport experience that'll give you stories for the pub back home, Jakarta's got you covered with its more... let's say 'characterful' options.

Bajajs are these tiny three-wheeled orange nightmares that sound like a chainsaw having an argument with a blender. They've got no doors, questionable brakes, and drivers who seem to have a death wish – but they're dirt cheap and can squeeze through gaps that even motorbikes think twice about. Haggle hard before getting in (aim for about 15,000-25,000 IDR for short trips) and hold onto your belongings for dear life.

Then there's angkots – small vans that run set routes around the city. These are the true budget option at around 4,000 IDR per ride, but they're not for the faint-hearted. No air-con, no fixed stops (just wave them down and yell when you want off), and they're usually packed tighter than a Liverpool nightclub on Saturday. I tried one just for the experience and ended up wedged between a woman with a cage of live chickens and a bloke who was definitely using me as a pillow.

Neither option is particularly practical for business travelers unless you're really trying to impress clients with your local knowledge. But for the adventurous souls, they offer a glimpse into everyday Jakarta life that you won't get from the sanitized comfort of the MRT.

If you do brave these options, keep your anti-theft sling bag close to your chest. It's slash-proof and has locking zippers, which gives you one less thing to worry about while you're questioning your life choices in a vehicle that predates Indonesian independence.