Nov 25 2025

I Went To See A Monument In Jakarta…But People Wanted To See Me Instead

a group of people posing for a photo

A group of people surrounded me in Jarkta while visiting the National Monument…they wanted to take a picture with me?

I Was A Novelty In Jakarta…

As I walked around Jakarta, I noticed the stares…it seems that tourism is not all that common in Jakarta (totally different story than Bali). During my walk around, I visited the National Monument (locals call it the Monas), meant to commemorate the struggle for Indonesian independence from the Dutch Empire.

people on motorcycles on a street

a man and woman sitting on benches under a canopy

a group of people sitting at tables outside a restaurant

a street with motorcycles and umbrellas

a traffic light on a street

a statue of a man in a park

a truck on the road

a tall white tower in a park

a man taking a selfie in front of a tall white monument

a group of people walking in a park with a statue and trees

a large monument with a large tower

a brick walkway with plants and flowers in pots in front of a city

a pond in a park with a large building in the background

a statue of people on a pedestal in a park

a statue of people on a pedestal

a stone walkway with a monument and a statue in the background

a tall white tower with a gold top and a large circular platform surrounded by palm trees

It opened in 1975 and is open Tuesday – Sunday for visitors to visit (and climb). It was so hot and humid that I did not go inside, plus I was hit up by a very nice, but aggressive tour guide who wanted to take me around town. I’m sharing his info below because I think he would be good, but I did not have time on this trip:

a person holding a piece of paper

a hand holding a piece of paper

The National Monument sits on a gated compound and there’s a wooded area where people sit and relax or picnic.

a group of people sitting in a park

a group of people sitting under a tree

a cat walking on the ground

a cat sitting on the ground

a woman walking down a street with tables and chairs

As I was walking out, a woman came up to me and asked for my picture.

Um, okay?

Actually, this sort of thing has happened to me in both Mainland China and in India…I realize tall white people are a bit of a novelty.

I posed for the selfie, but almost immediately a group formed (though it wasn’t as bad as Heidi being swarmed in Hyderabad). Everyone wanted their picture with me. Individuals and groups…

The women were wearing head coverings, as you can see in the photo at the top of this story, which I found interesting. I would have thought, wrongly apparently, that going up to men and asking for pictures is verboten in conservative Islamic society, but Indonesia is different than the Middle East.

Interestingly, Indonesia recognizes six religions: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism, and Confucianism. 87% of the population is Muslim (almost all Sunni), but about 10% of the population is Christian. Even more interestingly, it isn’t fully clear how Indonesia became a predominantly Muslim nation. In any case, it was a slow spread and apparently not via force or conquest (like other parts of the world).

I took a motorcycle back to my hotel, which was fun…I wouldn’t dare ride a bike or motorcycle in California, where drivers pay no attention to them, but with horrific traffic, choosing a motorcycle over a car makes a lot of sense when you are in Jakarta.

a group of people on scooters in a city street