"All about the Jalan Jaksa festival which is held once a year. Check below!"
Photo by Christian Chen on Unsplash
The DKI Jakarta Regional People's Representative Council (DPRD) asked for a number of tourist areas in the capital city to be revived. One of them is Jalan Attorney. This road, which is located in the Menteng area, Central Jakarta, has recently been deemed no longer a favorite tourist location for foreign tourists.
Even though the current condition of Jalan Jaksa is neat and clean, foreign tourists visiting this area have actually decreased. The possible reason is that Jalan Jaksa, which used to be famous for selling various kinds of snacks, has now started to disappear.
It is undeniable that Jalan Jaksa keeps records of tourism life in Jakarta. Since 1969, this area has been known by foreign tourists as a paradise for cheap lodging. Along with the development of Jakarta, Jalan Jaksa, which was originally just an ordinary alley, is now located in the central area of the capital.
Jalan Jaksa reached its heyday in the 1980s. Here you can find more than 20 hostels and several cafes. This street is not only a favorite place for foreign tourists but has also become a headquarters for expatriates in Jakarta. After 1998, Indonesians began to look at this road as an alternative to finding cheap lodging. Previously, this location was barely looked at by local businessmen.
Currently, there are only 14 surviving hostels. Some hostels have changed hands to larger capital owners. A number of residents' houses were bought and built into star hotels.
There are also residents' houses that have turned into expansions of offices around Jalan Kebon Sirih. Many of the inns in the alley have also turned into boarding houses to accommodate workers who have offices in the Menteng area.
The many changes that have occurred in Jalan Jaksa have also had an impact on the lodging rates offered. For example, Wisma Delima, which was originally only priced at IDR 40,000 per person per night or IDR 85,000 for one room per night (can be occupied by two people), has now increased from IDR 200,000 to IDR 350,000.
Unfortunately, the local government's attention to Jalan Jaksa is still minimal. Although recently the annual Jalan Jaksa festival has begun to appear, this festival tends to be monotonous by presenting things that are general in nature.
During last year's Jalan Hukum Festival, a tourist from France said he was interested in how Dodol Betawi is made. He is not interested in other general exhibitions, he prefers something local. Things like this should be developed, where tourists can taste culinary offerings, culture, creativity, and other things that are unique to Jakarta.
Hopefully, the local government will soon find a solution to revive the glorious era of Jalan Jaksa.
