Holtorf's atlas best guide to Jakarta
Jakarta, Jabotabek (Jakarta and Greater Jakarta) Street Atlas & Index of Names By Gunther W. Holtorf 11th Edition, Falk Verlag, Hamburg, 1997, 355 pages Rp 58,000 (US$23.85)
JAKARTA (JP): Jakarta's skyline has changed a lot in the past 10 years as new apartment buildings, office complexes and hotels have appeared. Old hotels have been renovated, with some also undergoing name changes. New toll roads have been built linking the city's outlying areas and splitting the metropolis with its network.
Jakarta's surrounding areas have kept up with the developments in the city. Just look at the burgeoning areas in Bekasi and Cikarang in the east, Serpong and Karawaci in the west, and Depok, Cibinong, Sentul and Jonggol in the south. From luxurious residential estates down to simple housing units, all have grown substantially in number as though intended as a fortress around Jakarta.
It is not surprising that the flow of motor vehicles from Jakarta's peripheries into the city is seriously congested every morning. The same traffic snarl occurs in the opposite direction in the evening. A resident must be wise to the shortcuts to take to avoid the interminable jams on the major thoroughfares. These shortcuts, dubbed "mouse roads" in local parlance, are great for cutting down on travel time. The traffic jams are not limited to the city street network only but are ubiquitous in the peripheral areas as well.
How to avoid being trapped in traffic jams in Jakarta? How to use the narrow maze of roads which serve as vital shortcuts and not find oneself hopelessly lost? A must for Jakartans and many adventurous visitors in solving these problems is a handy and detailed street atlas.
The best guide currently available is Gunther W. Holtorf's Jakarta, Jabotabek, (Jakarta and Greater Jakarta): Street Atlas and Index of Names, which was recently published in its 11th edition. The first edition came out in 1977.
The maps in the new edition, designed by Holtorf and based on topographical data of the National Coordinating Board for Surveys and Mapping, are notable for several additions and improvements from the previous version of 1993.
At least three countries - Germany, Hungary and Indonesia - were involved in the production of the book. The publisher of the atlas is Falk Verlag, a leader in map production based in Hamburg. The setting of the maps was done in Munich.
Hungary handled the cartography. Indonesia was responsible for the printing through PT Intermasa, and distribution by PT Djambatan, especially for Indonesia.
There are 85 new maps in this edition. These cover Bebelan, Bogor, Bojonggede, Cibinong, Cikarang, Cileungsi, Cipondoh, Dadap, Depok, Gunung Geulis, Gunung Putri, Jombang, Kaliabang, Karawang, Parung, Pulau Seribu, Puspitek, Sentul, Setu, Tambun and Tigaraksa.
There are 54,000 entries in the index of names (pp. 204-352), an increase of 19,000 from the previous edition.
The edition is trilingual, in Indonesian, English and German, which widens considerably its accessibility to users.
The edition also refers to kelurahan (district offices) in Jakarta, Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi, known by the acronymn Jabotabek, complete with their zip codes. This is a helpful addition in locating complete postal addresses.
The index lists the many apartment buildings in Jakarta and its surroundings, real estate areas, official housing complexes, low-cost housing developments, and housing complexes developed by state housing company Perumnas.
A reference guide on museums, parks, recreational venues, plazas and malls in Jakarta and its surroundings is contained in the index.
The atlas also allows for plans for new roads, including toll roads. Although the Serpong-Jakarta (Bintaro) toll road is still in the developmental stages, the proposed road is included in a map. This is also the case with the Pondok Pinang-Meruya outer ring road and the Ciawi-Bogor toll road. These inclusions are helpful because people can anticipate developments in an area and plan accordingly.
The guide is necessary for those unfamiliar with Jakarta's environs. Foreigners residing in Jakarta, both long-term residents and those newly arrived, will certainly need this atlas. The guide is useful for pinpointing the location of one's residence to acquaintances and friends. The atlas will also be useful for people living in Bogor, Tangerang and Bekasi.
Some minor errors in spellings and names do not detract from the guide's overall value.
The publisher should consider an index with separate listings grouping street names, apartment buildings, housing complexes, shopping centers, and the like for the next edition. This will round out this already invaluable help in getting around in the city.
-- Pamusuk Eneste