Setu Babakan

The Betawi are the indigenous people of Jakarta - a community formed in and around Batavia from Javanese, Sundanese, Malay, Balinese, Chinese, Arab and other populations over centuries, with their own dialect, food, music and customs - and they have been pushed steadily out of central Jakarta by development and cost. Setu Babakan, designated in 2000 around a lake in the far south of the city, is the attempt to hold on to that: a village where Betawi houses stand, gambang kromong and tanjidor ensembles play, lenong theatre and ondel-ondel giant puppets appear at weekends, and the food - kerak telor, soto Betawi, bir pletok - is cooked and sold. A cultural centre explains the community's history. It is a working neighbourhood as well as a designated zone.

What you'll find

• Betawi houses - the traditional forms of Jakarta's indigenous community.
• Ondel-ondel and gambang kromong - the giant puppets and the mixed-instrument ensembles.
• Betawi food cooked on site - kerak telor, soto Betawi and bir pletok.
• A lake and village - the designated zone in the far south of the city.

When to go

All year; weekends for performances. Half a day.

What to expect

Performances happen mainly at weekends - a weekday visit is quiet. It is a long way from central Jakarta. It is a real neighbourhood, so behave accordingly, and it is not a polished attraction.

Nearby

Depok is south; central Jakarta is an hour or more north depending on traffic.