Sunda Kelapa: Jakarta, West Java

Located at the mouth of the Ciliwung River and also known as Pasar Ikan, 500-year-old harbour area of Sunda Kelapa was a vital link to markets of the outside world for the 15th century kingdom of Pajajaran.

Formerly it was a harbour town where the Portuguese traded with the Hindu Kingdom of Pajajaran in the early 16th century. However, Dutch dominance prevailed in later times and an old fort and trading post of the Dutch East Indies Company called Kasteel Batavia was established.

Nowadays, Sunda Kelapa is a fisherman’s wharf and an inter-island port. It is here where the tall-masted Bugis schooners from South Sulawesi anchor and they belong to one of the last-fleets of sailboats in the world that still ply the seas between the islands.

The harbour is still important one for sailing vessels from all over Indonesia. The magnificent and brightly painted Makassar schooner called Pinisi is still an important means of transporting goods to and from the outer islands.

You are free to wander around the old port of Sunda Kelapa and watch the loading and offloading of trade goods like timber, coal and spices. And, if you are feeling adventurous then hire one of the many canoes around the area and go for a paddle and check out the port from a water level!.

The old fish market nearby is also fascinating and can be reached easily by foot from the port of Sunda Kelapa and is free to enter. If you are an early riser then head down there to check out the seafood sales, the bartering and trading. Work at the fish market generally starts at 3am. The best of the action, so to speak, is around 6am.