Depok

Depok is a city in the province of West Java in Indonesia. The city, with a population of almost 2 million, is part of the Jabodetabek Greater Jakarta metropolitan area and is just south of the national capital. One of the most prestigious universities of the country, the University of Indonesia, is here.

By car
There is one main road from South Jakarta into Depok, Jalan Margonda Raya, which also passes the University of Indonesia campus. It is thus not hard to imagine that the road can be very crowded in the mornings and the evenings. Another way in is via the Jagorawi toll road that leads from Jakarta to Bogor. Just south of Jakarta, there is an exit to the short Cijago toll road that leads straight to the city centre of Depok. This toll road is planned to be extended westwards to South Tangerang.

By train
Depok has five railway stations along the railway from Jakarta to Bogor, from north to south being Universitas Indonesia, Pondok Cina, Depok Baru,, and Citayam stations. The stations are served by the yellow and red lines of Jakarta's commuter rail network (KA Commuter Jabodetabek). The yellow line runs from Jatinegara station in East Jakarta via a loop through North, West, Central, and South Jakarta to Depok, and then further to either Bogor to the south, or Nambo station to the east. Some trains terminate at Depok station and therefore do not call at Citayam. The red line runs from Kota station in Jakarta's old town (West Jakarta) via Depok to Bogor. Also for this line, some trains terminate at Depok station. Ticket prices from Jakarta to Depok are approximately Rp.3,000. Travel time from Jakarta to Depok is between 25 and 70 minutes, depending on the place of departure in Jakarta.

The railway stations in Depok are not served by long-distance trains. Instead, long-distance trains can be taken from Gambir or Pasar Senen stations in Central Jakarta.

By bus
Next to Depok Baru railway station, there is. At the terminal, there is a wide range of minibuses and buses to and from destinations throughout Depok, Jakarta, and the wider conurbation. In addition, there are intercity buses to destinations including throughout Western Java, including Bandung and Sukabumi. There are no direct buses to and from Jakarta's Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. The nearest bus terminals with direct DAMRI bus airport service are Pasar Minggu in South Jakarta and Kampung Rambutan in East Jakarta.

Get around
There are dozens of minibus (angkot) routes throughout Depok, with many of them connecting to South Tangerang and Jakarta. Angkots follow a fixed route, but there is no fixed schedule and there are no fixed stops. To get on, simply raise your hand. To get off, simply shout "Kiri!" to the driver, so he will pull over on the left (Indonesian: kiri) side of the road. The price of an angkot ride within the city is fixed at Rp.3,000. It is best to ask a local which angkot route to take, and how to recognise the location you want to get off.

Taxi ranks are available outside the shopping malls and hotels, and especially easy to find at the main artery Jalan Margonda Raya. The main reputable taxi companies of Jakarta, including Blue Bird and Express, also have branches in Depok. Online ride-hailing such as Grab and Gojek are abundant and can be booked through the respective apps.

See

 * Old Depok, an area south of the modern Depok which is considered to be the foundation of the modern city, was founded by Cornelis Chastelein as a native Christian congregation named "DEPOC" (De Eerste Protestante Organisatie van Christenen). This area is inhabited by Christianized former slave families of Cornelis who inherited his land after his death in 1714, known today as Belanda Depok (which means "Dutch Depok", due to their ability to speak Dutch). The area consists of old colonial-era homes and other buildings, including:

Do
Cycling, walking, and jogging at the University of Indonesia Campus are common recreational activities during weekends in Depok. On Sundays, there is a market just outside of the campus where you can buy cheap things from food to CDs, and from clothes to utensils.

Buy
At the end of the year, it's the durian season; durian is a tropical fruit sold by locals along the road from Depok to Bogor. Durians here are cheap and good enough with prices ranging from Rp5,000-30,000. Don't hesitate to bargain the price and tell them that you only pay a good one. The seller will choose the fruit for you, open a small hole and take a little fruit for you to taste. If you're satisfied with the taste, they will open the whole fruit for you if you want to finish the fruit in their place. Depok is also known for its star fruit plantation so many food souvenirs are made from carambola or star fruit.

Eat
Along the main roads to Jakarta (Jalan Margonda Raya) and Bogor (Jalan Raya Bogor), there are many restaurants with various cuisines, from Sundanese and Javanese to Western. Cheap meals can be found especially in student cafés at or around the university campus.

Drink
Like other cities in West Java province, Depok has similar drinks. The variety of options are young coconut water with ice and palm sugar, mixed chunk fruit and jelly with ice, blended fruit with ice. They are refreshing for a really hot day. For those who are on diet should drink carefully because they are high energy drinks.

Sleep
For longer-term staying, the Margonda Residence Apartments, located on Margonda Raya is quite useful. It costs Rp. 1,350,000-1,700,000 per month for a studio room, with a minimal contract of three months. As yet, it is the only apartment in Depok although others are being built. It is across the road from Universitas Indonesia, on the north part of the city, and thus is safe from much of the traffic jam in the city (although one still has to negotiate the traffic on the Jakarta side).

Stay healthy
Most drink vendors buy ice cubes from a market and bring them by motorbike or tricycle. Ice cube handling is careless with the possible spread of bacteria, so be cautious about drinking these products and be prepared to take anti-diarrhoea remedies if needed.

Go next

 * Bogor — Nearby city, famous for its extensive botanical gardens.
 * Puncak — the mountain pass on the way from Bogor to Bandung, with rice fields and tea plantations.