CultureShock! Jakarta

CultureShock! Jakarta is the definitive guide to living and working in the capital of the largest archipelago in the world. This book imparts to readers essential tips for survival in this hot and bustling city. All you need to know about renting an apartment, getting a driver’s licence, using public transport and other nitty-gritty details of everyday life are found in this humorously written book. Providing more than just facts and practical tips, the authors give insider knowledge that cannot be found in other books. Discover the diversity and richness of Jakarta and immerse yourself in the culture, traditions and lifestyle of the locals. If you are planning to live or work in Jakarta, CultureShock! Jakarta will help you hit the ground running the moment you step off the plane.


Derek Bacon was born in Staines, near Heathrow in London, in 1968. This was something he could do little about. But he made up for it at an early age by travelling, taking photographs and general larking about with people he met along the way. Some of this harmless larking involved settling in Jakarta for five years. Currently living on England’s south coast with one wife and one son, Derek is now a full-time illustrator and is determined not to go anywhere near Staines unless he really has to.

Terry Collins, the co-opted co-author, was born in London nine months after World War II ended. Terry has had a varied career having at times been a teacher, a ‘squatter’s leader’, a wallpaper hanger, a charity director, a leather worker, and on the dole. He has lived in France, Spain, Thailand and, since 1987, in Jakarta. Since 2004, Terry has been the BBC’s weblog correspondent in Jakarta, chiefly due to the writing on his website: http://jakartass.blogspot.com .