With more than 18,000 islands and the planet’s fourth-largest population speaking 750 languages and dialects, Indonesia is one of the world’s most culturally diverse nations. Jakarta, on Java, is its supercollider heart, where 9 million densely packed residents come together with tourists and businesspeople from every corner of the globe. Jakarta is the nation’s capital and commercial epicentre, yet amidst all the office towers and crowded buses, Indonesian culture can be experienced at every turn. Street markets flourish, enormous mosques break up the modern skyline, and there is simply no better place to take in the unique puppet theatre than in its capital, home to both Museum Wayang (the national puppet museum) and Southeast Asia’s largest performing arts centre, Taman Ismail Marzuki. Numerous shops sell wayang golek, ornate puppets that make exceptional souvenirs, along with batik clothing and other traditional crafts. Whether Jakarta is your first or only stop in the sprawling nation, do not miss the Indonesia in Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (park), a recreation of the archipelago that will quickly give you an understanding of this most diverse of destinations. At day’s end, you will discover why Jakarta is the nightlife capital of Southeast Asia, with everything from cocktail lounges to discos.