Once you have settled in to the regular activities of your new life in Indonesia, you will begin to think about how to enjoy your leisure time in your new home. There are a good number of recreation and sports activities available in Indonesia that will appeal to various members of the family.

Many expatriate homes have their own swimming pool and housing complexes and apartments often have a pool and other facilities, such as: fitness center, and tennis courts. Sometimes it's nice to go out for a change of atmosphere and to socialize, and the ideal place is one of the family-oriented sports clubs. Over hundreds golf courses located in and around Indonesia are open daily from sunrise to sunset, and with very reasonable charges, making Indonesia a golfer's paradise in Indonesia! To learn a little more about the cultures and ethnic groups across the Indonesian archipelago, it's well worth a visit to Taman Mini Indonesia Indah or the "Beautiful Indonesia in Miniature Park"; it's advisable to go on a weekday as Sundays in particular can be extremely crowded. The park features full size replicas of traditional houses from all the provinces of the Indonesian archipelago with displays of clothing, arts and handicrafts, numerous museums with different themes, an IMAX theater, bird aviary, orchid garden, a man-made lake with the islands of Indonesia, as well as a monorail, and cable cars.

The Ragunan Zoo in South Indonesia, not far from popular expatriate residential areas, is home to over 250 species from Indonesia and throughout the world and is set in over 135 hectares of parklands. This is a relatively green and shady place where you can enjoy walking or cycling and a picnic lunch. Once again it's best to avoid Sundays and public holidays as it's very crowded.

Many shopping centers and malls have food courts, restaurants, indoor recreation facilities such as rides and arcade games, as well as multiplex cinemas. Many of the latest movies are screened in Indonesia not too long after their international release, with English soundtracks and Indonesian subtitles.

Most quality cinemas belong to the Cinema 21 chain and movie schedules can be found at their website, giving a listing of theatres, movies, and playing times. Premiere service theaters can be found at most of the 21 theatres that are located in the popular malls in Indonesia. Premiere theatres have their own ticket booth and exclusive lounges where the moviegoers can relax and enjoy snacks and cocktails while waiting for the movie to start. Your snack can also be served to you within the theatre and a blanket provided so that guests need not worry about being too cold in the air conditioning. The seating in the Premiere theatres is made luxurious by giving each guest their own Lazyboy- type reclining chair that has a foot rest and can recline to the guests specific preference.

Blitzmegaplex that is located in Grand Indonesia and Pacific Place is also popular with movie goers. Not only do they screen most of the popular American films that are released, but also offer their clients a more international selection of films. Often current Indian, Taiwanese, and European films can be viewed in one of the 11 auditoriums. The adjacent lounge offers guests a place to meet friends and enjoy food and drinks either before or after the movie. There are also many excellent art galleries and museums in Indonesia. Cultural performances are held regularly at Taman Ismail Marzuki and Gedung Kesenian Indonesia, the city's main fine arts center. Local and foreign performances are held here, including ballet, theatre, symphony orchestras and choirs, chamber music and the traditional Indonesian Puppetry or "Wayang Orang", among others. A monthly schedule of activities at Gedung Kesenian Indonesia (the national performing arts theatre) is available by subscription, or at various community centers.

While their activities are mostly geared for adults, the Indonesia Heritage Society is a great organization to join if you want to learn about the incredibly diverse and fascinating Indonesian culture and arts. It can also be very enjoyable to spend your leisure time exploring some of the older parts of the city. One of the most interesting places to visit is Sunda Kelapa Harbour with its fleet of traditional phinisi sailing boats, the old Dutch lookout tower and Maritime Museum in a former Dutch East Indies company warehouse, also visit Pasar Ikan (fish market) and nearby Fatahillah Square where you can enjoy lunch or some delicious ice cream at the famous Café Batavia Restaurant. There certainly is some kind of recreation for everyone in Indonesia!