Karawang

Karawang is a city and regency in the North Coast region of Western Java, Indonesia.

Understand

The city of Karawang is a satellite city of Jakarta, about 50 km east of the capital. There are many industrial companies located in and around Karawang, including a lot of factories for Japanese companies. In 2020, it was home to 308,000 people.

The regency of Karawang also includes extensive rural areas, as well as other towns including Cikampek and Rengasdengklok, and the archeological site of Batujaya.

Get in

By car

Karawang is along the major west-east tolled motorway Tol Jakarta-Cikampek, that runs from Jakarta via Bekasi and Karawang to Cikampek. Karawang has two toll road exits: West Karawang is 47 km from the beginning of the toll road at Cawang in East Jakarta, while East Karawang is at km 54.

In addition to the toll road, there are trunk roads from Karawang to the west (to Bekasi), to the north (to Rengasdengklok and Batujaya) and to the east (in the direction of Pamanukan).

By train

The city of Karawang is served by two railway stations. 1 Karawang railway station in West Karawang and 2 Klari railway station just outside East Karawang are served by a few economy class trains per day to the west (to Jakarta Kota station in West Jakarta) and to the east (to either Cikampek or Purwakarta).

By bus

The main bus terminal of Karawang is 3 Klari bus terminal, on the eastern side of the city, not far from Klari railway station. The terminal is served by highly frequent buses from various bus terminals in Jakarta and from Bandung, as well as by buses from many other cities in Western and Central Java. There is also a direct elf minibus between Karawang and Soekarno-Hatta International Airport (about once per two hours during daytime), but these shuttle buses do not go to the bus terminal, but to the 4 DAMRI bus stop in West Karawang.

Get around

Angkot

The routes of angkot (minivans) in Karawang:

• 01 Terminal Klari - Johar - A. Yani - Johar - Terminal Klari
• 02 Terminal Klari - Johar - Tuparev - Kertabumi - AR.Hakim - Johar - Terminal Klari
• 07 Johar - Tuparev - Kertabumi - A. Yani - Johar
• 15 Perum Resinda - A.Yani - Tuparev - Kertabumi - Perum Resinda
• 16 Badami - Jl. Interchange - A. Yani - Cinangoh - Pasar Johar
• 17 Terminal Klari - Johar - A. Yani - Sacakusuma - Terminal Tanjung Pura
• 63 Teluk Jambe - Perum Galuh Mas - Kertabumi - Ar. Hakim - A. Yani - Jalan Interchange - Teluk Jambe

See

The village of Balongsari is about 8 km north of Karawang. This village was once known as Rawagede, and this is the location of the Rawagede Massacre that was committed by Royal Netherlands East Indies Army during the Indonesian War of Independence, on 9 December 1947. Almost all of the males of the village, amounting to 431 men according to most estimates, were killed. A court ruling in the Netherlands in 2011 decided that the Dutch state is fully responsible for the massacre, which was already called "deliberate and merciless" in a United Nations report in 1948.

• 1 Tugu Rawagede (Rawagede Monument), Jl. Monumen Rawagede, Balongsari. Daily 08:00-16:15. Commemorative monument with several sculptures, as well as the 'cemetery for the heroes of Rawagede' (Taman Makan Pahlawan Rawagede). Rp3,000. (updated Sep 2016)

Walahar Dam

• 2 Walahar Dam (Bendung Walahar), Klari. The Walahar Dam construction project was started in 1923 by the Dutch with the supervision of a water expert from the Netherlands named C. Swaan Koopman. Walahar Dam was put into use on November 30, 1925. It is the dam of the Citarum River. (updated Oct 2022)

Do

• 1 Wonderland Adventure Waterpark, Jl. Galuh MAS Raya, ☏ +62 267 845 9000. M-F 08:00-19:00, Sa Su 08:00-20:00. Water theme park with various water slides, swimming pools, etc. Weekdays Rp70,000, weekends Rp90,000. (updated Sep 2016)

Buy

• 1 Mall Karawang Central Plaza (KCP), Jalan Galuh Mas Raya. Daily 10:00-22:00. Largest shopping centre in Karawang. (updated Sep 2016)

Eat

Karawang cuisine

Try dodong hideung ketan, black sticky rice is processed in such a way and then coconut milk is added. Usually this cuisine is sold using a cart on the side of the road.

Food stalls

• 1 Restaurant Lebak Sari Indah, Jl. Interchange Tol Karawang Barat No. 1, ☏ +62 267 700 1476. Daily 9:00-22:00. Indonesian (mostly Sundanese) and Chinese food. (updated Oct 2016)

Drink

Coffeehouses

• 1 Brewbean Coffee House, Jl. Akses Tol Karawang Bar, Sukamakmur, Telukjambe Timur, ☏ +62 813 109 49744. 11:00-23:00. (updated Oct 2022)

Sleep

• 1 Mercure Karawang, Jl. Galuh MAS Raya, ☏ +62 267 863 8888. Near the KCP shopping mall. With two restaurants, swimming pool with pool-side bar, and fitness and spa facilities. Double rooms from Rp480,000 per night. (updated Sep 2016)
• 2 Resinda Hotel Karawang, Jalan Resinda Raya No. 1, ☏ +62 267 862 2000. Luxury hotel with three restaurants, swimming pool, fitness centre, and spa facilities. Double rooms from Rp800,000 per night. (updated Sep 2016)

Connect

The dialing code for Karawang is 0267.

Go next

• Batujaya — Possibly the oldest temple complex of Java island, about 40 km northwest of Karawang city.
• Rengasdengklok — town where Indonesia's proclamation of independence was first drafted in 1945.