Jakarta was my home for four years. Initial impressions were not good but i grew very fond of the place.
The bad
The city gets a bad wrap from passing visitors:
- awful traffic
- air pollution
- not pedestrian friendly. Locals (and expats) like to spend time in the big air conditioned shopping malls, but for anyone coming from developed cities, the malls aren’t that interesting.
- The ‘parks’ are quite uninspiring
- There aren’t many interesting pedestrian only streets. There are areas not far from the city, which are visually rich / interesting, but given the propensity to get stuck in a me.
Here’s what I recommend and friends/family have enjoyed:
1. Sunday brunch at a fancy hotel
My top picks are:
- Jakarta & The Courtyard at the Dharmawangsa
- Lyon at the Mandarin Oriental (Saturday brunch only)
- C’s steak and seafood restaurant at the Grand Hyatt
- Satoo at the Shangri La
Check out the bottom of this page for these and other options: http://www.barnabyrobson.org/indonesia/
2. Evening drinks at skye bar or cloud lounge (on a clear day)
Do this for the views (the banner picture from this post was taken from the Salt Grill restaurant, just below Cloud Lounge) . It’s a great way of getting orientated and views are pretty breathtaking.
3. Shopping in Kemang, south Jakarta
A caveat here, as that the shops I like in this part of town a mainly home decour focused (furniture, pots, lamps) – i.e. you are unlikely to pick something up you can slip in a suitcase.
I posted about this here: http://www.barnabyrobson.org/2014/11/08/galeri-pot-in-kemang-timur-home-decor-in-jakarta/
If you’re looking for a trinket to take back home, I suggest checking out Alun Alun in the Grand Indonesia shopping mall: http://www.alunalunindonesia.com/.
Despite being in the fanciest shopping center in Indonesia, the prices at Alun Alun are often better than the mega inflated tourist traps you’ll end up browsing in Bali or Lombok.
4. Watch a movie in a bed!
This is way more fun that it sounds. At time of writing it was c. IDR 100k a ticket (GBP 5). The beds are for two – best to go with a partner!
5. Golf
People fly from across Asia to play golf in Indonesia. There are a few courses around the city. It’s a fantastic day out. My favourite is Ceng Kareng, just near the international airport. The facilities and greens are 5*.
Prices for the public are IDR 1.6 mill – 2 mill (GBP 80 – 100) on the weekends. It’s cheaper in the week. You’ll need to book.
http://www.cengkarenggolfclub.com
6. Car free day (Sundays only)
Jakarta’s central streets are shut off from traffic from 6am – 11am on Sunday mornings, and the city has a big party. Grab a bike and ride through the streets, soaking up the atmosphere – and checking out the main landmarks – ‘Hotel Indonesia Roundabout’ and ‘Monas’
Check out this post: http://www.barnabyrobson.org/2015/02/24/cycling-in-jakarta-a-few-thoughts
7. Spa/Massage
A massage session is a hell of a lot cheaper than in Europe.
My wife’s favourite for VFM was this place (need to book at least a day in advance): https://tamansariroyalheritagespa.com/
I think it’s c. IDR 200k (GBP 10) for a one hour Balinese massage.
8. Dining out…
While mostly not a fan of Indonesian food (too much deep frying) international food in Indonesia is surprisingly fantastic. Check out this page for my recommendations.
