I Love Jakarta
8:30pM
Give yourself a morning boost with fried snacks (gorengan) for Rp750 (Rp1,000 = PHP4.50/USD0.11), from local street vendors. Then hop on an ojek motorcycle (around Rp10,000 for 15 minutes) while the driver whisks you through the streets, or flag or tel +62 (0) 21 794 1234 for a Bluebird taxi.
9:30aM
Head to the Bank Mandiri Museum (Jl. Lapangan Stasiun No 1, Jakarta Barat), in the Old Jakarta area, once the seat of Dutch colonial power. It costs Rp2,000 to get in and it’s full of old trade artifacts and is an interesting glimpse of daily life past.
10:45aM
Stroll over Taman Fatahillah to Café Batavia (Taman Fatahillah, Kota, tel +(62) 21 691 5531, www.cafebatavia.com) for a coffee (Rp25,000 including tip and tax) to enjoy tropical colonial décor. The mirrored men’s toilets supposedly took Jakarta by storm when they first appeared.
11:30aM
Catch a taxi to Jl. Surabaya in the Cikini area to the eclectic antique market. Next up is a bit more shopping. Take a taxi to Sarinah Thamrin (Jl M.H. Thamrin no 11, Jakarta Pusat), a mid-range shopping mall with two floors devoted to traditional handicrafts. For other gifts, head downstairs to the Hero (Jl MH Thamrin No 11) and grab some packages of local coffee (Rp10,000–15,000) or instant spice-mixes for Rp3,500.
1:15PM
Try Padang cuisine at Salemba Jumbo (Jl. Timor No. 11), where the waiters slap down a variety of dishes and you pay for what you eat (Rp55,000 including fruit juice).
2PM
Collapse at Kokuo Eastern Reflexology (Jl Timor No 12, Jakarta Pusat, tel 314 022) next door, for a foot and shoulder massage, Rp50,000 for a one hour session.
3:15PM
Emerge refreshed and wander over to nearby Jalan Jaksa, 15 minutes walk away, a small road notorious as a backpacker hangout. By day the road is pleasantly laid-back, there’s a pool lounge and several good value restaurants for relaxing.
5PM
Hop on the TransJakarta Busway (for Rp3,500 enjoy a great view of the skyscrapers) to Ratu Plaza, an electronics mecca, and walk towards to Jl. Asia Afrika. Check out the enormous selection of tropical plants sold on the sidewalk then people watch at Plaza Senayan and Senayan City malls. Mall-going is Jakartans’ favorite leisure sport.
7:30PM
Take the TransJakarta Busway back to Sarinah Thamrin then a taxi to the Menteng area (Jl Cikini Raya 33, Menteng) for a light dinner at Vietopia (Rp70,000 for delicious Vietnamese delicacies.)
9PM
After dinner, take a taxi to Cork & Screw (Wisma Kodel, Ground Floor, Jl HR Rasuna Said, Jakarta Selatan), for a single glass of wine for Rp50,000, great music and a good crowd.
11PM
Stay at Ibis Thamrin hotel (Jl. Wahid Hasyim, No 77), part of the Ibis chain of hotels that operates through the city offering small but comfortable rooms for around Rp450,000.
By Harmui Supit
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