Jakarta
EXPLORING
1. Explore Taman Mini, a museum park of sorts showcasing the many cultures that collectively make up Indonesia.
2. Explore Batavia, the old town of Jakarta, making sure you stop and look at the old wooden boats and the Dutch-era town square; check-out the museums and enjoy a meal at the historic Cafe Batavia.
3. Enjoy a movie at the nicest movie theater in the world: Velvet Class at Blitz Megaplex. Located at the fancy Pacific Place, enjoy a few treats or buy some presents before or after the show. Other options for the Velvet Class are Mall of Indonesia and Central Park.
EATING
1. Enjoy a coffee/martini in the colonial neighborhood hotel atmosphere while reviewing books in the bar library at The Dharmawangsa. They have good cheeseburgers & raspberry ice-teas too.
2. Sample the best coffee from across Indo with tasty cafe food and enjoy conversations with new friends from around the world as your hosted by your New Zealand and Indonesian hosts, Alun and Arlini at their Antipodean Cafe in Kemang Hero Complex.
3. A great Italian restaurant in a nice, intimate setting on the second floor at the Intercontinental Hotel Midplaza, Scusa.
4. Loewy is a fun bar setting modeled after a French cafe, located in Kuningan.
5. A great spot for a Indian curry in a British pub setting: Eastern Promise in Kemang. Hang around after your meal for drinks and music.
SLEEPING
1. Places like Ritz-Carlton Pacific Place and Shangri-La will all be quite extravagant and nice to stay at. Published prices are likely to start from US$225 for two people per night. Both of these are more city center choices.
2. In the middle of it all is the Hotel Indonesia Kempinski. For 50 plus years this has been the place to be, sitting above the famous city center traffic circle. Insight to this from a September 2012 Jakarta Post article.
3. Grand Kemang Hotel is a good choice if looking to stay in Kemang.
*for prices with hotels/accommodation, you can try to negotiate a lower rate, as this generally is possible
AROUND THE AREA
1. Head down to Taman Safari, where you get the unique experience of driving your car through the exhibits for all types of animals, including elephants and tigers, who are all very happy to eat what ever you care to feed them. Around 100 kilometers south of Jakarta near Bogor. In Bogor, you can check out the Botantical Gardens.
2. Check out the islands near Krakatau, including the very active volcano on the island known as Krakatau, or Anak Krakatau. A serious boat ride (~20 km, depending on your launch point) across what can be serious seas, this is a great experience.
3. Charter a boat with Captain Hans Otto. He sails the area around West Java, so can get you to places like the Thousand Islands and Krakatau.
SECURITY
1. In general, the same worries you would have in New York or Paris you will likely have here. And the same precautions - using licensed taxis with meters, not leaving money or passports or mobile phones unsecured in your hotel room, not leaving a wallet in an easy to access pocket walking through a market - should be used here.
2. Like most people in the world, Indonesians are very friendly, especially so to visitors. In a country of 200 plus million people, just one person in enough to harm others. Indonesia has had in recent years bombings aimed at high-profile locations including Ritz-Carlton and Marriott Hotels in Jakarta and night clubs in Bali; assuming you do not accept to only stay inside, not much can be done to guard against this - whether in Indonesia or the UK or the US.
TAXIS
1. Best to only use taxis that are either Blue Bird (standard car) or Silver Bird (fancier car); this is the same company and they are very reliable; best to not use any other companies.
2. When in other areas outside of Jakarta, they may not have this company and you can use a local operator, but best if the taxi has a meter.
1. Explore Taman Mini, a museum park of sorts showcasing the many cultures that collectively make up Indonesia.
2. Explore Batavia, the old town of Jakarta, making sure you stop and look at the old wooden boats and the Dutch-era town square; check-out the museums and enjoy a meal at the historic Cafe Batavia.
3. Enjoy a movie at the nicest movie theater in the world: Velvet Class at Blitz Megaplex. Located at the fancy Pacific Place, enjoy a few treats or buy some presents before or after the show. Other options for the Velvet Class are Mall of Indonesia and Central Park.
EATING
1. Enjoy a coffee/martini in the colonial neighborhood hotel atmosphere while reviewing books in the bar library at The Dharmawangsa. They have good cheeseburgers & raspberry ice-teas too.
2. Sample the best coffee from across Indo with tasty cafe food and enjoy conversations with new friends from around the world as your hosted by your New Zealand and Indonesian hosts, Alun and Arlini at their Antipodean Cafe in Kemang Hero Complex.
3. A great Italian restaurant in a nice, intimate setting on the second floor at the Intercontinental Hotel Midplaza, Scusa.
4. Loewy is a fun bar setting modeled after a French cafe, located in Kuningan.
5. A great spot for a Indian curry in a British pub setting: Eastern Promise in Kemang. Hang around after your meal for drinks and music.
SLEEPING
1. Places like Ritz-Carlton Pacific Place and Shangri-La will all be quite extravagant and nice to stay at. Published prices are likely to start from US$225 for two people per night. Both of these are more city center choices.
2. In the middle of it all is the Hotel Indonesia Kempinski. For 50 plus years this has been the place to be, sitting above the famous city center traffic circle. Insight to this from a September 2012 Jakarta Post article.
3. Grand Kemang Hotel is a good choice if looking to stay in Kemang.
*for prices with hotels/accommodation, you can try to negotiate a lower rate, as this generally is possible
AROUND THE AREA
1. Head down to Taman Safari, where you get the unique experience of driving your car through the exhibits for all types of animals, including elephants and tigers, who are all very happy to eat what ever you care to feed them. Around 100 kilometers south of Jakarta near Bogor. In Bogor, you can check out the Botantical Gardens.
2. Check out the islands near Krakatau, including the very active volcano on the island known as Krakatau, or Anak Krakatau. A serious boat ride (~20 km, depending on your launch point) across what can be serious seas, this is a great experience.
3. Charter a boat with Captain Hans Otto. He sails the area around West Java, so can get you to places like the Thousand Islands and Krakatau.
SECURITY
1. In general, the same worries you would have in New York or Paris you will likely have here. And the same precautions - using licensed taxis with meters, not leaving money or passports or mobile phones unsecured in your hotel room, not leaving a wallet in an easy to access pocket walking through a market - should be used here.
2. Like most people in the world, Indonesians are very friendly, especially so to visitors. In a country of 200 plus million people, just one person in enough to harm others. Indonesia has had in recent years bombings aimed at high-profile locations including Ritz-Carlton and Marriott Hotels in Jakarta and night clubs in Bali; assuming you do not accept to only stay inside, not much can be done to guard against this - whether in Indonesia or the UK or the US.
TAXIS
1. Best to only use taxis that are either Blue Bird (standard car) or Silver Bird (fancier car); this is the same company and they are very reliable; best to not use any other companies.
2. When in other areas outside of Jakarta, they may not have this company and you can use a local operator, but best if the taxi has a meter.
