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We decided to hop over to Jakarta last month (sans the kids) for our anniversary trip. My last visit was back in 2012. This is my 6^th visit to this bustling capital city of Indonesia. Since it was only us, we decided on a reasonably-priced, and fuss-free hotel that has a good location – Holiday Inn Express Thamrin.

Holiday Inn Express Thamrin is strategically located in central Jakarta. The Grand Indonesia mall is only a stone away (7 minutes’ walk). I did not intend to do a lot of sightseeing, because I’ve been to most of the places on interests before. Main agenda – eat and shop. It’s about an hour away from the airport, and if you take a cab, it would cost you about SGD 20-30, depending on traffic. And traffic was horrible! You can book the “blue bird” taxi at the taxi counter, located just outside the immigration exit. I’ve never used any other taxi companies other than Blue Bird. Highly recommended.

Here’s my take on the hotel

1. I’ll say it again. Awesome location!

2. Room size is just right for 2 people. We are out most of the time in the day, so it’s good for us. Now, if you have kids, you might find this a little cramp.

3. There’s no pool, which is fine with us. You might want to think again if you are bringing kids. 🙂

4. Breakfast spread is average, but they do have a “to-go” pack if you are in a rush (consists of coffee, sandwich and muffin).

5. Efficient housekeeping. We had a little trouble with the door lock, and it was fixed right away. Room is cleaned daily and toiletries replaced daily too.

Overall, it’s really a good base to explore Jakarta. Highly recommended for business and couples.

Remember my agenda? Eat and shop. So here’s my take on shopping malls and restaurants. I came to Jakarta with a list of things that I wanted to buy and eat.

Malls

1. Grand Indonesia Mall
One of the biggest mall in Jakarta that is literally filled up with international brands. Definitely not a place for bargain hunters. But I love this mall because of its dining options. I went here for all 4 days when I was in Jakarta and ate in different eateries all the time. There’s a cinema on the top level and I must say that I love the experience of sitting on a bed and watching “Captain America”

2. Tanah Abang Market
Biggest textile market. Bargain hunters, please come here. Local’s wholesalers paradise. It’s a huuuuggggeee place. About 10 minutes taxi ride from where we stayed. One thing I learned – when you see something nice, just buy it. Stop telling yourself “it’s ok. I’ll come back in a while”, because you may never be able to find the shop again. There tower A and B and too many corners. It’s a mess, but I love to shop here. The “I love Jakarta” t-shirts go at 6 for SGD10. Great place to buy souvenirs. It closes at 4pm, and opens at 5am. Best to go right after breakfast and leave by 2pm, because the traffic there gets really crazy. By 3 pm, you can see some shops closing as the owners make their way to the streets of Jakarta to sell their stuffs, at a higher price.

3. ITC Mangga Dua
Shoes, jewelry, textile, cushions, luggage, electronics etc. Basically, anything that you want, you can find it here. A place for bargain hunters. Prices for clothes are slightly higher than Tanah Abang. Everything else is reasonably cheap. I came here at 9am, and some shops are still close. And the shops here closes late (9pm or so), so you can opt to come here later. And don’t forget to get freshly preserved mangoes here. Simply delicious!

Food

Unlike Bali, majority of the people in Jakarta are Muslims, so halal food is widely available.

Mangia Rasa Indonesia

Grand Indonesia Shopping Town
West Mall 5th floor
Jl. M.H. Thamrin, Central Jakarta
Phone number: +62-21 7279 9674
Opening hours: Everyday from 10am to 10pm (midnight on weekends)