So much has been said online about Jakarta being very much similar to the Manila landscape – the traffic, the pollution, the crowded streets, the dangers lurking everywhere. A day spent in the heart of Jakarta, however, can change all that negative perceptions and leave you wanting to discover more about this fascinating city.
Soekarno-Hatta Airport
Jakarta visitors arrive at the Soekarno-Hatta Airport. It is a sprawling complex with various terminals servicing domestic and international flights. The airport is not as fancy as in Singapore or in Hong Kong but it is well-maintained and it projects the culture of Indonesia as can be gleaned from its interior designs.
After passing through immigration, bags are no longer checked unless you have something to declare at the Customs Section so you should immediately secure your checked-in baggage. What will greet you after passing through the Customs Section is a line of money changer booths. The value of the Rupiah is very low that you become a millionaire in Indonesia with just PhP5,000 in hand. The exchange rate in the airport, of course, is a bit low so exchange only what you will spend for the taxi or the bus going to your city destination.
At the end of the arrival area, you will be greeted by transport services offering exclusive transfer to the city. Their rate, of course, is quite steep so just head straight out and look for a standard taxi if you want to save on thousands of Rupiah. As you may have been advised, ride only in a Bluebird Taxi to be safe. But if there is no such taxi, you can try other taxi services. Just make sure that you agree with the driver about the fare before boarding the taxi. My destination was Central Jakarta and I was charged 150,000 Indonesian Rupiah (IDR), that’s roughly PhP750, for the taxi. You can also try the bus which charges around 20,000 IDR if you are in no rush.
Heading to the City
I arrived in Jakarta on a Saturday afternoon in July 2010 and weather was warm as it usually is. A long stretch of highway separates the Soekarno-Hatta airport and the heart of the city. Right-hand traffic is observed and the roads are wide enough to keep vehicles moving. The driver of the taxi I hired spoke very little English but what’s important was he knew the location of my hotel and I arrived there safely in less than 30 minutes. It helps that you know the exact address of your hotel.
The Grand Indonesia Mall can be seen from the window of
my hotel room
my hotel room
Accommodation
Central Jakarta is quite similar to Makati City where tall buildings and posh establishments are located. Hotel rooms are expensive in the area but I managed to find a relatively small but decent accommodation at a very good price of 250,000 IDR or roughly PhP1,200 per night. (see http://www.studio-one.co.id/) But if budget is not your concern (lucky you), check out the hotels along Jalan M.H. Thamrin such as Mandarin Oriental, Hotel Nikko, Pan Pacific, etc. as they are located near the shopping and entertainment hubs.
As a tip, make sure to book your accommodation in advance through online facilities such as www.booking.com because it is sometimes much cheaper than paying as you walk in to the hotel. Also, check the reviews of the hotels online at www. tripadvisor.com to be sure that you and your hotel will be “compatible.”
Sights and Scenes
As Central Jakarta is foremost a business district, there are not so many tourist attractions in the area. But it has enough interesting places worthy of a visit. What you can’t miss is the National Monument, known locally as Monas, which is a central park where people have picnic, fly kites, play football, jog, ride a bike, and hold food and entertainment festival. At the core of the Monas is an obelisk that stands several hundreds of feet tall. For the culturally-inclined, there are several Museums to be found near Monas. But for those who want shopping and all the modern stuff, Jakarta will not disappoint. Grand Indonesia, for one, is a haven for mall rats with its multi-level and multi-section shopping complex. The stores range from the very high-end to those which offer affordable buys. Just beside it is Plaza Indonesia, another luxury mall offering great shopping experience.
Food
I never got to really try Indonesian food in Jakarta. But I have seen interesting street food that resemble the “kwek-kwek” and “isaw” that we buy in Manila – fried and colorful. For dinner, I went to Kenny Rogers at Grand Indonesia and ordered soup and pasta. I actually looked around, not to find a particular food, but to find a restaurant with free wifi access and it turned out to be that place. After dinner, I headed to a nearby 7-11 outlet to buy local beer and junk food for my night cap.
Transportation
The malls and commercial establishments were just within walking-distance from my hotel, so I did not have to use public transport. I have seen people offering backrides on motorcycles for a fee. I don’t know how much they charge though. There are also small, old vans/buses plying the street. There are taxis, of course, and big air-conditioned buses that take passengers from stations at the center island of the avenue. The train, meanwhile, is ground-level and does not pass through the main avenue of Central Jakarta.
People
(to be continued...)
