Jakarta (9 - 12th Dec '07)

I was just there in October, and now back again in Jakarta. However, it's a little different this time. We got to stay in the south of Jakarta...putting up at the Gran Mahakam hotel. It's a nice cosy hotel, with lots of detail. The journey from the airport takes more than half hour, costing about Rp 170,000.


Part of the lobby of Gran Mahakam.


The south of Jakarta gave me a different kind of feel than the usual city centre. The hotel is near residential area. There are several eating area near it such as Izzi, and a Padang restaurant are right across the street. An eatery called Dapur would be about 10 minutes walk from the hotel. There are several spa also within the vicinity...but if you're lazy like I was...I only check out the massage service at the hotel itself. A nice, 1 hour relaxing aromatherapy massage would cost around Rp 150,000 or only RM60.

For shopping, Blok M Plaza is also within walking distance. Things definitely to check out there is the local departmental store called Matahari. Found some good blouses that cost me about Rp 130,000 or RM 52. Good workmanship, with european designs. Found some flat shoes that cost me about RM30. Oh yes, do check out the hair salon academy. Can't remember the names tho...I had a hairwash there which cost me only Rp 17,500 or RM 7 (OMG...I initially thought that I heard the girl wrongly).

If you're into local music...check out a big music store right across the hotel. It's called Aquarius. Not that it's cheap but it has a good range. I bought some tho not as much as during my October trip.

Oh yes...talking about this trip...I definitely have to talk about the experience of a lifetime. On the first day of meeting, the organizer decided to give us a local experience during dinner. We were going to a local restaurant called Mbak Jingrak, right at the corner of the street. So, the organizer arranged for the Bajai, a local transport to pick us up from the hotel. It's something like tuk tuk. It fits 2 passenger at a time. Only cost us Rp5000 for the trip.

Seriously...it definitely isn't for the fainthearted. It cleverly maneuvre in the street...or in my standard, recklessly. I had the horror of my life when my bajai squeezed itself between a moving bus and a parked van. I thought the side of the bus was slighly more than a feet away from my face!!! When I reached the restaurant, my knees were still shaken from the horrifying short journey. The funny thing was that none of my Indonesian friends had even gotten into bajai themselves.