5 Days Trip In Jakarta Indonesia

I'd never have thought that I would go to Jakarta for an overseas trip. Prior to this trip, the only thing I knew about Jakarta is its immensely populated city which causes massive traffic jams. Jakarta has a land size of 740.3 km square which is quite close to Singapore's small land area of 716.1 km square. Singapore has a population of about 5.5 Million while Jakarta itself already has about 9.6 Million population. I heard from a taxi driver that in some days, the number of people in Jakarta can reach 15 Million as people from all over Indonesia flock to the city. The traffic gets really bad during peak hours.

This trip was made possible with my cousin's help to bring us around the city. He stayed there for a period of time before. He could speak the local language there too which makes it easier to communicate. I went there together with him and another friend. It was solely a trip of exploring the culture there, meeting new friends and of course tasting lots of local food.

I can't remember exactly the places that I went to but will show you some of the malls and also the food that you could try if you're planning a trip there. Total cost for the trip was just slightly more than $350 for the full 5 days inclusive of airfares and accommodation. It is relatively cheap to take a budget plane there which cost only $76 and accommodation is cheap too. Flight time is only about 1 hour 30 mins.

Here's my itinerary for the 5 days:

Day 1

Arrive at Jakarta at about 6:30pm. Took a taxi to the apartment where we were going to stay at. They call it apartemen there. The traffic was getting quite bad at this time of the day. Took more than an hour to reach the apartment in Central Jakarta. My first meal was at a roadside stall just outside the apartment. Cost for one bowl of noodle was just RP 10,000 which is just slightly more than $1 Singapore dollars.

Fancy a Magnum Gold? It was just RP 12,000 (S$1.30). Bought this at a convenience stall after having the noodles. Don't think I can find this kind of price in Singapore.

Day 2

Below is the map of Jakarta. That's where I stayed on the map.

This was the view just outside the apartment. Seems like some Kampung area there.

Went to a mall called central park mall near the west of Jakarta. Watched the Exodus: God's and Kings movie there. Ticket price was just RP 55,000 (S$5.90) on a Friday night if I didn't remembered wrongly.

The unique Teh Botol there which is tea with sugar in a bottle.

Had dinner at a Chinese restaurant which specialises in Lor Mee. Portion was huge. Cost for the meal for 5 person was about S$40.

Day 3

Some sights of the traffic in Jakarta. The small blue vehicle is actually a taxi which is a cheap form of transport in Jakarta. It can take a maximum of 3 person but no air-conditioning. The normal taxi was cheap also. Each trip would typically cost on average S$6-$7.

The famous landmark in Jakarta called the Monas. Didn't went in there though.

Here's the Business District area in Jakarta. You'll be able to see a lot of luxurious hotels such as Grand Hyatt, Ritz Carlton and even Mandarin Oriental is there too. The subway (MRT) there is still under construction. Hopefully it'll ease the traffic congestion there once its ready. 

The stock exchange in Jakarta

Went to an area called block S which is not far from the business district. Lots of local food there. There's a distinct difference there from the business district.

Satay cost just 20 cents a stick.

After tasting out local food at Block S, we went to Grand Indonesia mall which is really grand. All kinds of luxurious brands were in that mall. There was this interesting Magnum cafe which we decided to check it out. You could customize your own Magnum.

At night, went to a seafood restaurant for dinner. This particular restaurant called D' Cost serves delicious and cheap seafood. The fish there on average cost just about $6. We ordered 10 dishes which cost about S$50. 

After dinner, decided to explore a local Pasar Malam (Night market). The number of people there is just scary with vehicles and people trying to squeeze through every space there is.

Day 4

Went to a local church on a Sunday morning with some friends. After that, went to a restaurant called Angke to have lunch. Food is more expensive here with 5 dishes at S$60. That plate of chicken was a famous dish here which already cost S$16.

Saw some old Dutch buildings. Jakarta was under the Dutch ruling in 1740. This building must have been a few hundred years old.

This was a mall at Pluit city. A mall owned by Lippo group (LMIR).

Day 5

Slept the whole morning before going for lunch at D'Cost restaurant again because the food was just too good. We ordered 3 different types of fish this time round.

Ended the trip with a dinner at A&W at the airport before taking the flight back to Singapore. Many Singaporeans would remember we had this root beer float in the past.

Jakarta is definitely an affordable place for a short holiday. There's nothing much to tour there except from the malls and trying out local food. Maybe a maximum of 4 days 3 nights would be sufficient to explore Jakarta.

That's all for the short update on my trip. I know the stock market has been wild for the past few days especially today as the STI closes down -79 points. This is one of the worse one day drop I've seen so far this year. It doesn't really affect me these days as i'm positioned to accumulate more as time goes by. I actually entered a small position in Semb Marine when it dropped below $3.

Anyway, It's Christmas season soon. Here's wishing everyone Merry Christmas and happy holidays ahead!

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My other Travelogues: 
1. My 8 Days Taiwan Trip at $705/person
2. 8 days North Vietnam trip at $600/person 
3. My 3 months stay in South Vietnam - An unforgettable experience