UnDiplomatic Wife

  • About TDW
    • Contact
    • FAQ
    • AS SEEN ON
    • Collaborate
    • Policies
  • Diplo Picks
    • Diplo Beauty
    • Diplo Mama
    • Diplo Home
    • Diplo Tummy
    • Diplo Tips
    • Diplo Travel
    • Diplo Style
    • Diplo Baby
    • Diplo Inspiration
  • Living in
    • GENEVA
      • good to know
      • food & drink
      • shopping
    • Berlin
      • Good To know
      • To Dos
      • food & drink
      • Shopping
    • MANILA
      • good to know
      • to do
      • food & drink
      • shopping
    • JAKARTA
      • good to know
      • to do
      • food & drink
      • shopping
  • TRAVEL DIARIES
    • Finland
    • France
    • Greece
    • Germany
      • BERLIN 2022 ITINERARY
      • Willkommen in Berlin
    • Indonesia
    • Italy
    • Japan
    • Malaysia
    • Myanmar
    • Netherlands
    • Philippines
    • Poland
    • Spain
    • Singapore
    • Switzerland
    • Taiwan
    • Thailand
    • Vietnam

Jakarta Favorites

May 3, 2011

For those traveling to Jakarta this is my recommended list of To-Dos. This is of course just based on my limited experience of Jakarta. I am no expert as I have only been living here shy of two years. But I’ve enjoyed my experiences in the following places and I hope you get to check them out and enjoy them too!

“The National Monument (Indonesian: Monumen Nasional (Monas)) is a 433 ft (132 meter) tower in the center of Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta, symbolizing the fight for Indonesia’s independence.”

MONAS jakarta joseph leh

SHOPPING

  1. Go antiquing at Jalan Surabaya (Only recommended M-Thurs in the a.m.)
  2. Shopping at the Gemstone Market at Pasar Rawa Bening (Only recommended M-Thurs in the a.m.) from expensive gems to cheap fakes. They also have beautiful pearls.
  3. Bargain batik shopping at Tanah Abang (Only recommended M-Thurs in the a.m.)
  4. Pasalubong shopping (from highest to lowest)
    • Chic Mart Kemang
    • Alun-alun department store *Don’t forget to watch the dancing fountain and wander around Grand Indonesia mall
    • Batik Keris Menteng *I heard this is the biggest. Very nice batik cloth for USD 20
      • Keris Dept. Store Lt.4, Jl. HOS Cokroaminoto 87-89, Menteng
      • 021-31926908
    • Pasaraya *Very big but not necessarily cheaper and nicer than Alun-alun
  5. Aksara for interesting books and gift items that are not available in the Phils.

CULTURE

  1. Visit the MONAS (National Monument)
  2. Vist the National Museum which is near the MONAS
  3. Arrange for a group tour of Gedung Dua8 (private museum, by appointment only) *I highly recommend this versus the National Museum
  4. Check out the old square Fatahillah Square in the morning. Eat brunch at historic Cafe Batavia and visit the Jakarta History Museum (closes at 3pm).

PAMPER

  1. Get a super relaxing cream bath at Johnny Andrean , Grand Indonesia *call for appointment
  2. Get your feet pampered & amazing reflexology at Kenko Fish Spa Senayan City or Pacific Place *I reco getting a 30min fish spa session together with a 30min back massage which they will do while you’re feet are dipped in the pool. The pain in your foot will magically disappear after this session and your feet/legs will be so soft!

2-kenko-fish-spa-joseph-leh

DAY TRIPS

  1. Taman Safari – according to some of my friends they find this better than the Night Safari in Singapore.
  2. Visit hundred year old trees at the impressive Bogor Botanical Gardens  and eat lunch at Dedaunan Restaurant (reservations needed) Also check out the outlet stores for clothes and bags/luggage.
  3. Taman Mini – learn about  how different tribes in different islands in Indonesia live. Visit the Komodo dragon.
  4. Bandung – shopping for designer overruns, just check to make sure it’s not a fake as fakes abound.

CLICK HERE to see the list of my favorite restaurants in Jakarta

How about you? What’s on your list of favorite Jakarta experiences ? =)

12 Comments · jakarta good to know, jakarta shopping, jakarta to do

Comments

  1. Chuzai Living says

    May 4, 2011 at 1:03 PM

    What a nice list!! I have friends who have tried Kenko fish spa, but I don’t know if I can do it… Social House Brunch is also good! I would love to go to Dharmawangsa Hotel Brunch with you! We’ll have to find a day for that. I’ve never been to Alun-alun department store. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for sharing the lovely list!! Kaho

    Reply
    • diplomaticwife says

      May 4, 2011 at 4:58 PM

      You totally should try the fish spa! Just start with the small fish first! LOL! It will tickle to much if you start with the medium or large! Are you ticklish? Holy cow I can’t believe you’ve never been to Alun alun! You will love it. My favorite buy was the silk batik fan Rp150. Totally worth it! The print is so beautiful because they use the batik prints for the royals and it’s so light. I actually like it than the famed Spanish fans because those can become quite heavy when you are fanning yourself in this weather. But the silk batik fans are so light and produce such as quite a breeze!

      Reply
      • Kamron says

        September 30, 2011 at 9:19 PM

        I’m impressed by your writing. Are you a professional or just very knowledgeable?

        Reply
        • diplomaticwife says

          October 1, 2011 at 2:22 AM

          Hi Kamron, thank you so much! I wish I could say I am a pro, but I’m not! =P Just sharing my experiences. =D Thanks for dropping me a line!

          Reply
  2. Amory Sotto-Busalla says

    May 6, 2011 at 7:08 AM

    Thank you for posting this, a hit list indeed! Very helpful for someone new in Jakarta. I’m really glad I discovered blogs like this, written by a fellow Pinay pa so very easy to relate to.

    Reply
    • diplomaticwife says

      May 8, 2011 at 1:57 AM

      You are most welcome. I am happy that you find the list useful. Do let me know which ones you’ve tried already! I would love to hear your experiences =)

      Reply
  3. aman mufit says

    March 14, 2012 at 1:22 PM

    amazing!!!that only word I can say, I am Indonesian but living abroad most of my life, so You know Indonesia better than me, thanks for sharing, hopefuly I can visit Bali this year on my vacation

    Reply
    • diplomaticwife says

      March 18, 2012 at 3:04 AM

      I am honored by your comment! It has really been fun exploring Indonesia… so much culture, gastronomic delights and shopping to be had. I am glad you enjoy my posts on my adventures!

      Reply
  4. Esquire says

    May 28, 2012 at 8:35 PM

    Just found out that my family and I might be in Jakarta in September. Guess which blog I first checked out! Great tips:)

    Reply
    • diplomaticwife says

      May 29, 2012 at 4:11 PM

      Haha coolness! =)Glad my blog is giving you good tips? Have you read the useful info if you’re visiting Indonesia post?

      Reply
  5. Martin says

    July 25, 2012 at 1:30 AM

    For good Balinese massage (or just good massage in general), we love going to Zen Spa, along Jl. Gunawarman, just a few meters from Turkuaz. Turkuaz + Zen Spa is a great combination!

    Reply
    • diplomaticwife says

      July 25, 2012 at 11:32 AM

      Love it! Thanks for the tip. I must try this Zen Spa soon! =D Maybe Bea wants to go on a spa date with me naman haha!

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Welcome

Hello! I’m Ayessa, trailing spouse to a diplomat, mama to DiploBaby and DiploDog and founder of Declutter MNL. I love talking about how to achieve a minimaluxe lifestyle one step at a time.

READ MORE
 

LET’S GET SOCIAL

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • YouTube

Recent Posts

TRAVEL DIARIES: Fischer’s Fritz Zürich

Summer hack: Portable Neck Fan

Summer hack: Leguano Barefoot Wet/Dry Shoes

Excellent Chinese Food at Le Tsé Fung in La Réserve

AirPod Anti-lost Accessories Philippines

DISCLOSURE

I am an Amazon affiliate, but all opinions are my own. The content of all my blog and social media posts are products and experiences that I truly enjoy and I only work with brands that fit my life and style.

GOOD TO KNOW GUIDE

FOLLOW ME ON INSTAGRAM @UNDIPLOMATICWIFE

Every year I add a little bit more to my Halloween Every year I add a little bit more to my Halloween decor collection so it’s not so heavy on the wallet. I’m so happy with this year’s finds & make sure to carefully store them so they have many more years of use.

It was @diplobaby’s idea to add googly eyes to the bats. So we did it together! I love the one eyed bats 🦇 and I love it when we decorate together! Definitely one for the core memory banks! 👻🎃🤍

I was tickled pink coz people would pass by and take pics, stare or even tell me good job. 🎃 Halloween is really my favorite holiday!

What do you think of our Halloween prep this year?

#udwhalloween
I couldn’t stop laughing! It was still a little I couldn’t stop laughing! It was still a little too long for him this year but we sure got a kick from it.

DM me if you want to know where to order!

#udwhalloween #diplobaby
VILLAGE PUMPKIN CARVING EVENT Every year I look f VILLAGE PUMPKIN CARVING EVENT

Every year I look forward to this event for families in our village. We also invite our friends outside the village coz it’s so much fun for families. Parents and kids can come in costume. It’s done beside a fabulous park so kids can run around and play.

The pumpkins 🎃 might be overpriced (the bigger ones went from chf 18 last year to chf 23 this year) BUT it includes the free use of NIFTY CARVING TOOLS, waste disposal, clean up & cute decor that the organizers have provided.

We draw together. TD removes the guts. Then @diplobaby & i do the carving together with our son and it’s a controlled way of showing him how to use the tools in a safe way. Which is something I appreciate in Europe.

One year we tried pumpkin 🎃 carving at home and clean up was a totally nightmare. Never doing it again!

Then when kids and parents are are hungry we can buy food & drinks. 

We go home with a carved pumpkin 🎃 & don’t have to do the clean up. The pumpkin guts are also turned into soup by the organizers.

It’s also a good way for parents to unwind, catch up while the kids play in the playground. We usually see our neighbors here too.

It’s a win win for everyone & it reduces unused waste. I love it so much!

We never did pumpkins before coz it would rot@so fast in Asia. But i  the past 3 seasons of doing this I’ve learned so many tips and tricks for pumpkin 🎃 carving - especially how to prevent molds and insects. Let me know if you want me to do a separate post on that!

#udwingeneva #udwhalloween #udwholidays #halloween #halloween2023 #halloween2023🎃  #pumpkin🎃 #pumpkincarving #pumpkincarvings #pumpkincarvingideas #diplobaby #diplofamily #expatfamily
Hi guys it’s been a while since I’ve posted ab Hi guys it’s been a while since I’ve posted about our #DiploHome.

This is our BALCONY/TRASH SEGREGATION AREA.

Because we use it to entertain in SPRING & AUTUMN (too hot & too many insects in summer) I made sure that the trash segregation remains AESTHETIC by using white @ikeaschweiz SEGREGATION BINS.

So far SWITZERLAND TRASH SEGREGATION in our experience is even more complex than GERMANY but it has led to at least 50% RECYCLING rate which is pretty good, even though Germany still has the highest rate of recycling 66%

Let me know if you want to know more about how we manage trash in our village.

#diplohomegeneva #whiteliving #balcony #aesthetic #aesthetic #whiteinteriors #whitebalcony #expatliving #expatingeneva #expatinswitzerland
Come visit @fcbarcelona SPOTIFY CAMP NOU MUSEUM wi Come visit @fcbarcelona SPOTIFY CAMP NOU MUSEUM with us!

- tour their cool museum
- see the former record holder before @leomessi who was actually PINOY 🇵🇭
- view the construction site of the new stadium
- check out all the merch
- see @diplobaby beat ROBOKEEPER

Definitely a highlight of our Barcelona trip!
This place is a must for any football fan and Messi fan! It is also home to many of the women footballers who won the @fifawomensworldcup 2023 and a great training ground for future football stars.
Follow on Instagram

Copyright © 2023 · Designed by Fancy Girl Design Studio.