August 11, 2007
If at all possible, avoid using public buses/small buses called ‘metromini’ in Jakarta except for the TransJakarta bus line. The metrominis or regular public buses can be very aggressive in a speedy-gonzalez way ☺.
If you really have to use public transportation I recommend the TransJakarta bus line. The buses are AC-ed, the designated stops are clearly marked, are safe, & they go in the metro spots in Jakarta. If you need to get a cab, look for ‘Blue Bird’ taxis. They are known for good service, safe, and reliability. The driver won’t overcharge you. Even for Jakartans choose to ride with ‘Blue Bird’ taxis.
transjakarta bus
blue bird taxi
August 11, 2007
The whole basement area of Pasaraya Grande Blok M, Jakarta, is the food section of the building. You can find a wide variety of food sold by individual vendors including all kinds of Indonesian cuisine, Chinese, Japanese, European, McDonald’s, KFC, etc.
Even if you just want a quick drink or snack, there are cute cafes and coffee shops there, too. Just be careful, there are free-spirited vendor servers who will welcome you very cordially handing you with their menu and kind of leading you to their shop. Feel free to avoid them and browse around the area because there are so much choices.
Price range: min. Rp 20,000 (US$ 2) to more expensive. I recommend the place because of the wide variety of food, the comfortable, relatively-clean place to sit down and eat, the reasonable price for a good meal, and the cool, indoor eating area.
If you contemplate where to eat, I highly recommend this place.
people enjoying their meals in P...
August 11, 2007
A few tips for souvenir purchase in Jakarta:
(1) Jalan Surabaya: antiques, if you want to buy original/once played wayang puppets here’s the place. Put on a game face, though, and brush up on your negotiation skills. Rule of thumb: bargain first for half from the seller’s price. I once browsed around the line of antique shops there in search of a pair of used, original wayang puppets -- the ones made of real hide not synthetic -- and found a 3-foot Shinta wayang that showed some wear-and-tear from being used in performances but still looked gorgeous. Just like I wanted. Soon the salespeople surrounded me and told me the price. It was Rp150,000 (about US$16). I bravely practiced my negotiation skills and bargained for half (calmly gesturing that it's a beautiful piece but I wanted a lower price for it and slowing moving away to the next shop). Finally, we agreed on Rp 90,000 (about US$10). The salespeople started offering me to look at other items in their shop but I said thanks I got what I wanted and said goodbye.
(2) Pasaraya Grande Blok M: a huge dept.-like building, 5th floor, all the souvenirs you want. Cons: pricey. Pros: AC building, no sweat ☺, and look for discount sections all over the floor, you can get cute souvenirs like wayang puppet bookmarks, batik, or ethnic jewelry for a real steal. They can go as low as Rp10,000 (about US$ 1) per item. In this dept.-store-like places, all the price tags are definite. You can't negotiate with them, but you can ask the shop attendants to show you the on-sale sections.
(1) Jalan Surabaya: antiques, if you want to buy original/once played wayang puppets here’s the place. Put on a game face, though, and brush up on your negotiation skills. Rule of thumb: bargain first for half from the seller’s price. I once browsed around the line of antique shops there in search of a pair of used, original wayang puppets -- the ones made of real hide not synthetic -- and found a 3-foot Shinta wayang that showed some wear-and-tear from being used in performances but still looked gorgeous. Just like I wanted. Soon the salespeople surrounded me and told me the price. It was Rp150,000 (about US$16). I bravely practiced my negotiation skills and bargained for half (calmly gesturing that it's a beautiful piece but I wanted a lower price for it and slowing moving away to the next shop). Finally, we agreed on Rp 90,000 (about US$10). The salespeople started offering me to look at other items in their shop but I said thanks I got what I wanted and said goodbye.
(2) Pasaraya Grande Blok M: a huge dept.-like building, 5th floor, all the souvenirs you want. Cons: pricey. Pros: AC building, no sweat ☺, and look for discount sections all over the floor, you can get cute souvenirs like wayang puppet bookmarks, batik, or ethnic jewelry for a real steal. They can go as low as Rp10,000 (about US$ 1) per item. In this dept.-store-like places, all the price tags are definite. You can't negotiate with them, but you can ask the shop attendants to show you the on-sale sections.
