Short Weekend Trip to Jakarta

A weekend may be enough for most tourists to cover Jakarta (formerly Batavia, capital of Indonesia), any longer I would say an excursion to nearby city of Bandung (Kota Bandung) is advisable. Click here to read post on Bandung.

Attached is the recommended itinerary for an all rounded and laidback trip to Jakarta ;)

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Itinerary
Jakarta Indonesia Jakarta Indonesia Jakarta Indonesia
Day		Remarks
Fri	Check in morning flight
	Depart SIN ✈
	Arrive at CGK ✈
	Travel to Mandarin Oriental	By taxi to: Jalan M.H. Thamrin, PO BOX 3392  Jakarta 10310, Indonesia
	(check in and settle in)
		Tel: (0)21 29938888
	Shopping @ Tanah Abang	Take taxi from hotel (15-20mins)
	Lunch @ Sate Senayan Khas	By taxi back to hotel area: Jalan HOS. Cokroaminoto St. No. 78. Menteng Village, Menteng District Central Jakarta
	Hotel	Nap and freshen up
	Dinner @ Potato Head	By taxi, 15mins to: Pacific Place G51A Jln. Jend. Sudirman Kav. 52-53 Jakarta Selatan t. +62 (21) 5797 3322
	Enjoy the nightlife @ Menteng
	Sleep
Sat	Wake up! Breakfast @ hotel
	Shopping	3 mins walk to: Grand Indonesia/Plaza Indonesia
	Indo Massage @ Zen Family Spa	Jl. Gunawarman 43- Kebayoran Baru
	Lunch
	Shopping @ Mangga Dua	By taxi: (30-45mins) depending on traffic
	Dinner	Option A>Restaurants at Ancol Dreamland Jakarta (near to Mangga Dua area)
		Option B>Restaurants at Grand Indo Mall/Plaza (head back to hotel area)
	Platinum/Gold Class Movie	Malls, to check timings
	or
	Coffee @ Café Batavia	Kota Tua Complex
	Sleep
Sun	Rise & Shine! Breakfastime!
	Last min shopping
	Flight to SIN
	Arrive at SIN ✈
Note: Flag Bluebird taxis as they go by meter and are more reliable overall, Contact them at 7941234 or 7981001.

What to buy in Jakarta? Lulur Scrubs, Jamu (if you're into that kind of thing, I'm not too sure where to find it though, if you know or can recommend any do share), Indomee and Cloth/Lace.

Where to eat in Jakarta? Lots of food everywhere in Jakarta, but seriously, those two restaurants I listed in the itinerary on the first day has really good food.

Sate Khas Senayan is good for their Sate of course, and everything else we tried was equally delicious: the Mi Soto, a rice dish with Paru (I forgot the name), and salted egg king prawns. The place had a nice ambience to it as it was furnished in traditional decor coupled with modern simplicity. 

Potato head is a sophisticated bistro and bar in Jakarta. The outdoor and indoor (ground and mezzanine-to my amusement!) sitting areas are uniquely designed to look like a vintage industrial setting, yet ironically the place gives a bit of a contemporary feel. They serve international cuisine, a nice mix of appetizers, salads, sandwiches, pastas and meats.

Where to shop in Jakarta? Malls malls and more malls, their malls are full of international as well as designer brands. For kain (cloth/traditional clothes) shopping, there is Tanah Abang. But beware there are many blocks. I had walked the most part of the blocks and scanned through every floor, and found it hard to navigate my way. I would totally scrap ideas of going to the old blocks, and just head to the newly renovated mall section.
Jakarta wasn't a shopping trip for me so I didn't really buy anything. I did buy three tops at Mangga Dua though, for about RM40/S$20 each.

Musicals in Singapore

Lion King the Musical

Lion King the Musical opened in Singapore in March 2011. The Disney musical that premiered at Marina Bay Sands Theater, caused a sensation in not only in Singapore but in the Southeast Asian region. Though I bought tickets at a premium price as most seats were booked out, I left the show feeling like I could do with a second round. It was the best I have watched so far, in terms of music, characters, costumes, backdrop and humour. From one scene to another, the actors and props moved seamlessly falling beautifully into place. The musical was so brilliantly produced that it managed to keep me engaged and enthralled the entire two hours or so. Rating (5/5)

Wicked the Musical
http://www.wickedthemusical.com.sg/

WICKED opened in Singapore at the Grand Theater, Marina Bay Sands in December 2011. It tells the story of the Wicked Witch of the West and Glinda the Good in the Land of Oz (before the times of Dorothy with the red shoes, her dog and the yellow brick road).

I musn't lie, I did not enjoy it half as much as I did Lion King. I reckon it might be because our seats for Wicked were not as favourable, at the back and more elevated. (So, if you have not caught it and you are planning to, do not choose the S$98 odd seats). The show was interesting in a sense it cured curiosity of the untold story of the Wicked witch. I particularly enjoyed the songs they sang during the movie, catchy indeed. Rating (3/5).

Planning a 5D4N Trip to Taiwan yourself

Want to take a break and go for a holiday in Taiwan? Try budget airlines (i.e Airasia and Jetstar) or look out for good deals available from the full service airlines (i.e Singapore Airlines)

Where best to stay? I highly recommend the hotel me and my friends stayed at, City Inn. It was truly a wonderful experience. The staff were friendly and accomodating and the rooms were clean, modern, new and well worth the price.

What to do in Taiwan? Hit the night markets for good food and shopping. My favourites are Shihlin Night Market for food (second is Raohe Night Market), and ShiDa for shopping (although Wu Fen Pu is a very large fashion avenue spanning 1 km radius of jam-packed tiny shops in a rats maze, I found more quality buys at ShiDa Market)

Sightseeing is a must. Out of all the places I visited, I liked Jiu fen the most for scenery and for the lanterns at night. When we were there we chartered taxis to take us around sightseeing and to send us back to Taipei city. It was far more convenient and cheaper when travelling in a group.

What to buy in Taiwan? Beauty Diary masks and fake eyelashes

Planning an itinerary for Taiwan? Below is a snaphot of our itinerary to Taiwan. Some of my friends checked out the night life there and had good things to say about Luxy.

(Right click and select "Save As" option for ease of viewing)

Wild Honey @ Mandarin Gallery

Wild Honey

#03-02 Mandarin Gallery

Orchard Rd, Singapore

+65 6235 3900

Operating hours:

9am-10.30pm

Open from 8am on weekends

Here's the thing, I lost my cellphone along with all the pictures of my hearty breakfast here so you have to settle with this photo of drinks I had with some friends. Don't worry though, I assure you the smart people over at Wild honey knows that breakfast is a meal for champions and is best served all-day.

Savoury options

I've tried their European (their version of Eggs Benedict. Two perfectly poached eggs, sauteed mushrooms and prosciutto on toasted homemade brioche and hollandaise sauce- This is what's on the menu, but I vaguely remember them saying it comes with bacon...so you have to let them know if you can't take pork) and their Italian (An open faced omelette with sliced vine ripened tomatoes, fontina cheese and baby spinach).

I personally prefer the European!

Sweet options

I've sampled their Belgian (Thick fluffy waffles served with coconut cream, grilled mango, blueberries and toasted coconut) and Canadian (A stack of classic pancakes served with wild berry and hibiscus compote, Canadian maple syrup and minus bacon). I think I would order the Belgian again definitely as the grilled mango, coconut and blueberries was an interesting marriage of flavours.

The thing about this place is that you will be spoilt for choice! I do like their coffee here, better than the juices *winks*, I really do think so. Either that or I just love coffee in general. If you're already thinking of dropping by, do note that this place is abit pricey. The bill could easily come up to SGD75 for two persons.

Loysel's Toy Cafe @ Kampung Bugis

Loysel's Toy Cafe

66 Kampong Bugis #01-01

Tel: +65 9451 0236
Operating Hours:Tues to Fri: 9am to 6pm
Sat & Sun: 9am to 7.30pm

This cafe is a hidden gem at 66 Kampong Bugis, near Kallang area. I think Lavender MRT on might be nearest, as I have had friends who have walked from there. Otherwise, take a taxi, and bank on catching one from there from alighting customers. I particularly like the coffee here! No big wonder as this cafe is owned by Papa Palheta Coffee (independent coffee boutique at 140 Bukit Timah Rd- 10% of proceeds go to charity, it's all for a good cause so no harm popping by). They have good sandwiches here too, with good bread. I've only tried their chocolate cake and it's not too bad either. Besides cakes and sandwiches they have eggs and an assortment of cookies/biscotti. They always run out of food (and seats) by 11am though, I find, so it's best to come early.

Rider's Cafe @ Bukit Timah

Rider's Cafe

51 Fairways Drive Singapore 286965

http://www.riderscafe.sg/
Opening hours: 8am to 10.30pm
Tuesdays - Thursdays, & Sundays Kitchen closes at 9.30pm
8am to 11pm Fridays & Saturdays. Kitchen closes at 10pm

Link for their weekend menu: 

http://www.riderscafe.sg/docs/2011_Brunch_Menu_For_Web.pdf

I like the breakfast here, simple and abit more on the affordable end, compared to the likes of Wildhoney and PS Cafe. I tried the Poached eggs with creamed corn, portobello and sourdough bread and enjoyed it. It actually exceeded expectations, thumbs up. The bf had salmon and scrambled eggs with sourdough. He liked it fairly well, but salmon he said was average.  

The best part about the place is the view! Next time round I will give marmalade pantry a try.

Sent from my iPhone

The Best Fish Curry in Malaysia

Kari Kepala Ikan Raub

Gohtong Jaya,

Pahang 

My most favourite fish curry haunt would be this small restaurant in Gohtong Jaya. It is on the way up to Genting Highlands, so I would recommend anyone driving up to stop along the way to savour the flavourful curry here. It is situated along a row of shops just before Sri Malaysia Genting. The fish curry is a must, and usually I'd have it with breads, like naan/chapati and most often thosai. You may order rice and other condiments or vegetable dishes too! If you like the curry here, give the Ratha instant curry powders a try too.This place opened in 1997, and is the second branch opened after the original Raub branch, in my kampung.

11 series I'm keeping up with in Fall.

1. 2 broke girls

2. Archer

Archer is back for Season 3!!! Need I say more? Thanks a lot Amin for getting me hooked.

3. The Big Bang Theory, Season 5

4. Once Upon a Time.

I've always loved fairytales, and when this came out I was pretty excited. There is a complicated plot, and I feel that to understand this, you'd have to watch every episode.

5. Grimm

6. Pan Am

7. Grey's Anatomy, season 8

8. New Girl

9. 90210, season 4

10. Two and a half men, season 9 (ashton kutcher :))

11. Hart of Dixie, season 1

Yey! Rachel Bilson is back into series. I always loved her when she played "Summer" in The OC... Another memorable moment, her hot make out scene in the movie "Jumper".