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Posted by Jason Jakarta wouldn't have made it onto our itinerary if we didn't have friends living there. From all the travel guides we'd read it seemed like there wasn't too much to Jakarta except for lots of traffic. We like to think we're open to any new experience, though, so we decided to go for it! We left Bali on the 18th and arrived in Jakarta in the middle of a downpour. After getting fleeced by a taxi driver in Hanoi we were a little bit wiser and read up on common taxi scams to avoid in Jakarta. Our friends also told us to go with the Blue Bird taxi group and that's what we ended up doing. Apparently they're the most reliable taxi company in Jakarta. Our friend, Elliott, is a Jakarta native so our next two days were full of pampering. We stayed with Elliott and Mel and they took us mall hopping. Jakarta is filled with giant mega-malls and each one is a mini metropolis; you can eat at a variety of restaurants, from traditional Indonesian to American style diner, watch a movie in luxurious, reclining seats with serving staff, get a massage, all in one mall. And that is exactly what we did on our first day in Jakarta. It was also the first day of NBA play-offs so I was up until the wee hours of the morning watching basketball. Our second day was just as relaxing as our first. We started off with lunch (yup, we STARTED our day with lunch) at the famous Dirty Duck with Mel and their friend Wayne. The restaurant is known for its Balinese style fried crispy duck. They're free range ducks so not very meaty, but they're very tasty! We proceeded to do a little mall-hopping, which involved some coffee and crepes, foot massage, and window shopping. We were supposed to fly to Singapore on April 20th but because of "volcanic activities," which did not affect any other airline but Jetstar, our flight got postponed to the next day. We were fully aware of these budget airlines' reputation for last minute changes, so weren't all that surprised. We didn't mind at all spending another day in Jakarta since Elliott and Mel were such awesome hosts. The girls went for another spa treatment nearby Elliott's house, and the boys went to play some basketball. We capped off the night with some char kuei tiaw (spelling differs from place to place, but basically stir fried flat noodles with beef) and durian and avocado smoothies. Can't say we did much, if any, sight-seeing in our 3 days in Jakarta, but then again...I don't think there are many sights to be seen in this bustling and very congested capital of Indonesia. We enjoyed spending time with Mel and Elliott and are very grateful for their hospitality. Off to Singapore, where we were also very well taken care of by "Melliott!"
2 Comments
10/28/2014 12:17:55 pm
Looks like an awesome trip. Always wanter to go to Jakarta.
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Jason
11/3/2014 10:03:42 am
Make sure you hire a driver or know someone who has a car if you go! I hear their public transportation is unreliable. Have a great time and eat lots!
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