Top Jakarta Hotels

The hotel is near the National Museum which is very informative about the Indonesian history, also for shopping Plaza Indonesia is just 5 minutes away by car. But of course you need to be careful, not to forget to lock the car anywhere you go as crime rate is quite high in Jakarta.

Would recommend Lana thai restaurant in CBD near Mandarin Oriential and Cafe Batavia on Kota, both good food and atmosphere.

The Hotel is very well centralized and within walking distance to the Sportsman''s Bar (Wester Pub and Restaurant) and many other places to eat and entertainments. The Pasaraya Mall is located accross the street for shopping, banking and eating facilities.

Ibis Kemayoran is close to the central banking complex (Bank Indonesia) and a very short taxi ride to a reasonable shopping complex and food court. It is also close to one of the cities clothing and computer shopping areas (manga dua). A favourite trick by taxi drivers is to say the road ahead is traffic jam and then proceed to travel around which will take longer (and more costly) then the "normal" direct route.

The Hotel is across the street from the Pasaraya Shopping Mall where you can walk and buy anything and get any service desired. The Pub is also very good and offers western food if desired. The night club has a different band playing different types of music.

Waterworld is just a few minutes drive by taxi. There''s also mangga dua mall next door for your electronics needs. Food court on 5th level. Minimart on 4th. Mangga dua SQUARE is just 5 mins by Bajai (scooter). Taxis will insist on min charge, or take the opp route to delay time. This has carrefour, shops (clothes,handbags), and food court with great ambience. The in place for this area.<br> <br> Bluebird cabs are generally reliable. The doors will lock as soon as you leave hotel compound. Don''t panic, This is for your own safety. Night street stalls sell cheap stuff outside main road. Just be wary of pickpockets. Not my scene. For good indonesian food, drop by Pondok Laguna (at lunch/dinner time only). It''s located on jalan batu ceper/ batu tulis. Ask taxis if they know where it is first, else just get the hell out. Once you get there, sample their in house specials. Gurame goreng, tahu sumbat, sayur asem, ayam bakar and list goes on. Great food! Make sure you find a bluebird cab to hitch a ride home. Head to Pasar Baru if you are into more shopping. You can find oil painting there too.

FJ Bistro & Restaurant in Kemang Timor for cool atmosphere, good food and amazing teas.

Antiques both new and old can be found at Jalan Surabaya where keen haggling skills are needed to get a good price. Restaurants to try include Koi Gallery (wide variety), Hazaras (Indian), Porta Venizia (Italian), and Styx (beef). Navigating Jakarta is tricky and it helps a lot to know how to get there if it is anything other than a top hotel, mall, or restaurant. The Silver Bird taxis are knowledgeable, but never a sure thing. Don''t worry if the driver needs to ask for directions a few times.<br> <br> If you are new to Asia, try the Executive theaters at Plaza Indonesia for a luxury movie experience. Large number of excellent golf courses within 90 minutes of Jakarta. One of the nicest is Bogoria in Bogor. Jakarta is an exciting destination but it takes new visitors a while to get the rhythm of the place.

Visited Plaza Indonesia, Ancol Dreamland, ITC Mangga Dua and ITC Kuningan. Can get taxi very easily from the hotel but again the traffic is quite bad esp. during peak hours. Enjoy shopping at Kuningan, Mangga Dua and also Soga (Plaza Indonesia).

For shopping, I would recommend you to go to Tanabang, Mangga Dua, Pasar Senen, Pasar Baroe and Sarinah Store. The price is cheap and unbelievable. If you love history and heritage, don''t miss to visit Gaja Mada National Museum and Monas.