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| Aku Cinta (I Love) Indonesia ! |
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| Selamat Datang Monument, Jakarta |
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| Jakarta Coffee Cafes offering Great Ideas, Go For It |
" Some journeys can only be travelled alone "
" Not I, not anyone else, can travel that road for you. You must travel it for yourself "
" No one realizes how beautiful it is to travel until he comes home and rests his head on his old, familiar pillow "
" My 8 days in Indonesia, my first solo visit to Jakarta, Bandung & Bogor from 18-25/7/2017 - Jakarta being the second last capital of Asean (Association of South East Asian Nations currently has 11 member countries) I have now visited - what a delightful trip experiencing the jam jam Jakarta, cool cool Bandung & green green Bogor in Indonesia ! "
Travel Itinerary: Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) > Jakarta > Bandung > Jakarta > Bogor > Jakarta > Kuala Lumpur
Having visited almost all the Asean capitals except Jakarta & Manila (visited in June 2017) in recent years, naturally Jakarta being the capital of Indonesia has been in my bucket list of visit for sometime ! Both Indonesia & Malaysia had a "hazy" relationship for the last two decades, so choosing the right timing to visit Jakarta is crucial especially in the 2nd half of the year. Surely nobody would like to visit Jakarta and be greeted by a thick haze which could land you in hospital as a result of lung infection or severe respiratory problems etc. The haze is an annual problem in Indonesia caused by opening burning of forests to clear lands for oil palm & pulpwood plantations. At the time of writing, a thick haze has started in Acheh province - so watch the weather closely if you are preparing to visit Indonesia in July & August !
Having visited almost all the Asean capitals except Jakarta & Manila (visited in June 2017) in recent years, naturally Jakarta being the capital of Indonesia has been in my bucket list of visit for sometime ! Both Indonesia & Malaysia had a "hazy" relationship for the last two decades, so choosing the right timing to visit Jakarta is crucial especially in the 2nd half of the year. Surely nobody would like to visit Jakarta and be greeted by a thick haze which could land you in hospital as a result of lung infection or severe respiratory problems etc. The haze is an annual problem in Indonesia caused by opening burning of forests to clear lands for oil palm & pulpwood plantations. At the time of writing, a thick haze has started in Acheh province - so watch the weather closely if you are preparing to visit Indonesia in July & August !
Another major challenge in Jakarta is the horrendous traffic & notorious behaviors of local motorists & motor bikers (speeding & zooming), making pedestrian crossings extremely difficult on major roads in downtown Jakarta. So for free & easy travelers, you just have to be extra careful when you are roaming or walking around the busy roads where the touristy places are located !
Jakarta has a well connected & cheap public transport system eg Bajaj (tuktuk), Ojek (motorbike taxi), car taxi, Transjakarta busway, commuter city & inter-city trains, both air-conditioned to take you to various places. If you enjoy taking a motorbike taxi, you can easily flag one on the roads . The locals prefer to use the services of Grab bikers to move around the city areas or for short distance travel.
If you enjoy deep fried food, Indonesia is the right place for you to savior these food. Throughout the 7 days, I had taken mostly deep fried food for lunches & dinners which I normally avoid taking at home.
Both Jakarta & Bandung have good hostel accommodations which are conveniently located in downtown areas near to touristy places. Most hostels offer free breakfast & drinking water and the dorm beds are comfy & clean.
Jakarta has a well connected & cheap public transport system eg Bajaj (tuktuk), Ojek (motorbike taxi), car taxi, Transjakarta busway, commuter city & inter-city trains, both air-conditioned to take you to various places. If you enjoy taking a motorbike taxi, you can easily flag one on the roads . The locals prefer to use the services of Grab bikers to move around the city areas or for short distance travel.
If you enjoy deep fried food, Indonesia is the right place for you to savior these food. Throughout the 7 days, I had taken mostly deep fried food for lunches & dinners which I normally avoid taking at home.
Both Jakarta & Bandung have good hostel accommodations which are conveniently located in downtown areas near to touristy places. Most hostels offer free breakfast & drinking water and the dorm beds are comfy & clean.
Jakarta was under Dutch rule from 1619 to 1949 (330 years) so the old Batavia or Jakarta have a number of historical places for you to visit & admire.
For first timers, you could consider doing a 3 in 1 visit to Indonesia focusing on Jakarta, Bandung & Bogor. Ideally you could spend 4-5 days in Jakarta, 2-3 days in Bandung & a day trip to Bogor. Both theses cities are well connected by commuter & inter-city trains. If you are adventurous, you could extend your stay to Yogyakarta which is just 8 hrs by train from Jakarta !
For first timers, you could consider doing a 3 in 1 visit to Indonesia focusing on Jakarta, Bandung & Bogor. Ideally you could spend 4-5 days in Jakarta, 2-3 days in Bandung & a day trip to Bogor. Both theses cities are well connected by commuter & inter-city trains. If you are adventurous, you could extend your stay to Yogyakarta which is just 8 hrs by train from Jakarta !
Given the close proximity between Jakarta & Kuala Lumpur ie flight time approx. 2 hrs, visiting Jakarta is an easy meat so start your planning now, a Jam Jam Jakarta, Cool Cool Bandung & Green Green Bogor awaiting you !
Total costs incurred (8 days) : IDP1,817,00 + Rm308 = Rm903 (US$205)
Air Asia ticket (promo) : Rm280.90 (US$64)
Sky bus (KL): Rm6 x 2 = Rm12 (Senior)
Food (KL): Rm15
Hostels (7 nights) : IDR1,020,000 (Rm334=US$76)
Food (8 days) : IDR284,000
Trains : IDR315,000
Motorbike: IDR25,000
Entrance fees: IDR90,000
Airport bus : IDR80,000
Exchange rates: Rm$1=IDR3.05 (Indonesia Rupiah); US$1=IDR13.50
Jam Jam Jakarta
1) Monas (Monument National)
2) Istiqlal Mosque
3) Cathedral Church
4) National Museum
5) Fatahillah Square, Old Jakarta
6) Jakarta History Museum (1620)
7) Batavia Café (1828)
8) Fine Art & Ceramics Museum (1870)
9) Puppet Museum (1640)
10) Jakarta Kota (Beos) Train Station (1870)
10) Jakarta Kota (Beos) Train Station (1870)
11) Red Shop - Toko Merah (1730)
12) Menara Syahbandar - Watch Tower (1839)
13) Museum Bahari - Maritime Museum (1652)
14) Sunda Kelapa Harbor (1527)
15) Museum Bank Indonesia
16) Post Indonesia (1928)
17) Grand Indonesia
19) Selamat Datang Monument
20) Tugu Tani Monument
21) Gambir Train Station
22) Pasar Antiques & Copper, Jalan Surabaya
23) Chinatown (Glodok)
24) Ancol Dreamland
Cool Cool Bandung
1) Museum of The Asian-African Conference (1945)
2) Mandala Siliwangi Museum
3) Governor's Residence
4) Alun Alun
5) Bandung Train Station
6) Inscription on the Bandung Zero (0) Kilometer Milestone
7) Bandung Town Centre
8) Masjid Al-Imtizaj
9) Jalan Braga, Bandung
10) Jalan Asia Afrika
10) Pasar Baru Trade Center
11) Grand Mosque of Bandung
Green Green Bogor
1) Bogor Royal Botanical Garden
2) Bogor Town
3) Bogor Train Station
4) Bogor Presidential Palace
