Jakarta: Shopping Destination

Jakartakita.com : Jakarta is a popular tourist destination in Asia; it has a rich culture, great restaurants and perfect spots where you can enjoy the Jakarta shopping experience. Nowadays, Jakarta has been booming with super size, mega malls where you can find everything, from a pair of branded sunglasses to a large selection of Indonesian handicrafts, from a beautiful batik dress for your formal gathering to a sophisticated gadgets. Everything under one roof.

Beyond the malls, there are many streets that used to be the “downtown” areas of the old neighborhoods. The blok M area, for example, easily reachable from anywhere because it is the location of one of Jakarta’s public transportation hub, has many stores to satisfy your shopping desire. Try to visit these shopping hot spots for the greatest deals available.

With the spread of myriad of new shopping malls, Jakarta has achieved its ambition of duplicating Singapore’s success as one of Asia’s foremost heavens for shopping almost everything. Imported luxury items sold at competitive prices with Asia major shopping centers. For many products, especially textiles and garments, prices are far cheaper. English is widely spoken and attentive service guaranteed. Bargaining is the rule when you are shopping in store where they don’t have any barcode for fixed price.

Major mega shopping centers are located in all areas in Jakarta. In West Jakarta you’ll find Mall Puri Indah, Mall Taman Anggrek, Central Park Jakarta, Seasons City, PX Pavillion, etc. In South Jakarta you’ll find Pondok Indah Mall, Gandaria City, Pasaraya Blok M, Pejaten Village, etc. In North Jakarta you’ll find Mall of Indonesia, La Piazza, Mall Kelapa Gading, etc. In East Jakarta you’ll find Tamini Square, Cibubur Square, etc. And in Central Jakarta, you’ll find Plaza Senayan, Senayan City, EX, etc.

Jakarta is also the city for great buys in traditional handcrafted arts. Sarinah and Pasaraya Grande department stores, both conveniently located, remain the best one-stop shopping places for Indonesia arts and crafts throughout the archipelago. Several floors of each store are dedicated to the sale of locally crafted items including textiles, weaving, carvings, paintings, silver, jewelry, basketry, puppetry, leather goods and a range of interior design items.

Jakarta’s shopping may be the city’s main attraction for those inveterate shoppers. Jalan Surabaya in Menteng is a colourful antique market, Pasar Seni at Ancol is another good craft market. For collectors of antique furniture who want to browse through the large shops in Ciputat, in the south. A couple of kilometers South of Blok M, Kemang is another hunting ground for antiques and crafts.

Beside modern shopping malls. Jakarta also has many traditional markets provide a lively glimpse into the city’s grassroots life. Among the major markets are Pasar Tanah Abang, Pasar Baru and Pasar Mayestik.

When planning a trip to Jakarta, consider spending a day at one of the many modern shopping malls the city has to offer. You may welcome a day off from tourist and cultural sites and enjoy spending time in air-conditioned comfort, where you can relax and shop without annoying hawkers. If, indeed you are from a small town in your home country, you may find better shopping in Jakarta than you do back home! Often, due to special sales or discounts, international fashions may actually be cheaper in Jakarta than in other fashion centers.

Most expatriates shop most comfortably in malls and grocery stores without the need to bargain or deal with curious stares. But, that is no reason to avoid the more colorful traditional markets.

The best time to shop at Jakarta malls is during the week, soon after the mall opens at 10:00am. Most daytime shoppers are housewives, who begin bringing their children as schools let out mid-day. By late afternoon the malls are bustling with the after-school teen crowd and young professionals who begin showing up after office hours. Hanging out at malls is part of the affluent Indonesian teens’ lifestyle.

If you’re a visitor to Jakarta, take a taxi from your hotel to the mall and you can return by taxi from the mall’s taxi stand. Taxi is the most convenience public transport if you are a new comer in Jakarta.

Well, then just enjoy a great shopping adventure in Jakarta! (Risma)