Jakarta trip – Prologue

All along I wish to travel to some destinations over the weekend since applying leave is not necessary at all. However most requires flying to KL first as there are no direct flight from Singapore to these destination. It's only worth buying airticket to these destination during Air Asia annual zero fare sales. Usually a return ticket to domestic destination in Malaysia would not exceed S$50 during the sales but I have to take into consideration additional fare for taking  a flight to KL for transit.

Tiger Airways was having 2 for the price of 1 promotion where the base fare is free for the 2nd travelling passenger. I went through the destinations which Tiger Airway flies to and decided on Jakarta. I never intend to visit Jakarta at all since it's a business destination rather than a tourist destination. This could be the reason why there are available promotion tickets to Jakarta on weekend compared to other destinations. A return ticket including taxes and admin fees cost S$84.43. The admin fee is $16 which is relatively expensive and there are no other modes of payment unlike Jetstar and AirAsia.

There are 4 of us which comprise of me, hubby, my niece and nephew - Hui Ping and Zi Qin. It's easier to travel in a group of 4 since we will be taking cab in Jakarta.

Jakarta traces its history to the 4th century AD, when it was a port settlement for the ancient Kingdom of Sunda (AD669-1579). It was made the capital of Dutch East Indies and following independence after World War II, it became the capital of modern Indonesia. The city has been known by various names over the long course of its history, including Sunda Kelapa (AD 397-1527), Jayakarta (1527-1619), Batavia (1619-1942) and Djakarta (1942-1972). It is the most populous city in Indonesia and in Southeast Asia, and is the 12th largest city in the world. As mentioned above, Jakarta is a business destination hence the attractions here are limited.

(Map of Indonesia from Lonely Planet)

I have booked a night at Fave Hotel Wahid Hasyim which cost IDR531,432 ~ S$72. Since I'm only spending 1 night in Jakarta, I don't intend to spend much on accommodation. There are quite a few no-frill hotels which offer a cheaper rate but breakfast is not included. After reading through the hotel reviews on tripadvisor, I decided on Fave Hotel Wahid Hasyim.

I have researched in the forum that travelling by cab in Jakarta is relatively easy hence hiring a car with driver is not necessary.

As we only have 2 days in Jakarta, I only planned to visit the attractions in Jakarta itself. Initially I planned to visit Taman Mini but dropped the plan after research. Taman Mini is huge and  spending a whole day there is recommended.

Itinerary for this trip:
Day 1: Arrive in Jakarta at 8.55am (GMT +7), Museum Bank Indonesia, Kota Tua
Day 2: Mondas, Istiqlal Mosque, Jakarta Cathedral and depart from Jakarta at 7.40pm (GMT +7)

Budget for this trip is S$200:
- S$20 for departure tax (IDR150,000 is payable at airport)
- S$40 for accommodation
- S$15 for transport
- S$60 for meals
- S$30 for massage
- S$50 for shopping

>>Day 1: 13 Oct 12