With Indonesia being a predominantly Muslim-majority country, it is not common to see Muslim women traveling alone. The reason I chose it as a destination was mainly because I knew it is a safe place and it has been on my list for a while.
People are very friendly. Things are cheap. It is also very easy to get around. Prior to arriving in Indonesia, I did not have a set itinerary in place, since I wanted to go with the flow and find places to go based on my time and interests. A round-trip ticket is needed, but I managed to get in on a one-way.
I started my journey in Jakarta. I flew to Indonesia via Japan. I landed around 11:30 pm, and it took me a while to get through immigration. As a Canadian, a visa is needed to enter, which I opted for on arrival. I would strongly suggest paying for it before your arrival online if possible, to avoid any delays and issues. Payment is preferred if paid by cash, in Indonesian Rupiah, Euro or US dollars on arrival. They also have a machine for credit card transactions, but I found that they try to avoid it. I was able to pay by card, as I had no other option, but was charged an extra 2% for the transaction.
After flying for over 20 hours, I was exhausted by the time I got to Jakarta. I was glad that I had not pre-booked any hotel on arrival, since the city center is approximately an hour from the airport. Instead, I crashed at an airport hotel for the night and made my way to the city the next day. The hotel first said they are fully booked, but somehow found a room for me. I found the staff to be kind and more sympathetic since I am a solo traveler. I was surprised when I heard a knock on the door at 7 am, with breakfast delivered to the room.
I downloaded Gojek and used it to get around Indonesia. Getting a sim card is cheap, but I still chose not to get one and survived just fine without it for 2 weeks. Other ride-sharing apps available include Grab, BlueBird, Go-Car. I had no issues with Gojek, except some drivers occassionally canceling due to traffic, but for the most part, it went smooth and I loved being able to pay in cash, rather than by card.
My first day in Jakarta turned into a rest day, since I slept in and made my way to the city. I checked into my hotel, and went out for my first meal. I chose something near my hotel, since I still felt tired and the heat was not helping. I tried the Indonesian fast food chain, Richesse Factory, which was not too bad but not good enough for me to come back to.
For my first night, I booked a food tour. I tend to avoid street food at all costs, wherever I go. Little did I know that the tour would mostly end up being Indonesian food from street food vendors. Luckily, I did not get sick and the guide ensured to get the items from clean stalls. There was one couple on the tour with me, and we all opted to leave after visiting 4 spots, since the tour was not what we expected.
I tried many Indonesian staples that I have not had before though and they were all pretty good. Some must-try dishes when visiting Indonesia include: chicken satay with peanut sauce, martabak (savoury pancakes), nasi goreng/mie goreng (fried rice/fried noodles) and kue lapis (dessert made with pandan leaves and coconut milk). I ended the night with a visit at the department store, Sarinah, at Plaza Indonesia.
On my second day in Jakarta, I met up with a friend who lives in the city. She took me around to visit the sights, though there are not many, which explained why I barely saw any tourists in Jakarta. We started with Plaza Indonesia. You can get a view by going upstairs at the bus stop.
From there, we headed to Thamrin City, a place I quickly found to be a great affordable spot for shopping. The further up you go in the mall, the better the prices are. This spot is frequented by locals and most products are made in Indonesia. I did some shopping, especially for the prayer outfits that I found super cute, packed into a small purse.
Our lunch stop was at Kafe Betawi, the place to go for authentic Indonesian food. Portions are quite big and the food was delicious. It is one of the best places I ate at on my entire trip.
We took a taxi to the Istiqlal Mosque following lunch, where we marveled at the beauty of the mosque, took pictures on the courtyard and relaxed before heading back out to the heat. This mosque has been visited by many and is one of the most popular places to visit when in Jakarta. It is the largest mosque in Indonesia and Southeast Asia. It is conveniently located in central Jakarta and near other popular attractions, such as the National Monument (Monas) and the National Museum, which we passed by in the bus.
Our last stop together was Kota Tua, the cultural heart of Jakarta. The area was nice to wander around. You will come across street vendors and artists, lots of restaurants. The square had a big space with lots of photo ops at a small cost. People come to chill.
I ended with dinner at Bali Timbungan, a restaurant a little on the fancier end (about $20 for a meal), but the restaurant is beautiful and the food is cooked using bamboo.
It is a traditional Balinese restaurant that I decided to visit, despite knowing that I will be going to Bali after. The ambiance adds to the overall dining experience.
On my third day in Jakarta, I thought about visiting other sights, such as going to Bogor waterfalls, a day trip to the Thousand Islands or visiting Taman Mini (Miniature Indonesia Park).
Instead, I decided to visit the local supermarket to grab some snacks to take back home, as well as some spices and sauces. Of course, I could not leave without grabbing some Teh Tarik as well, a tea I grew up drinking in Malaysia. The instant packs I found are perfect for me to get my fix on-the-go whenever I crave it. I bought a lot of those!
Then, I decided to book a train to Yogyakarta, the beating heart of Javanese culture.
The train ride is 6 hours. Food is sold on the train. There is no Wi-Fi, so this is where a sim card would come in handy. I used the time to rest. I booked a hotel right across the train station so that I can just cross the street and check in upon arrival.
I was excited to finally leave Jakarta, as I did not like the traffic and the chaos found in big cities. However, it was a nice stop and a good place to recover after a long flight, since I did not have too much planned. I feel like most people come to Indonesia and skip Jakarta entirely, which is fair, as for me personally, I found that one visit is more than enough.
Are you a fan of big cities?
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