We See Further on the Shoulders of Giants.
Last Updated: 15 Mar 2023.
Sudirman is the Park Avenue street of Jakarta (Hyatt in North & Senayan in South).
SCBD & Senayan - where Google & Shopee are.
Bogor - nice Highland area with Presidential palace. Golf Courses.
Bekasi in East - Industrial & mid Residential.
Tangerang in West - Industrial & mid Residential.
Jakarta is the heart of businesses in Indonesia and we recommend the ideal hotel for a business visit to:
be near your meeting venues (see Geography post if in doubt - Sudirman, SCBD, Senayan, Thamrin cannot go wrong) and
connected to a Mall for meals & more relaxed discussions.
Google Maps for Hotels & Malls incl Hotel rates to suit all levels of budget:
https://goo.gl/maps/ZdS8J7iCqL1yxoDG9
In descending order of budget:
A) Thamrin Area
Hotels = Grand Hyatt (Mall Plaza Indonesia), Kempinski (Mall Grand Indonesia). Pullman Jakarta & Mandarin Oriental walking distance.
B) SCBD Senayan Area
Hotels = Langham (Mall Ashta), Fairmont (Plaza Senayan). Best Western, Harris & Century Park walking distance.
C) Central Park @ West Jakarta.
D) PIK @ Northwest Jakarta near Airport.
Telco - Telkomsel Pre Paid has best coverage. Not much more expensive. Else Indosat is fine. Note for long stay - need to pay tax for a foreign bought mobile device (IMEI controlled).
Car Transport - see next panel.
Flying within Indonesia - Premium is Garuda. Batik Air for super value. Lion Air Wings best coverage.
Food & Drinks - be respectful. Many places don't serve pork. Do not drink alcohol in public (restos & pubs are fine). Roadside stall comes w risk but hundreds patronize each daily ;)
Local Banks - BCA for general. Mandiri / BCA for corporates.
Must have Apps:
Ride Hailing & Food Delivery https://www.gojek.com
Cashless - GoPay via Gojek
eCommerce https://www.tokopedia.com
Flight & Car rental https://www.traveloka.com
Health (entering premises) https://www.pedulilindungi.id/
IDR 1 billion = IDR 1 Milyar = IDR M = SGD 100k = RMB 500,000.
- usually for business transactions & property. 商务交易。
IDR 1 million = 1 juta / mio = jt = SGD 100
= RMB 500.
IDR 10 million = IDR 10 juta/jt/mio = SGD 1,000.
IDR 100 ribu = 100 rb = SGD 10 = RMB 50.
- for daily use. 日常生活。
IDR 1 thousand = 1 ribu = 1 rb = SGD 0.10
- pocket change. 口袋零钱。
CNY 1 million = USD 150k.
CNY 1,000 = IDR 2.2 jt.
IDR = Indonesian RuPiah.
SGD = Singapore Dollar.
USD = US Dollar.
RMB = China Renminbi.
GoCar via Gojek App
Gojek-GoCar - My default hailing App.
GoCar - quick hailing as drivers are measured by Trips.
GoBlueBird - standard vehicles (more uniform feeling) but a pain to get during peak hours.
PS: Gojek rides by Motorbike rider or GoSend for parcels or GoFood for Food Deliveries are Super !
Grab is a competitor but Gojek works great for me.
BlueBird
App
BlueBird is the biggest automobile transport group.
From taxis to limos and buses.
MyBlueBird App offers wide range:
Blue Bird - standard taxis (Transmover is new model).
Silver Bird - Merc or Alphards.
Car Rental
If you are a business traveller and going multiple places on a tight schedule, do book a Reliable Driver with either an Innova (approx IDR 1 mil per day) or Alphard (approx IDR 2.5 per day).
Note: Petrol, Toll & Parking Charges apply. Also if it's 8 or 12h booking (OT charges apply).
https://www.traveloka.com/id-id/car-rental
https://reservation.bluebirdgroup.com/golden
Learn from a Pro. Congrats, you're doing that now.
Forget teachers & lessons.
Watch Netflix 1h a day. It must be a show you like & with bahasa Indonesia subtitles.
Repeat for 3 mths. 'Burn' vocab & sentence structure into your head.
Now open your mouth. Gampang kan. Tenang aja lu.
You're welcome.
* Just discovered Disney+ Indonesia has most movies with Indonesian audio selection. This is great to listen while enjoying great content.
Business Vocabulary:
Automatic Excel/Google Sheet Translation:
These are our favorites. Chains in comments so you can search for nearest branch (cabang) near you.
Note there are 'hot' branches indicated by thousands of reviews.
Do browse the photo galleries.
https://goo.gl/maps/eFBtE731bsYFk7bo9
If you are a pure beginner - get the Best Possible Coach you can afford. I tried a few coaches and got nowhere until someone referred me to (do 1 trial lesson before signing up for a package. I did 2 x 6 Lessons and enjoyed heading to the green):
https://jagorawi.com/golfacademy/
Here's courses I played around Jakarta incl quick reviews:
https://goo.gl/maps/EEUSYSbNH4jc7CTK6
Import Export for company & personal items can be. There are door to door service providers who give good servivce and are reliabe.
They specialize in Sgp-Indo but globally no problem also.
You can contact Pak Joseph (director):
Whatsapp http://WA.me/6287839353886
Speaks good english and professional.
Mega Indah Cargo - Head Office Sunter
Jl. Agung Karya III No.7, RT.6/RW.4, Papanggo, Tj. Priok, Kota Jkt Utara, Daerah Khusus Ibukota Jakarta 14340, Indonesia
Range of Talents
All based in Indonesia:
Supervisor & Staff Levels.
Translators.
Maids & Helpers.
Mostly Locals w Experience overseas.
Cooks from China.
View Short Videos
w Bio
Contact Ms Jessica :
Wechat : everyday820
We have used her services extensively. We do not earn any fees.
WeChat Translation
Install Wechat:
https://www.wechat.com/
Add Jessica Contact.
View Moments & Click Translate.
Indonesia has one of the best service culture in the world. Indonesians are very polite to the point of not not saying No or nasty things.
We've benefited from special requests for licences & assistance.
Pricing: https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1_yrad96jP9PFo86Bbh7nv32TGj22CPAYD3GMZGYrDB0/
Whatsapp ASA Now:
Batik wear is fantastic and a daily essential for me.
Comfort & breathability.
There are 3 kinds of batik by grade:
A) Batik Tulis (Hand Made) - luxury SGD150 up to SGD1-2k.
B) Cap (Stamped)
C) Cetak (Print)
B) & C) good range @ SGD30-100 here ( a few floors up):
Batik Keris Menteng
+62 21 31926908
https://goo.gl/maps/xoQDgdPxPbapQ2Qj7
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Batik
Strongly Recommended :
1. Konoha @ Menara Astra = Superb Lunch Sets for only IDR100-150k.
2. Eightmen Ramen @ SummitMas Sudirman = Nice handmade Ramen.
3. Tori Hachi - authentic Jap sate.
See Google Map Locations & Photos and Comments for each:
https://www.google.com/maps/placelists/list/OI_5SFDfSVWrsDxhzgumSw
Top End Schools are JIS & BSJ. Mid Up are ACS etc.
Location & Fees are key considerations.
Google Map Locations (non exhaustive for campuses):
https://goo.gl/maps/ingcUK9imBUAt6YK6
https://www.international-schools-database.com/in/jakarta
Recommended Guide (1h from Jakarta) w exciting paths (2-5h up to you):
https://www.instagram.com/tectona_adventure_guide/
We had Mas Arif. Meet him 6 or 7am near Jungleland Bogor. He'll bring trekking poles (essential). Consider: River Swim + Cave Visits etc.
Cost: Approx IDR120rb per pax + Tips.
See Tennis Schools for children and adults:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-qOe_CDkjsphCRCJEy4HoqwhxcdhIEQ3_CFG0XdBeCs/edit#gid=0
The short answer is West Tennis for Clinical and Yayuk Basuki for Volume.
I've been doing these daily and they're great for boosting mental & physical health.
5min
Basic Stretching
with Jeremy
10min beginner Yoga with Adrienne
Work from home shoulder relief
Do Squats daily
mitrado uses SmartAir in our Premises:
https://www.instagram.com/smartair_indonesia/
Over 10k Units Sold In Indonesia !
https://www.tokopedia.com/smartairpuretrex
Bali is great for a few nights getaway. Ideally plan for a few nights at a beach resort and 2 nights in Ubud (forested highlands). Bali Zoo is fantastic too.
Key Areas:
Seminyak - classy quiet area. Great for walking to check out shops.
Nusa Dua - Prime Beach Resorts. Do visit Apurva Kempinski
Kuta - old town. A little messy but charming.
Canggu - new trendy Area with lots of foreigners & digital nomads.
Ubud - northen highlands. Make sure you stay 2 nights at the least !
Google Map to Visit, Eat & Live:
https://goo.gl/maps/4epDuqi88X71WM7F6
After Bali, you should definitely visit Labuan Bajo (1h flight East of Bali), we recommend:
Great for families and kids above 7yo (for climbs).
Fly direct from Jakarta 2+h to Labuan Bojo.
Book a 2 night cruise - nature hikes, snorkeling, Komodo island, Pink/White beaches.
It's a standard package where major destinations are covered.
You can choose shared boats or private cruises.
Views & Recommendations expressed here are strictly independent.
We do not earn Commissions. We are happy to review Trial Units (returnable).
Email us: know@mitrado.com