DIWALI Walkabout: Kolam Hunting!

Happy Diwali!

Coincidentally Diwali this year coincided with Halloween, which caused consternation among some. With nothing planned we headed out of our condo at half past eleven and hailed a Grab car for a fare of RM9.00 (approximately USD/EUR2) to The Exchange TRX.

What's a 'kolam'? A kolam is meant to welcome Lakshmi, the Hindu Goddess of Prosperity, into one's home. The decorative rice motif is usually drawn in the front of the house, attracting good luck and putting a smile on the faces of visitors who come for Deepavali festivities in the home.

Here we made our way to the main foyer to capture the Diwali decor. Sadly there were only two 'kolam' on display here. 

We then spent some time at Uniqlo and LC Waikiki before making our way down to the MRT station. For a fare of RM1.20 (approximately USD/EUR0.25) it was just one stop to Bukit Bintang.

We alighted and headed out to Pavilion in search of the next 'kolam', and we were not disappointed! Apart from the large decor at the fountain by the entrance there was even a five minute traditional dance performance.

We then walked across Jalan Bukit Bintang onto Jalan Palmer then onto Jalan Walter Grenier before emerging at Jalan Sultan Ismail. We then took an escalator up to the Bukit Bintang Monorail station before it across into Sungai Wang Plaza.

No 'kolam' here, so we headed up to the third floor to have lunch at Vinh City Vietnamese Cuisine. We ordered the:

• Crab Paste Vermicelli Soup
• Pineapple Fried Rice 
• 2 Iced Vietnamese Green Tea
• 1 hot Vietnamese Coffee

 

that came to RM42.56 (approximately USD10/EUR9).

We then took an elevator down and exited across Jalan Bulan 1 before a quick dash into Plaza Low Yat. Here we checked out several options to replace ever growing collection of portable external hard drives, but most would cost several thousand Ringgit.

We then exited Plaza Low Yat and walked across to Berjaya Times Square. We got to the main foyer and were happy to find a large collection of Diwali decor.

We then walked out, headed to the final mall on our list, LaLaport BBCC. Alas we could not find a single 'kolam'. With LaLaport BBCC our final destination we hailed a Grab car for a fare of RM11. 00 (approximately USD3/EUR2) back to condo. We found three malls with 'kolams' out of a possible five, which wasn't bad, but a little disheartening nonetheless.

Stay tuned as we go on an hour's drive south for the weekend!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Havironia Music - https://goo.gl/maps/swtNfVmjFK4FgRsf8

Tun Razak Exchange - https://maps.app.goo.gl/KqTyN7VvNMVVABVHA

Pavilion KL Couture Entrance - https://maps.app.goo.gl/vDefBDzrTwp4Y2Ha8

Sungei Wang Plaza - https://maps.app.goo.gl/DBu3ef3xqb6X3LAv8

Vinh City Vietnamese Cuisine - https://maps.app.goo.gl/grJ1LaX5Fqn1sA6Y8

Plaza Low Yat - https://maps.app.goo.gl/9CF8R1GRqxrX9z8C7

Berjaya Times Square - https://maps.app.goo.gl/u77RXNkaC7MLtmLD6

LaLaport BBCC - https://maps.app.goo.gl/DhRWGfe9q1YfMrHe7

CGK to KUL: MH710 to Kuala Lumpur - Farewell Jakarta!

Going Home!

We awoke at 5:00am and with most of the packing was done the night before we checked out an hour later. A taxi arranged with the front desk to take us a short distance to the BNI City train station did not materialize.  We then left the unit key and card with with the front desk and left word with Sigit our host, then hailed a Bluebird taxi for a fixed fare of IDR33,000 (approx. MYR9/USD2/EUR2) to the BNI City station. 

At the 1st floor lobby of the station a kind lady assisted us to purchase our tickets to the Bandara station at Terminal 1 of the airport. The tickets cost us IDR70,000 each (approx. MYR20/USD4/EUR4) and the train promptly departed at 6:38am. The train gave us a glimpse into the daily life in this sprawling metropolis, taking us past the Duri, Rawa Buaya and Batu Ceper stations before finally arriving at the Bandara station at 7:30am. 

We disembarked and took an elevator up to the Skytrain station where a train took us from Terminal 1 to Terminal 3.

At Terminal 3 we rode an elevator up to the International Departure Halls. We checked in at counter C12 and were slightly overweight, so we had to pay extra. Please bear in mind that the airport authorities here only accept cash or credit card, and not debit cards. 

All done with the check-in process we headed into the International Departure Halls on the left of Terminal 3. Here we navigated past the security and Immigration checkpoints without incident before proceeding to Gate 4, which tuned out to be a 15 minute walk away. With more than an hour till boarding we stopped for drinks at Expresso Bar. Our Cafe Latte and Chai Latte came to IDR153,000 (approx. MYR44/USD9/EUR9). 

An hour later we walked over to Gate 4, however there was a 15-minute delay to our flight which was rescheduled to 11:25am local time. We were allowed to board according to our group and since we were in Group 6 we were among the last to board at 11:15am.

MH710 pushed back at 11:28am and took off at 11:40am. It was overcast and hazy, but once the plane climbed higher we saw blue skies. Half an hour in we were served our meals, Cat opted for the Fish with Rice while I tried the Chicken with Noodles. 

An hour later the plane began its descent and eventually touched down at 2:25pm Malaysian time. We soon disembarked and navigated past Immigration then headed to Carousel to collect our luggage before  heading down to the KLIA Express Transit station. 

The train to KL Sentral departed at 3:20pm and we arrived half an hour later. Brendan picked us up at the KLIA Express KL City Air Terminal exit and we were home by 4:30pm. Door-to-door our journey took us approx. ten hours, which in our minds was a reasonable time spent travelling.

Thank you for joining us on our whirlwind trip to Jakarta, see all of you real soon!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

BNI City (Sudirman Baru) - https://maps.app.goo.gl/b4i1zkk9Pw93Lp1S7

Terminal 3 Soekarno–Hatta International Airport

- https://maps.app.goo.gl/BWSPMdXKQm9F61Kt5

Kuala Lumpur International Airport - https://maps.app.goo.gl/pDCevJLK4PNEfeq39

KLIA Express Transit Station @ KLIA

- https://maps.app.goo.gl/1AG4CR3HqePKrE3p7

KLIA Ekspres - https://maps.app.goo.gl/aMxKXzeH29zWT1799

Havironia Music - https://goo.gl/maps/swtNfVmjFK4FgRsf8

JAKARTA Shopping Spree: Part 2 - Grand Indonesia • Thamrin City

Shopping Spree continues!

We picked you up again as we disembarked from the MRT at the Bundaran HI station and walked through Plaza Indonesia to Grand Indonesia. 

Here at the West Mall we went up to the first floor in search of another local Indonesian perfume. We found the HMNS (or Humans) stall and got the following:

• 100ml bottle of the ALPHA fragrance [for Men]
• 100ml bottle of the ORGASM fragrance [for Men's]
• 100ml bottle of the UNROSED fragrance [for Women]
• 100ml bottle of the ORGASM fragrance [for Women]
• and were gifted a free Kitchen Reed Diffuser [Warm Lemon Pie fragrance]

for a grand total of IDR1,397,000 (approximately MYR393/USD87/EUR80). 

We then headed down to the lower ground floor, and at the Mamitoko stall got a double scoop gelato of our favourite Rum & Raisin flavour for IDR88,000 (approximately MYR26/USD6/EUR5). 

We managed to accumulate 8,000 steps by this point so we rested our feet for a bit before continuing our walkabout. 

Since it was already lunch time we thought we would walk around the vicinity. Alas there were none offering local cuisine so we rode the escalators up to the first floor and across the Skybridge to the East Mall. Here we rode more escalators up to the fifth floor to our new favourite restaurant, Warung Leko.

After lunch, with our feet feeling quite sore we went down to the ground and hailed a Bluebird taxi for a fare of IDR10,000 (approximately MYR3/USD0.60/EUR0.60) back to the Airbnb.

We then took a few hours to rest up before resuming our shopping spree. At a quarter to five in the evening we again took a short stroll to Thamrin City, and  began an earnest deep dive into the myriad of shops and stalls here. After an hour and a half of senseless shopping we emerged with:

• 3 long pants for Cat from Alyssa Cherell for IDR150,000
• a set of blouse for Cat and short sleeved shirts for Brendan and I from Batik Asta for IDR270,000
• 2 blouses for Cat from Qistina Batik for IDR270,000
• 3 blouses for Cat from Me & Collection for IDR390,000

for a grand total of IDR1,080,000 (approximately MYR317/USD67/EUR62). 

We were well and truly done with shopping, and were eager to get back to the Airbnb. But before we did so we made sure to take away our dinner:

• Kopi Kenangan Mantan & Avocado Milk from Kopi Kenangan for IDR78,000
• 2 Jagoan Hemat & 2 Large Fries from KFC for IDR135,000

for a grand total of IDR213,000 (approximately MYR63/USD13/EUR12). 

We then made the short walk back to the Airbnb. Thus ended our Saturday shopping spree.  Stay tuned for our final Jakarta video as we head to the airport tomorrow morning!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Stasiun MRT Bundaran HI - https://maps.app.goo.gl/AKEvc8w9xUU66stP6

Plaza Indonesia - https://maps.app.goo.gl/jShYqHTmgkrrw3CA9

Grand Indonesia - https://maps.app.goo.gl/23muEAdXcKqgtedTA

Warung Leko Grand Indonesia - https://maps.app.goo.gl/zfZStX7h2PEeWEQQ6

Thamrin City - https://maps.app.goo.gl/bGRzv4tHjEDdHuDYA

Thamrin Executive Residence - https://maps.app.goo.gl/UgNnAHXTXNUrZWGW7

JAKARTA Shopping Spree: Part 1 - Plaza Senayan • Senayan City [First Time on the MRT!]

Shopping Spree!

I had a good night's sleep and woke up at six this morning. I let Cat continue with her beauty sleep while I spent the next couple of hours or so continuing work on our videos.

I woke Cat up at eight and we got ready. We left the Airbnb at nine and got down to the lobby. Here we asked to book a taxi for tomorrow morning to the BNI City (Sudirman Baru) train station. 

We then hailed a Bluebird taxi via the phone app for a fixed fare of IDR58,000 (approximately MYR17/USD4/EUR3) to Plaza Senayan. The purpose of our trip there was to visit the Skechers store and check out their designs. 

It was a quiet morning and we arrived in about ten minutes. Since the mall was not yet open we headed to a Starbucks for breakfast. We ordered the:

• hot Americano
• Shaken Iced Tea Lemonade
• Beef Pastrami Multi-Seed Sandwich 

for a total of IDR134,000 (approximately MYR40/USD8/EUR8).

We initially sat outside but the pungent smell of cigar smoke forced us indoors. We then entered Plaza Senayan and began to browse. 

First on our to do list is Skechers. Guess what? We found the darned elusive back strapped sandals! We both got a pair each and together with 3 pairs of socks for Cat it all came to IDR1,607,900 (approximately MYR452/USD100/EUR92). 

Next was a local Indonesian perfume called Alchemist. For this we walked across to Senayan City and found the stall on the lower ground floor. 

We got a 50ml bottle of the fragrance Onirique for IDR449,000 (approximately MYR126/USD28/EUR26). 

After that we walked back across to Plaza Senayan, then onward to the MRT station nearby. For a fare of of IDR6,000 each (approximately MYR2/USD0.40/EUR0.30) we rode the MRT to the Bundaran HI station. 

We disembarked and walked into Plaza Indonesia. Be sure to catch our next video as well continue our Jakarta shopping spree at Grand Indonesia and Thamrin City! 

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Thamrin Executive Residence - https://maps.app.goo.gl/UgNnAHXTXNUrZWGW7

Plaza Senayan - https://maps.app.goo.gl/1vGufxgTuB3t4wC99

Senayan City - https://maps.app.goo.gl/1sP33EfbzG1omieR6

Stasiun MRT Senayan - https://maps.app.goo.gl/yaWT5zTaXjZ66w2G7

Stasiun Bundaran HI - https://maps.app.goo.gl/idqp25YbKivBTypN7

Gado-Gado BOPLO: Thamrin City

Gado-Gado!

We picked you up again after we walked back to the Airbnb from Plaza Indonesia. Perhaps the portion of rice at Kopi Luwak was small but I grew hungry again by six in the evening.

With nothing in mind we decided to walk to Thamrin City to see what they had in store. Midway through the walk I lost my footing and took a tumble!

Apparently I twisted my left ankle ever so slightly so for the remaining walk to Thamrin City it was quite sore.

At Thamrin City we surveilled the various eateries before deciding on Gado-Gado Boplo only because they had a menu with photos of their dishes. This made it easier for us to decide on what to order, and in the end we settled on:

• Nasi Goreng Rawon
• Bihun Goreng Seafood 
• Telur Ceplok
• 2 Jus Kedongdong

Our very local and authentic Indonesian dinner at Thamrin City came to IDR172,000 (approximately MYR49/USD10/EUR10).

We then walked (gingerly in my case) over to Lawson grocery store to get some soft drinks to aid in the digestion of our dinner. All done we strolled back to the Airbnb.

Stay tuned for our next video as we explore a new mall at the Senayan area! 

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Thamrin Executive Residence - https://maps.app.goo.gl/UgNnAHXTXNUrZWGW7

Thamrin City - https://maps.app.goo.gl/PV14MK3wDyU77nEA7

Gado-Gado Boplo - https://maps.app.goo.gl/uEUiwtkB2RJagFtJ7

Lawson Thamrin City - https://maps.app.goo.gl/VTeZfrH7NP6HcUnH9

Kopi LUWAK: Civet Coffee!

Kopi Luwak!

We picked you up again as we caught the free Jakarta Explorer bus back to the Sudirman district, and got off at the Plaza Indonesia stop. 

We walked across the bustling Jalan Thamrin and into Plaza Indonesia. It was lunchtime and we followed a large crowd down to the lower ground floor. Here we found something that I had been looking forward to since arriving in Jakarta: Kopi Luwak!

"Kopi Luwak coffee comes from the Indonesian island of Java and Sumatra, an area well-known for its excellent coffee. Also native to the area is a small civet-like animal called a Paradoxurus. That’s the scientific name, the locals call them luwaks. These little mammals live in the trees and one of their favorite foods is the red, ripe coffee cherry.

They eat the cherries, bean and all. While the bean is in the little animal’s stomach, it undergoes chemical treatments and fermentations. The bean finishes its journey through the digestive system, and exits. The still-intact beans are collected from the forest floor, and are cleaned, then roasted and ground just like any other coffee. Because of strange method of collecting, there is not much Kopi Luwak produced in the world. The resulting coffee is said to be like no other. It is rich, heavy flavor with hints of caramel or chocolate. Other terms used to describe it as earthy, musty and exotic. The body is almost syrupy and it is very smooth."

We took our seats and perused their diminutive menu before settling on:

• Rawon Daging Sapi
• Sop Daging Warisan
• Avocado Float
• Classic Frozen Lemonade

After lunch we added a round of desserts that included:

• Cheese Potato Wedges
• Caramel Banana Choco Cheese
• and of course, Authentic Kopi Luwak!

Our most enjoyable meal and excellent dessert together with the awesome coffee came to IDR495,400 (approximately MYR147/USD31/EUR29).

Be sure to catch our previous video of our walk back to the Airbnb!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Plaza Indonesia - https://maps.app.goo.gl/xSGqXKykqp7Errb48

Kopi Luwak - https://maps.app.goo.gl/8PXuYQq4quLSPvCJ9

MONAS: National Monument

Monas!

We picked you up again after we left Thamrin City and hailed a Bluebird taxi to our next destination: Monas.

The National Monument (or Monumen Nasional, Monas for short) is a 132 m obelisk in the centre of Merdeka Square, Central Jakarta. It is the national monument of the Republic of Indonesia, built to commemorate the struggle for Indonesian independence.

Pieter the Bluebird taxi driver was a very friendly and knowledgeable person who was fond of sharing little nuggets of information about going around Jakarta. We had a great time chatting with him, and by the time we arrived the fare was IDR41, 200. We gave him IDR50,000 (approximately MYR14/USD3/EUR3) and asked him to keep the change. 

Pieter gave us instructions on how to get to the main gates, and after consulting with a kind security personnel reached it. Here we rode a free shuttle cart to the main tower. 

At the main tower we walked down to the ticketing counter. We paid IDR50,000 (approximately MYR15/USD3/EUR3) and were issued a card. 

We then walked across a tunnel and at the other end used the card to gain entry into Monas. We emerged at the surface level and after skirting around the monument walked down again into its museum. 

We spent a fairy bit of time here at the Museum Sejarah Nasional (Museum of National History) capturing footage of each diorama dedicated to the history of Jakarta and Indonesia. There are a total of 51 dioramas around the walls and in the centre of the hall.

We then walked up to the surface level and back to the free shuttle cart back. 

We disembarked and walked out to the front gate along Jalan Medan Merdeka Selatan. Pieter the Bluebird taxi driver suggested we catch the free Jakarta Explorer bus back to the Sudirman district, close to where the Airbnb was. 

Be sure to catch our upcoming video of our lunch at Kopi Luwak!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Monumen Nasional (Monas) - https://maps.app.goo.gl/P4xtkK7YvTFeQRPH6

Museum Sejarah Nasional - https://maps.app.goo.gl/LtguCTiWGWe4QkM87

JAKARTA Jaunt: Thamrin City • Monas • Plaza Indonesia • Kopi Luwak

Out of our comfort zone!

I woke up at a quarter to seven and spent the next couple of hours or so working on our videos.

I woke Cat up at half past eight and we got ready. We left the Airbnb at half past nine and walked to Thamrin City. Apart from having breakfast here we also need to return a shirt to Habibi Batik, instead of an L and XXL sized shirt we got two XXL sized shirts.

We surveilled the various restaurants here at Thamrin City before settling on Tomoro Coffee. We were only in the mood for drinks and ordered the:

• their signature Santos Maritaca Brazil Latte
• cold Cheese Cloud Chocolate

for a total of IDR56,000 (approximately MYR17/USD4/EUR3).

We then entered Thamrin City and began the arduous task of locating Habibi Batik. After a few anxious minutes navigating through a maze of shops we finally found Habibi. 

Alas this was not the outlet we bought the shirts from, but the gentleman at this outlet was kind enough to guide us to two other outlets. Both were also not the correct outlet, the one we were looking for was on a floor above. 

However the third outlet obliged us with handling the return, and we soon got the L sized replacement. The shirt was duly exchanged, and apart from that we also got another set of matching blouse for Cat and long sleeved shirts for Brendan and I for IDR450,000 (approximately MYR132/USD28/EUR26).

We walked around in search of a souvenir for a friend. We eventually settled on a Muslim prayer dress for IDR540,000 (approximately MYR158/USD33/EUR31). On the way out a Batik blouse at Zain Collection caught her eye so we got two pairs for IDR280,000 (approximately MYR80/USD17/EUR16). We then exited Thamrin City and hailed a Bluebird taxi to our next destination: Monas.

Be sure to catch our upcoming video of this iconic landmark!

We picked you up again as we left Monas and caught the free Jakarta Explorer bus back to the Sudirman district, close to where the Airbnb was. 

The bus arrived at 12:40 and departed ten minutes later. Its first stop was Sarinah shopping mall, but we got off at their next stop which was Plaza Indonesia. 

We walked across the bustling Jalan Thamrin and into Plaza Indonesia. It was lunchtime and we followed a large crowd down to the lower ground floor. Here we found something that I had been looking forward to since arriving in Jakarta: Kopi Luwak!

Be sure to catch our upcoming video of this legendary coffee!

We picked you up again after lunch as we explored Plaza Indonesia for a little bit before asking for directions from the concierge on how to get to Grand Indonesia. Directions received we exited at Starbucks and walked across Jalan H. M. Saleh Ishak onto the East Mall of Grand Indonesia. 

Here we walked across Jalan Teluk Betung and into the West Mall, and then exited via the Kempinski Grand Ballroom. We then walked across Jalan Teluk Betung 1 and continued south before turning right before eventually walking across 

Stay tuned for our next video as we visit the National Monument, Monas!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Thamrin Executive Residence - https://maps.app.goo.gl/UgNnAHXTXNUrZWGW7

Bakso Lapangan Tembak Senayan (Thamrin City)

- https://maps.app.goo.gl/F9U3y3EMWqFXowLe6

HABIBI BATIK - https://maps.app.goo.gl/7S1ZbiGpCrdKPhT66

Monumen Nasional (Monas) - https://maps.app.goo.gl/P4xtkK7YvTFeQRPH6

Museum Sejarah Nasional - https://maps.app.goo.gl/LtguCTiWGWe4QkM87

Plaza Indonesia - https://maps.app.goo.gl/xSGqXKykqp7Errb48

Kopi Luwak - https://maps.app.goo.gl/8PXuYQq4quLSPvCJ9

Grand Indonesia - https://maps.app.goo.gl/23muEAdXcKqgtedTA

Thamrin Residences: Portal Co-Kitchen

Thamrin Residences!

We picked you up again after returning to the Airbnb after our afternoon saunter at Grand Indonesia. While I busied myself with the growing catalogue of footage from the past two days Cat was occupied with laundry.

Evening time came and we were not particularly hungry, so we only left the Airbnb past eight in search of a meal. We decided to properly explore the adjacent apartment block, Thamrin Residences.

We strolled past several mini markets and eateries before settling on a group of food providers under the parent umbrella called Portal Co-Kitchen. Here eight different kitchens were housed under one roof providing patrons with a diverse range of cuisine.

We took our time perusing their consolidated menu and ordered the:

• Bihun Goreng Kari (Curry Fried Rice Vermicelli)
• Cumi Sambal Matah (Rice with Fried Squid and Egg)
• Iced Tea Tarik 
• Iced Tea

Our late dinner came to IDR123,300 (approximately MYR36/USD8/EUR7). 

We then popped into an IndoMaret convenience store to get a small tub of ice cream before making the short walk back to the Airbnb.

Stay tuned for our next video as we venture out of our comfort zone!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Thamrin Executive Residence - https://maps.app.goo.gl/UgNnAHXTXNUrZWGW7

Thamrin Residences - https://maps.app.goo.gl/esv5UaiCMi2M4PuV8

Portal Co-Kitchen (Thamrin Residences)

- https://maps.app.goo.gl/WXcoPSFEBDkRBhTG9

Grand Indonesia Again! • Baia Nonna

Nyonya cuisine!

We picked you up again after returning to the Airbnb to deposit our plentiful bounty of Batik from Thamrin City.

We hailed a Grab car for a fare of IDR22, 700 (approximately MYR6/USD1/EUR1) to Grand Indonesia.

Although the distance is only 500 meters on foot we felt the the narrow road was treacherously fraught with speeding motorists. So rather than take the risk we'd rather pay a little extra to get to Grand Indonesia safely.

Our first port of call was the Skechers store at Level 3 of the East Mall. Yes, we resumed our hunt for the elusive back-strapped sandals!

Alas the store was closed for renovations, but a few doors down was a FILA store with... a back-strapped sandal!

Together with a three pairs of socks and a tote bag for Brendan our haul here came to IDR1,238,230 (approximately MYR344/USD73/68EUR).

We then walked a floor down to the KEDS store where Cat bought a pair of beige sneakers for IDR649,500 (approximately MYR181/USD38/EUR36). Cat said this particular brand of sneakers was not available in Malaysia, hence the allure of owning one. 

We then rode an elevator down to the lower ground floor and got some provisions from Ranch Market. Right across was Baia Nonna, a Nyonya restaurant that beckoned us over. We took our seats, perused the menu, scanned the QR code provided and ordered the:

• Ayam Berempah Basmati Rice
• Chicken Curry Basmati Rice
• Iced Chrysanthemum Tea
• Iced Chrysanthemum & Longan Tea

Our very late lunch came to IDR250,690 (approximately MYR73/USD15/EUR14). 

We then rode an elevator up to the first floor and across to the West Mall. We then rode another elevator down to the lower ground floor and headed to The Foodhall supermarket for one final errand.

All done we headed out and hailed a Bluebird for a fare of IDR15,600 (approximately MYR4/USD1/EUR1) back to the Airbnb.

Stay tuned for our next video as we go out to dinner for the first time!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Thamrin Executive Residence - https://maps.app.goo.gl/UgNnAHXTXNUrZWGW7

Grand Indonesia - https://maps.app.goo.gl/dtUDeYN1zJRpJxf57

KEDS Grand Indonesia - https://maps.app.goo.gl/GodakRXZ3en8jgGo8

Ranch Market Grand Indonesia - https://maps.app.goo.gl/o79ogwZ8DQGEvWRF8

Baia Nonna - https://maps.app.goo.gl/LBJV5WBJXyTcmAJ8A

The Foodhall (Grand Indonesia) - https://maps.app.goo.gl/sDdZVeANNcQ44ni49

THAMRIN City: Breathless Batik Buying Spree!

Good morning Jakarta!

We slept in a little and left the Airbnb at half past nine. We were bound for an enormous shopping mall known as Thamrin City. 

Truth be told our entire trip to Jakarta was actually centred around our wish to shop for Batik at none other than Thamrin City. A 5 minute walk later and we had arrived, and after taking several thumbnail photos of the main signboard we walked up to a row of eateries.

We decided to have breakfast at Bakso Lapangan Tembak Senayan (a mouthful). After enquiring with the waiter about what was good we settled on:

• Bakso Campur Spesial
• Bakso Malang
• Es Kelapa Muda
• Es Timun Serut

Our introductory meal to this Indonesian staple food came to IRD113,000 (approximately MYR33/USD7/EUR7).

Breakfast squared away we walked into Thamrin City to begin exploring this mazy mall in earnest. After wandering around every floor we eventually found ourselves at Habibi Batik and got ourselves:

• 2 sets of matching blouse for Cat and long sleeved shirts for Brendan and I
• 2 blouses for Cat

that came to 8 items of clothing totaling IDR1,150,000 (approximately MYR337/USD71/EUR66).

We then got 2 pairs of long pants for Cat from a stall called Beauties that came to IDR240,000 (approximately MYR70/USD15/EUR14). We ambled on along looking for something to drink when a Batik blouse caught Cat’s eye.

Arfa Batik yielded the biggest haul of the day by far, and we walked away with:

• 1 set of matching blouse for Ct and long sleeved shirts for Brendan and I
• 2 sets of matching long sleeved shirts for Brendan and I
• 2 sets of matching short sleeved shirts for Brendan and I
• 2 long sleeved shirts for Brendan
• 1 long sleeved shirt for me

that came to 14 items of clothing that came to IDR1,800,000 (approximately MYR528/USD112/EUR104).

From Me & Batik Collection next door Cat got 6 blouses for IDR720,000 (MYR211/USD45/EUR41).

Three hours later we emerged with a voluminous amount of clothing. Here’s a recap of our bounty:

• 8 items of clothing from Habibi Batik
• 2 long pants from Beauty
• 14 items of clothing from Arfa Batik
• 6 blouses from Me & Batik Collection

for a grand total of 30 items of clothing that came to IDR3,910,000 (MYR1,147/USD243/EUR225). What a plentiful bounty indeed.

We walked out of Thamrin City and had drinks at Kenangan Coffee before making our way back to the Airbnb next door.

Stay tuned as we head out to a very late lunch!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Thamrin Executive Residence - https://maps.app.goo.gl/UgNnAHXTXNUrZWGW7

Thamrin City - https://maps.app.goo.gl/PV14MK3wDyU77nEA7

Bakso Lapangan Tembak Senayan (Thamrin City)

- https://maps.app.goo.gl/F9U3y3EMWqFXowLe6

HABIBI BATIK - https://maps.app.goo.gl/7S1ZbiGpCrdKPhT66

Arfa Batik - https://maps.app.goo.gl/acphqsgZiqX2RKbe9

Me & Batik Collection - https://maps.app.goo.gl/fcotdqV2huEGp5Zz5

Kopi Kenangan (Thamrin City) - https://maps.app.goo.gl/gyeoZhMnP3KU2QKH6

Warong LEKO: Sop Buntut!

Sop Buntut!

We picked you up again after being recommended Warung Leko by the Grand Indonesia concierge as we were looking a restaurant serving authentic local cuisine.

We rode several escalators up to the fifth floor of the East Mall and found the restaurant. The place was tastefully decoration, and it exuded warmth and comfort. We quickly scanned the menu and settled on:

• 2 Nasi Merah
• Sup Buntut (Oxtail Soup)
• Iga Penyet (Grilled Beef Ribs)
• Lemongrass Tea
• Jus Kedondong 
• Es Delima Campur 
• Es Campur 

Our first meal in Jakarta came to IDR381,700 (approximately MYR113.50 USD24/EUR22).

Epilogue: On our penultimate day in Jakarta, we were in the West Mall of Grand Indonesia during lunch time and thought we would walk around looking for local cuisine to no avail. Unfortunately we could not find any so we rode the escalators up to the first floor and across the Skybridge to the East Mall. Here we rode more escalators up to the fifth floor to our new favourite restaurant, Warung Leko.

After a quick scan of their menu we settled on:

• Sup Buntut (again)
• Gurame Sambal Bawang
• 2 White Rice
• Jus Kedondong
• Lemon Grass Tea

that came to IDR324,100 (approximately MYR97/USD20/EUR19).

Stay tuned as we begin our quest for batik at Thamrin City bright and early the following day!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Grand Indonesia - https://maps.app.goo.gl/bZpXEoSXWNR6yC3U8

Warung Leko Grand Indonesia - https://maps.app.goo.gl/zfZStX7h2PEeWEQQ6

Grand Indonesia: Warong Leko • DJI Store • Mamitoko

Our first mall!

We picked you up again after we settled into the Airbnb and freshened up. We were famished and thought we'd take a stroll to the large shopping mall next door.

Chief among our reasons for choosing Thamrin Executive Residence was its close proximity to several shopping malls.

A short stroll later and we were in the West Mall of Grand Indonesia. We then rode two flights of escalators before walking across to the East Mall. We enquired with the concierge for local cuisine and were recommended Warong Leko on the fifth floor.

Be sure to catch our upcoming video of this awesome restaurant!

After our very late lunch we took an escalator down to Level 3A to the DJI store here to get our hands on the Pocket 3. We opted for the Creator Combo and together with 128GB microSDXC memory card came to IDR10,999,000 (approximately MYR3,085/USD682/EUR632).

Christmas came early as far as I was concerned!

We then wandered around and got some groceries and pastries from a supermarket, The Foodhall at the lower ground floor. Cat then gleefully walked over to a store she had been following on Instagram, Mamitoko.

We got two cheese bread and were gifted a free single scoop gelato. With all these in hand we decided to head back to the Airbnb. Our feet were killing us so despite the short distance we opted to hop into a Bluebird taxi for a fare of IDR18,600 (approximately MYR5/USD1/EUR1) back the Airbnb. We had fun chatting with the taxi driver and didn't mind that he made a wrong turn along the way. We paid in cash but he did not have enough for change, so we accepted whatever he had in return for the awesome conversation we shared.

We got back to the Airbnb to stow away our things then headed down to LB floor to check out the swimming pool, courtyard and gym.

Stay tuned as we begin our quest for batik at Thamrin City bright and early tomorrow morning!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Thamrin Executive Residence - https://maps.app.goo.gl/UgNnAHXTXNUrZWGW7

Grand Indonesia - https://maps.app.goo.gl/bZpXEoSXWNR6yC3U8

Warung Leko Grand Indonesia - https://maps.app.goo.gl/zfZStX7h2PEeWEQQ6

Airbnb: Thamrin Executive Residence

Humble Abode!

We picked you up again after arriving at our Airbnb. Conveniently located in the heart of Jakarta and close to a trinity of shopping malls, namely Grand Indonesia, Plaza Indonesia, and most importantly Thamrin City Mall it was for this precise reason that we booked our stay here.

It boasts a  swimming pool, whirlpool, sauna, gym, garden and park, playground, BBQ pit, function hall, mini market, laundry and dry clean pick up delivery, salon, ATM center, taxi pool, receptionist at the lobby, security 24 hours, mailbox room, parking area for car – motorbike – bicycle, etc.

The check-in process was quite straight-forward as we collected the key card to the unit and made our way up to the XX floor. The unit was well appointed and had everything we needed, complete with bed linen, towels, two flat-screen TVs, a fully equipped kitchen, and a balcony with an awesome view of the city.

We’ll let our footage paint a picture of the unit, including the swimming pool, courtyard and gym on the LB floor. 

For RM266.88 a night (approximately USD57/EUR52) we thought it was fair value given its strategic and location, within walking distance to key attractions. Not to mention that Sigit the host is a super helpful and warm person. Later in the evening we took a stroll around the area in search of drinking water, and found an IndoMaret convenience store at an adjacent building (Thamrin Residence, not to be confused our Airbnb located within Thamrin Executive Residence).

Stay tuned as we take our first stroll around central Jakarta!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Thamrin Executive Residence - https://maps.app.goo.gl/UgNnAHXTXNUrZWGW7

Thamrin Residence - https://maps.app.goo.gl/FVgnYGpPd4dwyWCF7

Soekarno-Hatta to Jakarta Pusat: Skytrain • Raillink • BNI City

Jakarta!

We picked you up again after disembarking. After a quick potty break we scanned the QR code to apply for visa-on-arrival (VOA) to obtain an exemption from since we are ASEAN neighbours.

This was to no avail. We then scanned a second QR code to submit our declaration to the health ministry, also to no avail.

We then walked the length of Terminal 3 and were finally assisted by a health ministry official who kindly helped us with our declaration.

After that we sought assistance from an airport personnel with our VOA, and after much fiddling we successfully received our exemption.

We then scanned our passports at the Immigration booth before heading to Carousel 2 to collect our luggage. The final task was to allow the Customs officer to scan a preprinted QR code of our tax declaration that we had done online a day before.

We had well and truly arrived in Jakarta!

Next on our to do list was to catch a Skytrain on Terminal 1. We asked around and were told to take an elevator up to the first floor. We did so and at the first floor with the help of a kind security personnel caught a Skytrain soon thereafter.

The Skytrain is a short rail line that you can use to get to Soekarno-Hatta Train Station, also known as Soekarno-Hatta Integrated Airport Railway Station, or SHIA for short.

We wrongly disembarked at Terminal 2 and a kind security personnel diverted us back into the train.

The Integrated Airport Railway Station is located between Terminal 1 and Terminal 2 at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport. This is where we needed to go to catch a train from the airport to central Jakarta.

Once at the integrated building at Terminal 1 we rode an elevator from the Skytrain station down to the Railink a floor below. Here at SHIA we purchased our tickets from a kiosk that cost IDR70,000 (approximately MYR20/USD4/EUR4) to central Jakarta, specifically the BNI City Station.

We purchased our tickets for the 10:42am train which soon arrived. BNI City Station is conveniently located in central Jakarta just south of Bundaran HI, Grand Indonesia, Plaza Indonesia, and Thamrin City Mall. Most importantly it was very close to the Airbnb we had booked, Thamrin Executive Residence.

The train took an hour and once we arrived at BNI City Station we hailed a Grab car for a fare of IDR34,000 (approximately MYR10/USD2/EUR2) to our Airbnb.

Welcome to Central Jakarta!

Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:

Terminal 3 Soekarno–Hatta International Airport

- https://maps.app.goo.gl/BWSPMdXKQm9F61Kt5

Skytrain Terminal 3 - https://maps.app.goo.gl/NfazQnG97TwxCsuEA

Skytrain Terminal 1 - https://maps.app.goo.gl/4hq58W4NxHVd2g4Z7

Soekarno Hatta Raillink - https://maps.app.goo.gl/t4BTEiSu1NzTRsgF8

BNI City (Sudirman Baru) - https://maps.app.goo.gl/uuHorWykgJGtnLtg9

Thamrin Executive Residence - https://maps.app.goo.gl/UgNnAHXTXNUrZWGW7