To Jakartans, shopping and spending the
whole day in malls is entertainment. Malls are places to hang out and
spend happy weekends with family and friends. For, Jakarta malls offer
everything from large department stores, luxury boutiques, supermarket,
gym, upmarket restaurants, food centers, cafes, bookshops, kids
playground, beauty salons, to cinemas, all under one roof
and in total air-conditioned comfort. And this, in often hot Jakarta,
is one of the main reasons why people spend long hours in malls.
Some have become household names, and
are known by their initials, like PIM (Pondok Indah Mall), CITOS
(Cilandak Town Square), GANCIT (Gandaria City), SENCY (Senayan City) and
more.
If you are looking for international top
designer boutiques, head to Jalan Thamrin-Sudirman, where are Grand
Indonesia, Plaza Indonesia,and FX, Further South are Senayan Plaza and
Senayan City and in the Kebayoran area are malls catering to the
upmarket clientele, such as Gandaria City, Dharmawangsa Square, Pasaraya
Grande, Pondok Indah Mall and Kemang. Then there is Pacific Place at
Kuningan, another favourite haunt. But each of Jakarta’s many districts
has one or more, so that finding things to buy and eat are all within
easy reach.
But if you are looking for something in particular to buy, then here are some tips.
Batik today is very
trendy in Indonesia. Outlets selling exclusive collections are many, but
famous names are Danar Hadi, Batik Keris and Batik Semar that can be
found also in malls. Indonesian Designers also have their own boutiques,
mostly found around the Kemang area. But for wholesale and reasonably
priced batik, head to Thamrin Plaza,for batik clothes, materials and
accessories.
For textiles and dresses
both produced domestically or imported, you will find these at Blok A
Tanah Abang or head to Mangga Dua in North Jakarta. Pasar Baru is a
traditional shopping area where you will find rows of textile shops.
Indonesia is also a large producer of handbags and shoes, these can be found here and in the larger malls.
For Indonesian handicrafts, best places are Batik Keris, Pasaraya Grande, Sarinah, or Grand Indonesia Plaza. Here you will find a complete collection of batiks, ikats,
silverware, wood carving and more. UKM Gallery (Small and Medium scalre
enterprises Gallery) at Gatot Subroto is another handicraft center.
If you are interested in gems, both precious
or semi-precious, then the Rawa Bening Market in Jatinegara is the
place, where you can find rubies, agates, emeralds, amethysts by the
basketful.
Other specialty markets include the Bird market at Jalan Pramuka. The Perkutut singing bird is particularly precious as these are bred for competitions. For antiques amd second hand suitcases, head to Jalan Surabaya flea market. Plants and orchids are sold around Senayan, or head to the Taman Mini orchid garden.
