Best Jakarta Cultural Experience: Eat, Shop and Relax Like A Local

I rarely recommended Jakarta, my hometown, to anyone who was visiting Indonesia. “Skip Jakarta, Indonesia has better places to discover” I would say about the city I spent more than two decades of my life in.

Recently, a week-long trip to Jakarta made me question my advice to ignore Jakarta if you are a tourist. I wondered if one wants to or must visit Jakarta, for work or for another short stopover, what would their Jakarta cultural experience be like? What could they do in one of the biggest cities in the world, that’s equivalent to attending a cooking class in Bali or a Batik painting workshop in Yogyakarta?

Actually, there are plenty of cultural experiences in Jakarta. It’s just so ingrained in me, as a local, that I had stopped seeing them as part of Jakarta’s cultural experience.

So if you ask me now, my answer is: yes, do visit Jakarta and experience all it has to offer.

As a tourist, there is a checklist of things you must see and do in Jakarta, like visiting a local museum or taking a selfie in front of Monas, the national monument. But if you want to experience authentic Jakarta culture, the way the locals do it, then you must: eat, shop and chill.

Eat Roadside Food

The best way to experience a culture is through its food. And, I say, the best way to experience Jakarta culture is by eating on the city’s roadside stalls called warung. Jakarta has an abundance of street food, with almost endless choices from early morning breakfast to late-night supper; from the crispiest fritters to sweetest desserts. All for a fraction of what you pay at your hotel and I can guarantee that it tastes better.

For authentic local food, go for the local soup (Soto Betawi) or crispy fried chicken/fish and rice combo (pecel ayam/lele) which is served with a side of sambal, Indonesia’s favourite condiment made of fresh chilli, shallot and soy sauce.

You must also try Indonesia’s most iconic local drink: Teh Botol. It’s bottled black tea, widely loved by all. If you prefer coffee, how about a sip of Kopi Luwak (local coffee made of partially digested coffee cherries, eaten and defecated by the Asian palm civet) instead?

Visit a Mall or Two (hundred)

With 170+ malls (some with designated selfie areas), going to the mall, even for window shopping, is part of being a local in Jakarta. It’s our favourite pastime. It’s where we hang out with friends, celebrate birthdays, go on dates, hold work meetings, relax and recuperate. It might not sound ideal to visit a shopping centre while travelling to a foreign country, but in order to gain a true and authentic Jakarta experience, this is a must.

Alun Alun

Since you must have a shopping mall back home, skip the international brands and head straight to the local ones. Alun Alun, located on the 3rd floor of the Grand Indonesia Shopping Mall, would be a great place to start. It’s where you can find a great variety of local products, proudly showcasing Indonesian and Jakarta culture, including food, art, clothes, jewellery, and homewares. Do note that the prices are not like a street market, because it’s inside a mall, but it’s still my favourite air-conditioned, one-stop-shop to explore every time I go back home.

Local Designers

I have a lot of respect for Indonesian designers, particularly the ones who use local sources, integrate local arts and promote Indonesian culture. And I might be slightly biased, but there are so many Indonesian artists who are incredibly talented with not enough recognition both locally and internationally. Get your shopping and feel good about supporting the local economy while travelling. Buy a souvenir for people back home. If food is not an option, you can go for Batik, the traditional Indonesian cloth.

If you want something a little edgier, you can buy jewellery made from kitchen ingredients such as brown rice or chilli flakes.

Get a Traditional Massage

The Indonesian saying of “butuh dipijet, nih” (“I need a massage“) is equivalent to “I need a drink” in Western culture. Traditional massage has been an integral part of Indonesian wellness for centuries and it’s still the go-to way to de-stress for locals.

There are plenty of choices for traditional massage in Jakarta, starting from a head massage using fruit extracts, locally known as Creambath, to foot reflexology with eucalyptus oil. But, if you want the ultimate cultural experience, treat yourself with a traditional body massage using lulur scrub. Lulur is a blend of turmeric, rice flour, flowers, and other herbs. Once dried, it will be scrubbed off of your body, leaving you with glowing skin that smells heavenly.

There are plenty of good massage places in Jakarta but my favourite ones are Taman Sari and Keraton. A traditional massage will set you back $20-$100+, however, the head and foot massage will be a bit cheaper.

Post Massage: Tea and Tips

Once the massage is done, the masseuse will thank you and offer you a warm beverage to finish the pampering session. Usually, it’s either black or ginger tea. Sometimes, though, it also may also be Jamu.

Jamu

Jamu is an Indonesian herbal tonic containing turmeric, ginger, and various herbs. For centuries, the Indonesians trusted the game to be a super-powered tonic drink to boost one’s health. Believe me when I say, based on past experience, which involved a few tears, it is NOT for everyone. But since you have gone this far for the authentic Jakarta culture experience, why not finish it up with a big gulp of this brightly-coloured drink?

Tipping

Tipping after getting a message (though not a must) is a common local practice and part of Indonesian culture. A couple of dollars would make a huge difference, but if you can, be more generous if you were well taken care of. You are on holiday, after all.

There are more things you can do to experience Jakarta culture, like being stuck in the traffic for hours inside a Bajaj (the auto-rickshaw which remains an icon of Jakarta for decades) or haggling prices in a local market. I will share the details of these and more in the second instalment of the Jakarta cultural experience so stay subscribed!

What is a local cultural experience in your hometown?