Question 6 hours in jakarta

[rsfinn57]

I am going to be in jakarta from 1pm till 9 om catching midnight. flight. to sorong. Looking for a private guide with a car or willing to meet us at the airport and taxi. My wife wants to visit a few batik artisans then we would love to do a street food tour. Any leads would be helpful

 

[stepfen]

Keep in mind:
- (Assuming you arrive to Indonesia from abroad at 1pm) clearing immigration, picking up your luggage and clearing customs etc can easily take more than 1 hour.
- commuting to and from the city center to the airport can easily take another 2 hours (or more) each way depending on how (un)lucky you are.

So the time you will actually get might be much less than what you think.

If you insist, for the guide, unless somebody here suggests something particular, one way that usually works is to contact earlier the place(s) you want to visit and ask them to arrange a driver to pick you up from the airport. They will usually be happy to help arranging transfer for you.

Another option is to use online apps (grab, etc) once you are there.

 

[Cali_diver]

Traffic in Jakarta can be absolutely insane so i don't think you will have much time to do anything. I would recommend getting a room at Ayana (which is at the International/Garuda domestic terminal 3)or the Jakarta airport hotel in Terminal 2. Rest and get ready for the red eye since it can be brutal trying to stay up that first night. You will thank me later when you get on your liveaboard and you aren't completely exhausted and feeling like you are coming down with something. FYI ...I fly to Indo 4-5 times a year from California.

 

[FishWatcher747]

3)or the Jakarta airport hotel in Terminal 2.

That is what I am doing on my upcoming trip on the way to Sorong. But on the way home I have enough time at CGK to go into the city. Is taking the train into Jakarta a better option than taking a cab and a way to avoid the traffic?

 

[rsfinn57]

thanks. for the info the hotel in term 3 it is

 

[elegant_phyllidia]

Just got back from Indonesia and we had the same layover as you, arrived around 2pm and our flight was at midnight.

Stayed at Anara (~$80 USD per night) to take a shower/catch up on some sleep after 20 hour flights. There is also another option if you want to save some $, there are sleeping pods at Terminal 3 --> Digital Airport Hotel offers 120 futuristic capsules (~$27 USD). Another friend stayed there and he said it got the job done but I would suggest you read reviews since this is not for everyone.

 

[rsfinn57]

booked the anara on agoda all set

 

[matts1w]

I love Indonesian food, but a street food tour here is really a stomach gamble you do not want to take. You will have plenty of Indo food on your liveaboard, the airport, your hotel... Foor a tourist, eating from kaki lima and pop-up warung has potential to be...ummm....very messy.

 

[SaltyWombat]

As others have mentioned:

• Jakarta street food tour ... very good chance this will ruin the rest of your trip. I'm not picky when it comes to food, and reasonably adventurous, but Indonesia showed me my culinary limits.
• Jakarta traffic is next-level bad. It's one of the reasons they're moving the capital to a new city on a different island.
• It's just not worth leaving the airport.

I don't think anyone mentioned you can get massages and spa services either in the Anara hotel or at a spa in Terminal 3. I used the standalone spa and liked it.

You can also buy batik in the Anara lobby. If you have downtime in Sorong, I think you can find it there too.

The Anara buffet is a decent introduction to Indonesian food and you won't get sick.

 

[JonnieB]

Keep in mind:
- (Assuming you arrive to Indonesia from abroad at 1pm) clearing immigration, picking up your luggage and clearing customs etc can easily take more than 1 hour.
- commuting to and from the city center to the airport can easily take another 2 hours (or more) each way depending on how (un)lucky you are.

So the time you will actually get might be much less than what you think.

If you insist, for the guide, unless somebody here suggests something particular, one way that usually works is to contact earlier the place(s) you want to visit and ask them to arrange a driver to pick you up from the airport. They will usually be happy to help arranging transfer for you.

Another option is to use online apps (grab, etc) once you are there.

Exactly, DL a good ebook, tunes, or movies and wait it out at the airport. Who needs the stress of return trips from/to the airport with Jakarta's notorious traffic after a looong flight!