Jakarta

Thanks to Cynthia Carr, former Community Liaison Officer at the British Embassy, Jakarta, for providing the information below to start this page. If anyone would like to add anything, please write in!

Travel tips

ATMs and money changers are readily available. Credit cards can be used.

The local telephone service is not too bad. Email facilities are fairly good and cheap to use. The local postal service, whilst reliable, is reckoned to be slow.

Electricity: voltage is generally 220-240V/50Hz with 2-pin round (European-style) sockets.

To avoid unwelcome attention, women would be best to wear trousers or long skirts or dresses, and not to expose too much bare arm or shoulders.

Accommodation

The Mandarin Hotel, situated right by the Embassy, is recommended. They may offer very favourable rates, depending on your status.

Food

Jakarta has a very large range of restaurants offering Western, Indian and Oriental food as well as local dishes. Many are situated in the larger hotels (eg Shangri La, Hilton, Regent, Hyatt, and Mandarin). There are also food chains like McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, Pizza Hut.

Shopping

Shopping is relatively easy for those who are not too tall and are very slim! Tailors abound in plenty, as do fabric shops, so it is easy to get clothes made to measure. Children's clothes are good value, although I gather it is sometimes better to bring shoes (especially school-type ones) from the UK.

Entertainment

There are many Clubs and Societies in Jakarta, including the St Andrew Society, and those of St George, St David and St Patrick. Most meet monthly and have Balls throughout the year. There is also the British Women's Association, the Australian and New Zealand Society (ANZA), the Canadian Wives' Association (all open to anyone).

For those interested in sport, there are numerous clubs one can join to play badminton, squash, tennis, golf, and football. Some golf clubs are very expensive, but there are plenty which have very reasonable green fees.

There is also the Hash.

www.expat.or.id is full of useful information, whether you are planning a visit to Indonesia or are already there.