Jakata, Indonesia: #BEXforevermore Send Off Staycation

Travel Dates: June 6 - 7, 2015

one of my closest peers here in Jakarta has decided to bid goodbye to Jakarta after working for 2 years. Thus, some friends and I have decided to make his send off a surprise by planning a staycation in central Jakarta. 

our hashtag on our social media for this experience was #bexforevermore hahaha!

becoming a default staycation pose. haha!

with bex!

This was actually a simple staycation. We didn't cramp this overnight with things to do, hence, we basically spent the weekend chitchatting and eating. Moreover, personally, my goal for this staycation was to bring them to my favorite dining spots around Jakarta. 

ACCOMMODATION

After some research on hotels in Jakarta that can cater 4 adults in one room, we booked an overnight stay at the 2 bedroom suite of Aston at Kuningan Suites via Booking.com. I have decided to book through this website as it was the cheapest in comparison to the hotel's website and other 3rd parties. 

2 bedroom suite with breakfast for 4 pax, inclusive of all taxes and surcharges - 1,161,348 IDR (~87 USD)

PROs

• massive room space (perfect for small type of gatherings)
• cozy hotel experience
• helpful and accommodating hotel staff
• relatively clean and comfortable room
• nearby to malls

 CONs

• some taxi drivers had difficulty locating the hotel
• poor air conditioning in both rooms
• breakfast spread was nothing to rave about  
• dark lighting in the bathroom

 lobby

living room and kitchen

bedroom

breakfast choices

DINING

Like what i have mentioned, a bulk of our staycation was spent in the malls (window) shopping and dining. So let me share some dining places i love which i excitedly shared to my friends.

Kitchenette

An Ismaya Group creation which will always be my favorite restaurant in Jakarta. 

We had our lunch at the Senayan City branch.

Must Try Dish: nachos

lunchin'

Sushi Tei

My favorite sushi place in all of Jakarta. Enough Said.

Must Try Dishes: salmon sashimi and dragon roll

Bex and Family. hahaha!

Last Thoughts about #bexforevermore

friends forever!

Writing this entry now makes me miss Bex so much. Life hasn't been the same since he went back to the Philippines. DRAMA! Hahaha!

Anyway, remembering that moment where we were all together talking about life, future plans and current events were a realization that things are changing. some for the good and some are not. And at that point, we all agreed in one thing, a major change is coming. And it is going to happen soon. real soon. *wink*

Jakata, Indonesia: #BEXforevermore Send Off Staycation

Travel Dates: June 6 - 7, 2015

one of my closest peers here in Jakarta has decided to bid goodbye to Jakarta after working for 2 years. Thus, some friends and I have decided to make his send off a surprise by planning a staycation in central Jakarta. 

our hashtag on our social media for this experience was #bexforevermore hahaha!

becoming a default staycation pose. haha!

with bex!

This was actually a simple staycation. We didn't cramp this overnight with things to do, hence, we basically spent the weekend chitchatting and eating. Moreover, personally, my goal for this staycation was to bring them to my favorite dining spots around Jakarta. 

ACCOMMODATION

After some research on hotels in Jakarta that can cater 4 adults in one room, we booked an overnight stay at the 2 bedroom suite of Aston at Kuningan Suites via Booking.com. I have decided to book through this website as it was the cheapest in comparison to the hotel's website and other 3rd parties. 

2 bedroom suite with breakfast for 4 pax, inclusive of all taxes and surcharges - 1,161,348 IDR (~87 USD)

PROs

• massive room space (perfect for small type of gatherings)
• cozy hotel experience
• helpful and accommodating hotel staff
• relatively clean and comfortable room
• nearby to malls

 CONs

• some taxi drivers had difficulty locating the hotel
• poor air conditioning in both rooms
• breakfast spread was nothing to rave about  
• dark lighting in the bathroom

 lobby

living room and kitchen

bedroom

breakfast choices

DINING

Like what i have mentioned, a bulk of our staycation was spent in the malls (window) shopping and dining. So let me share some dining places i love which i excitedly shared to my friends.

Kitchenette

An Ismaya Group creation which will always be my favorite restaurant in Jakarta. 

We had our lunch at the Senayan City branch.

Must Try Dish: nachos

lunchin'

Sushi Tei

My favorite sushi place in all of Jakarta. Enough Said.

Must Try Dishes: salmon sashimi and dragon roll

Bex and Family. hahaha!

Last Thoughts about #bexforevermore

friends forever!

Writing this entry now makes me miss Bex so much. Life hasn't been the same since he went back to the Philippines. DRAMA! Hahaha!

Anyway, remembering that moment where we were all together talking about life, future plans and current events were a realization that things are changing. some for the good and some are not. And at that point, we all agreed in one thing, a major change is coming. And it is going to happen soon. real soon. *wink*

Jakarta Staycation: Saculo Family Visit

October 26-27, 2014

When Jakarta Staycation-ing, these are the top 3 activities you can do: SHOP, DINE OUT and my favorite, HOTEL staycation. 

If you're a tourist or a first time visitor, there are several tourist places around Jakarta as well. You can visit the Wayang Museum, Jakarta History Museum and Cafe Batavia in Kota Tua, Monas (National Monument), Taman Mini (TMII), and Ancol.

Again, it was not their first time to visit Jakarta. So I have asked my sister and bro-in-law if they were interested to visit museums or zoo for their second visit. They said not really. Hahaha! That said, given the limited choices plus i have considered the high probability of a very hot weather, i have decided to do one sight seeing and the rest of their stay, my version of a Jakarta staycation. hehe.

So, to give a more clear picture of my version of a Jakarta Staycation, let me share some photos and a little of bit of kwento in each. 

NOTE: i have given the task to my niece to be in charge of taking photos of this staycation. She loves my camera that much so i took advantage of her photo triggering skills. 

HOTEL staycation

It took me a long time to look for a hotel which was centrally located and not so expensive. as much as i wanted a family room, it was hard to look one so i opted to book 2 rooms (with extra bed). thus, i have booked Century Park Hotel in South Jakarta via Agoda. 

PROs

• centrally located (walking distance to malls: FX mall, Plaza Senayan, Senayan City, Ratu Plaza)
• nice and friendly hotel staff (especially the concierge)
• fast check in and check out
• clean and comfortable room

CONs

• requests were not granted: connecting rooms and queen beds. they made us choose if side by side rooms BUT both rooms were twin beds or both double bed rooms BUT different room floors
• too expensive. you're paying for the location
• breakfast buffet spread were unremarkable

 the room (with extra bed)

bathroom

hallway

lobby area

buffet breakfast

SHOPPING

too bad we didn't have too many photos where we have done our shopping. anyway, we bought batik stuff at Thamrin City and Indonesian grocery at lotte mart in Ratu Plaza. And of course, my niece got giddy with HM. i was teasing her that she doesn't have to line up to shop here. haha!

we also went to Senayan City for some shopping. Well, mostly i did the shopping. haha!

DINING OUT

one of my favorite activities when touring visitors here in Jakarta.

Hailam Kopitiam

good place for breakfast. they serve from toasts to rice meals.  good variety of drinks as well. 

Sushi Groove

I asked them what they wanted for lunch, indonesian or japanese? they said japanese. 

Note: Upon researching aboout sushi grove while doing this blog entry, i found out it was one of Ismaya Group's Restaurants. You can never go wrong with any Ismaya Group's restaurants when it comes to quality of food and ambiance.

Manila Connexion

i was utterly disappointed when i found out that FX mall had decreased the number of restaurants in that mall. The only restaurant that i found worth dining is Manila Connexion. Tapsilog and leche flan FTW.

Kitchenette

Another Ismaya Group's creation!

if you asked me where my favorite restaurant in Jakarta is, i would say it's Kitchenette. I dunno why i'm so into this restaurant. haha! everytime i find myself in Senayan City, i must have at least a snack or a small meal here. So of course i brought my family here. hehe!

the fambam enjoyed their meal. they were so full that they refused to east dinner. haha! they also liked the overall experience.

SIGHT SEEING TOUR (extra)

So to make their staycation a more touristy type, i brought them to ancol. It was so hot that day that we decided to just drive around ancol. we did have a stop over at some random side street overlooking the wakeboarding activity of ancol. we also went to the "beach pool" of ancol. we walked the bay's bridge for some photo ops.

#OOTD


everytime i am asked what jakarta weather is, i always say "forever summer". yes, that hot. so comfortable and summer-y outfit is in order for any jakarta trip. thus, i have decided to wear my current fave romper shorts. haha! the romper was actually backless but since it is a  conservative country, i used a bandeau as inner wear. 

black romper: HM | belt: HM | purse: longchamp | red sandals: bellagio | sunglasses: mango | necklace: ITC | earrings: I Am | watch: marc jacobs

Last Thoughts about Jakarta Staycation

I love it when family visits me here in Jakarta. It makes being OFW bearable. It's like a piece of home when i spend time with them. Funnily, they booked their flight thinking this year might be my last year here in Indonesia. Well, let's see at the end of the year. wehehe.

Anyway, I like Jakarta Staycations.If only i could do it monthly then it would be amazing. haha! Anyhoo, I highly recommend it to tourists and OFWs alike. heehee. try it! You'll find jakarta a little more interesting than usual.

As of this writing i am embarking into another Jakarta staycation. Watch out for that chika! Toodles!

Jakarta Staycation: Saculo Family Visit

October 26-27, 2014

When Jakarta Staycation-ing, these are the top 3 activities you can do: SHOP, DINE OUT and my favorite, HOTEL staycation. 

If you're a tourist or a first time visitor, there are several tourist places around Jakarta as well. You can visit the Wayang Museum, Jakarta History Museum and Cafe Batavia in Kota Tua, Monas (National Monument), Taman Mini (TMII), and Ancol.

Again, it was not their first time to visit Jakarta. So I have asked my sister and bro-in-law if they were interested to visit museums or zoo for their second visit. They said not really. Hahaha! That said, given the limited choices plus i have considered the high probability of a very hot weather, i have decided to do one sight seeing and the rest of their stay, my version of a Jakarta staycation. hehe.

So, to give a more clear picture of my version of a Jakarta Staycation, let me share some photos and a little of bit of kwento in each. 

NOTE: i have given the task to my niece to be in charge of taking photos of this staycation. She loves my camera that much so i took advantage of her photo triggering skills. 

HOTEL staycation

It took me a long time to look for a hotel which was centrally located and not so expensive. as much as i wanted a family room, it was hard to look one so i opted to book 2 rooms (with extra bed). thus, i have booked Century Park Hotel in South Jakarta via Agoda. 

PROs

• centrally located (walking distance to malls: FX mall, Plaza Senayan, Senayan City, Ratu Plaza)
• nice and friendly hotel staff (especially the concierge)
• fast check in and check out
• clean and comfortable room

CONs

• requests were not granted: connecting rooms and queen beds. they made us choose if side by side rooms BUT both rooms were twin beds or both double bed rooms BUT different room floors
• too expensive. you're paying for the location
• breakfast buffet spread were unremarkable

 the room (with extra bed)

bathroom

hallway

lobby area

buffet breakfast

SHOPPING

too bad we didn't have too many photos where we have done our shopping. anyway, we bought batik stuff at Thamrin City and Indonesian grocery at lotte mart in Ratu Plaza. And of course, my niece got giddy with HM. i was teasing her that she doesn't have to line up to shop here. haha!

we also went to Senayan City for some shopping. Well, mostly i did the shopping. haha!

DINING OUT

one of my favorite activities when touring visitors here in Jakarta.

Hailam Kopitiam

good place for breakfast. they serve from toasts to rice meals.  good variety of drinks as well. 

Sushi Groove

I asked them what they wanted for lunch, indonesian or japanese? they said japanese. 

Note: Upon researching aboout sushi grove while doing this blog entry, i found out it was one of Ismaya Group's Restaurants. You can never go wrong with any Ismaya Group's restaurants when it comes to quality of food and ambiance.

Manila Connexion

i was utterly disappointed when i found out that FX mall had decreased the number of restaurants in that mall. The only restaurant that i found worth dining is Manila Connexion. Tapsilog and leche flan FTW.

Kitchenette

Another Ismaya Group's creation!

if you asked me where my favorite restaurant in Jakarta is, i would say it's Kitchenette. I dunno why i'm so into this restaurant. haha! everytime i find myself in Senayan City, i must have at least a snack or a small meal here. So of course i brought my family here. hehe!

the fambam enjoyed their meal. they were so full that they refused to east dinner. haha! they also liked the overall experience.

SIGHT SEEING TOUR (extra)

So to make their staycation a more touristy type, i brought them to ancol. It was so hot that day that we decided to just drive around ancol. we did have a stop over at some random side street overlooking the wakeboarding activity of ancol. we also went to the "beach pool" of ancol. we walked the bay's bridge for some photo ops.

#OOTD


everytime i am asked what jakarta weather is, i always say "forever summer". yes, that hot. so comfortable and summer-y outfit is in order for any jakarta trip. thus, i have decided to wear my current fave romper shorts. haha! the romper was actually backless but since it is a  conservative country, i used a bandeau as inner wear. 

black romper: HM | belt: HM | purse: longchamp | red sandals: bellagio | sunglasses: mango | necklace: ITC | earrings: I Am | watch: marc jacobs

Last Thoughts about Jakarta Staycation

I love it when family visits me here in Jakarta. It makes being OFW bearable. It's like a piece of home when i spend time with them. Funnily, they booked their flight thinking this year might be my last year here in Indonesia. Well, let's see at the end of the year. wehehe.

Anyway, I like Jakarta Staycations.If only i could do it monthly then it would be amazing. haha! Anyhoo, I highly recommend it to tourists and OFWs alike. heehee. try it! You'll find jakarta a little more interesting than usual.

As of this writing i am embarking into another Jakarta staycation. Watch out for that chika! Toodles!