Published date: April 4, 2025
Hafh Base in Jakarta! 🇮🇩
Room Type Stayed
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Experience of the stay
Having started studying Indonesia at university and now 10 years have passed, I have been living back and forth between Japan and Indonesia. The point that I prioritize the most when in Jakarta is "easy access to public transportation." Jakarta is famous for its severe traffic congestion, where the number of vehicles occupies more space than the total road area. Especially on Friday nights or during rain, traffic increases sharply, making it common for even destinations just a few kilometers away to take over an hour by car. Therefore, if I can easily get around without using a taxi, it saves on both transportation costs and precious time.
The Novotel Jakarta Gajah Mada is located at the southern end of Jakarta's Chinatown (Glodok), facing Sudirman Street, which runs through Jakarta from north to south. The hotel has a Starbucks on-site, and there's a station for TransJakarta, a public transportation bus (Taman Sari Station) nearby, making it convenient to move around Jakarta in all directions! You need a local electronic money card called "E-money" to board the bus, but it can be easily purchased at local convenience stores (Indomaret, Alfamart, etc.) or from Mandiri Bank. The fare is incredibly cheap, only 35 yen until you exit within the bus route network, so definitely take advantage of it.
If you want to go a bit further, like Bukasi outside Jakarta or the presidential residence in Bogor, you can take the bus north and arrive at Jakarta Kota Station just three stops away and connect to the suburban train, allowing you to operate without being affected much by traffic.
The bus route number one (red line) that stops at the nearest bus stop operates frequently like the Yamanote Line and runs 24 hours a day, connecting Jakarta Kota Station (Old Town) in the north of Jakarta to Blok M in the south. It also stops at Monas (National Monument), which is the symbol of Jakarta, making it useful for sightseeing and commuting!
The hotel has a pool and gym, as well as a dry sauna and mist sauna, so it's perfect for not only sightseeing but also long-term work vacations.
Breakfast is at an additional charge, but you can enjoy a breakfast buffet for around 1500 yen.
Experiences during the trip
I took advantage of my day off to visit the Bogor Botanical Gardens. It takes about two hours to get to Bogor by bus or train from the hotel. From the gardens, you can see the presidential palace in the distance. In Jakarta, there aren't many opportunities to connect with nature, but here, surrounded by various plants, you forget that you're even in Jakarta. After the botanical gardens, I went to a Sundanese restaurant recommended by my Indonesian friend. It's a style where you scoop your own food and pay, and what I chose was fried tofu, rendang, and fried tempeh, among others. If you visit Bogor, make sure to stop by!👌