As I’ve mentioned before a lot of our spare time in Jakarta is spent at the malls. Here’s a short informative article I wrote about the Shopping Malls in Jakarta for the Expat Arrivals Website. I hope you find it useful!

Malls in Jakarta

With an enormous array of shopping centers encompassing the super chic excusive brand boutiques and the very crowded flea market type malls, window-shopping and mall cruising could be considered the national Indonesian sports and Jakarta it’s capital.

Expats usually enjoy visiting the various malls not only to find the latest fashion trends but to spend hours on hours walking around, eating world-class international food, bowling, getting massages, going to the movies and even singing karaoke all in the same place. Describing the malls in Jakarta as big would be an understatement. Some have up to 8 stories full of stores, restaurants, bars, playgrounds for kids, and entertainment venues.

The best way to decide which mall to visit is to decide the area of the city that will be visited and the kind of mall and products sought for. Most of the shopping malls carry the same internationally known stores with some exceptions. ITC shopping centers carry anything and everything from imported goods and bootleg DVDs and Computer Programs to every gadget necessary to get a cell phone working within minutes.

 

Shopping Centers

 

Plaza Indonesia

Located in the city center this mall is well known for it’s thriving nightlife with several late-night restaurants and clubs within the same venue. A nice movie theater and full-blown arcade game area make this place a fun visit any day of the week. It boasts a whole floor devoted to children stores and a playground.

 

Grand Indonesia

This shopping center is so big it has two wings connected by several bridges. On one of the wings you will encounter New York inspired decoration and architecture on one floor and Japanese Zen gardens on others. From a hardware store to a supermarket this mall has hundreds of stores. A must see in Grand Indonesia is the Indonesian art section and the small Indonesian designer’s boutiques.

 

Pacific Place

This high-end mall is not only beautiful but also the venue for different fashion shows and guest designer appearances. Eight stories high with majestic architecture, Pacific Place is a great place to go out to dinner or coffee as it has dozens of unique restaurants and coffeshops and a beautiful VIP movie theater with beds instead of seats.

 

FX Mall

The highlight of this Mall is the 7 story high slide that’s available to any adventure happy customer. Although the stores are not very well known there are a few Indonesian boutique stores and great restaurants as well as a kid’s playground.

 

Senayan City

Located in the South this mall is home to many Indonesian high-end designer boutiques and a well-renowned food court. With a big playground for kids, a movie theater and hundreds of stores this place can keep families entertained for hours.

 

Plaza Senayan

This is a smaller shopping center in the South of Jakarta with beautiful boutique stores and great restaurants. Although it’s not very large it is quite charming and very popular among expats and Indonesians alike.

 

Gandaria City

Located in the far south of Jakarta Gandaria boasts seven stories of beautiful shops, charming boutiques and great restaurants. Including a hardware store and two supermarkets it’s a one-stop shopping mall for all kinds of needs. This mall is one of the newest malls in Jakarta and is home to dozens of exhibitions and special events on a yearly basis.

 

Pondok Indah Mall (PIM)

The Pondok Indah Mall was one of the first large malls to open in Jakarta. With two wings, hundreds of stores and several supermarkets this place is a very popular place to visit for the residents of the Pondok Indah Area.

 

 

 

 

International Trade Centers /Flea Market Style Shopping Centers

Ratu Plaza

Located in the south, it is very well known among expats and Indonesians for finding anything tech. Floors devoted to mobile phones and gadgets and onsite support for anything technological.

Ambassador Mall

This is a great place to find batik products and gadgets. They offer factory seconds in very competitive prices and imported goods much cheaper than at the upscale malls. The Ambassador Mall is located in the Kuningan area.

Thamrin City

Thamrin City is a hidden gem in the Jakarta city center for those looking to buy souvenirs and batik products. Eight floors full of small stalls offering products in every color and size make for a very fun visit. Credit cards are rarely accepted.