As always, although I am prone to lengthy entries, Pictures speak a thousand words. Hence I go through the extra effort to include pictures in my entries.

I decided to spend the day along doing some reconnaissance at Senayan (South Jakarta). I was quite happy and carefree alone, even enjoyed a lengthy and quiet meal and texting friends before getting up to roam around again.

Senayan is pretty far from where I stay, South of Jakarta, and requires an almost one-half hour bus-ride.




Plaza Ratu, an IT pusat.

There I found a large mall called Ratu Plaza, and upon going in, it was a surprise, I had found the Sim Lim Square equivalent of Jakarta! It was an IT mall, I wouldn’t call it a “haven” and it isn’t as extensive or as bustling as SLS, but it was nevertheless a central point where computers and IT peripherals were being sold.

Prices were still a little steep, but you can find all the distributors, Gateway, Dell, Alienware, Acer, Asus and many more, and one entire level had every shop selling 2nd-hand laptops and another level was a pirate’s haven comparable to Plaza Tasek in Tun Aminah, Johor Bahru, Malaysia where practically every kind of "unoriginal" CD/DVD of software, movies, videos, dramas, games are being sold.

Prices for movies ranged 6,000rp per DVD to 20,000 per DVD. Software and games cost around 70,000rp per DVD game and they look pretty authentic with full-colour printed discs and covers, only tell-tale sign is the cheap plastic wrapping instead of a proper DVD-coverbox.



At the round-about, you'll see another famous monument, the Patung Pemuda or "Youth Monument."




Next I visited STC Senayan, another trade centre where I found shops selling all sorts of high-end bicycles. I know friends who will love this place.






A shop selling outdoor vehicles!
ATVs, all-terrain tractors and a Ski-doo.

And I also found many shops selling Airsoft guns and military-inspired apparel and accessories. You could buy holo-point sights, BB-guns, pellets, holsters, full military garbs, camo fatigues, battle-orders, and even Ghillie suits.

You name it, it's got it, except for real firearms of course, but you can dress yourself completely in full military garb with holsters, sights, goggles, helmets and all the she-bang.


Civilian "Military" shop


GUNS GUNS GUNS. Ok, just BB/Airsoft guns.. But still.. GUNs!



I know friends who are gonna love this place as well.

So STC Senayan is more of a hobbyist plaza, bikes, airsoft and remote-control vehicles.

Next I roamed a little around Senayan Mall, another grand Takashimaya-like mall for the upscale and affluent, with many expensive fashion boutiques, and even a JEEP showcase roadshow.


Senayan City


Jeep Roadshow and performance.


Need a JEEP?




A place to dump the kids and do your adult shopping. yeah.

Finding nothing that might interest me, I headed for my next objective, plaza Senayan, this place felt more at home, more like a Vivocity / Tiong Bahru plaza kind of ambience, more crowded, with more affordable shops and outlets as compared to Senayan City Mall.



The place has loads of food stalls at the top level, but otherwise another general mall that you can take your family out to on the weekend.


Club X2 and Red square. Two famous and popular clubs in Jakarta. The places looked really grand with ambiance like that of a high-class club, and RedSquare was situated in a 2-story building that gave the same vibes as Chjimes back in Singapore.


Red Square (Similar to Chjimes) Small classy building with wine shops, classy restaurants and a club.


Hello General Sudirman.

General Sudirman (January 24, 1916 - January 29, 1950) was the first military commander of Indonesian forces during the country's fight for independence from the Dutch in the 1940s.
And is a major hero in Jakarta.

Primary objectives completed, overall I am very satisfied with today’s reconnaissance outcome.