JAKARTA's best PASARs

As in most cities, the main thing you can do if you want to spend a nice afternoon in Jakarta is to spend money. But you can do this in more enjoyable ways than in stores inside modern shopping centers that look identical everywhere in the world. My favorite places are  Pasar Baru and Pasar Santa.

Pasar Baru,

or “New Market” is the oldest market in the city, built by the Dutch during their colonization. You can find good bargains for batik, musical instruments or sports ware here, just walk down the main market street and take your pick. There are two large buildings that give onto the main market lane, one
sells electronics and the other one clothes. If you like jumping around in history, you need to take the elascators up to the third floor of each building. On the top floor of the first, the main products for sale are old cameras and films. You can also try and find someone to fix your old analog, but be aware that they may damage it even more: often they don’t know what they are doing but will try in an attempt in order to please you!  The third floor of the opposite building holds an enormous collection of second hand clothes, materials, accessories and all you can wish for, for amazing prices!

Pasar Santa

is a traditional market going modern. In the basement fruit, vegetables, tempeh and eggs are sold at locally affordable prices until 7 PM. You can fill two bags of fresh groceries here for 50 K IDR!

Best deals in town Traditional basement market!

The first floor is in transition, some stores offering average bad quality clothes, others vintage beauties. On this floor you can find a number of tailors who can make you custom made batik and fix your broken stuff!

Tailors on 1st

                But the best level of them all is, again, at the top! Here, young and small businesses have opened up in old and abandoned traditional stores to show their innovative products to the emerging hipster and alternative community! Pasar Modern opens in the evenings and especially in the weekends, but they don’t follow schedules as the sellers are self-employed young people who work for pleasure, so only when they feel like it. This is why it’s unlikely that you will ever find all the stores open, but if you go on Friday or Saturday between 5 PM and 9 PM you will maximize the experience.

The Modern Pasar started when ABC coffee began to train coffeemakers and give out the coffee to the clients in exchange for a donation. An alternative community started to enjoy the relaxed and friendly atmosphere of the site, as more and more realized that the low rent prices and the increasing popularity of Santa would allow them to easily start their own business as well!

Here are just a few of the awesome boutiques to explore in Pasar Santa!

The CEO of Bear and Co. and the Guiness-like-coffee: the texture is of Guiness, but the taste is of coffee, just stronger! Go try draft coffee! An innovative response to the prohibition of alchool![/caption]

Japanese food



Here you can buy new shoes or get yours polished, with the new polish magic formula!


Fruit Juice Craze




Explore the record and vintage stores, try all the crazy fusion meals and stuff yourself with earl grey crepes and waffles with green tea ice cream. You will be jumping around in ecstasy!