AIRASIA can give u really cheap air fare..if you get the zero fare flight you just pau RM 146 return, so in December 2005 I got 2 seats to Jakarta in March and 2 seats to Bandung for June 2006. BUt you can also use KLM, you know the Dutch Airline! The fare was much cheaper than MAS or AIRASIA and you can book online too...better still you go with Boeing 747 and full meal on board. The only thing that I consider unfortunate was that the KLM flight was in late afternoon and you arrive in Jakarta already dark, so you lose a day there! Return flight was also late afternoon.

When we arrived Jakarta, we still don't have any room reservation! But this is normal, at the airport you can buy Hotel Vouchers at the Hotel reservation Kiosk, the rates are much cheaper than walk-in rate and internet rate, try it. We got Dusit Mangga Dua for RM 200 per night.. the hotel had changed its name Le Grandeur or something like that. The hotel is located next to Mangga Dua Mall, ITC and Pasar Pagi...so for the ladies, lots of Hong Kong and Korean stuff and for men lots of handphones and laptops! For makan, eat at the hotel..clean and tasty. If you don't mind go to a Minang Restaurant about 50 meters from the hotel. In front of the hotel turn right and you see a Masjid, then the Kedai makan...

Opposite the hotel is a place where you can massage your leg and cost you IDR20,000 per 1 hour session, me n my wife went there 2 consecutive nights and enjoyed it...eventhough our legs were sore...they were strong!

We did not do much shopping in Jakarta as the goodies were also available in Kuala Lumpur at more or less the same price. We went to Pasar Baru, you can do custom made suit there and deliver to you in 3 days...cost about RM350 per suit. There was a shop that sell hand made leather shoe..no pair is the same. We also went to Blok M Plaza and Pasaraya Grande, very popular place and not crowded. We had lunch at the Grande food court...my favourite Ikan Patin Asam Pedas and Jus Apokat!

For really fun place to shop your kain pelikat, kain batik n kain langsir, go to Tanah Abang..the wholesale Center or Pasar Senen near Hotel Atrium. Now they also have the Pasar Jatinegara! Tapi hati..hati..these places were notorious and famous for MALING ..(Kes curi la..) , always a risky adventure!