Jakarta, as the nation’s capital, has the best shopping venues on the archipelago. North Jakarta has several good centers for your consumer needs. The Ancol Arts Market in the Ancol Dreamland complex has many locally crafted souvenirs such as woodcarvings and paintings, while the Mangga Dua Plaza caters more to the locals and offers an interesting selection of wares including bargain clothing, fake designer wear, and electronics. Kelapa Gading Mall(s) in the Kelapa Gading residential neighbourhood is a string of 3 (or is it 4 now?) malls with major department stores (incl Sogo), high street brands, clothing and food outlets

Central Jakarta, the main tourist hub, also offers a variety of great shops. Sarinah, the country’s unofficial national mall, has a dozen other outlets throughout the country. Here, you will find all the clothing, cosmetics, jewelry, house wares, artwork and souvenirs you could want. Plaza Indonesia, one of the newer establishments, has 250 stores, including international brand lines as well as local wares. You’ll find everything from Versace to Hard Rock Café here. For more specialized markets, try Pasar Baru, which specializes in fabrics and clothing. The Jalan Surabaya, an antiques market, has ‘authentic’ goods not available in most of the tourist areas. Also, 24K Art Gallery is a good place to look for South Asian paintings and antiques. Unique, precious jewelry can be found at Goglows, but viewings must be arranged by appointment (812.204.4470).

South Jakarta is home to Plaza Senayan on Jalan Asia Afrika near the Senayan stadium, where you will find major Sogo and Metro department stores as well as high-end boutiques (Prada, Gucci, Zegna, and the likes). Across the street is Senayan City, a newly opened 7-story shopping mall, office building, apartment and hotel rolled into one. Worth mentioning further south are the Pasaraya Blok M department store in Kebayoran, with an entire floor dedicated to batiks and handicrafts (a better destination than Sarinah in Central Jakarta, though perhaps a tad pricier) and Pondok Indah Mall, a cavernous two-mall establishment in the upmarket Pondok Indah residential neighbourhood. Cilandak Town Square (Citos) is on the southern outer ring road and offers a plethora of eating opportunities. West Jakarta is home to Mal Taman Anggrek, another gargantuan edifice with department stores (Metro, M&S), high street brands, food outlets, and an indoor ice skating rink.