F

em>Finding souvenirs in the concrete-jungle of Jakarta and its severe traffic congestion can be a hassle for both foreign and domestic tourists who may have only a day or two to spend in the capital city.

Below are some of the finest souvenir shops offering a one-stop solution for tourists to find mementos of the city.
(JP/Nadya Natahadibrata)
Jakarta Craft Center

Established in 2006, the Jakarta Craft Center is a home for the city’s creative minds to market their locally inspired handicrafts.

Located at the Jakarta Council for Handicrafts (Dekranesda) office on Jl. Abdul Muis in Central Jakarta, the center sells original Jakarta handicrafts including wooden crafts, handmade bags and hand-painted batik cloth with patterns of ondel-ondel (Betawi effigies) or masked dancers priced between Rp 250,000 (US$25.90) and Rp 850,000.

Every year, Dekranasda holds a souvenir design contest, inviting Jakartans to create high-quality crafts and souvenirs. The winner’s crafts are then mass produced by the council and sold at the craft center.

Last year’s award-winning product was a canvas bag with a story about ondel-ondel and tanjidor (traditional Betawi orchestra) printed on it that can be folded into a little pack. The canvas bag sells for Rp 85,000.

Sarinah department store

The first shopping mall in Jakarta remains a favorite place for tourists to find souvenirs from the city or other parts of the country.

Built in 1962 by founding president Sukarno, Sarinah is located in the strategic area of Jl. MH Thamrin in Central Jakarta.

The department store offers one-stop shopping devoted to handicrafts, wooden and leather puppets, batik, carvings, weaving, silver, jewelry, baskets, leather goods and a range of interior design items from all over the
archipelago. One of the primary draws for tourists are the silver crafts, which come in various shapes including the National Monument (Monas), becak (pedicab) and the Istiqlal Grand Mosque. The figurines are priced starting from Rp 44,000 and range up to Rp 49 million, depending on the size and the details of the crafts.

National Monument

Nothing symbolizes Jakarta more than the National Monument, popularly known as Monas.

For only Rp 5,000, tourists can get miniature replicas of Monas as wooden key chains or refrigerator magnets right in front of the entrance to the monument. Even though it is not as shiny as the actual Monas, it is quite a good keepsake to remember the city.

Travelers can also buy T-shirts of the monument at the souvenir shop. This store is located in the tunnel entrance to the History Chamber. T-shirts range in price from Rp 20,000 to Rp 75,000.

(JP/Nadya Natahadibrata)
Jakarta History Museum

Take a step back in time to the colonial era at the Jakarta History Museum, or Museum Fatahillah, in the city’s old town in West Jakarta, to find souvenirs that capture the image of Jakarta. The souvenir shop located inside the Museum Wayang (puppets), still within the Fatahillah complex, offers memorable souvenirs of the museum and the city, such as key chains and magnets that are priced from Rp 8,000 to Rp 18,000, shadow puppets tagged from Rp 170,000 each and a Kota Tua (Old Town Jakarta) guidebook for Rp 98,000.

Take a stroll through the parking lot, and tourists will be surrounded by souvenir vendors that offer typical souvenirs of Jakarta and its iconic buildings at much more affordable prices.

Alun-Alun Indonesia

Alun-alun Indonesia takes tourists to a new level of souvenir shopping. Meaning “the town square of Indonesia”, the sophisticated department store showcases various products by Indonesian artists, including clothing, sculptures, leather puppets and furniture. With an overall area of 3,800 square meters, Alun-Alun Indonesia offers visitors 16 specific venues where they can also find antiques, spa products and collections by leading Jakarta-based fashion designers such as Carmanita and Ghea Panggabean.

The shop is located in Grand Indonesia shopping mall in Central Jakarta, near the Hotel Indonesia traffic circle, one of the city’s most famous landmarks. — JP