The best fashion and gift stores Indonesia

There aremany markets (pasar) in Indonesia, and it's a real joy to wander through the stalls. From antique markets like Solo, to fresh produce and textile markets, they come in all shapes and sizes. You'll stroll between a few mats laid out on the ground, on which fruit, vegetables, jamus, basketry or batiks are displayed... There are also gigantic four- or five-storey concrete constructions where mountains of disparate objects, often futile, sometimes indispensable, are piled up. Perfumes, colors and sounds respond to each other. Some streets even become vast, uninterrupted markets, bustling from morning until night. The night markets(pasar malam) are lit by acetylene lamps, giving off an atmosphere of old wayang (shadow theater).

In contrast, Jakarta's gigantic shopping complexes stand proudly as symbols of modernity. Often adorned in glittering marble, these places are often used as refuges against the suffocating urban heat. The metropolis boasts more than 170 shopping malls (Jakarta's urban law requires 30% green space, but in reality there is less than 10%). These colossal edifices often function as pseudo-public spaces, places where friends and family can meet to stroll and occupy their time. Some people spend entire days there, because they have nowhere else to go. Mal Taman Anggrek, Jakarta's largest shopping mall, spans 7 floors with over 500 stores, covering an impressive 360,000 m² - an understatement! Other notable malls include Mall of Indonesia, Senayan, Artha Gading Mall, Lippo Mall Puri and Pacific Place, offering a juxtaposition of luxury goods and local handicrafts. Most of these establishments are equipped with food courts (beware of prices that can sometimes border on the extravagant, up to 10 times higher) and state-of-the-art cinemas showing international blockbusters in English, subtitled in Bahasa Indonesian. For electronics enthusiasts, Mangga Dua is the ideal neighborhood, with ITC Mangga Dua, WTC Mangga Dua, Mangga Dua Square and Harco Mangga Dua offering a vast selection of gadgets of all kinds. Fans of thrift stores will find what they're looking for at Bloc M Square, Pasar Baru, Pasar Santa and Pasar Senen, as well as the famous Tarigan Collection in the north of the metropolis.