Settling in Jakarta 101
Moving to a new place you have never stayed before might be stressful, and we totally understand that. We have our own experiences along with stories from our friends about how overwhelming it can be to settle in Jakarta the first time. Flokq is here to help you to get to know Jakarta the first time. We are going to tell you from this city’s diverse community up to the development of the city itself. Sit back and enjoy the thoughtful journey before settling in Jakarta. Here we go.
Housing
Housings in Jakarta can be very challenging. Although some expats might find it more convenient to live in lavish and modern apartments complete with its compelling facilities, there are also some that prefer living in regular housings. As complicated as it may be, you can still easily find well proper housings by well-established reputation developers. The ever-increasing economy in Jakarta has boosted the number of housing construction throughout Jakarta.
Good housing in Jakarta generally comes at a relatively expensive price. Most may be as expensive as European standard housing prices. However, it also comes with a good community, neighborhood as well as infrastructures surrounding it. For instance, Pondok Indah, or some may say the Beverly Hills of Jakarta. It is one of the most well-developed neighborhoods in South Jakarta. Not only its castle-like houses, but the area also comes with several international schools, private hospitals, upscale shopping malls, and its own business district. You can click here to read more about Jakarta neighborhoods.
Domestic Staff
One of the perks in living in Jakarta is that it is very common for you to hire someone else to do the chores. In relative to expats standard living cost, hiring a nanny, gardener, or driver is considered to be cheap. Not only are they there to help you with your least favorite things to do (doing the laundry or sweeping the floor), most of them are also available 24/7. However, you need to make sure that you also provide a decent place to stay and meals throughout the day.
Furthermore, if you are concerned about whether the people working in your place are trustworthy or not, there are several institutions that provide you with housekeeper staff with a guarantee and clear background. GoMaid Agency is one of the newly established companies which can help you find housekeepers in Jakarta. Not only do they accommodate the staff based on your needs, but they also select and train the staff beforehand. If you are looking for a housekeeper, go check their website at gomaid-agency.com
School
Moving in Jakarta with kids may be a step more challenging, as you should find a proper school to the level of your kids’ education. Good thing that there are a lot of international schools in Jakarta. Every school has its own curriculum. However, most of them offer IB and Cambridge programs that suit the educational background of your children’s previous school.
One of the international schools that offers the IB program is the Jakarta Intercultural School in Cilandak, South Jakarta. JIS is recognized by both the Indonesian government and several international certified accreditation bodies. For instance, IB, Advanced Placement PRgram, WASC, and CIS. As a legal entity, JIS stands a nonprofit organization operating under the Joint Cooperation School
Health care
From the earlier expats experience who lived in Jakarta, the quality of medical care in Jakarta is very different. It depends on where you come to consult. If you came to public hospitals and clinics, then the service and treatment you get may be far from what you expect it to be. Staff and doctors not only have limited space and equipment, but they also have a poor level of English.
However, if you come to private hospitals, for instance, Rumah Sakit Pondok Indah or Pondok Indah Hospital, you will see a better and more complete range of medical facilities and support. This hospital was accredited as an international hospital by 2013. It also has at least 250 specialists, subspecialists, and general practitioners within their facility. In accordance with its forward facility, you should also expect a more expensive fee compared to public hospitals. Thus, make sure you have your health insurance for you and your family members before unfortunate circumstances require you to do any medication in Jakarta.
Click here to see a list of international hospitals in Jakarta.
Public Transportation
If you are living in Jakarta with an expat salary, then there is a bigger chance for you to be able to afford your own vehicles and even hire a driver. However, traveling in Jakarta with your transportation can be exhausting. The traffic, especially during peak hours, can be very tedious. (click here to read about Jakarta’s traffic).
Public transportation in Jakarta may not be as comfortable as the ones you see in modern towns like Tokyo or Singapore. However, they’re definitely have been well-developed design as the trend to live in a healthier and eco-friendly lifestyle has been growing more every year. First of all, you need to make sure that the place you are going to and from have public transportation stations or halts nearby.
Once you’ve done your research, you can just pick the one which is more efficient to your traveling plan; KRL Commuter or the train, MRT, LRT, Transjakarta Bus, or even the old-fashioned Angkot. If you feel like using something more personal or if the place you’re going to does not have a public transportation station around it, then you can also order online taxis. You can just easily download and access from your mobile phone, like Grab and GoJek. Want to read more about Jakarta’s public transportation? Click here.
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