Jakarta is by far the best place to do retail shopping in the country, and its several markets dedicated to small crafts vendors make it a good place to get souvenirs or Indonesian memorabilia as well. North Jakarta has several shopping centers, including the Ancol Arts Market in the Ancol Dreamland complex, which offers woodcarvings, paintings and other handcrafted goods. There is also the Mangga Dua Plaza, which caters more to locals (meaning you may have a harder time finding someone who speaks English).

Central Jakarta is the city’s tourist hub, so it has a large variety of shops as well. Sarinah, the country’s unofficial national mall, is located here. There are a few other outlets throughout the country, but the one in Jakarta is the biggest. Stores here offer all the necessities and any luxury goods you may be looking for: clothing, cosmetics, jewelry, house decorations, artwork, souvenirs and much more. Plaza Indonesia, while newer, offers a similarly impressive array of establishments. The 250 stores include many international brand outlets such as Versace, Nine West, Guess and Swarovski. Central Jakarta is also home to many special goods markets; Jalan Surabaya is dedicated to antiques, for example. Everything from old instruments to textiles can be found at this flea market; haggling over prices is recommended and, in fact, expected by the vendors.