Scoop Airport/Hotel/Travel Thread

[JWags85]

Just returned from Jakarta.  3rd trip in just over 2 years.  It's really grown on me.  Can't say enough about it.

Indonesians are extremely friendly people, fantastic service/hospitality, and Indonesian food is INCREDIBLY underrated.

Jakarta, which just became the world's largest city, is a sprawling monstrosity, but when I compare it to cities in India or some others in SE Asia, it's actually rather clean. It's also fantastically cheap.  Hotels are the cheapest I've found in a major city (Brand new JW Marriott was $115 a night this week, the Ritz was $120), everything is inexpensive (from nice restaurants, to retail, to attractions (national aquarium was $7).  Traffic is brutal but luxury car service is again inexpensive and, unlike some similar places, it's not constant beeping and honking

Everyone knows about Bali, but I've told multiple people to spend some time in Jakarta on the way to/from Bali.

[pbiflyer]

Just returned from Jakarta.  3rd trip in just over 2 years.  It's really grown on me.  Can't say enough about it.

Indonesians are extremely friendly people, fantastic service/hospitality, and Indonesian food is INCREDIBLY underrated.

Jakarta, which just became the world's largest city, is a sprawling monstrosity, but when I compare it to cities in India or some others in SE Asia, it's actually rather clean. It's also fantastically cheap.  Hotels are the cheapest I've found in a major city (Brand new JW Marriott was $115 a night this week, the Ritz was $120), everything is inexpensive (from nice restaurants, to retail, to attractions (national aquarium was $7).  Traffic is brutal but luxury car service is again inexpensive and, unlike some similar places, it's not constant beeping and honking

Everyone knows about Bali, but I've told multiple people to spend some time in Jakarta on the way to/from Bali.

Had a high school friend who lived there a while ago. He always sung the praises of it.

[WarriorFan]

Just returned from Jakarta.  3rd trip in just over 2 years.  It's really grown on me.  Can't say enough about it.

Indonesians are extremely friendly people, fantastic service/hospitality, and Indonesian food is INCREDIBLY underrated.

Jakarta, which just became the world's largest city, is a sprawling monstrosity, but when I compare it to cities in India or some others in SE Asia, it's actually rather clean. It's also fantastically cheap.  Hotels are the cheapest I've found in a major city (Brand new JW Marriott was $115 a night this week, the Ritz was $120), everything is inexpensive (from nice restaurants, to retail, to attractions (national aquarium was $7).  Traffic is brutal but luxury car service is again inexpensive and, unlike some similar places, it's not constant beeping and honking

Everyone knows about Bali, but I've told multiple people to spend some time in Jakarta on the way to/from Bali.

... and there's BATS... but Blok M is not what it used to be.  (A friend of mine used to own the Welsh Embassy there).  Great food, amazing golf, pulau seribu, sports, cheap housing, low cost of living - I'd live there again without a second thought. 

[JWags85]

Had a high school friend who lived there a while ago. He always sung the praises of it.

... and there's BATS... but Blok M is not what it used to be.  (A friend of mine used to own the Welsh Embassy there).  Great food, amazing golf, pulau seribu, sports, cheap housing, low cost of living - I'd live there again without a second thought. 

Your list is pretty spot on.  Blok M has indeed fallen off, but there is some very cool new development.  My event on Saturday was in a big event space in an area called PIK2 (an extension of the existing PIK zone) North/Northeast of the airport.  Really cool space with shopping areas modeled after different culutural influences (a Dutch area with the colorful houses you would see in Curacao for example, a Chinatown with beautiful themed buildings,) and lots of upscale residential.

I think what I found unique was is that Indonesia is a developing country, in Asia, nearly 90% Muslim, not really "Western" at all...but as a Westerner there really isn't any fish out of water feeling when you're there. 

Jakarta feels very cosmopolitan and diverse.  Mall culture is HUGE (as in many Asian countries without most people having AC), which feels very 80s/90s US, but modern and eclectic third spaces.  They do a really interesting job of having a ton of Western brands/aesthetics/influences with a unique local touch to it.  I, and others who travel, are used to the trade off of a very low cost of living/power of the dollar with accompanying lacking/dated infrastructure, fewer creature comforts, and maybe some healthy caution around drinking tap water.  Can't speak to the whole of Indonesia, but those things not true at all about Jakarta, city center and otherwise.

Interestingly, for a nearly 90% Muslim country, its not at all what you'd expect compared to other similar demographic countries in the Middle East.  I think there being no "official" state religion has a big impact.  Other than the multiple calls to prayer ringing out daily and fair amount of hijabs worn by women, its very laid back.  Ive not encountered any dry events or restaurants in my trips, pork is still common in lots of Indonesian cuisine, and it feels more like Hong Kong than Dubai/Abu Dhabi in regards to religious influence (despite there being more Muslims percentage wise in Jakarta/Indonesia).  It was surreal to be sitting on a terrace with my colleagues with a celebrator bottle of champagne on ice with shots of a local Jarkatan bourbon brought out by the owner who they are friends with...as the sunset call to prayer blares from a nearby minaret.

Alright, enough glazing of Jakarta.  Its just a very refreshing surprise/change of pace coming from the exhausting ordeal which is visiting/doing business in Mumbai/Kolkota/Delhi, the expectation meeting yet ever changing (for the negative IMO) vibe of HK, the very cool yet very overwhelming fish out of water feeling in Tokyo, and the pocketbook draining beauty and charm of Singapore.

[Hards Alumni]

The fam booked a Spring break trip to the Florida Keys (AirBnb is just north of Key Largo).

Any must see towns (or skippable), landmarks, parks, beaches, touristy cool stuff (will have an 11 year old with us).

Is your AirBnb at Manatee Cove?

Key West was great.  Stayed at Southernmost Point resort.  Great spot for kids (couple of pools plus a beach).  Ate a ton of good food in KW.  Blue Heaven, Half Shell Raw Bar, Kaya Island Eats, Moondog Cafe, Frenchies, Banana Cafe, La Grignote, Abbondanza... Good drinks at First Flight (original location of PanAm HQ), Waterfront brewery, Tony's, Sloppy Joes (would skip next time), and especially General Horseplay.  Checked out the Fort and State Park, Hemmingway's House, Butterfly conservatory (gem), cemetery, marina, various beaches, parks, and piers.  Great place to go, relax, enjoy the weather, and food.

In transit we checked out Blue Hole.  Kind of interesting, not sure it was worth the extra drive, but we didn't have anything else to do.

Key Largo area wasn't as great.  Had mostly good food.  Recommend Lorelei, Florida Keys Brewing, Islamorada Brewing (both breweries had fantastic outdoor areas that kids can run around or play games at), Wahoo's, Hobo Cafe, Blonde Giraffe Key Lime Pie... all really good.  Some decent places, Buzzards Roost, Gilberts Resort (amazing potential here, the sunset views were great).  Also, HIGHLY recommend Alabama Jacks on the way down.  If you head there from Hwy 1 you don't have to pay the toll to cross the bridge since the restaurant is just before the toll.  Great conch!

I recommend getting a pound of stone crab claws from https://www.keylargofisheries.com/ Go inside to the fish market to the left of the bar/restaurant and order a pound to take home.  Have them crack the claws for you.  They're incredible right now. 

For things to do, we fed the fish at Robbies (probably as far South as you will want to go unless you are planning on going to Key West), watched a bunch of sunsets, Rain Barrel Village to check out some art as well as the giant spiny lobster, the Wild Bird Sanctuary, John Pennekamp State Park.  Don't expect any true beaches in the Key Largo area.  They're all man made and frankly, calling them a beach is a stretch.  We didn't do Theater of the Seas (have seen that sort of thing more than a few times) or go out on a boat ($800 for 4 hours of fishing felt excessive).  We felt like we did everything there was to do and see in the upper keys in our 5 days, though you have kids so there may be a few more things for you guys to find.  We also spent most of one day fishing from the pier of the airbnb, but didn't have much luck.  Couple of small fish.  If I had one more day I'd probably have taken out the kayak, but every day aside from our last day was too windy.

If you're flying in and out of Miami and have to make your flight out early in the morning remember that driving in Miami is awful.  Traffic, terrible drivers, and nonsense street design will delay you more than you think.  It took us almost an extra hour to get from the upper keys to Miami than it did to go South.

We saw lemon sharks, nurse sharks, dolphins, manatees (delicious!), tarpon, a ton of birds, iguanas (invasive), and Key Deer... and about a million wild chickens.

Overall, we had a great time.  The food was really good overall, but be warned the portions are HUGE everywhere, and there was enough for us to enjoy for the ten days we were there.  Thank you everyone for your recommendations!

Enjoy your trip, and if you have any questions, feel free to ask!