Start with a walk in the park and end the day in a Javanese spa, recommends our senior reporter, MIMI HUDOYO.
There are many ways to spend your extra day in Jakarta. Shopping is one. The city has so many shopping complexes that no matter which hotel you are staying at, there is bound to be a shopping complex nearby.
You can also book a day tour of Jakarta with an agent, or take a day trip to a Pulau Seribu island in north Jakarta or to Puncak, east of the capital.
But if you prefer to do your own tour, taken at your own pace, then put on comfortable shoes and light clothing and get ready to go! Before we start, it is a good idea to pack an extra t-shirt, as the city is humid, a swimsuit, camera, bottle of water and some cash and about Rp150,000 (US$17) to pay for entry fees, transportation and a light lunch.
Public transport is still a problem in Jakarta. Meter taxis and rent-a-cars (any type of car you can imagine) are your best bet. They are also reasonably priced.
Tell your driver to take you to Monas, the local name for the Merdeka Square. Being a Jakarta resident, I am now proud to have a park to walk peacefully in. The city government has spent US$1 million to put up fences around the 90-hectare park, relocate the street hawkers to a dedicated food centre, and ban any four-wheel vehicle from entering the park.
You may even see deer there. Ten spotted deer have been released from the Bogor presidential palace grounds to the park.
Walk around the shady park, which is lined with many indigenous and rare tree species, or take a horsecart ride.
Visit the National Monument, study the diorama of Indonesia's history of independence, then take the lift up to the top of the obelisk, 115m above the ground, for a bird's-eye view of Jakarta.
After visiting Monas, drop in at the National Museum, located west of the park.
The museum is known to the locals as the elephant museum as it has an elephant statue in front of its building.
The original building has been renovated, its architecture retained. The building now looks cleaner, brighter, with better-displayed collections.
Extension works are going on with a side building and another behind the original building. With the extension, the museum, which was built in 1868, will be able to display its more than 110,000 pieces from all over Indonesia. The original building can display only some 20 per cent of the entire collection.
For those looking for shopping bargains, head for Mangga Dua, about 10 to 20 minutes' drive from the museum, depending on the traffic. In the shopping complexes along the Mangga Dua street you can find everything from electronic goods to fake branded fashion items.
If you are not interested, go directly to Ancol Dream Land, about 20 minutes away to the north. Browse in the Arts Market, which houses handicraft and paintings and artists at work.
When hungry, try the open-air restaurants nearby for local fare and coconut water served in its shell. There are also a variety of restaurants around Ancol Dream Land and Fantasy Land.
After lunch, you have a choice of activities around Fantasy Land. Rediscover the child in you by going on a roller-coaster ride at SeaWorld, for instance.
Then end the day regaining your wits at the Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa on Jalan Wahid Hasyim. The products used in the spa are claimed to have been developed from the traditional recipes of the Javanese Royal Family.
