Looking for things to do this Valentine’s Day? Sweep your Honey off of their feet with these romantic and fun date ideas in Jakarta.
Public Service Announcement: February 14th is almost upon us, and you know what that means: it’s time to plan a romantic date for the most special Valentine’s Day. Sure you can’t go wrong with the classic candlelit dinner-and-a-movie date with your other half, but you have to admit that weeks, months or even years of doing just that, does get a bit predictable at some point. But if you’re breaking a sweat over impressing your special person, don’t fret, we’ve got you covered! We’ve done the field work to suss out the most fabulous date ideas in Jakarta – from the classically romantic to the adventurous and fun, here’s what to do this upcoming Valentine’s Day. Psst… You can do these on a regular date night too!
DATE IDEAS IN JAKARTA: FROM ROMANTIC TO UNIQUE
1. Museum hopping and art hunting
Whether you’re both history buffs or are just curious about Indonesia’s rich heritage, why not try museum hopping for a fun day out with your partner? If you don’t know where to begin, start from Medan Merdeka and Kota Tua in Central Jakarta, where you can find a number of historical and cultural museums like Museum Sumpah Pemuda, Bank Indonesia Museum and Wayang Museum. More into contemporary arts? Then you definitely have to put the world-class Museum MACAN in West Jakarta on your list. There are also lots of private art galleries you can visit, like Dia.Lo.Gue Artspace.
2. Put some spark on the classic candlelit dinner
Fancy a low-key, yet sophisticated night out? How about a classic, dinner date decked with candles and flower petals? Find them plus delectable menus at Jakarta’s most romantic restaurants! Upgrade your dinner date at fine dining and award-winning restaurants – some of them will even curate a lovely menu filled with Valentine’s Day specials and bubblies.
3. Have a picnic and ride a tandem bicycle at Ecopark Ancol
In the middle of the concrete jungle in Jakarta, there are still some parts of the city where you can enjoy nature, and our fave is Ecopark Ancol. At this ocean-themed waterfront park, you can have a picnic under the tree and explore the eco area on a tandem bike. You can even take a relaxing walk, as you take in the refreshing breeze and the beautiful flora across the park.
4. Go kayaking or canoeing at the Mangrove Nature Park
If you’re a hopeless romantic, we’re sure The Notebook is one of your favourite movies. If you want a “The Notebook” moment for yourself, well, lucky for you you can do just that at the Mangrove Nature Park. Located at Pantai Indah Kapuk, this place is surrounded by a lush green scenery with lots of beautiful flora, fauna and Instagrammable spots to capture your memories. Top tip: make it a Valentine’s weekend and stay at one of the cute, cabin-like villas, or camp out beneath the stars at the campsite!
5. Bounce hand-in-hand at the trampoline park
For those who are forever young at heart, you’d love to have date at the trampoline park, where you can do nothing but jump and have fun. Lucky for you, there are now more and more trampoline parks opening in the city. Our faves? Bounce Street Asia in Kelapa Gading, and Houbii Club, and all-out urban adventure park in Bogor. Psst… it counts as exercising, so you’ll burn those Valentine chocolate calories, too!
6. Make friends with your favourite fauna
Are you a couple with special affinity for animals? Then a date to the zoo or the aquarium will totally make your day! Take a drive up to Taman Safari Bogor and get up close with your favourite animals from inside the car. If the long drive sounds quite troublesome for you, you can instead choose to go to Sea World Ancol in North Jakarta or the enchanting Jakarta Aquarium & Safari at Neo Soho in West Jakarta where you can dine and feed the penguins!
7. Put your teamwork to a test
If you want to test out your compatibility in solving problems together, try escaping the escape room together! There are lots of escape rooms available in Jakarta, but perhaps the most popular one (and the scariest, we may add) has to be Pandora Experience, with multiple locations across the city. We say, go for the most difficult room to really test your problem-solving and communication skills, as well as discover who the secret scaredy cat is in the relationship…
8. Go on a day trip to Pulau Seribu
Who says you have to spend several days to go all the way to Bali to have a memorable beach getaway? If you only have a day to spare, take a day trip to Pulau Seribu. Just a speed boat ride away from Jakarta, you’ll find quaint islands with clear, pristine waters. Top tip: follow the traditions and take a stroll hand-in-hand up and down the Bridge of Love located on Tidung Island.
9. Ride Indonesia’s tallest ferris wheel at sunset
Want to have a romantic ferris wheel ride? At Aeon Mall Jakarta Garden City, you can ride the J-Sky Ferris Wheel, AKA the tallest ferris wheel in Indonesia. Located above the third floor of Aeon Mall in Cakung, East Jakarta, the pink gondolas are fully air-conditioned, so you’ll still be able to sit down and relax comfortably for a total of 15 minutes overlooking the stunning view of Jakarta. But, we say why cut the ride short if you can book a romantic dinner in the sky-high gondola?
Happy V-Day, Honeys!
