Greetings from the other side of the world! For the past month, I have been living in Indonesia, a beautiful Southeast Asian country made up of about 17,000 different islands. My main stomping ground has been the capital city, Jakarta, a bustling metropolis that is packed with even more people than my beloved hometown (New York City). With that being said, the city is swarming with fashion forward women whose personal styles balances both traditional and modern elements. Read on for a diary of my favorite spots in Jakarta along with the stylish people I found there!

First things first, for all of you fashion die-hards out there, if you ever visit Jakarta you must go to the Museum Tekstil. This quaint gallery boasts an impressive collection of Indonesia’s traditional Batik textiles from the past century. The Batik is an intricately dyed cloth, with each unique pattern holding a different symbolic meaning. You can also learn how to make your very own Batik textile, that is, if you’re willing to spend upwards of two hours on the detailed process!

Next on my itinerary was the oh-so fun (and delicious!) eatery, Playground, located in the luxe Plaza Indonesia mall. My friends and I had a blast spinning around on the tables and lounging on the swings at the bar. As you can see above, one of the ladies sported a traditional Batik skirt, balancing out the pattern with a basic tee and keeping it modern with a bright pair of ballet flats! After stuffing ourselves silly with the East meets West cuisine, we stopped by The Goods Dept, a concept store that houses up-and-coming Indonesian designers such as the super cool jewelry line, More and More.

When dining in Jakarta, you tend to get a two-for-one deal: a yummy meal and a cool concept. At Koi Kemang, not only did I munch on some tasty deserts, I also checked out the lust-worthy furniture gallery upstairs. The two girls above are sporting some of the big trends I saw throughout the city: denim shorts (because they’re easy and it’s always hot!) and elegant, neutral color palettes.

I was in for another double deal when I stopped by the Ak.’sa.ra book shop (filled with cutting-edge design objects as well as books and magazines on everything from cooking to business and classic novels) and then grabbed lunch upstairs at the home-y cafe, Casa - both of which are owned by the lovely lady in the above photograph. Here are two more trends to take note of: modern statement necklaces and anything in pinks, reds or corals!

Here are a few more of my favorite spots in Jakarta. I met up with some friends at Gourmet Garage (the definition of a fusion restaurant: Italian, American, Japanese, Indonesian – you name it!) who wore two effortlessly chic colorblocked ensembles. The middle image is from Tree House, a properly named bar considering there is a tree growing right through the middle of it! The far right photograph is from Bakoel Koffie, a great place to sip on a latte and play a few board games. Here are two pals playing around on the steps, sporting laid-back, but totally playful outfits: a look the ladies of Jakarta have seemed to perfect!