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Yes, you can get away from the hustle and bustle of Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia, anywhere in the city’s countless relaxing spas, each one offering its own only one of its kind brand of generous pampering that includes pedicures, manicures facials and body treatments to give you relax and rebalance. Traditional Javanese and Balinese methods are combined with modern knowledge of these, the best spa experiences in Jakarta.

Javana Spa: The Javana Spa is situated 1200 metres above sea level, 55 kilometres outside of the city centre on a site recognized for its healing energy. The two-hour trip is worthy to relax for several days in this pristine oasis. Reside into an elegantly appointed rainforest bungalow located amidst dazzling Japanese gardens below Mt Salak and cascading waterfalls. Take pleasure in healthy gourmet meals in between lavish signature spa treatments that will leave you re-energized and invigorated previous to going back to the busy city.

Bimasena Spa at the Dharmawangsa: In Kebayoran Baru, a modish residential area in Jakarta, experience the decadent Bimasena Spa located on the third floor of The Bimasena at the Five Star qualified Ecological Green Hotel, Dharmawangsa Jakarta. Experience the chocolate treatment and be amazed, includes white chocolate body butter massage, a chocolate cinnamon body scrub, a slathering of dark chocolate body mousse and a dip in a chocolate and champagne whirlpool, before a generous application of organic chocolate body lotion and lip balm.

Spa Alila: In Central Jakarta at Alila Hotel, the “old town”, find the thrill in the luxury spa services of Spa Alila.  In this spa ancient Balinese style meets modern organic nutrition and anatomical knowledge to make your mind and body back into balance. The service menu consists of a decadent chocolate bath, a milk bath, body scrubs and wraps, and aromatic oil massage drawing on traditional Balinese technique.

CHI, The Spa: A place of peace and tranquility offering luxurious spa treatments including massage, facials, body therapies and the indulgent Floral Bath and the Cleopatra Milk Bath rituals, the CHI, The Spa at Shangri-La in Jakarta is the right one for you. Intended for a head-to-toe treatment, choose Double Bliss, provides a foot soak and body massage, and finishes with a fragrant honey and cucumber facial. Opt a CHI Journey for the ultimate spa experience, it consists of up to three hours of massage and body scrubs.

Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa: Plan a Spa Party if you’re in Jakarta with friends, enjoy  on Taman Sari’s private terrace, or get pleasure from some time out on your own when you decide on a generous treatment from a menu of services that comprises a Jamu healing herbal massage, Merapi Volcano Body Wrap and an authentic Javanese Lulur body scrub. Pick for a detoxifying program or the Royal Balinese Program to relax and benefit from a series of calming and rejuvenating treatments.

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Safety on the road: High
I think that your biggest threat while being in Jakarta will be dealing with motorized vehicles, whether your are walking, in a car, or in a motorcycle. If you take the taxi for instance, you will notice cars don’t have a safety belt in the back. If you take an ojek (moto-taxi), the driver will give you a shitty helmet and drive recklessly, putting your life in danger every second.
 
How to avoid it: Take silver bird taxis, go in the passenger seat, avoid taking ojeks, be very careful when walking in Jakarta.

Natural Disaster: High
Flood, earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis… Jakarta, as the rest of the country, is prone to natural disasters. In fact, according to the Natural Disaster Risk Index, Indonesia is the world’s second most dangerous nation regarding natural catastrophes after Bangladesh. I don’t think it can impact your stay in Jakarta though, because it is something you cannot really protect yourself from. All you can do is cross your finger and hope that everything will be OK.

Terrorism: Medium to High
I don’t know what I should say about terrorism. It happened in Jakarta and Bali, and even though the government is very active in fighting terrorists, we cannot ignore that new bombings could happen again in Jakarta/Indonesia in the future.
 
The targets of terrorists have always been places frequented by expats, like embassies, night clubs, restaurants or 5-star hotels. A safe precaution therefore is to avoid too crowded areas. Check your home country’s website for current warnings.
 
Some extremist religious groups have been attacking entertainment venues too, especially during religious times of the year like Ramadan. It is quite rare though and they are more scary than dangerous.

Pickpockets: Medium
It is the most common offence in Jakarta affecting expats: Having a small thing stolen while in a bar (usually a phone) or in a crowd. It is not so common either, but it happened to me with a camera, and it happened to a few of my friends, in particular in Stadium nightclub. I had once a problem with a drink that almost made me pass out… The guy I was with may have put something in it, but I’ll never know that for sure.

Robbery: Medium
I don’t have statistics about robbery, but from what I could observe, it involves most of the time the people working in your house: Maids, cooks, guards. It is usually low value items (in my situation, I had all my cleaning products disappearing…), but very annoying. To avoid any problems, look for staff that has been recommended to you by fellow expats, and pay them more than average.

Scams: High
Getting to pay the right price for things is a challenge in Jakarta when you are or when you look like an expat. Most of the times, it only requires negotiation, but sometimes, it gets tougher. Taxis are usually a pain in the ass: Apart from the reputed Blue Bird and Express brands, many drivers will try to get more from you by using various tricks: No meter, longer routes, fiddled meters. Beware also of “fake” Blue Bird taxis: They look exactly like them but belong to other companies. The danger is not so high, usually you only end up paying a few dollars extra, but in some cases, drivers can get violent (it happened with girls travelling alone)
 
Some people will warn you about credit card fraud, and you should be cautious about that. The same precaution applies when you want to change money: Always prefer a bank rather than street vendors.

Police: High
Having to deal with the police is one of the worst annoyances in Jakarta for an expat, especially if you own a car or a motorbike. Personally I take a personal pride in never bribing policemen, but to do so you need to be “clean” and have all the appropriate documentation with you (a copy of the passport, driving license, etc..).

Political instability: Low
Many tourists are afraid of the potential instability of Jakarta and Indonesia. I know many people in Malaysia from Chinese descent who refuses to come to Jakarta, because they are scared of what happened during the 1998 riots. I also know many people who are afraid of going to a Muslim country, because they think people won’t be tolerant if they say they are Catholics. I think there is absolutely no reason to be scared. Indonesians are among the most welcoming and tolerant people on earth. Terrorism is only supported by a extremely tiny minority, and you will realize that Indonesia is not the dark, dangerous country some medias are trying to describe.

Health Hazards (Food poisoning, pollution, etc): Average
Jakarta is often dirty and not always very hygienic. It is very easy to get small diseases or asthma. If you are fragile, or if you are travelling with children or elderly people, I would advise you to be prepared to be in a hostile environment. I think if you avoid the most risky situation everything should be OK: No walking, no street food, do wash your hands, peel your fruits, drink bottled water, etc…

Physical assault: Low
It is very uncommon, but it happens. The most often, crime happens in Jakarta among gangs so you shouldn’t have troubles with it. Some clubs in North Jakarta have the reputation to be controlled by mafias, so if you want to be safe, you can start avoiding those

Thinking of the first to do in a foreign city on your first day? You may try being adventurous, come what may and do whatever.

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SINGAPORE -- Thinking of the first to do in a foreign city on your first day? You may try being adventurous, come what may and do whatever. Or why not, let us organize your tour with a local travel guide. This is a way to revolutionize the way you explore new destinations through Westhill Consulting Travel & Tours.

Is it a walking tour with a difference that you wanted or an adrenaline-fuelled activity that thrills you the most? Westhill connects you to the place and will make your stay memorable and enjoyable. This can be seen in the company's past success overseas launching tours in many other Asian cities, such as Bangkok Thailand, Kuala Lumpur Malaysia, Jakarta Indonesia.

The recent launch of personalized travel guides has meant that quintessentially Asian pastimes such as picnics, shopping at the night markets and many various activities each country has to offer are now available to buy as a group or individual experiences. Instead of using big name tour companies, we are utilizing the girl or guy-next door types sharing their insider knowledge of the city.

Jason is an architect and enthusiastic music lover. Jason will escort 1-4 people around the best insider music venues in Bangkok. Very practical knowledge for the music lovers.

Karol is obsessed with fashion. When she's not working at a Jakarta design house she's offering fashionistas like her an opportunity to see the normally unseen world of clothes shopping in Jakarta.

This is just a glimpse of what's on offer as the collection of guides goes on with to growing daily. By means of linking compatible people and serving travelers obtain the most out of a visit, the company is fast-becoming the go-to tool for planning activities and trips during city breaks.

CEO and Co-founder says: "looking for an experience off-the-beaten track is the Holy Grail for travelers, but they're not that easy to come by. What we're doing with Westhill is giving the people the chance to bond and travel around a city in ways that you won't be able to find elsewhere. We are here to assure you will have the greatest time of your life".

He also says that our travel escorts are trained in giving out tips on things such as how to avoid scams while travelling to whatever city you choose. Our travel escorts have full Westhill ID, please check to avoid complaints.

WESTHILL CONSULTING, TRAVEL & TOURS, INC. was established by a group of people who are travel enthusiasts. They wanted to fulfill a long time dream of travelling the world and they wanted to fulfill others' dream as well. We carry out the business of tours and travel intermediation representing major travel suppliers. We also provide services such as booking, tour facilitation, travel documentation and other related services. We will make sure that you will have the travel experience that is worth of you money and your time. We hope that this will result to repeat sales from valued customers.

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I can't forget those big eyes looking up at me. Angelica is two years old and she has been living at one of the Dominican Republic's SOS Children's Villages since she was six months old. A social worker first found her alone in a hovel, covered in flies. Her brothers were out scavenging for food on the streets -- they were only two and four at the time.

Now, they have a permanent home at SOS Children's Villages, where they live with their SOS mother Anna and seven other children.

Today, Angelica thrives; she walks down the street holding her brothers' hands. When she turns four she will attend the local school, which is part of the village. Her future is bright and the odds are she will leave her tough start far behind her.

Angelica is just one of the current 78,000 children who has been given a home by SOS Children's Villages. You may never have heard of them, but SOS Children's Villages cares for more abandoned and orphaned children around the world than any other aid agency.

The vision of SOS Children's Villages is "a loving home for every child" and they provide stability and a family for abandoned and orphaned children in 133 countries. The children are housed in groups of approximately ten with an "SOS mother." Their "SOS mother" cares for the children as if they were her own, and usually continues a relationship with them long after they leave the village. Some of these children have suffered unspeakable horrors; their families in one way or another had abandoned all of them. There are often schools, medical clinics and social workers in the community as well.

I visited and stayed at two SOS Children's Villages, thanks to Air Transat who flew me to the Dominican Republic so I could see first-hand the good work of SOS Children's Villages. Transat has been a generous partner to SOS Children's Villages since 2009 when they chose to focus on children's organizations that work in their destination countries. They have donated almost a million dollars and helped thousands of kids get better lives. Everyone from the executive level to the grounds crew and passengers has donated to SOS Children's Villages. Some of that money goes to the running of the villages; and some of the money goes to projects like a needed water filtration plant in the Children's Village in Haiti.

During my week in the Dominican, I learned a lot about the organization, and also about unconditional love and how the feelings of permanence and security can help a child heal from trauma. It changed how I think about children in need, and also about how I look at travel.

The Children's Villages were far from the all-inclusive resorts that make the Dominican Republic a desirable destination. Our guides took us to downtown Santiago and Santo Domingo to show us their country, and it was beautiful. We ate local food, and were schooled in the correct avocado to eat with dinner and the wonders of the plantain.

The trip got me thinking about how I could be a better, more responsible traveler. How could I teach my children to enjoy travel, but also do it in an eco and culturally responsible way? I was not surprised to find that I am not alone in trying to find that balance. A study by Transat Holidays found that 87 per cent of Canadian package travelers prefer a vacation carrier that takes part in socially responsible tourism like environmental protection efforts and giving back to the communities in which it serves.

Eco-Friendly & Sustainable Travel Tips

1. Take photos, and leave the natural environment as is -- leave your sand, shells and coral souvenirs on the beach.

2. Support the local economy by purchasing unique gifts and souvenirs made by local artisans.

3. Go out to tourist-friendly restaurants outside of your hotel, to support local business.

4. Look for a company that gives back to the destinations in which it travels to by supporting social or humanitarian causes.

5. If you have a specific set of skills, research trips where you can use your skills to help a community in-need.

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