From Couch to City: Our (Two) Jakarta Bucket List Adventures

Just for the sake of this post, I'll admit that my boyfriend and I are both huge homebodies. We enjoy exploring every once in a while, we really do, but we're not exactly what you'd call adventurous—trust me, we're far from it.

No matter how much we love staying in and playing mobile games together, it's also nice to dress up and go out sometimes. That's why, during this year's Eid holiday, we decided to check off two items on our bucket list. If you're like us (and live in Jakarta), I hope our little outings inspire you with some ideas for date spots.

#1 - Jakarta Aquarium & Safari

Located in Neo Soho, one of the largest malls in West Jakarta, the Jakarta Aquarium & Safari is an exciting date spot. With an underwater-like journey (complete with an eerie blue glow—so incredible!) and plenty of show options, we found the place particularly enchanting. Unfortunately, it was extremely crowded when we visited. The line for the mermaid show was too long, so we skipped it and chose the pirate show instead. It was great. My boyfriend couldn't stop raving about how it exceeded his expectations.

My overall rating: 4.2/5★

His overall rating: 4.5/5★ *)

*) Additional commentary: For an aquarium located in a mall, it's huuuge! He loved the experience, but he suggested adding more types of fish. He was also a little disappointed that the capybaras were sleeping during our visit (though, to be fair, I don't think it's the capybaras' fault since we visited around 1 p.m., which is a universal nap time for most creatures—because you know, who doesn't love a good nap?).

#2 - Museum Nasional Indonesia

The Museum Nasional Indonesia was my first-ever museum date experience. It's bigger than I expected, blending modern interior design with a vast collection of historical artifacts. Again, it's a shame we visited when it was overflowing with visitors. Not that we needed to jostle with them—the museum was large, so it was still a pleasant experience with plenty of Instagram-worthy spots. It's just that my boyfriend and I didn't have the energy to wait in line for some of the features. Overall, though, I really enjoyed how our little museum date turned out. 

My overall rating: 4/5★

His overall rating: 4/5★ *)

*) Additional commentary: The first thing that came to his mind was how spacious the place was. Even though it was a little hard to navigate at first, he truly enjoyed the statue and artwork. Definitely something everyone should experience at least once in a lifetime.