• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
Go to Expat Living Hong Kong
Get our Newsletter

Lifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living HomepageLifestyle Guide To Moving To & Living in Singapore - Expat Living

Moving to Singapore and not sure where to start? Expat Living is the essential lifestyle guide to living in Singapore.

Login Pelcro Shop

Menu
  • Living in Singapore
      • Living here
      • Property
      • Neighbourhood Guides
      • Work & Finance
        • Costa Rhu: Jyoti’s spacious & central Tanjong Rhu condo
        • Shop dress shoes for men in SingaporeDress shoes for men – finding the perfect pair in Singapore
        • living in singapore demographics expat living reader surveyEXPAT LIVING READER SURVEY 2023
        • Forex trading for beginnersHow to start forex trading in Singapore
      • View all
    Close
  • Things To Do
      • Things to do
      • EL Events
      • Calendar
      • Competitions
      • Noticeboard
        • Image of cool things to do for kids in Singapore, watching white tiger in Singapore ZooWhat’s on this week and beyond
        • Sailing Yacht Charter in SingaporeLuxury yacht rentals in Singapore
        • Where to watch the F1 2023 and party!
        • One Rishta - a website for happiness and culture in Singapore from Rituparna senguptaA new way to access creativity and culture in Singapore!
      • View all
    Close
  • Kids
      • Enrichment
      • Kids Things To Do
      • Mums & Babies
      • Schools
      • Tots & Toddlers
      • Tweens & Teens
        • Centre Stage performing arts and drama classes in SingaporeTop ballet, dance and drama classes in Singapore
        • agora colearning inclusive learning environmentThis new preschool has a personalised learning environment
        • learning journey community SASMaking the student learning journey exciting
        • Yellow Aliens mascotWhere to rent costumes for Halloween in Singapore & more!
      • View all
    Close
  • Homes
      • Furniture & Décor
      • Real Homes
        • Looking for the best outdoor furniture?
        • Where to buy antiques or vintage furniture – Reviews
        • Modern interior design with a touch of tradition!
        • Singapore home decor by Originals7 best furniture stores for home décor in Singapore
      • View all
    Close
  • Travel
      • Australasia
      • Rest Of The World
        • Indonesia travel - where to stay in BaliIndonesia travel – Where to stay in Bali & island resorts
        • Sailing Yacht Charter in SingaporeLuxury yacht rentals in Singapore
        • Beach Villas Wakatobi Indonesian island resort6 Reasons to Book These Beach Villas!
        • The Latest Travel News & Hotel Deals
      • View all
    Close
  • Wine & Dine
      • Asian Cuisine
      • Western Cuisine
      • Bars & Clubs
      • Groceries & Speciality Services
      • Recipes & Classes
        • Oktoberfest 2023 singapore - the places for food and beerHow to celebrate Oktoberfest 2023 in Singapore
        • Deviate wine bar in Dempsey Hill - we chat to owner Joe Keats of Petersons WinesThis Dempsey bar is a best-kept secret!
        • Crossroads cafe at Orchard - where to eat in Orchard Road - alfresco dining SingaporeTry alfresco dining & happy hour at this café at Orchard Road
        • The best birthday cakes in Singapore
      • View all
    Close
  • Style & Beauty
      • Fashion
      • Hair & Beauty
        • Shop dress shoes for men in SingaporeDress shoes for men – finding the perfect pair in Singapore
        • Six shades full set Bigen Men Beard ColorDye your beard like an expert – at home!
        • Tiffany Cook and Caroline Chin Geyler from T&C Gemstones and JewelleryBespoke jewellery created by a pair of gem lovers!
        • Try the best Spas in Singapore for some pampering!
      • View all
    Close
  • Health & Fitness
      • Dental
      • Fitness
      • Medical
      • Wellness
        • allergic rhinitis, allergy medication and insuranceFast facts about allergies, their symptoms and insurance
        • art therapy depression treatmentNavigating depression with Experiential Therapy
        • The best personal trainers and personal training gyms in SingaporeWhere to go for personal trainers in Singapore
        • Sport clubs in SingaporeWant to join a sports team?
      • View all
    Close
  • Shop
    • PRINT MAGAZINE
    • DIGITAL MAGAZINE
    • Close

Inacraft Fair Jakarta – some serious shopping!

26th March 2018 by Melinda Murphy 4 Min Read

https://expatliving.sg/inacraft-fair-jakarta-shopping/

With the annual Inacraft fair on in Jakarta this month, Melinda Murphy recounts getting a massive dose of retail therapy at the event last year.

“Wow. Just wow.” I’m a long-time shopper. (Aren’t most women?) And rarely do I get overwhelmed by choice. Heck, I thrive on choice! But I momentarily lost my bearings when I first walked into Inacraft 2017 – or the Jakarta International Handicraft Trade Fair – which is billed as “the biggest and most complete exhibition of gifts and housewares.” Boy, is it.

Inacraft Fair Jakarta

With more than 900 vendors, the Jakarta Convention Center (around an hour from the airport) was overflowing with fabulous things to buy last April. I felt like a puppy who found a giant stash of toys, running from one to the other with no real direction. My friend Natasha and I finally took a breath, devised a plan and started to methodically snake our way up and down the rows, visiting each and every vendor spread throughout several buildings.

Item after item made out of batik beckoned us, but not the same ol’ batik you see in Bali. No, these pieces were brought from all over Indonesia, which meant there were hundreds of varieties – a veritable rainbow of fabrics on every aisle, some traditional and some more modern in style. There was an equally mind-boggling number of styles and sizes. Sure, there were the usual petite sizes you find in Asian clothing, but there was also a large selection for “real women”, as one salesperson put it. The quality was much better than most of the batik items I’ve seen elsewhere, but the prices were still really low. There were even batik shoes!

Massive selection. High quality. Low prices. Heaven!

Inacraft Fair Jakarta

The event is mostly clothing, more so than I expected, but there are lots of other items to delight in: jewellery, python handbags, housewares, wooden carvings, bags, breath-taking wall hangings, antiques, children’s items, leather items, table decorations – even some furniture – just to name a few.

Making it even more fun was the reaction of all the locals. They loved that some Westerners were shopping and, I must admit, there weren’t many of us. We felt like celebrities because every shop owner wanted to snap a photo with us. Many of the vendors had been selected to represent their village and the shopkeepers were quite proud to show us their handiwork. It was a bit like taking a mini-vacation, in the comfort of air conditioning. We shopped and shopped and shopped for two full days of the five-day event. I took home two skirts, two pairs of pants, a dress, some table linens, three sarongs and a few gifts – all for about S$300. Not bad, eh? I think Natasha’s take was about the same.

Sound cool? Then start planning! Inacraft is on at the end of this month, and since the show is celebrating its 20th anniversary, it will no doubt be bigger than ever!

Inacraft Fair

Travel tips

Stay at The Sultan Hotel Jakarta.

A room here will run you about S$100 per night for a double. The big plus? There’s an underground tunnel straight to the convention centre so you don’t have to walk outside or battle the notorious Jakarta traffic. The room comes with breakfast, too. The food isn’t great, but it’ll fill you up. Book early as the hotel sells out for this particular weekend. sultanjakarta.com

Go on a weekday.

The event opens on Thursday and runs for five days. Go when it opens. For starters, there are more choices available before shoppers start to pick through it all. However, the real reason to go early is that the weekend is insanely crowded. Our first day, a Friday, was enjoyable. We could walk in the various booths, comfortably browse and indecisively try on outfit after outfit. Saturday felt more like the Running of the Brides in the US, when Filene’s Basement drastically discounts all its wedding dresses. It was crowded and not nearly as much fun.

Inacraft Fair Jakarta

Dress to impress.

My mistake the first day was wearing big, loose pants. I had a tough time trying on clothes because there were no dressing rooms. The second day I had on a T-shirt dress, which meant I could easily slip on the items that caught my eye. And definitely wear good walking shoes!

Eat lunch outside.

There is a food court of sorts upstairs at the Convention Centre. It is cheap, true, but the food isn’t all that great, nor recognisable in some cases. Instead, head outside to the little café. It’s still pretty inexpensive, but far better.

Take plenty of cash.

A few vendors take credit cards, but most prefer cash and will even bargain their prices for cold, hard rupiah.

Inacraft Fair Jakarta

Use Google Translate.

Most vendors don’t speak English, so having Google Translate on your phone will make things easier. Plus, if you have a food allergy or such, you can easily read the labels.

Use XE Currency.

Again, most vendors don’t speak English. Key in your offer on a calculator or XE Currency on your phone. I personally love using the app because I can instantly see how much the offer translates to my preferred currency.

Two days will do.

We shopped hard for two days and saw every booth twice. I think any more than that and I would have gone a bit bonkers, but any less and I would have worried I missed something. Another thought is to shop in the mornings and have a spa treatment in the afternoon.

Inacraft Fair Jakarta

Go with an honest friend.

The temptation is to buy everything – it’s all so cheap and cute. You need a friend like I had with me. Natasha was brilliant at saying “No!” when I was lured by something that didn’t make me look my best.

End with a massage. There is a foot reflexology and neckrub area set up in the basement. Do it – you deserve it!

Inacraft 2018 runs from 25 to 29 April this year. To find out more about the event, visit inacraft.co.id.

Like this? Read more at our travel section!

Beach break in Broome: Camel rides, Pearl farms and dinosaurs prints 

4 Malaysian Road trips from Singapore

Travel news: Places to stay and play

This article first appeared in the April 2018 edition of Expat Living. You can purchase a copy or subscribe so you never miss an issue!

Categories: Rest Of The World Travel Tags: Inacraft Fair Jakarta Indonesia Jakarta Markets Shopping

Melinda Murphy

Melinda does Special Projects for Expat Living which includes pulling together big stories, videos — all sorts of cool stuff. It all builds on her background as a television correspondent, producer and author back in the US. Her life is kind of a special project, too, with two young kids, an old dog, a ridiculous number of volunteer activities — and a very understanding hubby.

You May Also Like

Sailing Yacht Charter in Singapore

Luxury yacht rentals in Singapore

Beach Villas Wakatobi Indonesian island resort

6 Reasons to Book These Beach Villas!

Australia hotel in Melbourne

We review a cool new Melbourne hotel

Primary Sidebar

  • Competitions
  • Noticeboard
  • Subscribe
  • About
  • advertise
  • Contact
  • Privacy

© 2023 Expat Living Singapore, All Rights Reserved.