A tropical escape: Hotel Jakarta in Amsterdam

While you’re waiting and wishing to travel to Bali, we found a sweet way to soothe your island wanderlust for now (we know it’s not the real deal but it comes close!) 

Eve went on a staycation at Hotel Jakarta in Amsterdam with Manua and Stephen and it felt like a trip to the tropics. We woke up with a coffee under the palm trees, dipped into the pool, had amazing Indonesian food and soaked up the sun.

You can choose to stay-in as there’s a lot to explore inside the hotel: besides wandering around the tropical garden inside this sustainable hotel (made in collaboration with Hortus Botanicus) you can indulge amazing food at Café Jakarta (also a great tip if you’re not staying at the hotel!) with terrace along the water or coffee spot and bakery ‘Westers’, have sunset drinks with view over the city at the bar on the top level, enjoy the swimming pool, wellness area, break a swat at the gym or chill on the balcony of your room. But if you feel like more exploring you can go out take one of the bicycles to bike around Amsterdam.

Book your stay at Hotel Jakarta with our special WELIKEBALI friends discount!
You'll receive 5% off your booking. Use code 'WELIKEBALI' at the checkout.

> Book Hotel Jakara Amsterdam here

Historic Location

We can’t write this post without a bit of note of history (although we aren’t that well in exactly explaining well we’ll do our best!) Indonesia was the largest former Dutch colony. Hotel Jakarta is located on Java Island in Amsterdam, a historic location in context of history between both countries. It is exactly the location where 70 years ago the first ships arrived with Moluccan families - amongst them also my (Eve’s) dad, grandparents, aunts and uncles. Around 12500 Moluccan KNIL-soldiers of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army and their families were brought to Europe after the end of the occupation over the Dutch East Indies in the 1950’s as they fought on the Dutch side during the Indonesian National Revolution. Our families were originally told to come the Netherlands only temporarily, but were eventually discharged on arrival, housed in camps without the possibility to return back to their homeland. A complex course of history continued and here we are now. And as you know Pris and Stephen are ‘Indo’ and their grandparents and moms also moved to Holland from Indonesia. Over a period of 15 turbulent years Indische Nederlanders (Dutch Indonesians), estimated at between 250,000 and 300,000, left the former Dutch East Indies. Most carrying the traumas of the war with them. In Bali we get the questions a lot from friends around the world why there are so many Indonesian people in the Netherlands and ‘mixed’ bloods like us, well that was your (short) answer!

Terima Kasih

With that in mind as well it was a very special stay and as you can imagine it felt quite emotional as well to stay here on this spot – and reminiscing all the families and our grandparents (and dear dad who we miss so much!) who went before me and paved the way for us as next generations of Moluccans and Indo’s in The Netherlands.

We kindly thank Hotel Jakarta for our beautiful stay, terima kasih! And we’ll be back here with Pris and Arnaud for another night under the palms as well very soon, so stay tuned. 

Giveaway (closed)

We’re excited we can give you a chance to win your tropical escape at Hotel Jakarta as well! You can win a night stay in a luxury room for 2 persons, including dinner 'Table Jakarta' at Café Jakarta, a tasting of Indonesian dishes and breakfast under the palms (or in bed:) the next morning. Head over to our Instagram @welikebali how to enter. The giveaway is open till Monday morning 8am EST.

You can enter here

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Een bericht gedeeld door Pris + Eve 🐚 Welike Bali (@welikebali)