JAKARTA REFERENCE

New Year's Eve in Jakarta is something you'll never see anywhere else. It's the only time of the year when everybody is looking as excited as athletes winning gold medals at the Olympics.

The flocks of youths in their carelessly-modified motorbikes (to release dreadful growls from the exhaust pipe) will be the first noticeable feature from as early as 7 p.m. that night.

The main streets leading up to Monas and specifically Ancol will be crammed with a broad spectrum of members of society -- from kids to granddads and couples -- crawling sluggishly toward midnight, blowing their colorful paper trumpets louder than the bikes.

And as trumpet sellers would have penetrated almost every stroll-able space within the city a couple of weeks before, selling different types and sizes of horns (from those resembling Dave Koz's mini-sax to those that look like hideous mixings between the Tibetan long horn and a boot) your secret wish to never hear that despicable falsetto noise ever again is as pointless as hoping to grow seven inches taller in a week.

Good advice would be to invest in a pair of ear plugs, while bad advise would be to get the biggest trumpet available (costing around Rp 20,000) and blowing it louder.

But if a decent celebration is what suits you, as joining the outdoor crowds can get messy with the occasional encounters to drunk Dangdut fanatics -- or the possibility of a heavy downpour like the one last year -- then going to one of the hotels or indoor cafes would be the next best thing.

Big hotels in Jakarta have always predictably come up with their own signature countdown parties, where the biggest difference lies in who's leading the countdown; internationally acclaimed artists like Boys II Men or local heroes like Rhoma Irama.
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While checking for discounted room rates is a must, what they serve throughout the night is of equal importance. Here are some ideas.

Borobudur Hotel Jakarta and other star-rated hotels in town offer special year-end menus to make your New Year Eve's truly delectable.

For dishes, a lavish buffet with a myriad of flavors and tastes will be available to feast on at its Bogor Cafe. With prices starting from Rp 295,000 person, one can enjoy as much as they want of everything from prawns to pastries.

For avid lovers of Italian food, its Bruschetta Italian Restaurant will have Chef Claudio prepare Jumbo Grilled Prime Rib Steak for Rp 380,000++ per portion, including a glass of wine.
Its Miyama Japanese Restaurant will bring new meaning to foodies with its Festive Teppanyaki Wagyu menu creation and more, starting at Rp 480,000++ per person.

For people wanting to leap over to another part of the world for taste, what the Dharmawangsa is holding this year-end is something. Be sure to check out its Sriwijaya gourmet restaurant, which features outstanding dishes like Amuse bouche, cauliflower mousse with Aquitaine caviar and others with unimaginable names. Priced from Rp 995,000++/person, your year-end festivities will be highlighted by great food from smoked tuna salad to girolles fricassee.
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The splendid family buffet is also an option. Priced at Rp 495,000++/adult and Rp 395.000++/child (below 10) it will start with the hotel's signature mouth-watering appetizers and will end with a carving station and dessert, accompanied by acoustic live music performance.
Even with the hardship of squeezing through the entrance to Ancol during these times, the company's new culinary destinations are worth checking out. Besides the Segarra and Jimbaran, the Thai flavored Seaside Suki Resto and the eatery located in the vicinity of Pasar Seni Ancol, the Outbondholic Resto, should be an option next time.

Crown Plaza's Semanggi Lounge promises to provide candlelight dinners by order. And with prices starting from Rp 545,000/person, you will be pampered with the assortment in the seafood buffet. In addition, the complimentary wines straight from the cellar will warm up your night accompanied by live music provided by Nero Band from 8 p.m.

They will also have countdown party at Beranda Caf*, once again with seafood, topped off with roasts and additional desserts. Starting at Rp 445,000/person, one can enjoy the provided themed novelties, creative cocktails, fine wines that include a festive cocktail, mocktails, draft beer and live entertainment by the Lounge until the New Year.

For Sheraton Media Hotel and Towers, the idea of a great celebration is taking people on its International Yacht Club adventure with an event called "Sense of New Sensation". For dinner, the one in the Breeze Caf* and Sukhothai Restaurant should not be missed, while the relaxing Special New Year's cocktail is made available with live music performance in either Media Lounge or Oasis Lounge.

Finally, nothing's comparable to a nice barbecue party by the pool at night. With a large variety on the barbecue menu, Grand Tropic Caf* and Resto from Grand Tropic Suites' Hotel should be quite light at Rp 200,000/person.

It's not easy to find that specific atmosphere where everything seems to push the excitement over the edge, but once found, it's wiser to know what exactly you're getting for your money.