[Soma]

At Fisto's request I finally got around to writing up some Jakarta data, which the forum is sorely lacking.

Regarding lodging, You want to be located as close as possible to Jalan Sudirman. All the best nightlife is located off this thoroughfare and it's the quickest way to get around at night. Due to a large influx of Asian investors and consequent strained supply of rooms, hotels are poor value for money in Jakarta. OTOH, you can find great deals on Airbnb. Serviced apartments are another possibility, though Airbnb still beats them.

Jakarta100Bars is a great, comprehensive site with lots of info about the nightlife and dating culture. It's written by a French guy who would fit in well at RVF. Read this first. For alternative suggestions, see here.

Soma's top nightlife suggestions (a few months out of date, but venues don't change that often):
- Immigrant: NYC style lounge. Had good success here with the mid-20s crowd. Celebrity sightings common. Probably my favorite spot.
- X2: Big warehouse-type club playing house and electro. Most expat hookup stories originate here.
- Dragonfly: Wednesday (IIRC) is models night with the local girls looking for foreign boyfriends. Your competition is dorky oil & gas engineers dressed in chinos and striped shirts. And they're still pulling.

When those fail and you want to shore:
- BATS: Professional expats and high-class hos in a 5-star hotel.
- CJ's: Same as BATS.

Wildcards:
- Skye: Great view with a good setup. People pre-game here before heading out before midnight. Celebrity sightings common. Good to ask around where the best parties are later that night.
- Domain: I never personally went here as it was temporarily closed the nights I tried, but Jakarta100Bars ranks it the #1 pickup spot in Jakarta.

Overhyped venues:
- Red Square: Used to be the place for local good girls looking for foreign guys, but now packed with lame pros.
- Loewy: A see-and-be-seen place with terrible setup for pickup.
- Blowfish: Young, rich, insular Indo-Chinese crowd with no interest in foreigners.

Also, check out Stadium in Kota once for the experience, nowhere else quite like it. It's not a club per se, but rather an "entertainment complex", meaning combined nightclub, brothel and drug den packed with all sorts of interesting, sketchy characters. Many locals are afraid to step foot in the place. If you're there alone the mamasans will push their working girls on you - quite attractive but all heavily loaded up on ecstasy and/or happy-5. Standing on different parts of the dance floor indicates different things, e.g. gay area, mongering area, etc. Everyone is fucked up on drugs and wearing sunglasses. Quite an odd place.

Lastly, keep in mind with the upper class Indo girls, although they want it, a ONS is less likely as they can't appear too slutty in front of their friends. However, first date bang is pretty much guaranteed, barring a complete fuckup.

Enjoy!

[Duke Castile]

You bastard. I can't believe you've been keeping this to yourself.

Armed with this information I am going to the next level.

Also went to Shy rooftop bar the other night. Drunk locals in social circles but everyone is very friendly.

[Duke Castile]

Just got the 411, the club in Immagrant is closed Monday and Tuesday.

[Menace]

Wow, really like the look of those girls...very exotic (top pic, girl in black & white top is sexy as fuck). This place looks like a well kept secret, however I doubt that publicizing it here will change that. Most people don't even have Indonesia anywhere in their mental space; it's going to be Thailand 99% of the time. I think I might make this a next SEA destination esp. since it is likely to have great diving.

[Spike]

There´s always Jalan Jaksa. The backpacker/expat/African "businessman"/shore whore hang out. A rough place if you like that kind of thing. Go to Memories bar, an old Skywalker hangout.

[Soma]

(04-08-2013 12:50 PM)Neil Skywalker Wrote:  

There´s always Jalan Jaksa. The backpacker/expat/African "businessman"/shore whore hang out. A rough place if you like that kind of thing. Go to Memories bar, an old Skywalker hangout.

At first, when rolling dolo, I'd pregame at Memories and chat up the expats and other randoms to get in a social mood. Decent, low-key place for a cheap beer or six. A few too many annoying gays and pros later on, though. Close by, Melly's is ok too for a beer.

Funny story: I was struggling to find a decent, easily accessible place to do laundry so I decided to try out Jalan Jaksa. I walked up and down the street and asked a bunch of people, but surprisingly no dice. Just as I was going to get a taxi away, out of nowhere a little old lady pops out from a side street and offers to do it for me at a very reasonable rate. In my hungover, tired, and very sweaty state I agreed. She pointed at some random street food vendor and told me to ask her tomorrow for my cleaned clothes, and then disappeared from whence she came with 75% of my travel wardrobe. As I was leaving I realized, with no contact info or even any indication that the food vendor knew the old lady, that this might not have been my wisest decision. After a pretty worrying night I show up the next day, talked to the vendor, she makes a quick call and sure enough my clothes reappear a minute later fresh and clean. I've never been so relieved in my life to pick up laundry.

Jalan Jaksa, due to the lowest accommodation prices in the city center, is becoming increasing popular with people coming in from the Jakarta suburbs to stay for a night or two over the weekend, as driving home after a night out could literally take them hours.

[Soma]

.

[RichieP]

Great sheet, how would you compare it to, say, Bangkok (if you've been there)?

[S_tourist]

(04-08-2013 05:21 PM)RichieP Wrote:  

Great sheet, how would you compare it to, say, Bangkok (if you've been there)?

I would say lack of competition and the foreign factor is in your favor in Jakarta, where as in Bangkok your just another foreigner. Also cold approaches are a lot easier to do in Jakarta. In the past few years I have visited BKK 5x and Jakarta only once, my first night out in Jakarta I knew I made a mistake of going to BKK way to many times. Jakarta is a gem and the fact you can pick up quality girls with minimum effort is a bonus. Only negative about Jakarta is the shit traffic.

[Vacancier Permanent]

Soma,
Fabulous sheet about a city that's truly a gem based on what I'm hearing from my friends in Asia. I can't wait to check it out once I return there! Btw, the pics of girls you posted, are they representative of the average in Jakarta or the top tier girls? And on a 1-10 scale, how would they rate in Jakarta?

+1 from me!

Interesting post S_tourist! How about the cost of living in Jakarta? How would it compare to BKK? I was having a ball in BKK, going out every night, eating out all the time, staying full time at a nice hotel right on Sukhumvit for about 3k/month. What would a similar lifestyle cost in Jakarta?

Welcome to the forum and please do post more about your experiences in Jakarta, a city that is really under represented in this forum.

(04-08-2013 09:14 PM)S_tourist Wrote:  

(04-08-2013 05:21 PM)RichieP Wrote:  

Great sheet, how would you compare it to, say, Bangkok (if you've been there)?

I would say lack of competition and the foreign factor is in your favor in Jakarta, where as in Bangkok your just another foreigner. Also cold approaches are a lot easier to do in Jakarta. In the past few years I have visited BKK 5x and Jakarta only once, my first night out in Jakarta I knew I made a mistake of going to BKK way to many times. Jakarta is a gem and the fact you can pick up quality girls with minimum effort is a bonus. Only negative about Jakarta is the shit traffic.

[Duke Castile]

VP - I would rate Jakarta better in every single area. The girls are hotter on average and always approachable. They will stare at you, look you in the eyes and not turn away.

Those girls he posted are very common to see. The girls have major asses here.

You can rent a decent apartment for around 400 usd per month.

Everyone says traffic is so terrible, and it is, but it's just like every other SEA city.

I wish I could stay here longer.

[S_tourist]

VP Thanks,
I can't really tell you much about the cost of living in Jakarta as I only was there for 4 nights, I stayed at Millennium hotel which was close to the action at a price of $65 a night. I was on a all out rampage and I was not really paying attention to my wallet, I would say accommodation is a bit higher in price and of lower quality, drinks were almost on par with BKK. I have started planning my October trip for Jakarta, every time I check airbnb it has more and more listings at $40 and up.

Overall this is why I liked Jakarta more then BKK
-Not over run by backpackers or old men wearing golf shirts with shorts on Sukhumvit
-Your value as a Foreigner is noticed the second you get of the plane, you get eye fucked like crazy by the girls
-Had no Issues with safety or taxis (ALWAYS TAKE BLUE BIRD CABS) can't stress that out enough
-Girls are truly friendly, night and day difference between Bali and Jakarta. I was never going to visit Indonesia after I visited Bali 2 years ago but I am glad I took the risk and visited, payed huge dividends.
-Great mix of women Chinese/ Indonesian, Japanese/ Indonesian, Arab/ Indonesian and Indian/ Indonesian, not to mention all the areas of Indonesia have distinct features
-Girls were super curvy with nice bubble butts

To sum everything up, if you talk to any old school expat in BKK they will always tell you how crazy BKK use to be 20 years ago, well Jakarta is what BKK use to be 20 years ago.

[Vacancier Permanent]

Wow, that is awesome to hear Fisto!
I thought BKK was the shit, but damn, Jakarta looks even more promising!
So far, you've been to BKK, HCM and Jakarta, where would you say the hottest girls are among those 3 cities? How about the girls with the best attitude?

Thanks!

(04-08-2013 10:29 PM)Fisto Wrote:  

VP - I would rate Jakarta better in every single area. The girls are hotter on average and always approachable. They will stare at you, look you in the eyes and not turn away.

Those girls he posted are very common to see. The girls have major asses here.

You can rent a decent apartment for around 400 usd per month.

Everyone says traffic is so terrible, and it is, but it's just like every other SEA city.

I wish I could stay here longer.

[S_tourist]

Fisto you beat me by a few minutes to the replying in this thread, I am glad you share the same views as me. Also on a side note during Ramadan Jakarta can turn pretty bunk, that's from what I have heard.

[the_conductor]

@Soma can you clarify on how the upper-middle to upper class girls are more accessible in Jakarta than Bangkok?
And is the game you use on them different than their Thai counterparts?

As a side note for the forum, I find so many guys actually unwilling to give the middle class scene a shot in Thailand cause they're so used to the Pro clubs.

Great posts guys.

[WanderingSoul]

I met a black belt who lives in Indonesia and I asked him about Jakarta. He told me I would be knee deep in pussy from "models" who we're absolutely not pros. I took it as a slightly older guy hyping the place up about quality of girls and their fondness of white foreigners. Stoked to hear be wasn't embellishing as much as I assumed.

How is the heat/humidity there? Similar to bkk?

[Menace]

This thread has convinced me to make Indonesia my next SEA destination. Also has a lot of SWPL value because not may have gone there (so you can brag to your friends about it without going into your pussy exploring activities).

[Innuendo]

I like how the hype switches all the time from one place to another on the forum.

[Technics]

Great datasheet Soma, thanks for this.

(04-08-2013 10:29 PM)Fisto Wrote:  

VP - I would rate Jakarta better in every single area. The girls are hotter on average and always approachable. They will stare at you, look you in the eyes and not turn away.

Those girls he posted are very common to see. The girls have major asses here.

You can rent a decent apartment for around 400 usd per month.

Everyone says traffic is so terrible, and it is, but it's just like every other SEA city.

I wish I could stay here longer.

Fisto, do you really mean MAJOR ASSES? Can they compare to Dominicans?

[Menace]

Anyone do any diving in Indonesia (near Jakarta)? I imagine that it's pretty good, but curious if anyone has direct experience.

[RichieP]

Whats the visa situ there? Still quite strict, 1 month at a time unless u have a sponsor etc?

[lurker]

(04-09-2013 04:55 PM)RichieP Wrote:  

Whats the visa situ there? Still quite strict, 1 month at a time unless u have a sponsor etc?

Can you discuss the KITAS/KITAP requirements for those of us who would like to come back longer-term and not deal with the Singapore/KL border run every month?

[iknowexactly]

(04-08-2013 09:14 PM)S_tourist Wrote:  

(04-08-2013 05:21 PM)RichieP Wrote:  

Great sheet, how would you compare it to, say, Bangkok (if you've been there)?

I would say lack of competition and the foreign factor is in your favor in Jakarta, where as in Bangkok your just another foreigner. .......Jakarta is a gem and the fact you can pick up quality girls with minimum effort is a bonus. Only negative about Jakarta is the shit traffic.

How about older guy acceptance? Do you see hot 20-somethings with 40's - 50's white guys like in Philippines?

[S_tourist]

(04-09-2013 10:31 PM)iknowexactly Wrote:  

(04-08-2013 09:14 PM)S_tourist Wrote:  

(04-08-2013 05:21 PM)RichieP Wrote:  

Great sheet, how would you compare it to, say, Bangkok (if you've been there)?

I would say lack of competition and the foreign factor is in your favor in Jakarta, where as in Bangkok your just another foreigner. .......Jakarta is a gem and the fact you can pick up quality girls with minimum effort is a bonus. Only negative about Jakarta is the shit traffic.

How about older guy acceptance? Do you see hot 20-somethings with 40's - 50's white guys like in Philippines?

If you have Facebook search club X2 Jakarta and then browse through the photo gallery, that should answer your question. You will certainly be pleased.

[Vacancier Permanent]

Took a quick look and they sure do look very sexy! And I love how exotic and feminine they look! Love how I learn something new every day in this awesome forum! Even a guy that has traveled as much as me, I'm still learning new things from here! Hats off guys! Keep'em coming those gems!

Cheers!

(04-09-2013 11:26 PM)S_tourist Wrote:  

If you have Facebook search club X2 Jakarta and then browse through the photo gallery, that should answer your question. You will certainly be pleased.