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@Home Nightclub (Vientiane - Laos)

February 6, 2017, 2:14 am
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@Home (or At Home) is one of the popular nightclubs in Vientiane, particularly among foreigners (expats and tourists).

It is quite large but it was only half-full when I visited it on a Saturday night. I'm not really sure I understand why expats like to go there instead of Marina or Gold Star. Maybe it is for the girls (among which some were definitely hookers), maybe it's for the music (a mix of trance-techno).

The entrance was free and the price of drinks is standard for a Vientiane nightclub (25,000 for a beer, 40,000 for cocktails).

You can smoke inside and you can probably get some drugs as well.

You can get an idea of the atmosphere inside by watching this video I shot:
Overall: A foreigner-oriented nightclub with girls to pick up and good music. I prefer Marina or Gold Star, but since @Home is on the way, you can have a quick look.

@Home Nightclub
Souphanouvong Avenue, Vientiane, Laos

Phone number: 020 55 444 555
Email: somsanouks@gmail.com

Facebook: Home Club

Opening Hours:
Every day until 2AM
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Marina Nightclub (Vientiane - Laos)

February 6, 2017, 3:34 am
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Marina is the best nightclub in Vientiane as of 2017 (my second favorite would be Gold Star).

It is located on Luang Prabang Road, 3 kilometers from the tourist area so you'll need to ride a tuk-tuk (20,000-30,000 kip maximum). As you arrive, you'll see a mini-traffic jam with some luxury cars.

Maybe because it is far, there is almost no foreigners who visit it (apart from Thais and Chinese). That's too bad because it would challenge a few stereotypes they might have about "sleepy" Vientiane.

Anyway, I was glad to be the only foreigner as you naturally get more attention. Marina was packed with girls, most of whom were well-dressed and looking stylish. They were often with large group of friends with a bottle around a table. Many guys were gay so it's very easy to approach them first and then talk to their girlfriends. If you want the easy way, there are also some freelance prostitutes.

Prices are quite low, only 18,000 kip for a beer and 330,000 kip for a bottle of whisky (red label). No entrance fee. No smoking inside.

The dress code stipulates no shorts and no sandals but I saw a few inside. The DJs play commercial EDM and clubbing anthems. On other nights they may also have hip-hop and Rn'B.

I shot this video inside with my phone:
Overall: A big, luxurious nightclub in Vientiane. Very recommended if you want to meet fun, upper class Laotian girls. There is also a bowling alley in the same complex.

Note: It seems another nightclub is being built next to Marina at the moment. If you have more information about it, please leave a comment below!

Opening Hours:
Every day from 9PM to 3AM (2AM on weekdays)

Marina Night Club
Luang Prabang Road (after Setthatitraht Road)

Facebook (with pictures and upcoming events): Marina Vientiane
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Batman Pub and KTV (Vientiane - Laos)

February 6, 2017, 4:29 am
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Batman Pub is a nightclub and karaoke located at least 8 kilometers from the city center of Vientiane. I went there with a rented motorbike after visiting another club called Romeo.

Honestly, it is really in the middle of nowhere. To reach it, you'll need to take a dirt road on the last 500 meters, surrounded by nothing but empty fields.

Judging by the look on the staff's faces, I'm sure I was the only foreigner they ever saw. They gave me a real VIP treatment, including serving my 25,000-kip Beer Lao together with an ice bucket

Anyway, it is a rather luxurious venue, housed in a huge Batman-themed mansion with 3 separate areas: An open-air beer garden with live music (almost empty), a karaoke (probably with prostitutes) and a nightclub.

I was there a bit early so it was still quiet. Most customers were young, and they seemed to come from the middle class.

The music was extremely loud EDM and even with ear plugs it felt uncomfortable. Here is the video I took inside:
Overall: To come all the way from the city and to visit Batman Pub alone would not be worth it. But if, on the same night out, you go to other nearby nightclubs such as Thon Kao, Romeo and Inpeng, I think you can have a fun time.

Open every day until 2AM. Phone number: 030 58 80 088

Sorry the only address I could find is in Laotian (from their Facebook: Batman Pub):
ບ້ານ ດົງຄຳສ້າງ, Vientiane, Laos

Or you can just use Google Map.
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Romeo Nightclub and The Pavilion Music Hall (Vientiane)

February 6, 2017, 1:30 am
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Romeo and The Pavilion is a nightlife complex in Vientiane consisting of a nightclub (Romeo), a live music hall (The Pavilion), a beer garden, a restaurant and a karaoke.

It is quite far from the city center (at least 5 kilometers) but still, I wanted to check it as it seemed to be popular with the local elite. In particular, it targets the Laotian-Chinese community with the same kind of ostentatious, over-the-top design you may have seen elsewhere in Chinese clubs in Asia.

I arrived just before midnight and it was almost deserted. In the nightclub: Nobody. In the beer garden: Nobody. In the live music hall: Maybe just 20 people. The staff told me people would come later on but I doubt it.

Judging from the pictures on their Facebook page though, they have some busy nights. I guess it depends on the artists playing on that evening. Don't make the same mistake I did. Before going, check if they have a special event or not.

Overall: Both Romeo and The Pavilion have potential but without customers, it's hard for me to recommend them. If you have visited them yourself, please leave a comment below.

Note: All photos are from Facebook.

Opening Hours:
Every day until 3AM.

Phone number:
02077482222

Address:
I couldn't find the address in English. It is located exactly here on Google Maps. It is just opposite the Inpeng Hotel (where you'll find another nightclub actually).
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Gold Star Nightclub - Daokham Hotel (Vientiane)

February 5, 2017, 8:10 pm
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Gold Star is a nightclub in Vientiane, part of the Daokham Hotel complex. On the same location, you'll also find Sam Dao beer garden and Merci karaoke.

The whole site is quite impressive. You arrive through a small road perpendicular to Souphanouvong Avenue, and then suddenly you have this huge, hidden property with hundreds of party-goers.

I had a quick look at the beer garden. Nothing special there, it caters mostly to large groups who also come for eating.

The nightclub is more interesting. It looks similar to Marina, except that the crowd is much younger and less stylish. From what I could guess, at least 10% of the crowd was less than 18 years old. I also saw a handful of foreigners. In total, I would say it can accommodate 500 people.

I think the live band was from Thailand. They played rock song (none of them in English), and during breaks a DJ would mix famous EDM anthems. This is a video I took:
Some people were going really wild and it was quite messy. When I went to the toilet, a guy was throwing up. Outside, a group of guys were dancing in their underwear.

I didn't see so many stunning, well-dressed girls but there are a few (beware as some are ladyboy and/or prostitutes).

Free entrance. Dress code not enforced.

Opening Hours:
Every day until 3AM (2AM on weekdays)

Goldstar Nightclub
Ban Nakham, Sikhottabong, Vientiane, Laos
Phone number: 021-254232-3

Email: goldstar-daokhamhotel@hotmail.com

Exact location on Google Map: Click Here.
Dao Kham Hotel complex from outside
Merci Karaoke
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Phoenix Nightclub (Vientiane - Laos)

February 5, 2017, 9:31 pm
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Phoenix nightclub is located on Thadeua Rd, about 3 kilometers from the tourist center in Vientiane (just a few hundred meters after Paris Cocktail). It's easy to spot from the street as it is inside a white, flashy building.

Phoenix is officially targeting an upper class crowd, the "hi-so" (high society) of Laos: It has a modern design, it features guest bands and DJs from Thailand, and they have a strict dress code.

In reality, it is not that stylish. It is quite dark, with mostly young people wearing t-shirts, and the music is boring EDM. Even on a Saturday night at 1AM it was 2/3rd empty.

Prices are standard: 25,000 kip for a beer. You can also buy a Sangria bottle for 70,000 kip. Free entrance.

There are a few pretty girls inside and no foreigners so you may have some opportunities.

Overall: Phoenix is quite far and not really worth it in my opinion compared to Gold Star or Marina. You can check their Facebook page below in case they have any special events though (live music).

This is how the club looks like:
Opening Hours:
Every day until 2AM (3H30AM on Saturday apparently but I may have misunderstood what the security guard said)

Phoenix Nightclub
Thadeua Road, Km 3, Vientiane, Laos
Phone number: 020 227 37771 or 020 55505584
Exact location of Phoenix on Google Map: Click Here.
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Dihao Nightclub and KTV (Ti Hao Hotel) - Vientiane

February 5, 2017, 10:22 pm
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I'm not sure about the exact name of this place. Outside there was a sign saying Dihao Nightclub and KTV, but on google I also saw it spelled Ti Hao, Di Hao or Tihao. Some photos also show a sign with the name Lollipop but for now it has been either removed or turned off. My final conclusion is that the club name is Dihao, that it used to be called Lollipop, and that it is within the Ti Hao Hotel.

Anyway, if you want to go there, it is exactly here on Google Maps. It is about 3 kilometers from the tourist center on Asean Road (Vientiane).

The KTV is quite luxurious and caters to Chinese/Thai customers. It is most likely a hidden brothel and I guess you can use the rooms of the hotel for short time activities. No idea about the price.

The nightclub was a bit weird. There was only 5 or 6 girls (lady companions I presume) and no real customers. A black guy married to a French-Lao girl introduced himself as one of the club's owner. We tried to have a conversation but the sound level was so high that we gave up after a few minutes. I wanted to get out at this point but since he was friendly I took a beer (Rp15,000 for a Lao).

The club looks pretty in the dark, but when you look closer, you will see that they glued newspaper pages on the walls. That's really kitsch.

Overall: Small nightclub with loud EDM songs. Very few customers. The only reason to visit is to go to the KTV and get some girls with you.

Opening Hours:
Every day from 10PM to 3AM

Dihao Nightclub (Ti Hao Hotel) - Lollipop
Asean Road, Vientiane
Phone number: 021 262 799
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Guide to Choosing Your Hotel in Jakarta

January 26, 2017, 6:20 am
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I am asked daily by readers for tips about choosing a hotel in Jakarta. This little guide should answer all the questions I've ever received such as:

- What is the best area to stay in Jakarta?
- Where can I find a cheap guesthouse for under 10$ per night? Is there a backpacker area in Jakarta?
- What are the best budget hotels in Jakarta? Which hotel chain offers the best value for money?
- What is the best accommodation for less than 50$?
- Which 5-star hotel should I choose? Which 5-star hotel is the closest from action? Which 5-star hotel has the best bars and restaurants?
- Can I bring girls to my hotel in Jakarta? What are the names of girl-friendly or guest-friendly hotels in Jakarta?
- Can I actually sleep in Alexis Hotel, Malioboro Hotel, Travel Hotel or Classic Hotel?
- Is there a spa or massage parlour near my hotel?
- Which hotel do you recommend near the airport?
- Which hotels are connected to popular malls?

Important: I included a direct link to Agoda to help you book your hotel. I make a small commission on every booking so if you like this review and value the hours I spent writing it, I would be really grateful if you used one of these links. If you don't like Agoda, you can also use my links to HotelsCombined.com (hotel comparator) or  Booking.com. The price is the same for you!
16 Cheap Girl-Friendly Hotels in Jakarta

If you have other questions, please write them in the comment section below and I'll do my best to answer it.

What is the best area to stay in Jakarta?
Since Jakarta is so big, deciding on where to stay in Jakarta really depends on what you will do there.

Traffic should be your main consideration and you should choose the location that will minimize as much as possible the time spent going from one place to the other.

1) If you are in Jakarta for work and you need to go to a lot of meetings, choose a hotel close to your meeting points or close from your office, even if they are not in central locations. The traffic usually gets better starting 9pm so you can still go out quite easily after that.

Anyway, there are now malls almost everywhere in Jakarta so wherever you'll stay, you will be close from a fair number of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, gyms, cinemas and hang out spots.

If you are having meetings all over the city, then choose a location near the major roads such as Gatot Subroto, Sudirman, Thamrin, Gajah Mada or the Jakarta Inner Ring Road.

2) If you are in Jakarta for fun or for party, then you must decide what is your style:

- You want to party in the expensive nightclubs in Central and South Jakarta?
It is best to stay anywhere near from Jalan Sudirman, Plaza Indonesia, Mega Kuningan, Jalan Rasuna Said, Plaza Senayan. Kemang is too far in my opinion but it could be an option if you want to be close from the best Western food options.

If you are with a group, you can consider renting an entire apartment:  Check for apartments in Jakarta.

- You want to party with locals in North and West Jakarta?
Choose a hotel in one of these neighborhood: Chinatown (Glodok), Gajah Mada, Mangga Besar, Hayam Wuruk, Tamansari, Lokasari, Pecenongan. Hotels in these areas usually offer a much better value for money than in the South but the surroundings are more dirty and less safe. You also won't have nice malls, only Gajah Mada Plaza and Lokasari Square. Mangga Besar hotels are all girl-friendly and they are close from hundreds of great street food options.

Another good point with this location is that you can still reach Central Jakarta quite easily within 30 minutes. There is a very convenient busway line running from Kota Station to Blok M that you can use.

Alternatively, if you are mostly interested with karaokes and massage parlours instead of clubs, you can go to Kelapa Gading, Mangga Dua, Grogol and Taman Anggrek. These areas also have huge malls nearby and they are not too far from the airport with the toll road.

Read my guide: Bachelor Party in Jakarta

3) If you are in Jakarta as a tourist, then I would recommend staying near Thamrin or Wahid Hasyim. Alternatively, you could also stay near Mangga Besar or Kota, but if you are not familiar with Jakarta you may feel uncomfortable as those areas are 100% local.

Where can I find a cheap guesthouse under 10$ per night? Is there a backpacker area in Jakarta?
As you will read in any guidebooks about Jakarta, the backpacker district is located in Jalan Jaksa. It is nothing compared to other popular traveler hubs in Southeast Asia like Khao San Road in Bangkok or Bui Vien in Saigon. You will only find a handful of guesthouses, usually not well-maintained and not very clean. Nearby, Jalan Wahid Hasyim has more choice but the prices are higher (at least 30$).

To find a decent room in Jalan Jaksa, you need to go inside the gangs (small streets) and look for guesthouse signs.  The prices are currently set at around Rp70,000 per night for a room with a fan. AC will cost you at least double.

In the past few years, there has been an increasing number of backpacker hotels that have opened elsewhere in the city, sometimes with higher standards. Teduh Hostel in Kota Tua or Six Degrees in Cikini are good examples. Their prices are quite high though, even for a bed in a dormitory.

I would still recommend Jalan Jaksa because of its very central location. It is next to Gambir train station (from where you can go to Yogyakarta or Bandung). It is also near from several key things to do in Jakarta like the Monas or the Istiqlal Mosque. 500 meters from Jaksa, the Sabang street is famous for its street food options.

What are the best budget hotels in Jakarta?
There are several budget hotel chains in Jakarta: Ibis Budget, Neo, Fave Hotels, Amaris, Pop Hotel, Whiz, Hotel 88, D'Prima. The price vary between 20$ and 45$ per night.

One of the cheapest budget hotel chain in Jakarta is RedDoorz. They have dozens of locations in the city which are in fact independent small residences. The level of comfort is good considering the price, usually less than 20$ for a double bed room. In particular, they have some very-centrally located property that I've review here: 5 Best Budget Hotels in Central Jakarta.

I also recommend to check the properties of ZenRooms. They are cheaper than traditional budget hotel chains yet they offer the same value for money. They have quality linens, flat screen TVs, free WIFI, individual AC and clean bathrooms.

They are currently available in several locations in Jakarta and in the rest of Indonesia.

Fave Hotels also have a great value for money, though they are a bit more expensive than RedDoorz.

Based on my experience though, the standards can be quite different within the same chain depending on who is the owner. For instance, the Fave Hotel in LTC Glodok is fantastic, probably because it is owned by Agung Podomoro Land (one of Indonesia's largest developer). Another great one is Fave Hotel Gatot Subroto. On the contrary, I stayed in Fave Hotel Kemang and Pasar Baru, both disappointing.

Also, the price may vary a lot depending on the location: The Fave Hotel Thamrin costs double compared to the one in Kelapa Gading.

If you plan on going bar-hopping in Blok M, you may want to stay in Fave Hotel Melawai which is walking distance from the infamous hostess bars. It is guest-friendly/girl-friendly.

Finally, there is also a Red Planet Hotel in Pasar Baru. If you have been to the Philippines, you will know it's one of the best budget hotel chains there.

What are the best 3-star hotels in Jakarta?
3-star hotel chains in Jakarta are Ibis, Harris, All Seasons, Santika and Holiday Inn. The price depends on the location and the day of the week (cheaper on weekends). In general, they will cost between 45$ and 60$ per night.

Again, within a chain there can be big differences. Ibis Tamarin and Ibis Arcadia on Jalan Thamrin are getting old but Ibis Harmoni is brand-new. 

I think it is best to find out when the hotel was open and to choose the more recent ones. All Seasons Gajah Mada, All Seasons Thamrin, Four Points by Sheraton and Holiday Inn Thamrin were all opened less than 3 years ago.

What are the best 4-star hotel chains in Jakarta?
The prices of 4-star hotels in Jakarta vary greatly depending on the location. The cheapest ones, located outside the city center in Mangga Dua, Gajah Mada or Ancol can cost less than 60$ while those located near Sudirman or Thamrin cost up to 100$ per night.

The best chains are Novotel, Mercure, Santika Premiere, Aston, Swiss-Belhotel and Best Western. Again, don't trust a chain blindly, make sure that the hotel was built recently.

The newest 4-star hotels in Jakarta are: Mercure Sabang, Hotel Santika Premiere Hayam Wuruk and Novotel Gajah Mada

Which 5-star hotel should I choose? Which one is the closest from nightlife?
5-star hotels in Jakarta are almost all located within the Golden Triangle (Sudirman - Rasuna Said - Gatot Subroto). For this reason, all are rather close from any happening places.

Still, it is even more convenient to choose a hotel attached to one of the big malls. For this reason, you may want to choose:

- Kempinski, attached to Grand Indonesia
- Grand Hyatt and Keraton at the Plaza, attached to Plaza Indonesia (other options nearby include the Pullman Thamrin and the Mandarin Oriental). The Hyatt is a great option as it is close from Immigrant club, Cloud Lounge, Dreams Ego Lounge and Skye Rooftop.
- Ritz Carlton SCBD, attached to Pacific Place (there is also a Ritz-Carlton in Mega Kuningan)
- Fairmont, attached to Plaza Senayan (2 minutes walk)
- Pullman Grogol, attached to Central Park
- Sheraton in Gandaria City
- Raffles Hotel in Lotte Shopping Avenue - Ciputra World

A JW Marriott was suppose to open in Lippo Mall Kemang Village in 2014 but the project seems to be late.

The Shangri La and the Mulia are also popular with male because of their live music bars, BATS and CJs.

Can I bring girls to my hotel in Jakarta? Which hotel is guest-friendly or girl-friendly in Jakarta?
People are always wondering if they are allowed to bring a girl to their room in Jakarta. The answer is: 90% of Jakarta hotels are girl-friendly.

The only places where you may have problems are family guest-houses or small family hotels located in conservative areas. Outside Jakarta, there have been a few cases of over-zealous mayors raiding hotels to hunt unmarried couples sleeping together. These raids are actually against the law since it is not unlawful to sleep with someone you are not married to. The rule of law does not always apply in Indonesia, but hypocrisy does.

If you stay in any hotel with 3 stars or more, you will be most certainly allowed to bring guests overnight.

An ID is generally required so make sure your girl has her papers.

Hotels located in red-light districts are used to receive night visitors. If you are planning to go wild, then you may want to choose a room in Chinatown, Mangga Besar, Gajah Mada, Kelapa Gading, Mangga Dua, Blok M or Taman Anggrek.

Some naughty hotels also offer plus plus massage services in the room or in their spas. For example: Orchardz Industri, Orchardz Jayakarta, Orchardz Hotel Airport, Sparks Life, B'Fashion, Fashion Hotel (Gunung Sahari), Prinsen Park, Olympic Hotel.

At last, you also have some famous transit hotels such as Hotel BI Executive in Ancol. In this hotel, rooms have mirrors and porn movies are available at reception. You can also park you car just under your room if you want to be discreet.

Can I actually sleep in Alexis Hotel, Malioboro Hotel, Classic Hotel, etc?
Brothels in Jakarta often have a hotel license because it gives them more flexibility with the law. In particular, it allows them to open during ramadan.

Even though they are not listed on the traditional online booking engines like Agoda or Booking.com, they do accept guests.

Update August 2016: You can now book a night in Classic Hotel on Agoda.

Is there a spa or massage parlour near my hotel?
I wrote a long review that I update regularly about the location of all spas in Jakarta. Please read it: Where are the massage parlours in Jakarta?

Where can I sleep near the airport?
There is a growing number of budget hotels that have opened near the airport. You even have one, Orchardz Bandara, which is a hidden bordello.

The Airport hotels are located on both sides of the highway. If you have a flight early morning, it is best to choose a hotel on the left side of the road so it will save you 10 minutes.

A very good choice is the Swiss Bellinn or the Ibis Styles Airport.

Which hotels are connected to popular malls?
Choosing a hotel located inside a mall is a great idea as it will save you a lot of time. I already listed above the 5-star hotels located inside luxury malls:

- Grand Hyatt and Keraton at the Plaza, in Plaza Indonesia
- Fairmont in Plaza Senayan
- Sheraton in Gandaria City
- Raffles Hotel in Lotte Shopping Avenue - Ciputra World

You also have the following:

Mangga Dua Square: Amaris and Novotel
Pluit Junction: Fave Hotel (also not far from Emporium Pluit)
FX Mall: Harris Suites FX
ITC Mangga Dua: Le Grandeur
Seasons City: Amaris
Mahaka Square: Hotel Santika Gading
Mall Kelapa Gading: Pop Hotel, Harris Hotel and Conventions (and there is a Fave Hotel accross the road as well)

Some hotels are not connected to malls, but they are just located within walking distance. For instance:
Mall Of Indonesia: Whiz Prime
WTC Mangga Dua: Hotel Neo Mangga Dua
Emporium Pluit: Holiday Inn Express CityGate
Mal Ciputra: Hotel Ciputra
Plaza Semanggi: Crowne Plaza
Plaza Senayan: Century Park
CityWalk Sudirman: Intercontinental MidPlaza
Sarinah: Sari Pan Pacific, Artotel, Kosenda, Four Points by Sheraton
Rasuna Epicentrum and Pasar Festival: Aston Rasuna and JS Luwansa
Kuningan City: Manhattan Hotel
Kota Casablanca: Park Lane
Ciputra World One: Somerset Grand Citra
Bellagio Mall: Oakwood Premier Cozmo
Blok M Plaza: Oak Tree Urban, Hotel Melawai, Amaris Panglima Polim

Which Hotels are Gay-Friendly in Jakarta?
Only one hotel is openly gay-friendly in Jakarta to my knowledge. It is "House of Bare", a small guest house located in West Jakarta, not far from Taman Anggrek and Central Park.

Conclusion
I hope this Jakarta hotel guide will cover all your questions about where to stay in Jakarta. Again, if you have any questions, just type them below and I'll answer them.

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9 Best Things to Do at Night in Jakarta

February 4, 2017, 7:04 am
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I recently wrote about the best things to do in Jakarta. In the following review, I will be more specific and focus about night-time activities.

A cliché used to describe Jakarta is that of "a city that never sleeps". While this could apply to any major capitals in the world, I think it is particularly accurate here. There is always some kind of life in Jakarta, whatever the time and whatever the location.

It is quite logical considering the city has one of the highest population densities in the world. Another reason is that there are a lot of Indonesians working long shifts or night shifts, especially small business owners and independent workers. As long as money can be made, they won't close shop or go home. This is why you can always get food, cigarettes or a taxi rides at anytime of the night.

For the traveler, the advantage of this situation is that there are a lot of things to do at night. Even better, if you go out after 9pm, you'll also enjoy less traffic, cooler temperatures and less pollution. 

The following list will give you some ideas on how to spend time after sun sets in Jakarta. If you feel I forgot something, please don't hesitate to leave a comment below the article.

Street Food
Photo: Jonathan Perugia
Night-time is the best moment to go around and try some delicious Indonesian street food. Many of the small stalls on the sidewalk are actually only allowed to operate in the evening (to avoid disturbing pedestrians during the day).

My personal favorite location for street food in Jakarta is Jalan Mangga Besar, a red-light area busy with a eclectic mix of people. It's a great place to try some authentic Chinese food or some more unusual specialties like cobra and monkey.

If this is too far or too weird for you, Jalan Sabang and Jalan Wahid Hasyim in Central Jakarta are a good alternative. You'll also find many 24/7 restaurants in the area.

Rooftop Drinks
Photo: Sandrine VB
Jakarta is the 9th city with the most skyscrapers in the world and it is at night that the view is the most spectacular. The darkness hides all the city's flaws: The potholes, the dirt, the dust and the rust disappear, replaced by millions of colorful lights.

The best rooftops to enjoy the view of the skyline are Cloud or Skye. I give more recommendations in my review Top 10 Rooftop Bars in Jakarta as well. I also enjoy watching the city from the Burgundy Bar in Grand Hyatt even though it is not a rooftop.

Live Music, Theater and Concerts
Photo: Aura Kasih and Atika Dora
There are several great venues for listening to live music in Jakarta. Two of the most famous are B.A.T.S in Shangri-La and CJ's in Mulia. Both have a Western band playing Top 40 and pop/rock hits. They may not suit everyone's taste though as they attract a lot of working girls. Paulaner Brauhaus in Kempinski, Hard Rock Cafe in Pacific Place or Eastern Promise in Kemang are three more family-friendly options. I also like to visit the speakeasy Prohibition in Senayan Arcadia (make sure to check their secret live jazz room).

For cheaper drinks and a younger atmosphere, you can try any branches of Beer Garden.

In Menteng, Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) is an art complex popular with Indonesians. There are daily cultural performances (concerts, theater, movies, etc).

Clubbing and Karaoke
Normal clubs (meaning those that don't have a majority of prostitutes) are normally busy on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night. You can read about my favorites here: Best Nightclubs in Jakarta.

The other days of the week, only the more naughty places are crowded. Apart from BATS and CJs mentioned above, you can try the famous one-stop entertainment centers like Malioboro, Alexis, King Cross, Emporium or Golden Crown. The bar Club 36 is also always very lively. North Jakarta is also where several 24h karaokes can be found.

Cinemas
Jakarta has excellent and modern cinemas that cost about half what you would pay in Europe. The CGV-Blitz chain has movies until 10pm during the week and until midnight on weekends.


Massage and Spas
Some massage parlors and spas close rather late in Jakarta (and I'm not talking about the naughty ones), especially those located in 5-star hotels: Bimasena (Dharmawangsa Hotel) and Willow Stream (Fairmont) close at 11pm, the spa at the Ritz-Carlton Mega Kuningan is open until 12am.


Shopping
Photo: Pasar Bary by Art535
All the high-end shopping malls close at 10pm in Jakarta but there are some more traditional markets (pasar) that stay open 24 hours, for instance the fish market of Angke Muara and the flower markets of Cikini and Rawa Belong. Closer from the city center, you also have Pasar Senen and Pasar Mampang Prapatan.

Exercise
Photo: Jeremy Tobing
Running/cycling at night or very early in the morning is very common among fitness enthusiasts in Jakarta. It is a way to avoid the heat, the traffic and the pollution. Popular running spots include the Monas, the Senayan Stadium and Ragunan Zoo.

A good way to meet Indonesians is to join a running club. Indorunners run every Thursday starting 7.30pm from FX Mall in Senayan. On the same day, you can also join the Nike Run Club.

Amazingly, there are also some 24h gyms in Jakarta such as Rai Fitness in Senopati, Clark Hatch in Sari Pan Pacific Hotel (which I heard is a gay hangout) and Club Olympus in Grand Hyatt.

Night Tourism
Photo: Bunderan HI by Inguna
Many tourist sights in Jakarta can still be visited at night. Taman Fatahillah, the Monas, Ancol or the Kota Intan Bridge remain crowded until very late. They attract middle class Indonesians, especially tourists, and all kind of street vendors. During Ramadhan, you can also visit the Istiqlal mosque all-night long.

Young Indonesians also like to hangout in some public areas like the Taman Suropati and Taman Menteng parks or around the Bunderan HI fountain.
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Guide to Choosing the Best Travel Insurance for Indonesia

February 5, 2017, 3:35 am
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When I speak with short-time travelers in Indonesia, I am baffled to realize only a few have a proper travel insurance or a medical evacuation insurance. Among long-term residents and expats, there are also many who do not have health insurance, particularly among those without a working permit.

The objective of this article is to convince you that spending a few dollars per day on an insurance is not a waste of money. Even if you are on a tight budget, you can get a cheap one (as low as 3$ per day if you take a yearly subscription - check here) that will at least save your ass in case of a serious illness or accident. If you cannot afford it, then you probably should not travel to Indonesia.

Why you need a travel insurance in Indonesia
While you certainly need insurance everywhere, there are even more reasons to get it when you travel in Bali, Jakarta or the rest of Indonesia:

You are exposed to more risks
There are several risks specifically related to being in Indonesia. Some are unfortunately too common: Dengue fever, malaria, dog bites, food poisoning or motorbike accidents are really not that rare. If you've lived in the country long enough, you probably know a few people who had these problems.

There are generally lower safety standards in everything in Indonesia: Construction, food, transportation, roads, activities, etc. This increases the likelihood of an unfortunate event as well. You can read more tips about this topic here: WorldNomads Travel Safety Tips.

Medical care in Indonesia is very expensive
According to the AAMI, a day in an intensive care unit in Indonesia can cost up to 3,000$. Even in the cheapest hospitals you can expect to pay 800$/day.

Facebook groups like Bali Expats or Jakarta Expats are full of horrible stories of people who had their lives ruined in a few minutes because they did not plan their trips properly. Here are just a few examples (click on the photos for the whole story):
Some of them actually had an insurance, but they didn't read the fine prints. Not having a a motorbike license is often a reason for not being reimbursed for instance. I will give you tips later in this review on what you should be looking for to make sure your risky activities are covered.

More banal problems can be quite costly as well. Among my friends, several ended up in shitty situation for common accidents or diseases:

First one hit his head by diving into a pool: 1000$ in Sanglah Hospital (local one) for a few stitches and X-rays.

Second one got bit by a street dog in Legian: 3,000$ including anti-rabies medication.

Third one got a very bad case of dengue fever combined with malaria. He went into a coma and he had to stay 4 weeks in hospital. Total bill: 25,000 dollars. Luckily, he was covered and everything was paid for. It was after this unfortunate event that I rushed to get an insurance actually.

Private hospitals will never accept you if you cannot pay
In Indonesia, the decent hospitals are run as a strict business and not a charity. If you arrive bleeding to death after an accident, the doctors will not treat you until they make sure you can pay. If you can't, you'll be left outside. It's as simple as that.

An American will probably understand that. For a French, this concept is a bit hard to grasp as we are used to get healthcare for free.

Hospitals will overcharge you
You should know that as a foreigner with or without a working permit, you will be charged more for medical treatment in Indonesia. Expect to pay at least 2 times more than locals, more if you don't have a resident visa.

Many doctors have a poor ethic. If they can find a way to inflate your final bill, they will probably do it. It is a bit like going to a random auto repair shop in Europe: Most likely you will be charged for stuff you don't need.

Serious accidents will need a medical evacuation
Since many hospitals cannot treat the most serious patients, medical evacuation is often needed. To give you an idea of current prices:

Evacuation from Indonesia to Singapore: From 25,000$ to 50,000$
Evacuation from Indonesia to Australia: From 40,000$ to 70,000$
Evacuation to Europe: Up to 100,000$

Don't expect compensatory damages
The concept of third party responsibility is foreign to most Indonesians. If you are hit by an Indonesian drunk driver, don't expect you'll get any money from the person who was responsible. Actually, even if he is at fault, he could possibly still manage to get money out from you if he is a well-connected assh*le. The same thing apply if you have an accident within your hotel or while doing an activity with a company. If you are dealing with a local company, don't even think about getting compensatory damages.

What types of insurance do you need in Indonesia?
The type of insurance you need in Indonesia depends on your activity (working, retired, tourist, etc), your length of stay, your activities and your area of travel.

Travel Medical Insurance:
An insurance that will cover your medical bills for a limited duration (usually less than 90 days) when you are traveling outside of your home country. If you are traveling to Indonesia, it is the minimum you should get. For expats it is not necessary as long as they have an expat insurance.

Travel Insurance:
A generic term for an insurance that will cover several aspects of a trip: Medical problems, but also flight cancellation, theft, lost luggage, etc.

There are several websites where you can get a price estimate for your travel insurance in Indonesia. You can check WorldNomads which is a partner of Lonely Planet and Rough Guides. Among the famous ones you also have SmartTravel from AXA and Travel Guard from AIG.

You can find more options in your home country. The advantage of WorldNomads is that it is very easy to apply online and you do it even if you've already left home.

You can also search through the comparator Insure My Trip.

International Health Insurance or Expat Medical Insurance:
Travel insurance is for travelers and covers emergency situations. If you live permanently in Indonesia, you need coverage for regular health expenses such as dental care, optics, medical check ups, pregnancies, cancer treatment, etc. Those are typically not included in Travel Insurance policies.

Expats working in Indonesia should subscribe to the mandatory BPJS health insurance scheme. It is cheap, but don't expect to much from it. Many will also have their employer's insurance.

For the other expats without a company plan, you can either purchase a normal travel insurance for long term travel (but then you won't be covered for non-emergency situations) or purchase a dedicated Expat Health Insurance from a private company.

The latter is usually more expensive, but you should consider that you'll get more reimbursements as well. Reputed companies include Allianz, April-International, AXA, GMS, etc.

Repatriation/Medical Evacuation Insurance: An insurance that guarantees your medical evacuation will be paid for if needed.  The cost is usually reasonable, as little as 150$ per year, and it can save you tens of thousands of dollars. Remember that for serious injuries, you will not be able to be treated properly in Indonesia. This insurance is particularly needed if you plan on visiting remote areas.

If you purchase an insurance from WorldNomads, it is already included.

Things to check before purchasing a travel insurance

The obvious first step before purchasing a travel insurance is to make sure you don't already have one. You are probably aware that when you buy your plane tickets with a Visa or Mastercard, you are entitled to some kind of (limited) insurance. If you are traveling on a tour group, you may also already have one automatically added (though you can refuse it and buy your own instead).

Once you know for sure that you will need a travel insurance in Indonesia, you should be careful to check the following:

What is the maximum payable amount that I can get?
I think 200,000$ is the minimum amount to get considering how high some hospitals bills can be in Indonesia.

Is the medical evacuation included or not?
If not you will have to pay extra with another company. This is an essential part of your insurance and you need a high ceiling as well (minimum 150,000$).

Can you contact your insurance company 24/7? Can they approve a quotation 24/7?
This is a must in case of a major emergency. If you cannot prove quickly that you can pay for your treatment, the best hospitals may refuse you.

Do you have to advance the money?
Some insurance can give a guarantee to the hospital that your bill will be covered so you don't need to pay upfront.

Are there any exclusions?
There are always a lot of exclusions (things that the insurance does not cover). Read carefully to avoid any surprises. If you are planning to do dangerous sports and outdoor activities in Indonesia, ask for instance if surfing, scuba diving, diving, rafting, hiking, jet-skiing or paragliding are included.

What is the motorbike situation?
Motorbikes are a major cause of accidents for foreigners in Indonesia. Be careful as almost all insurers require a valid international license for the driver (even if you are a passenger). A specific motorbike license is also required for vehicle with more than 150cc. If you were drunk, high or not wearing a helmet at the time of your accident, you can also say good-bye to any potential claims.

What if you hurt someone?
Check if you can get reimbursement for third party damages.

The website of WorldNomads provides a lot of great tips to help you choose the right insurance. You can also make a simulation for your trip so you'll know exactly how much it will cost you and how long you will be protected. Don't forget to read the fine print very carefully to make sure you won't have any unexpected surprise.

How to save money on travel insurance?
The companies I've mentioned before are quite affordable. You'll only pay a few dollars per day for coverage. You can try to make a test on WorldNomads to see how much you will pay depending on your age, your country of origin, and the number of people you want to protect.
Click to get a a travel insurance quote from WorldNomads
If the amount is really to big for you, there are a few ways to lower the price even more:

Buy longer
This need some commitment, but naturally the longer you purchase, the cheaper it get. I made a test on WorldNomads for myself and got the following:

  • 7 days travel insurance to Indonesia (for a French): 26.70 euros (3.8 euros per day)
  • 4 weeks travel insurance to Indonesia (for a French): 93 euros (3.3 euros per day)
  • 365 days travel insurance to Indonesia (for a French): 804.30 euros (2.2 euros per day)
Make your own simulation here: Quote from WorldNomads.

Buy for several people at once
If you travel with your girlfriend or your family, you should choose the same reputed company for everybody.

Don't insure flights and valuables
This is what I do. Considering I travel alone with cheap flight tickets, last minute hotels bookings and few valuables, I don't really care about getting reimbursements on those things. The only thing I care about is not jeopardizing my whole life with an accident I can't afford to have.

Choose high deductibles and excess
Your insurance deductible and your excess are minimum amounts your insurance will charge you on any claims, not matter what. If your deductible for an accident is 1,000$, the insurance will reimburse you any medical expenses above 1,000$.

The philosophy of choosing a high deductible is the same as the previous point: It is for people who only want help if they are in big trouble. Having to pay 1,000$ from your own pocket sucks, but you can always find the money.

Don't buy it from your airline
When you book a flight, your airline or your tour operator will offer you to buy an insurance. Those are usually pretty bad deals and the prices are not interesting.

Compare
You can use Insure My Trip to search for the best deals. Be careful with cheap insurance companies though. If they can give a very cheap price, it probably means they don't reimburse much. You cannot have it all.

Rely on your credit card insurance only
This is possible but you must know the limitations of this strategy. In general, when you pay your trip with a classic Visa or Mastercard, you get 3 months of insurance with maximum reimbursement of less than 15,000$ (please check again with your banker to be sure). This ceiling is really too low in my opinion. You also have a lot of restrictions on what you can claim as well as high deductibles.

What insurance do you use?
This article would be greatly improved with your input. Which insurance did you choose for traveling to Indonesia? Did you succeed in making claims? If you are an expat, do you have a health insurance? Do you recommend it?

Personally, I have an expat insurance company that only insure French nationals. The name is CFE, if you are French and need more information about it you can email me thibaud@jakarta100bars.com. I pay 100 euros per month and I've made 2 claims that went well. The main one was for a gallbladder infection that kept me a week in Kasih Ibu hospital in Denpasar. The total bill was 7,000$ for 8 days and I had 5,000$ reimbursed.
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Online Dating Sites & Apps In Indonesia (2017)

February 7, 2017, 1:27 am
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I once wrote a review about dating Indonesian girls and where to meet them. You can still read it here: Where to meet Indonesian girls? Most of the information on the review is still valid, but it certainly needs an update on the world of online dating through websites or social apps such as Badoo, Indonesian Cupid, Tinder, WeChat, Skout, Beetalk, etc.

If you are looking for a great girl in Jakarta, online dating is by far your best chance. 90% of the girls there are looking for a stable relationship. Another 9% is looking for money. And maybe less than 1 percent is looking for a one night stand (not the hottest girls usually). The fact that they are looking for a stable relationship does not mean they want to get married straight away. It means they want to feel a long term relationship is possible. For this reason, it may be more difficult for you to find a date if you are not staying in Indonesia and if you do not speak Indonesian.

Depending on which website or which app you use, you can pretty much chat with any type of women you could think of: Students, employees, executives, single mom, etc from any ethnicity or religion. There is such a diversity that it would be hard to generalize. To give you a better understanding, I will describe the specificities of each dating app or website below:

Tinder(Mobile app only)
When Tinder started in Indonesia, most of its users where either foreign or Western educated girls. Its base has now expanded, but it is still the most trendy app to use. For this reason, this is where you will meet the most girls who can speak English and who have well-paid jobs. This is also where the most girls are interested to meet foreigners.

Pros:
➝ Almost entirely free
➝ Easy to get several matches every day
➝ Thousands of Indonesian girls are using it, including many educated ones
➝ Not too many spam accounts or prostitutes or ladyboys

Cons:
➝ I find it difficult to manage once you have more than 100 matches
➝ You cannot see which girls are online
➝ You cannot chat with a girl if you haven't matched with her already
➝ You cannot like more than 50 girls per day (or you must pay)
➝ You must connect using your Facebook information and pics (your friends on Facebook who are using Tinder will know that you are also a user)
➝ You can only see girls around you (unless you pay). If you stay abroad, this means you cannot chat with any girl in Jakarta before you arrive.
➝ Generally speaking, girls on Tinder love to swipe but they aren't very good at sending or replying to messages

IndonesianCupid.com (website)

Indonesia Cupid is more traditional dating website which is part of a wider network: FilipinoCupid, Muslima (for dating Muslim girls), Thai Cupid, Vietnam Cupid, etc. It is an excellent site for those who are not in Indonesia but who are interested to chat with local girls.

Many Indonesian girls on IndonesianCupid are looking to meet foreigners and they won't turn you down if you say you are far away. The demographic of IndonesianCupid is more middle class compared with Tinder. Typically, you'll chat with employees, teachers, nurses, etc.

Since it is a website and not a mobile phone app, I find it much easier to write messages or browse profiles compared to Tinder. Even if you use it for a month or two, it is still easy to see which girls are online among those you've chatted with before.

You can register here: Sign-Up to Indonesian Cupid for Free. I recommend you to update to the premium version though (only 25$ per month) as it will allow you to send an unlimited number of messages. It will also give you the edge compared with the other guys in terms of visibility.

Pros:
➝ Between 500-1000 Indonesian girls online at any time, but thousands more who were active in the past week or month (you have filters to do that).
➝ Possibility to look for girls in other countries (Thailand, Philippines, etc)
➝ Good website interface, easy to use and fast.
➝ Fast chatting application
➝ Mostly serious girls who are interested in relationships
➝ Detailed profiles

Cons:
➝ The free version is too restricted (not a problem if you can afford 25$)
➝ No mobile app
➝ Many girls have limited English proficiency (especially outside Jakarta)

Badoo (Mobile app and website)
Badoo used to be the best dating website in Indonesia but it is clearly not as popular as it used to be. It still has a large number of users though: I checked on 15 December 2016 at 7pm and there were 522 women online in Jakarta (vs 537 on Indonesian Cupid). They also have a mobile app (called "Hot or Not"). 

Badoo attracts 99,9% of Indonesian girls, from all background. You can filter girls by age, location, status, body type, etc. More than half the girls can speak English and many are interested to meet foreigners. Online prostitution on Badoo is unfortunately a problem. Many "girls" on Badoo are in fact pimp looking for clients.

Pros:
➝ Lots of girls online
➝ Fun, colorful website interface with large photos (but also more slow to load)
➝ Both a website and an app with geo-localization
➝ You can send messages to 5 girls per day for free and you "like" as many as you want
➝ Cheaper than other websites

Cons:
➝ Privacy concern (they sent advertising emails to all my contact on my behalf saying I was inviting them to join Badoo)
➝ Many prostitutes
➝ Because it is cheaper, there are more guys on Badoo. This means it is harder to get girls' attention and your messages may be ignored. You can get seen/read before other guys but you need to pay extra money (even if you are already a premium user).

Instagram
Yes, Instagram can be considered a dating website in Indonesia. I know some guys who've met dozens of girls using it.

Of course, you need to create an Instagram account and to upload interesting pictures regularly. If you are an expat who visits nice restaurants and hotels, it shouldn't be too hard to add at least a great photo every two days.

You can then follow some Instagram accounts of girls you like and write comments on their pictures.

Pros:
➝ Free
➝ There are more girls on Instagram than on any other dating websites (especially in Indonesia)
➝ You can search for girls who have special interests using the location or tags (for instance, if you want to find a girl who went to the Djakarta Warehouse Festival, you can search the tag "DWP 2016").
➝ It is easy to find a topic to start a conversation (just comment a photo)

Cons:
➝ You need to create and maintain an interesting Instagram account
➝ Many girls are not single or not actively looking for a boyfriend
➝ Time consuming

WeChat (Mobile app only)
WeChat has a "look around" feature which allows you to add girls located within a few kilometers from you. If they accept your invitation, you can start chatting with them.

Many ladyboys and prostitutes use that feature so it can be quite annoying if this is not what you are looking for. You will also probably receive a lot of invitations from other guys. Girls using this feature do not always speak English very well. It is popular with the Chinese community but your chances of getting a reply is low unless you speak Chinese.

Pros:
➝ Free
➝ Location based

Cons:
➝ I don't think you can meet a normal girl using it.

Beetalk(Mobile app only)
Beetalk users are mostly Indonesian and young. It has a "look around" feature as well which is quite invasive as it tells you the exact position of the people around you. If you use it in popular malls like Grand Indonesia or Central Park, it will probably tell you a list of person within a very close range, sometimes a few meters only.

Few girls using Beetalk speak good English so it is more appropriate for those with a basic knowledge of Indonesian. It is a good app but not the most effective for foreigners.

Pros:
➝ Free
➝ Location based
➝ No competition from other Westerners

Cons:
➝ Very few girls who can speak English


➝ Not many replies from girls

Skout (Mobile app and dating site)
Skout is similar to Badoo but it does not have as many girls online. The ads are quite annoying so I didn't like using it. 

Tagged / Hi5 (Mobile app and website)
Tagged and Hi5 are the same service since they merged in 2011. It used to be one of the most popular social networks in Indonesia but it is struggling now. It is still a relatively interesting website to try as the number of Indonesian users is quite large. I would say that girls on Tagged are usually a bit older: They made their Hi5 account 10 years ago and they haven't closed it yet.

Adult Friend Finder
This is a paying hook-up website popular with swingers and those looking for one-night stands. I never used it but a friend of mine did and he met several open-minded couples. He also managed to meet a few single girls but it is more rare.

Note that the website is currently blocked by the government so you'll need to download a VPN to access it. I've written an article here Best VPN in Indonesia to help you with it.

Pros:
➝ If you are not looking for dating but for sex, this is the best website to use
➝ Number 1 hooking website in the World

Cons:
➝ 90% guys and 10% girls so you need to make a really neat profile to succeed. Being handsome would help.
➝ You won't get very far with the Free Version so you'll need to buy a premium membership


➝ Block in Indonesia: You must use a VPN to access it freely.

Conclusion
All these dating apps and websites are free but you have to pay if you want to get some VIP features. For instance, becoming a paid member will generally entitle you to send more messages, to see who clicked on your profile or to be seen first by girls.

There are probably some scammers too so you should naturally always make sure the person you are talking to is real. I would recommend asking for the girl's facebook or skype.

There are other services that I haven't tried but they might work well. If you have used one of the following to find a date in Jakarta, it would be nice if you could write a comment about it below:

OK Cupid: Popular dating website (same group with Match.com and Tinder) but I don't think it is available in Indonesia at this moment.

Zoosk: One of the most popular dating apps in the world but I read some negative reviews about their privacy policy so I did not want to try it.

Ask.fm: Very popular social media in Indonesia, mostly with the younger crowd. It is not a real dating website but it is used as such by many Indonesians to make friends or get a date.

Wavoo is an Indonesian dating app which just started. It does not have a very large database of users at the moment.

Setipe is an Indonesian dating website which could be promising but it is still new and I encountered some problems to register.

Photo Credit: The photos are from Kucluk Oye.
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10 Best Gifts Ideas For Your Indonesian Girlfriend or Wife

February 7, 2017, 5:23 pm
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If you have a local girlfriend or wife, you certainly know that Indonesian girls absolutely love receiving gifts. In fact, I would say that being generous is one of the surest ways to keep your relationship strong and happy (the only most important thing is to be committed and faithful).

At the very least, you should always offer a gift on your partner's birthday. A failure to do so is only excusable if you've just met or if you're trying to get rid of her. Depending on the girl you're seeing, you should probably buy something for Valentine's day and Christmas as well (yes, even if she is a Muslim).

Some relationships may require more frequent gifts, for instance if you are dating someone out of your league. If you are 50 years old and your girlfriend is 25-year old bombshell (like the girl on the picture above), it goes without saying that you'll need to have deep pockets. Similarly, if you are dating a girl that you don't intend to marry, a few gifts may keep her hooked for a little longer. I'm not saying that every Indonesian girl is materialistic, most are not, but they can sometimes be pragmatic.

The list below will give you 10 ideas of gifts that all Indonesian girls would love to receive. I've included links to trusted websites you can buy them from.

Flowers
Flowers are the most romantic gift you can make, for any type of girls and for any occasions. Red and white roses are the preferred choice, unless your girlfriend is a bit more sophisticated and requires originality. You can buy them at the cheapest price in flower markets (see my review Traditional Markets in Jakarta) or you can buy them online directly on Flower Advisor. A bouquet costs around 25$ and it will be delivered on the same day with a personalized note. I used it a lot when I had a long distance relationship and it was very practical.

→ Ideal to show that you care
→ Price range: From 10$ to 50$
→ Delivery in Indonesia: Flower Advisor

Perfume, Make Up and Beauty Products
A classic gift if you don't want to take any risks. You are always sure to make your woman happy with beauty products but always choose a famous brand.

If you are a frequent traveler, it is always easy to buy a fragrance bottle at the duty free shop before arriving in Jakarta. The prices are much cheaper than anywhere else and you get to choose the smell you like the most. In Indonesia, you can buy from Sephora Indonesia or from department stores like Sogo with prices a bit higher.

→ Perfect gift if you want to be 100% sure she'll like it
→ Price range: From 50$ to 130$
→ Delivery in Indonesia: Not recommended for perfume to avoid counterfeit products but you can buy safely from Sephora Indonesia for make up and other beauty products.

Chocolate, Candies, Cakes and Snacks
This is an inexpensive gift to make, especially if you buy them in your home country. Chocolate in Indonesia is 2 to 3 times more expensive than in Europe so it is considered a bit of a luxury here. I always bring as much as I can from France and then gives them around. It's a very easy way to make people smile!

Since Indonesian love eating sweet food, an alternative is to buy any kind of sweets that come with a nice packaging (for instance a heart-shaped box).

→ Ideal for Valentine's day
→ Price range: From 5$ to 20$
→ Delivery in Indonesia: Flower Advisor sells romantic chocolates and you can buy cakes/desserts on BoBoBoBo.com. You can also get standard chocolates delivered to your door on HappyFresh.com.

Photo Frame/Album or Video
A more unique way to show that you care if you are 18, penniless and deeply in love. It sounds a bit girly and cheesy, yet it will very certainly be a hit if your girlfriend is young.

If you really don't have any money, you can make a short video or slideshow online and send it to her as well.

→ Perfect gift for younger girls
→ Price range: 0$ for a video, 4$ for a frame, 20$ for an album, 0.50$ to print a photo
→ To buy online and get delivered in Jakarta: Photo Frames can be bought on Matahari Mall (Indonesian). You can print photos on Pictalogy or Snapy (Indonesian). You can make a free slideshow/video on Smilebox.

Romantic Trips
Photo: https://www.instagram.com/sukiminthio/
The perspective of going on a romantic trip is extremely exciting to every Indonesian girls. Not only because they have few opportunities to go anywhere alone, but more importantly because it will give them plenty of occasions to update their Instagram with new pictures.

Even if you don't have money, you can at least go to Bandung or Bogor. With a bigger budget, Bali, Belitung, the Thousand Islands and Lombok are great choices. Singapore and KL are also quite cheap and easy to reach from Jakarta.

A good way to find amazing prices is to visit Kiwi.com. This travel website allows you to find flights without entering the destination. The result will be a display of the cheapest flights available on a particular date, from Jakarta (Yes I know, Skyscanner does that also, but please try Kiwi and you'll see it has many more possibilities).
Is Kiwi.com better than Skyscanner? I think so.
→ Smart gift if you already have a wife
→ Price range: From 50$ (weekend in Bogor) to 5,000$ (weekend in Velaa Resort in Maldives)
→ Buying online: Keep an eye on the deals from Groupon Indonesia - Travel or Bobobobo - Hotels and Resorts.

Anything Cute and/or Cheesy
This is a bit vague but you probably understand what I mean. Asian girls love cute accessories or toys, especially if they are somewhat romantic. It can be dolls, teddy bears, cups, pillows, watches, sunglasses, t-shirts, pencils, cards, etc as long as there is a funny face or a heartbreaking sentence on it.

→ Easy gift if you're back from a business trip in Japan
→ Price range: From 5$ to 30$
→ Buying online: Check the gift section on FlowerAdvisor.com and Bobobobo.com, they have some cute teddy bears and other plush dolls.

Designer Clothes, Bags and Shoes
Why not give her designer lingerie?
Guys who buy designer clothes and accessories are either very rich, crazy in love or dating above their league. Whatever your reason, you can never go wrong as long as you buy genuine stuff either from abroad or from any of the luxury malls in Jakarta.

→ Perfect gift if you were caught cheating and need forgiveness
→ Price range: Starting from 200$ up to several thousand dollars
→ Delivery to Indonesia/Buying online: The best Indonesian-based website with a large choice of designer clothes, bags, shoes and accessories is certainly Bobobobo.com. You can check their brands directly here Woman Fashion.

Spa or Salon Treatment
Have you ever met a girl who didn't like going to the spa?
You can either buy a treatment that your wife or girlfriend will do alone or buy a couple's massage. Several venues allow it in Jakarta and I've listed them in my review: Best Luxury Hotel Spas in Jakarta. I also recommend you to try any of the Taman Sari Royal Heritage Spa (check for deals on Groupon).

→ Perfect gift if you want to please her while still meeting your friends
→ Price range: 30$ to 80$
→ Where to purchase online: You can have a look at the Spa Deals on Groupon: Best Spa Deals in Indonesia

Phone, Laptop and Tablets
It is almost a tradition for the boyfriend to pay for his girlfriend's phone in Indonesia. This is why you'll see so many girls who earn less than 300$/month with the latest 800$ Iphone. Once the phone is taken care of, you may start to hear things like "I really need a laptop for my work" or "My teacher wants us to buy a laptop". This is the sign you're in for a little present.

→ Must-buy gift if you are dating a gold-digger
→ Price range: 400$-1500$
→ Buying online: If you can speak Indonesian, you can visit MatahariMall or Lazada. Both have a huge choice and they can deliver anywhere in Indonesia.

Sexy Stuff
Offering lingerie or sex toys is actually more a gift to yourself and that's why it is such a good idea. Lingerie can easily be found in any malls, for instance in La Senza or Victoria's Secret. It is much harder to buy sex toys in Indonesia so it is best to bring them from abroad.

→ Perfect gift to yourself
→ Price range: 30$ to 200$
→ Buying lingerie online: Websites like Bobobobo (Lingerie for woman) and Zalora have a limited choice. Matahari Mall and Lazada are better but they are in Indonesian. The best choice would be AliExpress, and especially its page Sexy Lingerie.
→ Buying sex toys online: Limited choice on Lazada - Sex Help. Much better if you import through Aliexpress - Sex Toys but the customs may not allow your stuff to enter the country.

Photo credit: The two awesome pictures with Indonesian beauties were taken by Mr. Ecko. You can see more of his portfolio on Instagram here @rockandrolla_photography.
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Jakarta Nightlife: Top 10 Nightclubs (Updated 2017)

February 8, 2017, 2:43 am
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"What are the best nightclubs in Jakarta?" is one of the questions I get asked the most by readers of Jakarta100bars.

The following list should answer this question though I imagine some of you may disagree with my rankings. If you do, please leave a comment below about your favorite clubs in the city.

Surprisingly, there has not been so many changes in the past few year in the city's clubbing scene. All the venues listed below already existed in 2014. 

As I mentioned in my review Jakarta Nightlife 2015, almost all nightclubs in Jakarta are expensive. If you are a heavy alcohol drinker and if you are with a small group, I would advise to always buy a bottle. That way you can get a table or a sofa close from the dance-floor and also avoid the First Drink Charge, FDC (usually amounting to Rp100,000 - Rp200,000). On weekends, it is essential to book in advance.

Bouncers in Jakarta take their jobs very seriously. If you are not dressed appropriately, you will be refused no matter how much money you are about to spend. Girls should always wear high-heels. Men should not wear a t-shirt or a torn jean.

Unfortunately, the quality of the music is not the focus in Jakarta. In most clubs below except Mille's, the playlist is similar and consists of a mix of mostly famous, mainstream international hits. You have an international DJ playing almost every weekend in Jakarta though. In this case, the music is more likely to be original.

If those 10 clubs are not enough, I invite you to read my list of Jakarta's Best Bars. Most of these have a DJ on Fridays and Saturdays.

Quick introduction to Jakarta nightlife: Read my article Jakarta Nightlife 2016 Explained in 500 Words.

Advertising: About Dating Indonesian Women
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The best way to meet normal Indonesian girls, with a good education and a salary is to use dating websites. Tinder can work well as well but it is difficult to maintain long discussion on a mobile phone I think.

I recommend you to can try Indonesian Cupid, which is owned by Match.com. You can browse the girls' profile for free and show that you are interested. If you can afford 25$ (the price of two cocktails in Jakarta), you can send an unlimited number of messages and use their chat feature.

The site has 1,000,000 members already, meaning you always have hundreds of girls in Jakarta online at any time. 

Register for free using this link: Sign Up - Indonesian Cupid.

Jenja
Jenja is the newest and currently most happening nightclub in Jakarta. It is the second Jenja to open in Indonesia following the success of the Seminyak branch. Well-designed yet not overly luxurious, it is the first nightclub in the city to specialize in non-commercial techno music. Their first guest DJs were Oliver Huntemann, MANDY and Marc Romboy. The crowd in Jenja is quite eclectic, mixing expats, students and socialites. There aren't that many girls, at least not as much as in Immigrant or X2.

Note that Jenja is located in South Jakarta (Cilandak), a 30-minute drive from the city center. If you need a cheap hotel nearby, I recommend you Midtown Residence.

Immigrant
Even though Immigrant is not as good as it used to be before its renovation, it is still one of Jakarta's top party places. It has a small dance floor usually full of expats and sexy local girls. Prices are slightly above Dragonfly for individual drinks, but they give you a drink with the entrance fee. Music is hip hop, EDM, Top 40, Rn'B depending on the night. Great for pick-up.

It is located inside the Mall Plaza Indonesia, which is the best area for staying in Jakarta.


Dragonfly
Dragonfly has the nicest interior design of any nightclubs in Jakarta (and even Indonesia). It has a good crowd, though almost half of the girls are hookers or semi-pros hunting rich expats. The entrance fee is stupidly expensive, Rp200,000 without a drink. Book a table to avoid this if you come with a group. Their best night is on Wednesday. They have strict door policy: Dress well and if you look young, don't forget to bring an ID.

Jakarta's SCBD is the best area in the city for a fun night out. The massive Empirica is always as fun and popular, I love their 50m long bar, the chic crowd and the great sound-system. More than half the crowd is Indo-Chinese. Entrance is usually around Rp100,000 with a drink.

Mille's (CLOSED)
Mille's is an unusual choice and most people I know don't like it. Still, it is the only decent underground club in the city, and the best place to visit after hour. Be warned that for most people partying in Mille's, the only cocktail they need is ecstasy and water. The best time to visit is after 7am. Entrance is between Rp50,000 and Rp100,000 (with soft drink).

Update October 2016: Mille's has been shut down, guess for which reason? Drugs.

Colosseum is the best nightclub in Jakarta on the paper: The best layout, the best sound and lighting system and some of the best events. Yet, the crowd is mostly static and not very fun to hang out with. Many girls are probably escorts from the karaoke. It is also quite far from the City center. First drink charge around Rp200,000.

X2 is the favorite nightclub of many clubbers in Jakarta. If you are a 20-something foreigner looking to meet an Indonesian girl (and vice versa), it is certainly your best choice. The entrance and the drinks are expensive (FDC Rp200,000). One room has hip-hop/Rn'B and one is for Trance/EDM lovers.


If you are between 18 and 22, Fable could be your hottest party spot. You have all the cool kids from high school getting drunk with dad's money, which is even nicer when you get invited to a table. It is just below Lucy in the Sky. Entrance: Rp150,000 (FDC).

Blowfish was just renovated in 2014 during Ramadan. Since it reopened, it has managed to attract Jakarta's best crowd (particularly Indochinese in their early 20s). Recent guest DJs include Dirty South, Fat Boy Slim or Richie Hawtin.

5-year old Domain Club can have some great nights, but it is inconsistent. It is cheaper than most clubs mentioned above so you will find more relaxed people. Few expats. Recent events included a performance by the porn star Sasha Grey.

Golden Crown is a typical North Jakarta nightclub with a high level of drugs and prostitution. It is almost always crowded, mostly with Indonesians. It is a sure bet if you want to go clubbing during weekdays and if you don't mind its seedy side. Huge karaoke.

Illigals (Voyeur Club)
Illigals is very rarely crowded. Forget it during the week unless they have a big name coming. Still, it deserves to be in the Top 10 because they have a decent list of events. Many DJs from Stadium are now playing in Illigals too. The karaoke is very popular after hour because it is protected from the police.

Need more clubbing ideas? Check Exodus, Nebula , Foundry 8 (similar with Fable but more easy going), Potato Head Garage (only good if they have events). All of them are usually busy on Friday and Saturday nights and they have special events on a regular basis.

Photo credit: Main photo Chris Seward - Other Photos from Facebook.
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Where to Stay in Jakarta - Best Areas for Tourists

February 8, 2017, 9:38 am
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If you visit Jakarta as a tourist, you are probably wondering about the best areas to stay in the city.

Due to the horrible traffic and the lack of public transportation, I advise you to choose your location carefully. 1 kilometer in Jakarta is like 10 kilometer in normal cities. Just going to the opposite side of a street by car can sometimes take up to 30 minutes!

If you don't have time to readmy entire review, the following paragraph is a short summary:

The best place to stay in Jakarta, either you are a tourist or a businessman, is around Plaza Indonesia or Grand Indonesia, for instance: Kempinski, Grand Hyatt, Pullman, Mandarin Oriental. It is an expensive area though so if you are on a budget, you can stay near Sarinah Mall instead. You'll find backpacker hostels (Jalan Jaksa), 2 star hotels (Favehotel), 3-star hotels (Holiday Inn or Ibis Tamarin) and 4-star hotels (Morrissey, Four Points by Sheraton or Akmani).

Need more addresses? See the following recommendations for Hotels near Grand Indonesia and Hotels near Sarinah.

If you have time to read my whole review, I will list below all the potential areas for you to stay in Jakarta, starting from the best.

(I included a direct link to Agoda to help you book your hotel. I make a small commission on every booking but the price is the same for you. You can compare using HotelsCombined.com (excellent hotel comparator) or  Booking.com.)

Hotel Indonesia (Plaza Indonesia / Grand Indonesia)

The iconic Hotel Indonesia roundabout (Bunderan HI in Indonesian) is one of the most famous landmarks in Jakarta. All around it are 5 luxury hotels (Kempinski, Grand Hyatt, Pullman, Mandarin Oriental, Keraton at the Plaza) and the two best malls in Jakarta (Grand Indonesia and Plaza Indonesia).

Both of these malls are great meeting points with lots of popular cafés, cinemas, restaurants, bars (Cloud, Social House, Skye) and nightclubs (Immigrant). It is a modern part of Jakarta ideal for lifestyle travelers who are interested with shopping, eating out and partying.

It is also central, so you can reach other parts of Jakarta fairly easily (for Jakarta standards). In particular, it is just a few minutes away from Tanah Abang (budget shopping), Jalan Sudirman (business district) and Menteng (government offices). Attractions like the Monas or the National Museum are only 15 minutes away. You can use public transportation to reach any of these (Transjakarta).
Summary:
Distance from airport:
Between 1h and 1h30m with normal traffic conditions.

Pros:
Central, easy to access, upmarket area
Good for nightlife, shopping, eating and drinking out

Cons:
Nothing touristic in the immediate area (no monuments, no historical buildings, no traditional markets)
Busy, crowded with a lot of traffic
Nowhere to walk around except inside malls
No street food
Expensive

Sarinah Mall (Jalan Jaksa, Wahid Hasyim, Sabang)
The Sarinah Shopping Center is only a kilometer north of the Hotel Indonesia roundabout (see above), but the feel is much different. It is a middle class area with affordable shopping and restaurants. You will also find great Indonesian street food 24/7. Most buildings are low-rise but this might change soon as several towers are being built.

There are many convenient businesses for travelers, some of which are open 24-hour: Money changers, travel agents, internet cafés, printing services, photography shops, etc. You also have several laundries (one of which is a coin laundry).

The mid-range hotels are along the streets Wahid Hasyim and Agus Salim (nicknamed Sabang).

If your budget is very tight, meaning under 10$ a night, you can get a room in Jalan Jaksa. Many of the cheaper guesthouses are not listed on internet so it's best to just walk around and look for "room for rent/kos" signs.

The location is just as strategic as the one in Hotel Indonesia (you can walk there in 15 minutes). If you are not interested in going to malls, it is probably even better.

East of Sarinah is the upscale area of Menteng-Cikini, where some of the richest Indonesian families live. It is central with many nice restaurants, a few museums, public parks and cultural attractions. Hotels tend to be either pricey or low-quality. 
Summary:
Distance from airport:
Between 1h and 1h30m with normal traffic conditions.

Pros:
Central, in-between modern Jakarta and old Jakarta
Many budget hotels with good value for money
Cheap shopping options
Travelers shops (Money changers, travel agents, etc)
Good street food
Very lively, even at night (many shops and restaurants are open 24-hour)
You can meet other travelers more easily (see Jalan Jaksa Nightlife)

Cons:
Not an upmarket location
Not walking distance from any tourist landmarks
It was the location of a terrorist attack in January 2016

Photo credit: https://www.instagram.com/kroenisme/

Golden Triangle
Mega Kuningan Streets
The Golden Triangle is the main business area of Jakarta and it is made from the following streets: Gatot Subroto, Rasuna Said and Sudirman. It comprises some famous neighborhoods such as Mega Kuningan, SCBD (Sudirman Central Business District) or Setiabudi. It extends in the South until Plaza Senayan and Senopati.

Mega Kuningan and SCBD are exclusive and modern areas with a Western city planning model. You'll find blocks, large streets and sidewalks, just like you would in an American city. It is the trendiest part of Jakarta and home to dozens of hip bars, clubs and restaurants. There are also several 5-star hotels (Ritz Carlton Mega Kuningan, Marriott) and luxury malls (Pacific Place). It is cleaner than the rest of Jakarta and you have less traffic jams. Some would say it's a ghetto for rich people that has nothing to do with the real Jakarta.

Many young, single expats choose to live there when they can afford it. If they don't have the budget, they may choose to stay in Setiabudi instead (see below).

Jalan Sudirman, Jalan Rasuna Said, Jalan Gatot Subroto are some of the busiest streets in Jakarta. They are packed with cars, messy and polluted. Still, choosing a hotel directly on one of these thoroughfares is a good idea to avoid unnecessary commuting time. Most are 4 and 5-star hotels though.

Summary:
Distance from airport:
Between 45 minutes and 1h30m with normal traffic conditions. Gatot Subroto is the closest and it is connected to the airport highway. Mega Kuningan is more difficult to access (traffic bottleneck).

Pros:
Modern, Westernized part of Jakarta
Easy access to nightclubs, malls, trendy restaurants
Central
Public transport options (Transjakarta)

Cons:
Expensive
Limited street food options
No traditional street life
Heavy traffic during peak hours

Setiabudi
Setiabudi is a residential and low-rise neighborhood in the northern part of the Golden Triangle. Its residents were originally low to middle income families, but this is starting to change as the land prices increase. Many houses have been transformed into boarding houses, small apartments or hotels which are popular with single office workers (both Indonesians and expats).

You can get a room there for an affordable price while being near from the Central Business District (more information: How to Rent a Cheap Room in Jakarta). It is a great area for street food as well.

Staying in Setiabudi would not be my first recommendation though if you are a tourist because it can be difficult to get there (traffic) and to find your hotel (small streets).

Summary:
Distance from airport:
Between 1h and 1h30m with normal traffic conditions.

Pros:
Very good location between Sudirman and Rasuna Said streets
Low-rise, middle class neighborhood
Near offices, malls, nightclubs, bars, restaurants
Street food
Convenient shops (laundry, photocopy, etc.)
Possibility to walk around

Cons:
More complicated to access when you are not familiar with Jakarta
More difficult to get public transport
Traffic Jams

Kota Tua
Street food near Jalan Kali Besar in Kota Tua
Strictly speaking, Kota Tua (Old Town in Indonesian) is the area around Taman Fatahillah Square in North Jakarta. In this review, I use it to describe a larger zone inclusive of Mangga Besar and Glodok.

Kota Tua is infamous for being a red-light district: This is where you will find the most expensive naughty massage parlours, strip clubs, nightclubs and gogo bars in Jakarta. Most hotels are used for short time and the streets are busy 24/7.

In spite of this, staying nearby has several advantages: Hotels are much cheaper than elsewhere and they are close from many tourist attractions (Chinese temples in Glodok, Museums, Sunda Kelapa). Some people, including myself, also enjoy the authentic street life. Jalan Mangga Besar in particular is one of the best places to eat street food in Jakarta.

From Kota Tua to the city center of Jakarta (Plaza Indonesia), it will take about 1 hour with normal traffic conditions (30 minutes at night). There is a very convenient Transjakarta line from Kota Tua down to Blok M that goes through Monas and the the National Museum.
Summary:
Distance from airport:
Between 45m and 1h15m with normal traffic conditions.

Pros:
Near most tourist attractions in Jakarta
Near nightclubs, bars, massage parlours and karaokes (naughty ones)
Cheaper area in Jakarta for sleeping and eating out
Great and colorful street life
Street food stalls open 24/7 - Excellent Chinese food
Busway line

Cons:
More dirty and dodgy than average
No modern malls and restaurants
Lots of prostitutes

Other possible areas for staying in Jakarta
Kemang
Kemang is a popular area with expats because it is near from the international schools. Many live in expansive villas with swimming pool and gardens. It has a vibe similar to the one in Seminyak.

As a tourist staying in Kemang, you will be near from many designer shops, good Western restaurants and several bars and clubs. On the negative side, there are no tourist sights and it is far from the city center.

Gajah Mada/Hayam Wuruk (+ Pasar Baru)
This area is strategically located as it is between Sudirman and Kota Tua. There are not so many things to do in the immediate vicinity apart from some famous strip clubs and massage parlours (Malioboro, V2, Emporium).

Recommended if you are planning to visit places in both South and North Jakarta. They have recently opened several brand new hotels such as Hotel Santika Premiere Hayam Wuruk, Novotel Gajah Mada and Ibis Harmoni.

Mangga Dua
In North Jakarta, Mangga Dua is a shopping area with several naughty nightlife venues. It can easily be reached from the airport by the toll road, and it is not too far from the city's tourist attractions like Kota Tua or Ancol. If you need to go to the South, it will take you about an hour.

If you only have one night in Jakarta, it can be a more fun option than staying near the airport. After two nights, you might get bored.

Slipi-Taman Anggrek
This area is in the vicinity of the malls Central Park and Taman Anggrek. You can stay there if you want to be closer from the airport as it is only 40 minutes away by car. Downtown Jakarta is about 30 minutes away.

Pluit and PIK (Pantai Indah Kapuk)
This is an upscale area where many Rich Indochinese families live. It is close from the airport (less than 40 minutes) and you have a growing nightlife scene (see my review Nightlife in PIK).

Kelapa Gading
There are not many reasons to stay in Kelapa Gading apart from shopping and nightlife.

For shopping, you have several malls including the gigantic Mall of Indonesia and Mal Kelapa Gading.

For nightlife, you'll find mostly massage parlours plus plus, brothels, strip clubs and beer houses (Sumo, Delta, King Cross, Level 5 and other prostitution joints).

Map of the Best Areas in Jakarta - Summary
If you are interested to stay in Jakarta near the nightlife, please read my other hotel guides:

Contact me by email thibaud@jakarta100bars.com if you have any questions about where to stay in Jakarta (or just leave a comment below).
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Vientiane Nightlife: Top 20 Nightclubs and Bars (2017)

February 10, 2017, 7:16 am
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I stayed a week in the capital of Laos, Vientiane, to explore its nightlife. In this review, I will give you some tips about the best nightclubs, the best bars, where to stay near the nightlife and how to meet Laotian girls.

If you expect Vientiane to be a boring town, you are only partially right. After night falls, it isn't long before all shops and restaurants close, and by 10PM most streets are desperately deserted. At this time, even finding street food can be challenging.

If you go to the right places though, you'll discover some much more happening areas. As I realized, you can party every night in Vientiane until at least 3AM, well past the official midnight curfew.

Nightlife Areas in Vientiane
Click on the map to enlarge
Most of the bars, restaurants and nightclubs recommended in this article are within a small area north of the Chao Anouvong Park (green rectangle on the map) and along the riverside. Almost every visitors will stay there and you should probably too. These are recommended hotels near the nightlife:

→ 5-star: Crowne Plaza (200$ per night)
→ 4-star: Salana Boutique Hotel or Dhavara (120$ per night)
→ 3-star: Sunbeam Hotel (50$ per night)
→ 2-star: Moonlight Champa (30$ per night)

East of Vientiane, along Setthathilath Road, you will find some more upscale venues with much less tourists. This is where rich Laotians party as well as some expats (pink rectangle on the map).

Elsewhere in the city, the nightlife spots are sparsely located. Vientiane is not a city where you can just walk around and hope to find a great random bar. In general, as you get away from the city center, it gets naughtier. This is particularly true on T4 Road (Kamphengmeuang Road - red rectangle on my map). It can be considered a low-end red-light district as I counted at least 30 cheap girlie bars and karaokes, with working girls and sometimes hidden short-time rooms.

👉 Renting a motorbike: I was using a motorbike to get around in Vientiane. It costs about 50,000-60,000 per day and it will save you the trouble of negotiating with tuk-tuk drivers every time you want to go somewhere (and to explain where you want to go). The police does not seem to hunt tourists and the absence of traffic jams makes driving relatively easy. Still, it remains dangerous and you should make sure you are properly insured. You can read my Travel Insurance Guide for more information (it's about Indonesia but it applies to Laos as well).

Top 10 Bars in Vientiane
I-Beam Bar
You will find plenty of small restaurants, cafés and beer gardens selling alcohol in Vientiane. They will almost always be recognizable by their yellow and green neon sign (paid by Beerlao, the main brewer in Laos). Unfortunately, most of those places are not very interesting unless all you care about is getting drunk for as cheap as possible.

If you are looking for slightly more happening venues, you can try any of these:

Located by the riverside on the 4th floor of a building, it is one of the most popular bars in Vientiane. It gets consistently crowded every night from sunset until closing time with mostly tourists and backpackers, a few expats, some Laotians, some prostitutes and some ladyboys (later in the evening). The central bar makes it easy to meet people. You can play pool and there is a nice view on the Mekong. 15,000 kip for one beer, 40,000 kip for a cocktail and 40-60,000 kip for a main course. Music is Top 40 and EDM.

Musso
Part of the S Park Design Hotel, this live music pub is a popular hangout for rich Laotians and mixed Chinese. It is also where you'll see some of the prettiest girls in the city. Retro design. More expensive than average. Open every day until midnight.

I-Beam
This bar shares the same building with the fine dining restaurant Silapa. I visited on a Friday night and you had mostly dressed-up expats living in Vientiane. You might also meet some pretty and educated Laotian girls. Live music on Friday (Jazz, acoustic). Salsa on Thursday. Ladies night on Wednesday. Pricier than elsewhere (50,000 kip for a cocktail).

Samlo bar
An old, European-style pub serving food and cheap beer (10,000 kip). In another city I would never recommend it, but for Vientiane it is among the best for meeting people. Pool tables and foosball. Pop and rock music. Close at 2AM.

Read my full review: Samlo Bar Vientiane

Go Dunk
A new beer garden similar to those you have everywhere in Thailand. Laid-back vibe, live music, friendly staff.

CCC or Lao Café
This small bar is almost hidden near the Wind West Pub. It is officially gay-friendly but you'll also see plenty of girls, including hookers. It is the closest thing to a Thai-style girlie beer bar in Vientiane. It stays open until late (at least 2AM).

O'Grady's Irish Pub
O'Grady's is about 10 minutes away from the tourist area. It is patronized by an expat crowd who comes to watch sports, drink Guinness and eat Irish pub fare. Various events: Live music, quiz nights, darts nights, sports nights (rugby, UFC, football, AFL). Friendly owner. It is a family-friendly, especially during the weekend (kids playground in the backyard). Open every day except Monday until 12PM.

This is more a café/beer garden. Popular with older travelers. Nice setting but a bit expensive. The only reason I put it here is because it is normally quite busy and because it serves good food.

Hard Rock Café
The Hard Rock Café Vientiane is far from the city center, expensive and not very crowded. Live bands may sing in Laotian or English.

There are many more small bars in restaurants in the tourist center, particularly in Setthathirath Road, Samsenthai Road and the riverside street (Fa Ngum Road). For instance, the Beer House (largest beer selection in Vientiane), Paris Cocktail 2, Charlie's, Chokdee Belgian Beer Bar, Jazzy Brick Jazz Bar or Highland Sports Bar. Typically, those places are owned by foreigners married to a Laotian. They will rarely have more than 15-20 guests at once.

For a more local experience, you can try Western-style bars with a 100% local crowd elsewhere in the city, for instance Corebeer, Garage Cocktail Bar, Relax, Suite 21 or Classic (see my nightlife map at the end of the article). 

Top 10 Nightclubs In Vientiane
Marina Nightclub
Most nightclubs in Vientiane are located in the eastern part of Setthathilah Road. As elsewhere in Asia, the local crowd tends to purchase bottles and stand around a table with their group of friends.

Marina
Marina is my favorite nightclub in Vientiane. It is also the only one with international standards (to a certain extent). It is large and packed on most nights with middle-to-upper class Laotians, a few Asian tourists (Chinese, Thai, Koreans) and surprisingly almost no foreigners. Loads of pretty girls. EDM and Hip Hop commercial music. Free entrance. Beer 18,000 kip. Close at 3AM.

Read my full review: Marina Club Vientiane.

Gold Star
Another fun place to party, Gold Star is part of a the huge Dao Kham Hotel complex. It is a Thai-style nightclub with live music acts followed by DJs (EDM). Compared to Marina, the crowd is much younger (some clubbers are probably under 18) and not as rich. Many opportunities for guys who want to meet girls. Free entrance. Close at 3AM.

Read my full review: Gold Star Nightclub

Wind West
Open since 1992, this live music pub has a mixed crowd of Laotians and tourists. The bands are a hit-and-miss but it does not really matter as people will dance whatever is being played. Excellent venue to meet local girls. Close at 2AM.

Read my full review: Wind West Vientiane

@Home
This is the Vientiane club where you'll see the most foreigners. It isn't too big nor sophisticated, but they have less commercial music (trance/techno). There are some normal girls but also prostitutes and ladyboys. Free entrance. Beer for 25,000 kip. Close at 3AM.

Read my full review here: @Home Vientiane

Also spelled Mark 2, it is an upmarket beer garden and live music club popular with rich Laotians. In the beer garden, the bands will normally play soft and romantic songs while in the club they will play pop/rock. Giant screen with sports. It also serves food. Walking distance from Mercure Hotel.

Phoenix
A small club with live music and commercial EDM DJs. As of today I don't really see the point of going there.

Read my full review here: Phoenix.

Romeo and The Pavilion
An upmarket complex featuring a live music hall (The Pavilion), a nightclub (Romeo) and an unnamed KTV. It was almost empty when I visited. Not worth it as it is 15 minutes from the tourist center.

Read my full review: Romeo Nightclub and Pavilion Music Hall

Batman Pub
A decent nightclub which is unfortunately located in the middle of nowhere, at the end of a dirt road. EDM, live music, karaoke. Local crowd.

Read my full review: Batman Pub & KTV

Mittaphab Club and Karaoke
An odd club with a mix of old Laotian couples, some Chinese guys and 20-something karaoke hostesses. A live band plays mellow Lao songs. Group dancing. Free entrance. 25,000 kip for a beer. Close at midnight. It belongs to the Mekong Hotel.

Read my full review: Mittaphab - Mekong Hotel

Galaxy
An upscale Lao live music bar. Chic crowd and professional service. Only if you are into local music.

Read my full review: Galaxy.

There are a few more nightclubs in Vientiane: Catwalk (Live music), Impeng Hotel (Live music), What's Club (Didn't visit), Dihao Club and KTV (with freelance prostitutes) or Ton Khao Restaurant & Club (far and very local but packed).

Meeting Lao Girls
Meeting with Lao girls is not so difficult if you go to the right places. They will generally be open to talk with foreigners and interested to develop long term relationships.

The best places for that in my opinion are Wind West, Marina, Gold Star, Mark Two, Musso, I-Beam and Phoenix.

You can also use online dating sites and apps, but the pool of available girls is limited. As of February 2017, Tinder had around 100 profiles (including 20 foreign girls), Badoo around 200 (but many idle profiles). Asia Dating did not even have one girl (even though it normally has the largest number of Asian girls).

It will be much more difficult if you want to bring a Lao girl to your room. As you may have read, sex between unmarried foreigners and Lao girls is officially forbidden. Even though the law is widely ignored, it gives you an idea of what the local mindset is like.

The worst part is that few hotels are girl-friendly, meaning they will refuse any late-night guest who wasn't part of the original booking.

You can avoid this problem by booking a room in girl-friendly hotel. They often have poor ratings but at least they won't bother you with your private life. Some of them in Vientiane are:
Lao Plaza Hotel (5-star, centrally located, but expensive = 150$ per night)
City Inn (4-star, a bit run-down but still rated 7.8/10, = 70$ per night)
Mekong Breeze, Heuang Chaleun, La Ong Dao 1 and La Ong Dao 2: Poorly rated but cheap girl-friendly hotels in Vientiane (between 20$ and 40$ per night).

There are also at least 3 hotels with nightclubs/KTV that have the reputation of providing prostitutes. They are Tihao Hotel (Dihai KTV), Inpeng Hotel (Inpeng Club) and Mekong Hotel (Mittaphab KTV).

Vientiane Nightlife Map
I've added every bars and clubs mentioned in this review on the following map:
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Vang Vieng Nightlife - Where to Party in 2017?

February 12, 2017, 9:20 am
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Vang Vieng is a small town in Laos, half-way between Vientiane and Luang Prabang. It is a great spot to relax for a few days and try outdoor activities like trekking, rock climbing, and of course tubing in the Nam Song river.

For years, Vang Vieng had the reputation of having some of the wildest parties in Asia. It was an essential stop on the 2000's backpacker party trail just like Koh Phangan, Kuta, Goa or Koh Rong. 

(Un) fortunately, those days of unrestricted fun are almost over. In 2011, at least 27 travelers died, often from the combination of drinking + tubing. Facing international scrutiny and complaints from residents, the Lao government decided to cracked down on the craziest aspects of the nightlife. It limited the number of bars on the riverside, imposed curfews and made a few drug-related arrests.

Vang Vieng nightlife in 2017 is certainly not the debauchery it used to be, but it has not completely died yet. Along the river, the two bars allegedly owned by the local police chief are - what a surprise - still standing. Recreational drugs are still easily available (mushrooms, laughing gas, marijuana, opium) and every night you still have at least two hundred backpackers filling up the bars in the city center.

Most of them are westerners in their early 20s on a gap year. I was also surprised to see many Asians, especially young Koreans. They all indulge in heavy binge drinking, similar to what you could experience during summer festivals or student parties.

I stayed two nights in Vang Vieng and that was more than enough to check all the nightlife spots. Below is a short summary of my findings:

Nightlife Areas in Vang Vieng - Hotels Near the Nightlife
Almost all bars in Vang Vieng are located in the city center within just a few streets. Sakura bar is the most crowded, and the other ones are within 100-200 meters.

If you come to Vang Vieng specifically for partying and meeting people, you may consider to stay in a party hostels such as:

Chillao Hostel: It has a loud bar downstairs with a pool table and free whisky from 7pm to 10pm. Double room for 20$. Dormitory 6$.

Real Backpacker Hostel 1 and Real Backpacker Hostel 2: Both are clean, next to the bars and they have organize a fun pub crawl every night. Several guests complained on Agoda of sexual activity in the dorms. Double room for 20$. Bunk bed 7$.

Vang Vieng CentralPark: This is where I was staying. Not a party hotel but it's new and very central. 22$ for a double room. Decent Wi-Fi.

Best Bars and Clubs in Vang Vieng

Sakura (reopened in September 2016)
Beer shotguns in Sakura
Sakura is where the party starts in Vang Vieng. Many of the bartenders and staff are foreigners so it really feels like a college house party. They give free drinks every night from 8PM to 9PM, followed by a happy hour until 10PM. A beer is 10,000 kip, a glass of spirits 30,000 kip. The idea is to get as drunk as possible in 2 hours for less than 20$. If you buy enough drinks, you get one of their famous t-shirt "drink triple, see double, act single".

Once Sakura gets really packed around 11PM, it is more a nightclub than a bar. People go crazy on the podium, couples start to make out, and sweaty guys will tell you they're your best friends.

At midnight, the bar closes! It takes about 15 minutes for people to get out and 30 more for them to leave the street. Many will just move to the next available bar, Viva.

More information (events, photos, etc): Sakura Bar Vang Vieng

Viva Vang Vieng
Even though Viva has free beer from 10PM to 11PM and a happy hour until 11.30PM (half price on all drinks), it does not get crowded until Sakura closes at midnight. It is a short walk away yet more than half the people do not make it. The banana pancakes seller are partly responsible for this.

Viva is a messy, borderline dirty bar with a small outdoor section and an indoor club. Nothing fancy, it's just 4 walls, loud music and a podium. This is not a place anyone would normally enjoy but it is fine if you've had enough beers.

As people get tired of Viva Club (horrible sound and music), some will start heading to Room 101.

Room 101
At the end of a corridor between Milan Happy Pizza and the Indian restaurant Nazim, you will find the hidden club Room 101. It is very tiny (basically just a small room twice the size of your bathroom) but since it is the only club opened after 2AM, you don't really have another option. They charge a bit more than average for drinks. The DJs will mix underground and commercial songs.

The owner is one of the organizers of the Jungle Party. You can check their Facebook page here: Room 101 Vang Vieng.

The 3 bars above are the only ones that are really happening in 2017. There are also a some more laid-back options to start your evening:

A short walk from the city center, this bar has the favors of the hipster/hippie crowd. Made from recycled materials, you can visit it at sunset time and enjoy a fantastic view. During happy hours from 6PM until 9PM, a lao whisky coke costs only 10,000 kip. I didn't try the food but on TripAdvisor it has many positive comments. Live music on most night.

The top photo of this article was taken in Earth Bar (not by me, I took it from their Facebook page).

Popular bar and restaurant, especially at dinner time. Good and cheap pub fare. Friendly service and owner. Live music. You can watch sports and play pool.

Vang Vieng Jungle Project
This weekly event happens every Friday in an outdoor bar about 10 minutes away from the city center (free tuk-tuk from Milan Pizza). Tickets cost 30,000 kip with advance purchase (see their Facebook page) or 40,000 kip on the spot. You have a bunch of special shows apart from the DJs (painting, juggling, fire, etc). The music will be non commercial (techno, drum & bass, deep house, break beat, ..).

Drugs in Vang Vieng
Vang Vieng is one of the last places in Southeast Asia where drugs are still sold openly. You will see several coffee shops and bars with "Magic Shakes" (mushrooms + opium = 100,000 kip), "Happy Pizzas" (pizza + weed) or "Laughing Balloons" (nitrous oxide = 10,000 kip) on the menu. It is often cheaper than getting drunk, but I can't recommend you to try anything.

If you are curious and willing to go against my sound advice, the following bars will have everything you need:

Full Moon Bar
Psychedelic bar with reggae music and a totally relaxed vibe. It is located by the river and not really crowded. Pool table. Friendly owner. Another bar called Jaydees is about 50 meters further down the road and it offers a similar setting (and similar products).

It seems to be owned by the same people who run Room 101 and Jungle Project. They sell whatever your Highness needs and they also make normal pizzas/burgers. Same as Tifalcony Pizza.

Rasta Bar
My least favorite. It is centrally located just next to Viva but the music is quite aggressive (like Goa Trance). If you are really stoned you may enjoy though.

Meeting Girls in Vang Vieng
Vang Vieng is one of the easiest places in Asia to meet with foreign girls. They are everywhere in the city, especially European students in their early 20s. You also have many Chinese and Korean girls but they are often traveling with their boyfriends. Lao girls are a rarity (and the ones you'll meet in clubs might be ladyboys).

From what I observed, the best strategy is to chat with as many girls as possible during day time. There are really tons of opportunities, at your guest house, in a minivan, while tubing, etc. You can be sure that most of them will be partying in Sakura on the same night. When you'll see them on the dance floor, you will already have half the job done for you (alcohol will do the second part).

If you are alone, you can also try the pub crawl organized by Real Backpacker Hostel 2.

Forget online dating in Vang Vieng, it is terrible whatever the app or website you use.
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Luang Prabang Nightlife - 5 Best Things to Do After Dark (2017)

February 14, 2017, 4:31 am
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Luang Prabang, Laos' most touristic city, does not have the reputation of being a party town.

While there are plenty of things to do during the day, from visiting temples to swimming in waterfalls, nightlife activities are much harder to find.

There is a 11.30PM curfew on bars located in the city center, but if you go a little bit further away you can find a few clubs and KTVs open until 1AM. You also have the bowling center that closes at 2AM.

Within these time limits, there are actually some interesting venues for drinking and having fun. In this short review, I will give you a list of my top 5 favorite nightlife activities in Luang Prabang.

Best Things to Do at Night in Luang Prabang

1) Nightmarket
Luang Prabang at night (photo kob112)
I think it's the first time I recommend a night market in one of my articles. The one in Luang Prabang is one of the most touristy you'll visit in Southeast Asia (0% local people, 100% foreigners), but it is lively and probably the best place to meet other travelers.

The night market has two lanes: The main one, on Sisavangvong Road, focuses on clothes, souvenirs and craftwork. This is where people buy elephant pants and Lao-branded shirts. Nothing special.

The second lane is more interesting. It is a bit hidden, at the corner of the Indigo House Hotel and Sisavangvong Road, and it has around 25 street food stalls. You can buy very cheap beer there and sit elbow-to-elbow with other people.

It's quite dirty and messy so you won't stay too long, but still I'd recommend to try once.

2) Utopia
Utopia Café before sunset (photo: the chopsticks)
Utopia is a bohemian restaurant/café/bar by the riverside, a 5 minute walk from the center. It is a hippie/new age venue that attracts many of the younger long-term residents and backpackers of Luang Prabang. On normal nights, when they don't have any special events, it will be laid-back, with easy-going music in the background (most likely reggae). People will just sit on mattresses and chill. You can also play games or smoke shisha. Occasionally, they may organize a movie projection, a live music session, a volleyball competition, etc... You can check their Facebook page for more information (rarely updated though): Utopia Laos

15,000 kip for a small beer, 20,000 kip for a large one. Happy hours until 9PM. It closes at 11.30PM. Yoga sessions in the morning.

If you like Utopia, you may also be interested in the nearby Silapa restaurant. Its beer garden has a similar vibe, and they serve much better food (Italian, pizzas, and Laotian).

3) Bar Crawling in the City Center
Tangor (photo TanTan)
The city center of Luang Prabang can easily be discovered by foot. At night, there are two streets with a higher concentration of bars and restaurants:

On Sisavangvong Road (just after the night market), there are at least 20 of them. You can just walk and choose the one you prefer. Personally, I liked these 3:

Luang Prabang Motorcycle Club (LPMC): In front of Vat Sene temple, this bar was not the most busy but it has a great intimate atmosphere and excellent cocktails (around 45,000 kip). Independent pop/rock music. Friendly owner.

Tangor: A French-run restaurant/café/bar with a colonial décor. It is one of the most crowded in the street, and a perfect location for watching people walk by.

La Casa Lao: Spanish tapas bar next to Tangor. Buy 2 cocktails get 1 from 5PM to 7PM.

A short walk from there, there are a few more bars on Kingkitsarath Road. Expats call it the Phousi Hill's nightlife precinct. None of the venues are really packed, but you have music, sports channels and alcohol. The most recommended are:

Redbul Bar (not Red Bull): A proper pub with pool tables, burgers and sports. Popular with expats. 20,000 kip for a cocktail during happy hours (5PM to 7PM).

Aussie Sports Bar: On the ground floor of Aham Corner Guesthouse, it is owned by an Australian-Lao couple. Similar to Redbul.

The House Restaurant & Belgian Bar: A tiny bar owned by two Belgians. They have a large choice of imported beers such as Duvel (58,000 kip), Stella Artois (45,000 kip), Blanche de Namur (50,000 kip) and Karmeliet (62,000 kip).

Elsewhere in Luang Prabang, you can also try Amigos (Mexican Restaurant and Bar), the 525 (a modern cocktail and Tapas bar) and Rama Sports Bar (local and Asian crowd, live music).

4) Live Music Pubs: Dao Fa and U-Pub
Dao Fa Nightclub in Luang Prabang
Most Laotians and Chinese party and drink less than 10 minutes from the city center (by tuk-tuk), in particular on the Road 13 (near Naluang Bus Station). Most of them are very local, but the following are more Western-oriented:

U-Pub: 200 meters from Dao Fa in an unnamed street. It is modern and they have a live band every night singing Lao hits. A few pretty girls. 25,000 kip for one beer (buy 2 get 1 free). It closes at 1AM. Exact location here.

Dao Fa: Inside the Dao Fa hotel, it is not as new as U-Pub but more crowded. Live band and DJ (commercial EDM). It is only open from 9PM until 12PM. The Sun Karaoke KTV is attached.

5) Karaoke - KTV
I have to admit that I didn't partake in any karaoke session, but I saw many places that seemed popular with Asian tourists (probably Chinese) and locals.

The road were I saw the most venues does not have a name. You can go to this location and you'll see them.

There are more of them on Road 13, before and after Dao Fa. A crowded one was Full Moon Karaoke. There is also Muang Sua Nightclub and KTV on Phu Vao Road (here).

They normally close at 11PM or 11.30PM.
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Blocked Websites in Indonesia and How to Unblock Them

February 16, 2017, 2:22 am
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I often receive emails from readers complaining about the internet in Indonesia. In particular, they hate the censorship that makes thousands of websites unavailable.

Websites are blocked by Internet Service Providers (ISPs) operating in Indonesia, following orders from the Ministry of Communication and Information Technologies (Kementrian Komunikasi dan Informatika). The ban is part of the "Safe Internet" initiative whose idea is to protect Indonesian users from visiting websites that do not follow the "moral, ethics and spirit" of the nation.

As of 2017, there are a total of 769 814 blocked websites in Indonesia. Naturally, I cannot list all of them here, but I will give you the most famous.

How to Unblock Any Website in Indonesia?

Using a VPN
If you want to be able to surf on any website in Indonesia, my recommendation is to use a VPN (Virtual Private Network). It is a small and discreet software that you install on your phone and your computer, and then you just turn it on any time you visit sensitive websites (or you always leave it on).

You can also read my article Best VPNs for Indonesia for more detailed information.

The main benefit of a VPN (compared with a Proxy, an alternative to unblocking sites) is that you are guaranteed total anonymity. Your internet provider, the government, your boss, your landlord, or anybody who can have access to your connection information will have no way of knowing which websites you've visited, if you've gambled, if you've watched porn, or if you've downloaded movies. That's nice isn't it?

Free VPNs exist (for instance Hola.org) but they always have a limited bandwidth. It means that if you want to watch a movie, it will load very slowly, even if you have a high-speed connection.

I've used 5 VPN brands in the past 2 years. Most offer a free trial for 1 month (or up to 3 months for Golden Frog) so I like to change once in a while.

The one I currently use is ExpressVPN (I'm still on free trial period but if you subscribe, I'll get an extra 30 days free). I use internet maybe 5-6 hours a day and I never turn it off. Since 2 weeks, there hasn't been any website I couldn't open. I can watch videos, sometimes while downloading torrents, and I don't notice any differences in speed. I can also use it to watch Netflix US (for that you just need to connect to their American servers).

Actually, since Netflix started blocking some VPNs, I only use the ones that are compatible (that's why I switched from Hide My Ass to NordVPN (and now ExpressVPN).

Pricing ExpressVPN:
1 Month = 12.95$
6-Month Plan = 9.99$ per month
12-Month Plan = 8.32 per month

Pricing for NordVPN:
1 Month Plan: 12$/month
1 Year Plan: 6.58$/month
2 Year Plan: 4$ per month

See more options: Best VPNs for Indonesia.

List of Blocked Websites in Indonesia

Websites with Pornography:
766,633 "porn" sites are blocked by the Indonesian government as of February 2017. That's a huge number and it also includes sites with only mild nudity, erotic literature and sex-ed.

Generalist porn sites:
- XVideos
- YouPorn
- Porn Hub
- XHamster
- XNXX
- RedTube
- YouJizz
- Tube8
- Video-One
- TXXX
- VirginPornTube
- SpankBang
- XXXMomTube
- Watch8X
- AlohaTube
- Gandalfporn
- FUQ
- Xonline.tv
- Top1Porn

Hentai and Manga Websites (probably to protect younger people and teenagers):
- Mangafox (Actually not a porn site but some albums might be considered erotic)
- KissManga (Most mangas are normal but it has an adult section)
- DMM
- MyReadingManga
- E-Hentai
- Nhentai
- Fakku
- Pururin
- Donmai.us
- Hitomi.la
- HentaiHaven
- HentaiBox
- Hentai2read
- Javhihi
- Javcl

JAV (Japanese Adult Videos)
- Javfor.me
- Jav68.me
- JavGo.me
- JapanesePornTube
- Javlibrary.com
- Javhub.net
- JavPlay

Torrent, Sharing, P2P,  Download Sites
- KAT.cr, Kat.how and all Kickass Torrents mirror sites
- KumpulBagi
- thepiratebay.org
- Extratorrent
- Openload.co
- RarBG.to
- YTS.ag (YiFy Torrent movies)
- Isohunt

Video Streaming Site:
- Vimeo (Not a porn site but some videos have erotic content)
- Viki
- Dramafever
- Ganool
- Kshowonline (Korean streaming site - sometimes restricted)
- Netflix (blocked by Telkom only, probably because it competes with their own service, Iflix)
- 123movies
- CinemaIndo
- Bigo Live

Erotic Cams
- Chaturbate
- Bongacams
- SexCamly
- Camfor
- LiveJasmin

Sex Forums
- Internationalsexguide.com
- Semprot and Semprotku
- BintangMawar.net

Adult Content
- Uzone (Magazine that talks about sexuality in Indonesian)

Controversial social media sites
- Omegle (chat room to meet random foreigners)
- AdultFriendFinder

Gay Porn, Gay Dating, Gay Apps
- Grindr
- GROWLr
- JAck'd
- BoyAhoy
- Blued
- Hornet
- Adam4Adam
- Romeo
- GayPark
- VGL
- Scruff
- Guyz
- Gay Dating
- Surge
- Krave
- Gaydar
- Gay Times
- Maleforce
- Gay Cities

Drug-related and "Digital drugs" Websites
Many of the websites forbidden for drug-related content promote or offer i-doser applications. If you are not familiar with them, they are used to play sounds/music that are rumored to make their listeners high (you need a dedicated binaural headset for that).

Some of the blocked websites are:
- i-doser.com
- idosersoftware.com
- idoseraudio.com
- istoner.com

Radicalism, Hate Speech and Fake News Websites (Hoax)
There are almost 300 websites blocked in this category. Many are websites promoting Wahhabism, the Islamic state or conspiracy theories. There was a controversy as many of those sites were censored a few months before the 2017 Gubernatorial election. Some suspected that anti-Ahok sites were the main target.

Some of the most famous blocked sites in this category are:
- arrahmah.com
- eramuslim.com
- kiblat.net
- voa-islam.com
- islampos.com 
- suaranews.com 
- izzamedia.com 
- suara-islam.com
- smstauhiid.com (website of AA Gym)
- pos-metro.com
- nusanews (reformed as IDnusa to avoid censorship)

Fraudulent Investment and E-Commerce Websites
576 websites were blocked for fraud in 2017. Mostly, they feature fake products, investment scams, pyramid schemes, Ponzi schemes, etc.

The closure is sometimes followed by a police investigation and arrests. This was the case with the Dream for Freedom website (D4F, taken down since) and the fake Djakarta Warehouse Project website that I mentioned on my DWP guide (also shut down since).

Gambling, Lottery and Betting Sites
After porn, these represent the largest number of banned sites (2,120). Casinos are strictly illegal in Indonesia, yet many of its citizens love gambling. It isn't surprising that to avoid being fined, they've quickly switched to the online world.

Generalist sites:
- IBCBet.com
- Asia77.com
- SBC168.com
- MaxBet.com
- Comeon.com

Poker Sites:
- IonCasino Poker
- PartyPoker
- PokerStars

Casinos:
- Ion777.com

Lottery:
- Kungfu4d
- Istana Impian 1 and 2

Sport Bets:
- Sbobet.com
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9 Best Things to Do at Night in Jakarta

February 4, 2017, 7:04 am
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I recently wrote about the best things to do in Jakarta. In the following review, I will be more specific and focus about night-time activities.

A cliché used to describe Jakarta is that of "a city that never sleeps". While this could apply to any major capitals in the world, I think it is particularly accurate here. There is always some kind of life in Jakarta, whatever the time and whatever the location.

It is quite logical considering the city has one of the highest population densities in the world. Another reason is that there are a lot of Indonesians working long shifts or night shifts, especially small business owners and independent workers. As long as money can be made, they won't close shop or go home. This is why you can always get food, cigarettes or a taxi rides at anytime of the night.

For the traveler, the advantage of this situation is that there are a lot of things to do at night. Even better, if you go out after 9pm, you'll also enjoy less traffic, cooler temperatures and less pollution. 

The following list will give you some ideas on how to spend time after sun sets in Jakarta. If you feel I forgot something, please don't hesitate to leave a comment below the article.

Street Food
Photo: Jonathan Perugia
Night-time is the best moment to go around and try some delicious Indonesian street food. Many of the small stalls on the sidewalk are actually only allowed to operate in the evening (to avoid disturbing pedestrians during the day).

My personal favorite location for street food in Jakarta is Jalan Mangga Besar, a red-light area busy with a eclectic mix of people. It's a great place to try some authentic Chinese food or some more unusual specialties like cobra and monkey.

If this is too far or too weird for you, Jalan Sabang and Jalan Wahid Hasyim in Central Jakarta are a good alternative. You'll also find many 24/7 restaurants in the area.

Rooftop Drinks
Photo: Sandrine VB
Jakarta is the 9th city with the most skyscrapers in the world and it is at night that the view is the most spectacular. The darkness hides all the city's flaws: The potholes, the dirt, the dust and the rust disappear, replaced by millions of colorful lights.

The best rooftops to enjoy the view of the skyline are Cloud or Skye. I give more recommendations in my review Top 10 Rooftop Bars in Jakarta as well. I also enjoy watching the city from the Burgundy Bar in Grand Hyatt even though it is not a rooftop.

Live Music, Theater and Concerts
Photo: Aura Kasih and Atika Dora
There are several great venues for listening to live music in Jakarta. Two of the most famous are B.A.T.S in Shangri-La and CJ's in Mulia. Both have a Western band playing Top 40 and pop/rock hits. They may not suit everyone's taste though as they attract a lot of working girls. Paulaner Brauhaus in Kempinski, Hard Rock Cafe in Pacific Place or Eastern Promise in Kemang are three more family-friendly options. I also like to visit the speakeasy Prohibition in Senayan Arcadia (make sure to check their secret live jazz room).

For cheaper drinks and a younger atmosphere, you can try any branches of Beer Garden.

In Menteng, Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) is an art complex popular with Indonesians. There are daily cultural performances (concerts, theater, movies, etc).

Clubbing and Karaoke
Normal clubs (meaning those that don't have a majority of prostitutes) are normally busy on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday night. You can read about my favorites here: Best Nightclubs in Jakarta.

The other days of the week, only the more naughty places are crowded. Apart from BATS and CJs mentioned above, you can try the famous one-stop entertainment centers like Malioboro, Alexis, King Cross, Emporium or Golden Crown. The bar Club 36 is also always very lively. North Jakarta is also where several 24h karaokes can be found.

Cinemas
Jakarta has excellent and modern cinemas that cost about half what you would pay in Europe. The CGV-Blitz chain has movies until 10pm during the week and until midnight on weekends.


Massage and Spas
Some massage parlors and spas close rather late in Jakarta (and I'm not talking about the naughty ones), especially those located in 5-star hotels: Bimasena (Dharmawangsa Hotel) and Willow Stream (Fairmont) close at 11pm, the spa at the Ritz-Carlton Mega Kuningan is open until 12am.


Shopping
Photo: Pasar Bary by Art535
All the high-end shopping malls close at 10pm in Jakarta but there are some more traditional markets (pasar) that stay open 24 hours, for instance the fish market of Angke Muara and the flower markets of Cikini and Rawa Belong. Closer from the city center, you also have Pasar Senen and Pasar Mampang Prapatan.

Exercise
Photo: Jeremy Tobing
Running/cycling at night or very early in the morning is very common among fitness enthusiasts in Jakarta. It is a way to avoid the heat, the traffic and the pollution. Popular running spots include the Monas, the Senayan Stadium and Ragunan Zoo.

A good way to meet Indonesians is to join a running club. Indorunners run every Thursday starting 7.30pm from FX Mall in Senayan. On the same day, you can also join the Nike Run Club.

Amazingly, there are also some 24h gyms in Jakarta such as Rai Fitness in Senopati, Clark Hatch in Sari Pan Pacific Hotel (which I heard is a gay hangout) and Club Olympus in Grand Hyatt.

Night Tourism
Photo: Bunderan HI by Inguna
Many tourist sights in Jakarta can still be visited at night. Taman Fatahillah, the Monas, Ancol or the Kota Intan Bridge remain crowded until very late. They attract middle class Indonesians, especially tourists, and all kind of street vendors. During Ramadhan, you can also visit the Istiqlal mosque all-night long.

Young Indonesians also like to hangout in some public areas like the Taman Suropati and Taman Menteng parks or around the Bunderan HI fountain.
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Camelia Lounge and Club (Hanoi)

February 17, 2017, 11:04 pm
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Camelia Lounge is a glamorous Champagne bar/lounge in Hanoi, one of the best I've visited so far in the city. It is located on the 3rd floor of the Mélia Hotel in the Hoàn Kiếm district.

It has a free entrance, but be warned that the drinks are quite expensive. The cheapest cocktails cost VND183,000 Net (= US$8), a bottle of Jack Daniels almost 130$ and a bottle Champagne at least 140$.

Camelia is built on 1 floor, with 4 distinct areas (all connected to each other): A restaurant, a large central bar, a lounge and an outdoor terrace. It has a quirky design, with plenty of small, fun details. One of the best features is the pop art mosaic of 90's icons (Uma Thurman in Pulp Fiction among others).

It is managed by a Brazilian DJ (Alexandre Gavinha AKA DJ Gavinha). I saw that he is still playing at least twice a week. When I visited, the music was an eclectic mix of different genres from hip-hop to deep house. People were not dancing but it was the perfect soundtrack to enjoy cocktails. Every 2 weeks, they also welcome famous foreign DJs (from labels such as Ministry of Sound, Cafe Del Mar, etc).

Almost all customers were well-dressed Asians, Vietnamese as far as I could tell. They were sitting in sofas within small groups, sharing a bottle and sometimes a shisha. To my disappointment, there weren't any unattached ladies (judging from their photos on Facebook, it seems to be the exception though).

A few times in the evening, two hot foreign girls with eccentric costumes started dancing. I was not sure who they were at first and then I found out they were from the Pacha nightclub in Ibiza.

Overall: Camelia is one of the best bars in Hanoi as of 2017. Recommended if you want to enjoy quality food and cocktails in an upscale atmosphere.

My only criticism is that it is not so crowded yet, but hopefully this will change as it gets more famous.

Here is a video I took from inside with my mobile phone:
Operating Hours:
Open every day until 2AM.
Fantastic ladies' night on Wednesdays with free flow sparkling wines (red and white) from 9PM to midnight.

Camelia Lounge Hanoi
44B Ly Thuong Kiet, Hoan Kiem, Hanoi
Hanoi 100000
Phone number: 093 969 32 23
Email: info@camelialounge.com

Facebook: Camelia
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