Jakarta100bars - Nightlife & Party Guide

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, AONE 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 in 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 the 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 to 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 fewer 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 parlors, 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 parlors (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 Harris Harmoni Vertu, Hotel Santika Premiere Hayam Wuruk and Novotel Gajah Mada.

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 in staying in Jakarta near the nightlife, please read my other hotel guides:

Sex Hotels and Girl Friendly Hotels in Jakarta
18 Best Jakarta Hotels Near Nightclubs and Bars
18 Best Apartments for Bachelor Parties in Jakarta

16 Cheap Girl-Friendly Hotels in Jakarta

Jakarta Hotel Guide

Contact me by email thibaud@jakarta100bars.com if you have any questions about where to stay in Jakarta (or just leave a comment below).

I spent 2 days in Baku during the Formula 1 Grand Prix in June 2017. I partied on two evenings and, even though I probably only scratched the surface of the nightlife, I'm writing this short guide about the best bars and nightclubs I have been to.

Baku Nightlife
From what I've seen, Baku nightlife is not very interesting for a single guy. The main problem is that middle-class Azeri women do not frequent nightclubs or bars. They often live in conservative families that do not allow them to party or even to hang out with friends late at night.

As a result, most nightclubs are populated by only men and prostitutes. Many can be found in the shabby basements of buildings around the city center. They are dark, poorly designed and dodgy, with rarely more than 20 customers. Girls are often Russians, getting money from either dancing, companionship or sex. As I was there during the Grand Prix, the guys seemed to be from everywhere, with a majority from Turkey and the Middle East.

Atmosphere inside a "basement" club

Some upper-class Azeri women are more liberal, though. You will rarely see one in those basements. They hang out in elite nightspots (restaurants, lounges, hookah bars, live music cafés, etc) that can be quite expensive. These venues are not really interesting for single guys since customers stay between groups of friends. If you are alone, you may even be refused entry if you are not accompanied by a woman (for instance in Pasifico or in Buddha Bar).

Nightlife Areas + Nearby Hotels

The center of Baku nightlife is around Merchant's Street (called Torgovaya), a small pedestrian area east of the Old City. The most distinguishable landmark there is the Fountain's Square. From there, you will be within 5 minutes walking distance from most the venues listed below.

I would recommend choosing a hotel nearby, for instance, one of the following:

5-star hotel:
Hilton Baku: 200$ per night, rated 8.6/10

4-star hotel:
Park Inn By Radisson: 130$ per night, rated 8.3/10. They have a nightclub, Eleven, on the 11th floor.

3-star hotel:
Karat Inn Hotel: 60$ per night, rated 8.4/10

You can check this list of properties to help you: Hotels Near Fountain Square in Baku.

A 5-minute walk away, there is a small red light district with discreet massage parlors and hostess clubs (the famous basement clubs mentioned earlier). The highest concentration is at the crossroad between Bulbul Avenue and Dilara Aliyeva Street. Some of the notable venues are Status, Coral, Grotta, Blackbird, Leo etc. All of them have sexy dancers and prostitutes. Entrance is free but drinks may be overpriced. Beware of scams.

Sexy dancers inside a basement club

Finally, the area around National Flag Square is also interesting for eating out and partying. It is a renovated industrial area with hipster restaurants (El Portalon, Atelye 61, Maya Mexican) and bars (La Vida Tequila Bar and Enerji nightclub). I don't recommend staying there as it is too far from the city center, but if you must, the East Legend Hotel has good ratings (60$ per night).

Best Bars and Nightclubs in Baku

I didn't really have fun in Baku. Most of the night spots are quiet (even during the F1 Grand Prix!) and the attitude of the staff is rarely welcoming to foreigners. As a single guy, you can expect being denied entry in all the most famous venues so you'll need to find a date to accompany you (Tinder is your best chance).

Something worth pointing out is that 80% of the most famous bars and nightclubs in Baku belong to one group called Saffron. Their properties are popular with Azerbaijan's golden youth, the sons and daughters of the elite. They generally prefer staying between themselves and they'll rarely show any interest for people who don't belong to their circle.

Still, I'm listing those places below due to the lack of alternatives. Please leave me a comment below if you think I should add/remove one!

Pasifico

One of the most happening night spots in Baku, it is owned by the Saffron group. It was recommended to me unanimously by all the Azeris I met.

On my first night, I was unable to get in because I was not accompanied by a girl. On my second attempt, I brought a date for dinner (note that there is a 50 Manats minimum spend).

It is a mid-sized lounge, sandwiched between the Caspian Sea and the Boulevard. Pleasant views, especially from the terrace.

The food was overpriced, as expected, but the taste was decent. Louder dance music starts around midnight. The dance floor was half empty. Most guests are groups of friends or couples. Some girls looked like prostitutes.

More information: Pasifico Baku

Enerji

Also part of the Saffron group, Enerji is one of the few proper nightclubs in Baku. It is located less than 10 minutes by taxi from the city center, near the National Flag Square. It is built on two floors: A semi-open terrace with a dance floor and sofas, and a mezzanine for dining. Bouncers may allow single males to enter but you can book a dinner in advance to make sure of that.

Don't expect large crowds during weekdays. Weekends are normally much better. Commercial music. A lot of girls but they are always accompanied.

More information: Enerji Baku

Eleven

High-end nightclub and lounge on the 11th floor of the Park Inn By Radisson Hotel. You need a girl to get in unless you are a hotel guest. Nice view of the Caspian Sea. Few people are dancing. Most are just eating and smoking shisha with their group of friends. Many Russians. As a single foreign guy, you are most likely to be ignored by everyone (if you manage to get in). 10 Manats for a beer. Commercial music. It closes at 4 AM on weekends.

More information: Eleven Baku

Otto

Otto Club is conveniently located in the city center, 300 meters from Fountain Square. 10 Manats entrance fee (they might ask you to be accompanied by a girl). Laid-back atmosphere and crowd (Turkish guests). Live music followed by a DJ every day. Pool tables. Some working girls.

More information: Otto Baku

Barrel Playground

Located about 5 kilometers from the city center, on the seafront, this bar/club opens seasonally a few months every year. They have DJs or live bands playing non-commercial genre (jazz, deep house, etc). Worth a visit if they have a special event.

More information: Barrel Playground

Sintetik

Dark and loud, Sintetik is the best after-hour club in the city. Open on weekends only until 8 AM, it is as underground as it can be. Techno music.

Note that it is closing for the summer and it should reopen in October only.

More information: Sintetik Baku

There used to be another minimal/techno club called "IN" but they were shut down by the authorities. They still organize parties once in a while so you can check their Facebook for updates (In Club).

Buddha Bar

Another property owned by the Saffron Group. As usual, a nice setting (maybe the most beautiful bar in Baku) but a rather snobbish atmosphere. It can be difficult to enter without a girl unless you make a reservation for dinner. Average, expensive food. 14 Manats for a cocktail. Not too busy.

More information: Buddha Bar Baku

Hashtag Bar

A small, dark bar for the alternative crowd. Techno and trance music.

More information: Hashtag Bar

A high-end lounge for the Azeri elite. Free shisha every day for girls. Tiny dancefloor. Not recommended if you are claustrophobic. Some girls are prostitutes.

More information: 26 Lounge Baku

High Boost

A restaurant more than a club, High Boost has a great view on Baku (23rd floor). On weekends, they have live bands and DJs. Strict door policy.

More information: High Boost Baku

Alternatively, if you are looking for another restaurant high up in the air, you can check Gate 25, on the 25th floor of the Demirchi Tower.

Soho Baku

One of those semi-luxury places where you aren't sure if the girls are prostitutes or not. Commercial music. Not so friendly with foreigners.

More information: Soho Bar and Lounge

Best Pubs in Baku

Since Baku has a sizable number of foreign residents (principally working in the oil industry), you can find many expat pubs. Most are located within a few streets from the Fountain Square.

Most of the pubs I visited were very quiet apart from a handful of customers. Some that had a decent crowd were (in that order) Castle Pub, Clansmen, Shakespeare, Red Lion, Hops, Shamrock, Beer Station, London Pub, Hairy Lemon and Finnegan's.

You can bar-hop from one another in a single evening as they are walking distance from each other. Just start in Abdulkarim Alizada street or in Tarlan Abdullayev street.

They all serve Western food (sometimes Indian and Mexican too). You can expect sports channels to be turned on and a live band to play on weekends. On average, a beer costs 6 Manats and a cocktail 10 Manats.

There were two pubs I enjoyed more than the others:

Harbour

A crowded bar, full of tourists and expats (especially after work). Outdoor terrace, sports on TV. Live music on weekends. They serve disappointing, yet expensive, Indian food. Owned by the Saffron Group.

More information: Harbour

Bukowski

This tiny pub is one of the cheapest I've been to in Baku (local beers costing less than 1 Manat). It is also one of the most crowded, particularly with students. It is not very comfortable, nor pretty, and the service can take forever. That said, I recommended it if you are interested in socializing with young Azeris.

More information: Bukowski Pub

Best Live Music in Baku

Le Chateau Music Bar

This live music bar was lively both nights I visited it. It has a mixed crowd of young Azeris, expats and backpackers. It's a perfect place to meet other people, especially if you are alone. Some pretty girls. The music schedule is eclectic, from rock to jazz. Check their Facebook for the updated schedule. Cheap prices (starting 1 Manat for a beer and 3 Manats for a whisky coke).

More information: Le Chateau

Hard Rock Café

I don't normally enjoy Hard Rock Cafés, but since the rest of Baku nightlife is so quiet, I feel this one is worth mentioning. It has a very central location, 100 meters from Fountain Square, and every time I passed by it was crowded. It is a good option for single souls who don't feel like exploring the city by themselves.

More information: Hard Rock Café Baku

Gramophone

Small, laid-back café with live local bands (Jazz, folk, blues). Cheap prices (1-2 Manats for a beer, 6 Manats for a cocktail). Near from Le Chateau.

More information: Gramophone Café

Etud

Live music bar in a basement. Relaxed crowd, inexpensive drinks.

More information: Etud

Oxen

Oxen could be a decent bar, but unfortunately, it is empty. Located near from Otto Club/Fountain Square, it is worth checking out if you enjoy listening to non-commercial music (live or DJs). Affordable prices and free entrance.

More information: Oxen

Best Wine Bars in Baku

Room

This homey wine lounge is popular with expatriates and their wives. Reasonable prices and friendly service. Buffet on Wednesday, Wine Tasting on Thursday. DJ on weekends. Live Jazz occasionally.

More information: Room Baku

Kelfi

Similar to Room (but smaller), it also attracts expatriates and trendy locals. Minimalist design. Wide selection of local wines.

More information: Kelfi

Tinder has become the easiest and fastest way to meet girls online, and yet I know a lot of single guys who suck at it.

Even in Asia, they can't get a decent match, and if they do, they fail to transform it into a date or a hook-up.

Does it sound familiar to you? Are you struggling to meet attractive girls on Tinder because they rarely match with you or reply to your messages?

If yes, this article will help you identify the reasons you are failing and, more importantly, what you can do about it.

Here is my list of the 10 reasons you may be unsuccessful on Tinder:

You are not handsome

Tinder is an app where you are judged based on your look above anything else. Its users don't read bios. They look at someone's pic, they swipe, and it's only after they've matched that they might consider clicking on the profile.

You can be smart, witty, charming, humorous, caring, etc, it does not matter. In a fraction of a second, a girl can decide that you are not her type and that she never wants to know you, ever. It's sad, maybe even cruel, but that's how it goes.

What to do about it?

If you are not handsome, my advice would be to use more traditional dating sites where your physical appearance is less important.

Women who visit websites like Match.com, E-harmony, Meetic, AsiaDating, are more interested in your personality, your character, your job or your education. The reason for that is simple: They are looking for relationships and not for hook-ups.

If you live in Asia, the websites from the Cupid network are the most recommended: FilipinoCupid, IndonesianCupid, ThaiCupid or VietnamCupid. They allow you to create a complete and detailed profile, to contact any member you want (even if you haven't matched), and to exchange proper emails with them.

Your photos are a turn-off

I know a few guys who are either too lazy or too arrogant to upload decent pictures of themselves. They just take a selfie from their sofa and that's it. It might work if you look like Ben Affleck, but if you don't, you better search your computer for more interesting images.

What to do about it?

- Use better photos, at least 4 of them, where you don't appear to be a creep or a loner

- Connect your Instagram account to your Tinder

You didn't write a profile/bio

Again, unless you are really hot-looking, you need to write a little something about yourself in the bio section. At the very least, just say where you are from, what is your occupation and what you are looking for on Tinder.

What to do about it?

- Spend 10 minutes writing a short text

- Pay someone to write your bio on Fiverr (type Tinder in the search box)

- Read my Tips For Online Dating in Asia

You talk about sex too soon

Too strong, too soon

Tinder started as a hook-up app, but nowadays it is more like a regular dating app. Most girls, especially in Asia, are using it to find a normal relationship and they will block you as soon as the conversation becomes too naughty.

What to do about it?

- Avoid texting if you are horny
- You can set the mood, but don't be the first one to talk about sex
- Visit adult dating/hook-up sites such as Adult Friend Finder or SeekingArrangement instead

You are a tourist

When a girl asks you: "Do you live here or are you just traveling?", answering the latter often puts an end to the conversation. Being a tourist is probably even worse than being ugly. For most girls, it's a huge turn-off, equivalent to saying that you have chlamydia.

What to do about it?

- If you don't have a soul, you can lie or tell half-truths ("I don't live here but I often visit")

- Focus on dating other travelers and tourists

- Try a more traditional dating site where girls don't mind long-distance relationships (for instance AsiaDating)

You are boring, slow to respond or too conventional

A survey from 2015 found out that only 15% of women using Tinder were actually looking for a relationship. Instead, 39% responded they wanted to boost their egos, 27% to kill time, and 19% were just trying the app out of curiosity.

This confirms something that I have observed myself: Most girls are passive users. Even when they match with a guy, they don't really care enough to engage in a conversation.

What to do about it?

- Try to be entertaining, amusing or original. Girls often ignore boring questions like "Hi, how are you?", "What is your job?", "What do you do on Tinder?", "Where do you live?", etc.

- If you suck at chatting, keep your conversation on Tinder as short as possible. Be direct: Ask her for her Whatsapp, then invite her for a date straight away.

Girls are filtering you out

Typically, a guy will search for girls, aged between 18 and 55, who live in a 150-kilometer radius. On the contrary, a girl will implement a much stricter filtering: A 5-kilometer radius and an age difference less than 10 years.

This is a problem if you live far from a city center and/or if you are over 40 years old. You see girls who cannot see you. No wonder you rarely get matches.

What to do about it?

- Use a website that lets you contact other members more easily (Match.com, E-harmony, Meetic, AsiaDating, FilipinoCupid, IndonesianCupid, ThaiCupid, VietnamCupid, etc).
- Lie about your age
- Change your location on Tinder (this is a paying feature)

The competition is too tough

In some cities, especially in Europe, you can be good-looking with a fine personality and still struggle to get more than a decent match per day. There are just too many guys online and not enough pretty girls.

What to do about it?

- Move to one of these: Best Countries in Asia to Meet Girls Online
- Try another app or dating website among those I mentioned earlier.

Other guys are paying Tinder

As a result of tough competition, more and more guys are now paying to access Tinder's special features. For a few dollars, for instance, they can boost their profiles to gain visibility among female users. With Tinder Plus, you can also swipe an unlimited number of times.

As a result, it becomes easier for them to meet girls, and more difficult for you.

What to do about it?

- Subscribe to Tinder Plus
- Switch to another website. You can get inspiration from this list I wrote: Best Dating Apps and Sites in Asia.

You are too old (and looking for a younger girl)

83% of Tinder users are aged between 18 and 34. If you are over 45, you are unlikely to meet a lot of young, attractive girls. Most will filter you out, and if they don't, you'll have to compete with thousands of 20-something to get a match.

What to do about it?

- If you are over 45 and you want to keep on dating younger girls, you should try meeting Asian girls online. Vietnamese, Indonesian and Filipino girls are known to accept an important age difference in a couple. You can meet them on a website like AsianDating.
- If you have a comfortable financial situation, you can also try "Sugar Daddy" websites like SeekingArrangement or SugarDaddie.com. Basically, girls on these sites expect to get some reward from dating you (gifts, travel, dinner, etc).

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.

New Article: 10 Best Countries in Asia to Meet Girls and 15 Best Dating Apps and Websites in Asia.

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 were 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 in meeting 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

Read my article: 10 Reasons You Are Failing at Tinder

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 in chatting 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 to 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 in meeting 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 persons 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

Paktor

Paktor is one of the happening apps among younger Indonesians and particularly Indo-Chinese. Originally from Singapore, it is quite similar to Tinder with a few additional features.

Pros:
➝ You know the exact distance between you and another user
➝ A lot of interesting profiles (upper-class girls, students)
➝ Fun interface
➝ You can hide some Facebook friends to find you

Cons:
➝ The free version sucks

➝ If you are an older guy, you will have a relatively low rate of success

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.

Cheers App (Sponsored)

Cheers is a brand-new app that allows its users to create events (for instance a dinner for two, a party in a club or a weekend gateway) and to offer a financial comprensation to those attending them.

A cross-over between a dating app and an escort app, you can read my full review about it for more information: Cheers App Review.

You can also visit their website Cheers or download the app directly:

Download Cheers on Google Play

Download Cheers on iTunes

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 rarer.

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

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

SeekingArrangement

A mix between a dating and a prostitution site

This dating site is quite unique and controversial. All girls are considered "sugar babies" who are willing to go on a date in exchange for gifts, money, travels or dinners. All guys are "sugar daddies" (not necessarily old) who are willing to sponsor the girls.

I met a few Indonesian girls, all students, who were using it. They told me the thing they liked the most was free travels so they could flood their Instagram accounts with pictures.

Pros:
➝ Much more girls than guys so you are guaranteed to meet someone
➝ Many upper-class and classy girls

Cons:
➝ The free version does not allow you to see the pictures of most girls
➝ Limited number of girls in Indonesia
➝ An expensive way to meet girls. It is probably cheaper to try Indonesian Cupid first.

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 followings 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.

I spent two weeks in Kazakhstan to write my Almaty Nightlife Guide. That gave me plenty of time to admire the beauty and diversity of Kazakh girls.

I didn't expect that I would see so many gorgeous women in the country and it certainly made my stay much more enjoyable.

Due to a lack of foreigners, it is fairly easy to meet them through dating apps like Tinder, Badoo or Mamba. On average, I would get around 30 matches per day, making Kazakhstan one of the easiest countries in the world to meet girls.

In a city like Almaty, around 50% of the girls are Kazakh (Asian or Chinese features), 30% are Russian (Caucasian features) and 20% are mixed.

To give you an overview of what these women look like, I've searched for the 20 hottest models and girls from Kazakhstan. If I forgot someone who deserves to be here, please just add the name in the comment section below.

Anelia Moor

Anelia is one of the hottest models from Kazakhstan. Born in 1992, she now resides in Germany and travels regularly for photo sessions (mainly bikini and lingerie). She was a participant in Germany's Next Top Model in 2012.

Instagram: @aneliamoor

Diana Korkunova

Instagram sweetheart Diana Korkunova is half-Kazakh (from her mom) and half-Russian (from her dad). She is a member of the Female Celebrity Boxing Association since 2016. She was born in 1996 and she measures 1,65 meters.

Instagram: @diana_korkunova

Zhanna Zhumaliyeva

Born in 1987, the gorgeous Zhanna was Miss Kazakhstan in 2010 and she is now a model.

VK: Zhanna Zhumaliyeva

Victoria Kern

Another bombshell from Kazakhstan, Victoria is a model and a DJ. She rose to moderate fame in Germany as the lead singer of the house dua "Bodybangers". She was born in 1989.

Instagram: @victoria.kern

Ainura Toleuova

Born in 1995 and measuring 1,78 meters, Ainura became Miss Kazakhstan in 2011 and she represented the country in the Miss World pageant in 2012. She is currently an entrepreneur who opened her own beauty salon. She married in 2015.

Instagram: @toleuova_kz

Sakieva Indira

Also called Indira Diva, this fashion model has a near-perfect body and face.

Instagram: @indiradiva/

Aizhan Baizakova

She is a famous Kazakh actress who is never afraid to show some skin.

Instagram: @bayzakova

Bibinur Niyazbekova

Bibinur is a sexy 20-year old Kazakh girl who runs her own beauty salon.

Instagram: @nbibinur

Alek Alexeyeva

Born in Kazakhstan in 1990, Alek resides in New York where she works as a model for the agency Supreme Management. She is 1.77 meters and, obviously, of Russian ethnicity.

Instagram: @alek_alexeyeva

Diana Ordabekova

Born in 1993, Diana is a beautiful model with a brain. She studied in the UK and in Spain, and now she works for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

Instagram: @di.or

Ruzanna

Possibly the hottest private fitness instructor in the world? If you need her to coach you while you exercise, you can contact her via her Instagram below.

Instagram: @ruzannabanzai

Kumis Bazarbayeva

Born in 1988, Kumis became Miss Asiada in 2011, Miss Earth Kazakhstan in 2011 and finally Miss Talent Earth in 2013 (International competition). She has now reconverted into an opera and pop singer.

Instagram: @kumisbazarbayeva

Fariza Yesskermesova

A beautiful Kazakh lady who is a member of the band Jayrun (Джейран).

Instagram: @yesskermesova

Karlygash Muhamedzhanova

She is a famous actress who played in several movies. The most recent is "Diamond Cartel" (2017). She was born in 1983.

Instagram: @karlygashmuhamedzhanova

Aim Isengalieva

Born in Astrakhan (Russia), she has Kazakh origins. She was Miss Kemer International 2017 and a finalist of Miss Globe 2016.

Instagram: @aimmiss

Aidana Sovetkhan

I'm not sure what she does, but she is hot.

Instagram: @aidana227

Adel Baiturova

Adel is a vlogger who gives beauty advice. She also wears sexy lingerie on every photo she posts on Instagram.

Instagram: @_adele_kz

Ada

As we are getting near the end of this ranking, I thought I could add a girl from a less prestigious background. Ada, who is probably a nice girl, is a stripper and a gogo dancer in Almaty. You can meet her in the bar Barvikha.

Instagram: @iriada1

Sabina Altynbekova

A member of the Kazakh national volleyball team, Sabina became a worldwide internet sensation while playing a game in Taiwan. Noted for her beauty, she has a cult following in Asia. She is 20 years old.

Instagram: @altynbekova_20

I visited Kyrgyzstan during spring 2017 (I wrote a Bishkek Nightlife Guide) and I was surprised to see so many beautiful girls around.

Kyrgyz girls generally look Asian but they have some subtle Caucasian and Middle Eastern features. They are often Muslims, yet the ones I met didn't fast during Ramadan and they didn't mind eating pork or drinking alcohol. There is also a Russian minority, maybe 10% of the population.

If you are wondering what Kyrgyz women look like, I've selected the 25 prettiest models and girls from all over the country. Some are famous while others are totally unknown. If you think I forgot someone, please just let me know in the comment section below.

Note: I've used pictures from Facebook or Instagram. If you want me to remove a name or an image, please just send me an email thibaud@jakarta100bars.com

Begimay Karybekova

Born in 1999 and measuring 1.76 meters, she became Miss Kyrgyzstan in 2017. The year before, she won an award at the Miss Tourism Eurasia contest.

Instagram: Begimay Karybekova

Milan Zhanibecova

Also called Milan Janybekova, she is possibly the most beautiful model in Kyrgyzstan (at least she is my favorite). She is 21 years old, measures 1.75 meters, and she specializes in fashion shoots. She was Miss Bishkek a few years ago.

Facebook: Milancholia

Instagram: Donna Milan

Aijan Asemova

She is a beautiful girl with over 600,000 followers on Instagram. Apart from being gorgeous, I must say I have no idea what she does.

Instagram: Aijan Asemova

Saltanat Akerova

Born in Kyrgyzstan and living in Dubai, she is working as a secretary and modeling occasionally. Back in 2008, she won the Miss Tourism Kyrgyzstan competition in Bishkek.

Facebook: Saltanat Akerova

Instagram: Salta Akerova

Susanna Egoryan

This young lady with incredible eyebrows was Miss Globe Kyrgyzstan 2016 and Next Top Model Kyrgyzstan in 2017.

Instagram: Susa Bonn

Meerim Atantaeva

A gorgeous model and actress with mixed Kyrgyz and Chinese blood, winner of the Best Model of Central Asia pageant in 2017. She is 1.71 meters tall.

Facebook: Meerim Atantaeva

Instagram: Meerim Atantaeva

Madina and Medina Talipbek

Two famous beautiful actresses who also happen to be twin sisters!

Instagram: Madina and Medina Talipbek

Telegey Malabekova

A cute, young girl who participated in several beauty pageants.

Instagram: Malabekova Telegey

Alina Pirmatova

Алина Пирматова in Russian, she won the Miss Teen World Award at the Miss Asia World competition in 2017. She is also a singer and an actress.

Instagram: Alina Pirmatova

Kamila Muslimova

A bright women who studied at the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek, where she wrote her thesis "Social Orphanage and Child-Beggaring in Kyrgyzstan: Perceptions, Patterns and State Politics". She now works for the OSCE – The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe.

Facebook: Kamila Muslimova

Ayguly Aalieva

A sexy model from Tokmok, near the border with Kazakhstan. She was miss 7 Continents in 2017.

Facebook: Ayguly Aalieva
Instagram: Aalieva Aigul

Abdva Aiganysh

Another pretty model staying in Bishkek

Instagram: Abdva Aiganysh

Zhamilia Ishenbaeva

She is a model and an actress who represented Kyrgyzstan at several international contests: Miss Tourism International, Miss Bikini Universe and the World Beauty Congress. She also earned an MBA from the Universidad de Las Palmas de Gran Canaria.

Facebook: Zhamilia Ishenbaeva

Saadat Asylbekova

She was a winner of Miss Bikini Kyrgyzstan when she was only 16. Unfortunately for her, she was unable to compete in the international final in Shanghai because she had to attend high school.

VK: Saadat Asylbekova

Dina Karabekova

She is a pretty journalist who studied at the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek.

Facebook: Dina Karabekova

Alimka Dzhienbekova

This 19-year old is a student at the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek.

Instagram: @jamalie13

Darina Saydazimova

Another model, currently inactive after getting married and moving to the US. She is one of the hottest girls on this list but there is almost no information about her except that she represented Kyrgyzstan in the Bride of the World pageant in Macau in 2012.

Facebook: Darina Saidazimova

Elina Abai Kyzy

Elina is a famous actress who played the lead role in the epic drama "Kurmanjan Datka" (Queen of the Mountains).

Instagram: Elina Abaikyzy

Aysuluu Abdibakasova

Айсулуу Абдибакасова is her Russian name. She is a model who represented Kyrgyzstan in several beauty pageants.

VK: Aisuluu Abdibakasova

Adina and Alina Ulanova

Two beautiful sisters who work normal jobs in Bishkek.

Facebook: Adina Ulanova and Alina Ulanova

Kamilla Ismailova

This Kyrgyz girl is working in real estate in Thailand.

Instagram: Ismailova Camilla

Begimay Maya Abibova

A model who was active a few years ago.

Facebook: Begimay Maya Abibova

Rahat Bojokoeva

She is a famous TV personality, a model and an entrepreneur.

Instagram: Rahat Bojokoeva

Viktoria Bazarova

On a forum, this beauty was listed as being a Kyrgyz, but I think she is Russian (from Siberia).

Instagram: Viktoria Bazarova

Partying is one of the best things to do during a trip to Bali. Bars and nightclubs can be found in every major city, especially in the southern part of the island.

I already wrote an article about the 12 best nightclubs in Bali, but here I will focus on the nightlife areas and their specificities. I hope it will help you decide where to party, what kind of atmosphere to expect and how much you will spend. I will also recommend the best hotels in each area.

As usual, you can ask any question by leaving a comment at the end of the page and I will do my best to answer them.

Kuta

Skygarden from outside

Only 15 minutes away from the Ngurah Rai international airport, Kuta is the epicenter of Bali's tourism industry. If you haven't been there yet, just picture a crowded gold-sand beach, hundreds of souvenir shops, and endless traffic jams.

Though it has much improved in the past ten years (new sidewalks, new malls, new luxury resorts), it is still a rather lower-class area, popular mainly with Australians, Indonesians, and backpackers under 25 on a budget.

Clubbing in Kuta can be fun, especially if you are young. The atmosphere is similar to that of a massive frat party with an additional holiday vibe. Sure, the music sucks, you drink from plastic glasses and people are drunk way too early. But on the positive side, you meet people easily and you can score with basically any girl past 2 AM.

In general, there is no entrance fee (except in Skygarden after 11 PM) and the prices of drinks are cheap for Indonesia standards. A beer is around IDR40,000 and cocktails start at IDR80,000.

Where to Party in Kuta:
The biggest party zone in Kuta is located on Jalan Legian, near the Ground Zero monument (in memory of the 2002 Bali Bombing). There are at least 15 nightlife venues there, side by side.

The most famous is the 4-floor Skygarden nightclub. They have plenty of exciting promotions, some very interesting if you are a woman (free drinks on specific days - check their Facebook). The club has several dancefloors to choose from (EDM, Rn'B, Top 40) and a rooftop with old school hip-hop. Famous DJs play at least every week.

The other popular and recommended venues are Vi Ai Pi (live music), Apache ("reggae" bar with a long terrace) and maybe Eikon (for Australians). The renovated Engine Room is huge but too trashy. Elsewhere is often terrible, for instance in Paddy's or Bounty which are both bogans' territory. It doesn't hurt to have a look but don't say I didn't warn you.

You should know that in each club in Kuta, there is a fair number of prostitutes. If a girl stares at you for no reason, you can assume she is after your wallet.

Where to Stay in Kuta near the Nightlife:
Here are a few recommended hotels in Kuta walking distance from the nightclubs (Book early to get the best prices!)
- Harper Kuta (40$ per night, rated 8.3)
- Grand Barong Resort (50$ per night, rated 8.5)
- The Bene Hotel (70$ per night, rated 8.2)
- Citadines (70$ per night, rated 8.3)
- Sheraton Beachwalk Mall (160$ per night, rated 8.6)

Read more: Kuta Nightlife in 500 words and Best Girl-Friendly Hotels in Bali

Seminyak

Entrance of La Favela

Seminyak is the second best city for partying in Bali. Only 10 kilometers north of Kuta, it is much more upmarket due to the high density of private villas and luxury resorts.

While the beach looks average, it is a great location for those who want to relax, eat well and receive spa treatments.

The Seminyak crowd is mostly made of upper-class Australians, rich Indonesians from Jakarta, European travelers, and expats living in Asia. Typically, they are between 25 and 45 years old.

Weekdays can be quiet, especially on Sunday, Monday and Tuesday nights. On those days, it is better to go to Kuta instead.

Naturally, bars and nightclubs are rather expensive. A beer will cost you at least IDR50,000 and a cocktail over IDR110,000. Some venues have an entrance fee on weekends and a dress code, for instance, Mirror.

Where to Party in Seminyak:
Seminyak nightlife is spread out in at least 5 streets: Jalan Oberoi (officially Jalan Kayu Aya), Jalan Petitenget, Jalan Dhyana Pura (officially Jalan Camplung Tanduk), Jalan Double Six and, finally, in Jalan Batu Belig.

Jalan Oberoi is the best street for dining out and partying in Seminyak. Its heart is near the bar/club La Favela and it extends until the Italian restaurant Ultimo. Most venues are in the open-air so you can see which ones are interesting or not from outside. Apart from La Favela, the most happening spots are Red Carpet Champagne Bar, Rumors and Mexicola (in a parallel street).

5-minute away, Jalan Petitenget has more stylish venues, including several beachfront bars and restaurants (Potato Head, Mrs Sippy, Woo Bar, Kudeta). There are also small clubs and hip bars like Da Maria, Mirror, Hacienda or the newly-open Red Ruby (replacing The Elektrik which replaced Mint). At the end of Jalan Petitenget, near Batu Belig, the bar Jungle throws great parties every Friday. They are extremely popular with young expats and foreign residents.

Jalan Dhyana Pura is famous for having several small gay bars (Bali Joe, Mixwell, Bottoms Up) and LGBT-friendly clubs (Opivm, the new Wild House). You'll also find old-style live music pubs (Frankenstein's, Santa Fe).

Jalan Double Six is a tiny road along the beach. It used to have the best clubs in Bali but they were all razed and replaced with condominiums. Nowadays, two venues are worth a visit around sunset time: La Plancha (same owner as La Favela) and Cocoon. Every month, both organize a beach party and a pool party (respectively). Check their Facebook for more information.

Finally, the area of Batu Belig is near Canggu. It is rather trendy and less touristy than the rest of Seminyak. Some of the hippest venues in Bali are now located there, such as the beach club 707 (the equivalent of La Plancha 10 years ago).

Where to Stay in Seminyak near the Nightlife:

Near Jalan Oberoi
Ananda Hotel (45$, rated 8.4)
U Paasha (110$, rated 8.6)

Near Jalan Petitenget
Agura Bungalows Petitenget Beach (40$, rated 8.8)
W Retreat and Spa (Home of Woo Bar - 300$ per night, rated 9.0)

Near Jalan Dhyana Pura
Ping Hotel (40$, rated 8.5)
Tijili Hotel (55$, rated 8.8)
Courtyard by Marriott (200$, rated 8.8)

Near Double Six:
FuramaXclusiv Beach Hotel (70$, rated 8.1)
Double-Six Hotel (220$, rated 8.7)

Near Batu Belig:
This area has hundreds of private villas which can be great for parties. A recommended one is 007 Villa (180$, rated 9.2).

Read more: Seminyak Nightlife in less than 500 Words

Legian

Y Sports Bar in Jalan Padma Utara

Legian is the village between Seminyak and Kuta. Its nightlife doesn't really have a clear identity: It is a mix between trendy expat spots and holiday pubs, depending on where you go.

Where to Party in Legian:
Jalan Padma, Jalan Padma Utara and Jalan Melasti.
In those streets, walking distance from the beach front, you will find several laid-back open-air sports bars with an occasional live band. The crowd is overwhelmingly made of Australian families who visit Bali regularly for holidays. It's perfect for people who just want to drink cheap Bintang and chill with their friends.

Prices are low, on average IDR50,000 for a beer and IDR80,000 for cocktails. If you need a bar recommendation, you can try Y Sports Bar which has the particularity of holding midget boxing fights every night.

Jalan Dewi Sri / Jalan Nakula
This area of Legian, near Denpasar, is a borderline red-light district. It has several late-night nightclubs (Jenja, Pyramid, the brand-new Eden) and some naughty massage parlors (Star Bugar, Delta).

Where to Stay in Legian Near the Nightlife:

Legian is a strategic location for a stay in South Bali. It is close from everything and its beach is less crowded than Kuta's. Here are a few recommended hotels:

AQ-VA Hotel (45$ per night, rated 8.6)

Mercure Bali Legian (75$ per night, rated 8.1)

You can also read Best Cheap Hotels in Sunset Road - Legian.

Canggu

Party in Old Man's

The village of Canggu has developed tremendously in recent years with the influx of young expats looking for a quieter alternative to Seminyak (10-minute away). By expats, I mean all the foreigners staying in Bali for more than a few months, whatever their reasons (work is rarely one of them).

Canggu has a relaxed atmosphere, affordable housing, and a tight-knit community. If you are a hipster, a vegetarian, a designer, a cook or a yoga enthusiast, you'll certainly fit right in.

Where to Party in Canggu:
Canggu still has a countryside feel and there isn't a single street with a high density of night spots.

The best place to go to is Old Man's, a sort of hippie beach bar that has a popular party every Wednesday (the same people will go to Jungle on Friday). It is near the minimalist beach lounge The Lawn.

Apart from that, you can try the skate park/café Pretty Poison (if you are a teenager) or check Arboon's Facebook for the date of their next moon parties (Full Moon, Black Moon, etc).

Finally, Finn's Beach Club is a happening spot during the day and until sunset time.

Where to Stay in Canggu Near the Nightlife:

If you can afford it, it's better to stay in a villa. Villa Echo Padi is near the Batu Bolong Beach (Old Man's) and rated 9.4 on Agoda (200$ per night).

Some cheaper alternatives are:

Echoland Bed and Breakfast (40$, rated 8.4)

Aston Batu Bolong (75$, rated 8.6)

Nightlife in Other Balinese Cities:

Denpasar
Denpasar used to have a cool underground nightclub, Akasaka. Unfortunately, it closed down in early 2017 after the police found 7-million $ worth of ecstasy pills inside.

Nowadays, there aren't any decent venues apart from hostess karaokes and massage parlors (for instance: H69, Royal Palace or Sriya Spa). Clients are usually local Indonesians.

Recommended hotel in Denpasar: Ibis Styles Denpasar (30$ per night, rated 7.5).

Sanur
Sanur has a rather important sex industry for both locals and older expats. Prostitutes will usually wait for customers in "fishbowls" inside villas marked with an X (for instance 18X). Most can be found near Jalan Danau Poso or Jalan Tirta Ening.

Apart from that, there are a few expat pubs too. Nothing really interesting in my opinion.

Recommended hotel in Sanur: Taksu Hotel (50$, rated 8.5) or Akana (100$, rated 8.6)

Ubud

No Mas party

Even though Ubud has a calm atmosphere at night, a few cafés can be lively until 2 AM in the city center (along Jalan Monkey Forest, Jalan Dewisita or Jalan Gutama). The most happening is the live music pub Laughing Buddha, always packed with backpackers and long-stay residents. In the same street, you can also check No Mas, a hip bar on two floors with regular live bands.

I would also recommend Night Rooster by Locavore to those who want to taste great cocktails (5 minutes by foot from No Mas).

Once a month, there is a big pool party called Invasion Ubud. For the date and location (always secret until the event), you can check their Facebook page.

Recommended hotels near Ubud nightlife: Anywhere along Monkey Forest Road.

Nusa Dua

Mixologist in ZJ's

Nusa Dua does not have a rich nightlife. If you need to drink and socialize, your best bet is to head to ZJ's bar in Mulia Resort.

Uluwatu
The busiest hangout spot in the Uluwatu-Bukit area is Single Fin. After sunset, though, it gets rather quiet and it closes early. On weekends, they open until 1 AM and they have a DJ/live band.

There are also occasional parties in Karma Kandara Beach Club, including the monthly "Glow Parties". More information on their Facebook page.

Lovina
I must say I haven't been to Lovina in a really long time (almost 14 years). Based on a quick internet search, it seems that Kantin 21 Bar is the place to go.

Gili Trawangan

Jiggy Boat Parties in Gili Trawangan

I know, it's not in Bali. But I wrote a complete guide that you can read here: Gili Trawangan Nightlife: Best Bars and Clubs.

Within the past two weeks, both China and Russia have made VPNs illegal. This has made people worry that other countries might soon forbid them as well.

In particular, we can wonder if Indonesia, where thousands of websites are blocked (because of porn, streaming, gambling, hate speech, terrorism, etc), will follow the lead.

First, let me remind you quickly what VPNs are and why so many people are using them in Indonesia.

VPN, an acronym for Virtual Private Network, is a technology that allows you to bypass internet censorship and to remain anonymous on the web. Basically, it connects your computer to a protected server in another country, from where you will be free to visit any sites you want. The best VPN companies do not keep track of your activity in their servers, meaning nobody will ever know what you did online.

In a country like Indonesia, there are dozens of reasons you may want to use a VPN (personally I never turn it off):

- If you want to visit blocked websites, you'll need a VPN

- If you want to be anonymous at work, in your residence, at home, you'll need a VPN

- If you want to illegally download movies or software from torrents/P2P sites, you'll need a VPN

- If you want to watch TV shows that are not available in Indonesia, you'll need a VPN

- If you want to watch Netflix USA, you'll need a VPN

The list could go on and on.

The cost of a VPN for a year is quite reasonable, usually not more than 60$. I've used about half a dozen of them in the past 5 years and the ones I recommend are Golden Frog (cheap - 40$ per year), Nord VPN (fast, good support, 50$ per year), Express VPN (my current one - a bit pricey but ultra-fast with plenty of servers).

Hide My Ass is also a very popular option under 50$ per year but you should be aware that they keep a log of your connection.

For a detailed review, you can also read my article: How to Access Blocked Websites in Indonesia with a VPN?

Now back to our question: Are VPNs legal or not in Indonesia?

Fortunately, YES they are legal.

In fact, according to a 2016 survey, Indonesia is the country with the most VPN users in the world (41% of web users on computers). Almost everyone I know uses one, including those with limited technical skills. All you have to do is download an application, install it, and launch it with your login/password.

I think it is unlikely that the situation will change in the forthcoming years. Many reasons for that:

First, the censorship in Indonesia and in China is fundamentally different. One is a democracy, the other is not. Indonesia forbids websites that are morally offensive to individuals (conservative Muslims) while China forbids websites that poses a political threat to the whole system. Consequently, there is a much bigger incentive for the latter to crackdown on VPNs.

Furthermore, for strategic reasons, China has built its own ecosystem of websites and apps (WeChat, Baidu, Sina Weibo, Youku, etc.) which are copycats of prohibited American services (respectively Whatsapp, Google, Twitter and YouTube). That's another reason for China to block VPN that Indonesia does not have.

Finally, even if the Indonesian government wanted to make VPNs illegal, I'm pretty sure it would only be wishful thinking. Whenever laws are passed, they are rarely enforced properly because the people in charge are either corrupt or incompetent (or both!). For instance, regarding currently blocked websites, you can bypass the ban quite easily, even without a VPN, simply by changing the DNS settings on your computer.

Conclusion

VPNs are 100% legal in Indonesia so you should not worry about using one. With just 40$ per year, you can improve your internet experience significantly, without having to worry about websites being blocked or about the government spying on your activity.

If you are visiting Indonesia as a tourist, you are probably looking for gifts or souvenirs to bring back home. You may also be wondering if there are some cheap items that are worth buying here more than in your home country.

The objective of this article is to help you with your shopping. I will give you tips on what to buy, what NOT to buy, where to shop, and how to avoid scams. I've written it with two locations in mind, Jakarta and Bali, where most tourists will go at least once.

What NOT to Buy in Indonesia?

Indonesian factories are not famous for producing high-quality goods. They often sell cheap products for the local market only, protected from competition by high tariffs and quotas on imports.

For this reason, rich Indonesians like to go abroad for their shopping, in Malaysia, Singapore or Thailand for instance. Sometimes, they even make a business from bringing goods for their family and friends.

Here are a few things that are not worth buying in Indonesia:

Imported electronics (mobile phones, cameras, computers, etc):

Compared to Malaysia, I've noticed that prices are on average 10 to 15% higher in Indonesia. Even worse, there is a chance that you will buy a fake product unknowingly (for instance in electronic malls like Mangga Dua ITC).

There are interesting bargains online, especially on e-commerce websites like Lazada or MatahariMall.com. Some of the sellers are based in Batam, a free-trade zone across Singapore with lower taxes. In any case, it is unlikely you will get much lower prices than in your home country.

Luxury imported goods (branded clothes, perfumes, bags, watches, cars, etc):

The government scrapped its tax on luxury goods in 2015, but there are still high import duties and tariffs.

Alcohol

Imported alcohol products are hit with a 275% tax. Local alcohol products have an excise tax of up to IDR88,000 per liter.

Endangered animals

Indonesia is one of the main suppliers of endangered species in the world. Even though such animals are easy to buy in local markets, it is illegal.

Tropical wood furniture
If you buy furniture made from tropical wood such as merbau or teak, there is a high chance that it has been logged illegally (whatever your seller is telling you).

Even if the wood has been certified, Indonesia is so plagued with corruption that you can't be 100% sure it actually comes from a sustainable plantation.

Finally, if you add the risk of buying low-quality wood plus the cost of shipping, it just isn't worth the effort. Consider also that you might have to wait several months for your order to arrive.

Instead, just look for second-hand teak furniture on a site like eBay and you'll certainly find what you need closer from your home.

Luwak coffee

Luwak coffee, or "kopi luwak" is made from coffee beans found in the excrements of a small animal called the civet.

It is now well-documented that mass demand for "kopi luwak" has led to both animal cruelty and scams. Don't encourage such practices, or at least get certified beans from a reputed seller (for instance, Ross Kopi).

Fake Ralph Lauren Polos
In case you are wondering, all the Ralph Lauren Polos sold in Indonesia are fake. Ralph Lauren does not have an official store in the country because their name was registered (stolen) by a local Indonesian.

Drugs

Obviously. You can read my article: Is it dangerous to use drugs in Indonesia.

15 Best Things to Buy in Indonesia

You must be wondering by now if there are things you should buy in Indonesia. The answer is: Plenty!

You will obtain the best deals on the products that are made entirely in Indonesia, using local material and labor. Ideally, you should be able to carry those things with you back home as the cost of transportation can be prohibitive (at least as much as the price of the goods you are sending).

Below is my Top 15 recommendations of things to buy in Indonesia for gifts, souvenirs, or just because they are cheap.

Small handicrafts and accessories

Indonesian artisans from all over the archipelago produce a great variety of traditional handicrafts: Hand-woven bags, kites, kitchen ware, utensils, puppet, masks, dreamcatchers, baskets, lamps, mirrors, etc.

To make sure you are buying authentic, hand-made products, avoid cheap shops in touristic areas and visit instead small boutiques and local markets. In Bali for instance, you can go to the Pasar Seni in the village of Sukawati near Ubud.

To estimate the price of a product, I generally use the following technique: First, I ask the vendor how many hours of work were necessary to create it. Then, I calculate the labor cost considering that half a day's work is worth around IDR50,000. Finally, I add the material cost (price of the wood, fabric, etc) and a reasonable seller's fee.

Batik

Wayang (masks) with batik patterns

Traditionally, batik fabric was hand-dyed in a long process involving wax and pattern stamps. Nowadays, 99% of batik clothes sold in Indonesia are made with machines that can print more colorful patterns.

To buy traditional, high-end batik clothes, you can visit any of the Batik Keris stores (in every high-end mall in Jakarta or Bali).

Modern batik can be found almost anywhere. You can also buy them online on Zalora or Berrybenka.

Ikat
The particularity of ikat fabric is that the yarn is dyed before being woven. Though the term "ikat" is Indonesian, it is unclear where this technique originally started.

The website Bobobobo has a great collection of beautiful clothes with ikat patterns from the designer Didiet Maulana.

High-quality ikats are also sold in Alun Alun shop in Grand Indonesia Mall (Jakarta) and in high-end boutiques in Bali.

Sarong

A sarong is a piece of cloth, sometimes made from batik, that can be wrapped around the waist and worn as a dress. It can also be used as a towel for the beach, as a tablecloth, as a light blanket, etc.

It can be very cheap, around a dollar if you buy it from the street. More expensive, sophisticated sarongs are available online on Zalora or Bobobobo.

Beauty products
There are plenty of beauty products that are made in Indonesia, including soap bars, shampoos, creams, lotions, body scrub, etc.

One of the most famous brands, Martha Tilaar, has plenty of shops in the country (www.marthatilaarshop.com).

Another recommended brand, based in Bali, is Sensatia.

You can also buy online on Berrybenka - Beauty Products or on SoapBali.com

Tropical wear
There are hundreds of fashion designers in Bali, Indonesians or foreigners. While their products are expensive, they can be a great gift or souvenir for your girlfriend, especially considering some items may be hard to buy abroad.

In Bali, some of the famous brands are Paul Ropp, Lost In Paradise, Bamboo Blonde, By The Sea, or Mist.

Custom-made furniture
Though I wrote earlier that you shouldn't buy tropical wood furniture in Bali, an exception can be made if you need something very specific, tailor-made.

You can ask reputed companies like YMB or My Own Bali. Don't hesitate to negotiate hard!

Indonesian food and ingredients
If you cook, you may be interested to bring back home some ingredients specific to Indonesian cuisine, such as red chili, clove, galangal, turmeric or nutmeg. In any supermarket and in most convenience stores, you can also buy sambal, kecap, coconut milk, bumbu, Rendang sauce, Gulai sauce, noodles, etc.

Indonesian crackers, called "krupuk", can be offered as a small gift, especially to children.

Photo prints

One of the best souvenirs you can bring back from Indonesia are photo prints. Before heading back to France, I always print my best shots and keep them in France as a memory. The price is at least half compared to what you would pay in Europe (around 10 US cents for a photo the size of a postcard).

Most printers in Indonesia do not use official branded cartridges (they use refills made in China). This means the quality might not always be up to your standards. Try with a few prints before making a large order and don't hesitate to shop around.

Gem stones
In Jakarta, you can visit the Rawa Bening market, the largest gem stones market in all Southeast Asia. If you know your stuff, there are excellent deals to be made.

More information: 25 Best Markets in Jakarta

Jewelry (gold, silver, pearl)

Again, as long as you know enough to discern between a fake and a genuine piece, you can purchase low-priced, handmade jewelry in Indonesia.

The cheapest shops are often in city centers (for instance in Jakarta in Cikini), but you can also buy more elaborate items in designer boutiques (check UC Silver or Atlas Sea Pearls among others).

Paintings

Paintings are easy to buy in tourist areas in Ubud or Kuta. Unless you visit an artist's gallery, it is most likely that you'll buy reproductions. Do not overpay thinking they are originals!

Cheap no-brand clothes
Middle-class department stores like Matahari or Ramayana are present in every major city in Indonesia. They sell very affordable clothes, shoes and accessories that are made in Indonesian factories.

(Clove) cigarettes
Indonesia is a paradise for smokers. A pack of Marlboro costs 6 times less than in France and 10 times less than in the UK.

You can also buy clove cigarettes as a gift or a souvenir, whenever you want to be reminded of the smell of Indonesia.

If you search hard enough, you may find weird cigarette brands. For instance, those Adidas cigarettes I bought in Bandung:

Medicine

You can buy medicine over the counter very easily in Indonesia, even without a doctor's prescription (Note: Do it at your own risk!): Antibiotics, sleeping pills, anti-depressant, etc. Often, you'll get the generic stuff, which is even cheaper.

Do you have more ideas?
This was an overview of the best things to buy in Indonesia for souvenirs, gifts, or just because they are cheap. Do you think I forgot something important? If yes, please just leave me a comment below.

Bali is a fantastic destination for single guys who want to meet girls. As soon as you'll arrive, you can download some popular dating apps and you'll be surprised by the high number of matches you'll get (to be fair, there are also many prostitutes - be careful).

Another great way to meet girls in Bali is to visit bars and nightclubs, especially if you are staying around Kuta, Seminyak and Ubud. I wrote extensively about the nightlife in those areas, most recently two weeks ago with my guide: Where to Party in Bali?

In the following article, I will focus on the most recommended spots to meet girls. I've made sure to mention a diversity of venues so you are certain to find exactly what you are looking for - be it a rich student from Jakarta or a 200-pound Australian tourist (nothing wrong with that).

Best Night-Time Spots to Meet Girls

Sky Garden

The famous Sky Garden in Kuta features at least 5 different rooms, each with a different atmosphere and crowd. For instance:

- The rooftop (old school music) is popular with older people

- The huge Skydome attracts mostly Indonesian guests with big-name EDM DJs

- The R'n'B room has the most prostitutes and the drunkest clubbers.

IDR115,000 entrance fee from 5 PM to 9 PM with free food buffet and drinks. IDR150,000 after (entrance + 1 drink coupon).

Ratio guys to girls: 70% guys and 30% girls

Percentage of prostitutes: Around 25%

Male crowd: Australian tourists, Western backpackers, Asian and Indonesian tourists, Gays

Female crowd: Western tourists, Indonesian tourists and prostitutes

Age of clients: 18-35

Pick up possibilities: High

Dress code: Holiday (shorts, flip-flop). Girls who are well-dressed get a free entry from 9 PM to 11 PM.

Near from SkyGarden, Vi Ai Pi and Eikon are also recommended. If you want to meet drunk, low-class Aussie girls, you check Bounty, Paddy's Pub and the Engine Room.

La Favela

La Favela is the Seminyak equivalent of Sky Garden. It is the busiest bar around, by far, and also a great one to meet beautiful ladies.

Don't visit it too early as it is also a restaurant. Things get more interesting after midnight, when the small dancefloor gets packed and steamy. The music is mainstream with essentially Top 40 hits from the past 30 years.

Free entrance.

Ratio guys to girls: 55% guys and 45% girls

Percentage of prostitutes: Around 10%

Male crowd: Western tourists and expats

Female crowd: Western tourists and expats

Age of clients: 25-40

Pick up possibilities: High

Dress code: Chic holiday wear (if there is a queue, they implement a strict door policy)

Motel Mexicola

Motel Mexicola is one of the most happening bars in Seminyak, every night of the week. Maybe because of its Mexican theme, it is a magnet for women, mostly Australians and Indonesians.

To maximize your chances, I recommend you to sit on one of the communal picnic tables in the main room. There, you will never be too far from a group of women sipping margaritas.

Free entrance.

Ratio guys to girls: 40% guys and 60% girls

Percentage of prostitutes: Less than 10%

Male crowd: Australians

Female crowd: Australians, Indonesians

Age of clients: 20-45

Pick up possibilities: Average

Dress code: Holiday

Red Carpet Champagne Lounge

Just across La Favela, Red Carpet Champagne Lounge is a pickup spot for guys interested in older women (above 40).

The place is often full, with tables very near from each other, so it's easy to befriend your neighbors. Despite its name, Red Carpet isn't really posh: It is laid-back and almost decadent. A fun place to get drunk!

Free entrance.

Ratio guys to girls: 60% guys and 40% girls

Percentage of prostitutes: Around 20%

Male crowd: Western tourists and expats

Female crowd: Western tourists, expats and Indonesians.

Age of clients: 40-60

Pick up possibilities: High

Dress code: Chic tropical wear

Mirror

Mirror is a nightclub where most customers are rich Asians (and particularly Indonesians from Jakarta). You will enjoy it if you are looking to meet with young hi-so girls (high-society).

As long as you don't look like a backpacker or a tourist, you can be successful inside. It also helps if you book a table and order bottle service.

There is a first-drink charge of IDR250,000.

Ratio guys to girls: 60% guys and 40% girls

Percentage of prostitutes: Less than 10%

Male crowd: Indonesian-Chinese from Jakarta, Surabaya, Bandung, Denpasar

Female crowd: Same as above

Age of clients: 20-30

Pick up possibilities: Average

Dress code: Pants and shoes compulsory for men

Old Man's

Old Man's has a great beach party every Wednesday with an interesting mix of both trashy Kuta tourists and vegan, yoga-loving Canggu residents.

Free entry.

Ratio guys to girls: 60% guys and 40% girls

Percentage of prostitutes: Less than 10%

Male crowd: Australians, Europeans

Female crowd: Idem

Age of clients: 20-35

Pick up possibilities: Average

Dress code: Holiday wear

Jungle

Jungle is a new bar, between Seminyak and Canggu, with a stylish crowd of young foreigners living in Bali. There are plenty of hot girls, including some models, but they are not always easily approachable if you are a tourist.

Note: Friday is the best night to go to Jungle. You can try the nearby Hacienda before or after that.

Free entry.

Ratio guys to girls: 60% guys and 40% girls

Percentage of prostitutes: Less than 10%

Male crowd: Europeans, Australians, Latin Americans

Female crowd: Idem

Age of clients: 20-40

Pick up possibilities: Average

Dress code: Tropical hippie, surf wear

Jenja

Jenja used to be a decent pickup club, but there are so many guys now that it resembles a sausage fest. Still, you may get lucky in the hip-hop room where money-oriented Indonesian girls are hunting for expats.

IDR250,000 entrance fee with one free drink.

Ratio guys to girls: 80% guys and 20% girls

Percentage of prostitutes: At least 20%

Male crowd: Western expats

Female crowd: Indonesian girls

Age of clients: 25-45

Pick up possibilities: Low (without paying)

Dress code: Urban casual (shirt, shoes, pants).

Best Day-Time Spots to Meet Girls

Potato Head

You can socialize easily if you hang out near the swimming pool of Potato Head in Seminyak. Arrive early to rent a sunbed for the day!

Ratio guys to girls: 60% guys and 40% girls

Male crowd: Westerners

Female crowd: Westerners, Indonesian girls

Age of clients: 20-55

Pick up possibilities: Average

Dress code: Swimsuit

Mrs. Sippy

Pronounced like "Mississipi", Mrs. Sippy is an improved version of Potato Head, without the sea view but with a larger pool.

Free entry but there is a minimum charge to use the sunbeds.

Ratio guys to girls: 60% guys and 40% girls

Male crowd: Foreigners and Indonesians

Female crowd: Idem

Age of clients: 20-45

Pick up possibilities: Low

Dress code: Swimsuit

Bonus: Best City to Meet Girls in Bali

Ubud

One smart guy having a yoga class in Ubud

All the bars and nightclubs I've mentioned so far are located in South Bali. If you go to Ubud, you'll notice a much higher ratio of girls to guys.

Since the movie 'Eat, Pray, Love', the village has become a retreat for all sorts of women (divorcees, backpackers, hippies, etc...). They come for several months to learn about cooking, massage, yoga, art and spirituality among others.

If you are interested in those things, you'll find plenty of dating opportunities. Just join a few classes during the day and hit the bars at night (Laughing Buddha, No Mas).

Ratio guys to girls: 30% guys and 70% girls

Male crowd: Guys with their wives/girlfriends

Female crowd: Girls with their boyfriends/husbands + Single ladies from Western countries and Japan.

Age: 25-65

Pick up possibilities: High

All photos from Instagram. Main photo from SkyGarden by @pratikoys.

You can make your life in Jakarta much easier by downloading a few apps on your phone. They will be helpful in numerous everyday situations, from getting around the city to buying your groceries. There's even an app to order a massage!

I've selected here my 15 favorites, most of them free. Please leave me a comment if you think I forgot one worth mentioning!

Here are the most useful apps for living in Jakarta:

Waze

Owned by Google, Waze is a GPS navigator with real-time traffic information. For instance, it tells you if there are traffic jams, accidents, road repairs and even police stops on your way.

It is an essential tool to estimate the length of your road trips within Jakarta. It can also give you excellent advice on the best routes from a point A to a point B.

Alternative:
Lewat Mana has webcams pointed at the main thoroughfares in Jakarta.

Price: FREE

Maps Me
Maps Me is similar to Google Maps with one additional benefit: You can download the maps you need and then consult them offline.

It is particularly useful whenever you are in an area of Jakarta with slow internet (or if you don't want to use your internet quota).

Price: FREE

Tinder

If you are a single person in Jakarta, Tinder the best app available to find a partner. It doesn't work for everybody though (read my guide: Why You Are Failing at Tinder).

Alternative:

There are a few options other than Tinder that I listed in the guide Best Dating Apps in Indonesia: Badoo, Skout, Paktor, Grindr (for gays)...

Price: FREE with paying features.

Express VPN

You probably noticed that a lot of websites are blocked in Indonesia, including gambling, torrent and porn. To access them freely (while staying anonymous), you'll need to download a VPN on your phone and computer.

The one I currently use is Express VPN (it works great), but in the past, I also tried and enjoyed the following: Nord VPN, VyprVPN and Hide My Ass.

You can read more about this topic: Best VPNs for Indonesia and Are VPNs Legal in Indonesia?

Price: Between 4$ and 8$ per month with annual plan

Grab and Uber

I use both of these transportation apps to get around by car in Jakarta. I think Grab is a bit less expensive than Uber, especially if you use their prepaid program (Grab Pay).

You should subscribe to their newsletter too as they give out special promotion codes regularly.

Price: Compared with traditional taxis, they cost around 30% less.

Gojek

Gojek is probably the most versatile app in Indonesia. Whatever your needs are, you'll almost always find a Gojek answer to them.

It started as a transportation app like Grab and Uber, but specializing in moto-taxis (Ojek in Indonesian). They now have an army of riders that can be used for regular transport (Go-ride), food delivery (Go-food), grocery delivery (Go-mart), package delivery (Go-send), medicine delivery (Go-med), ticket delivery (Go-tix), etc.

They also offer maid services (Go-maid), car repair (Go-auto), beauty services (Go-glam) and moving truck rental (Go-box).

Last, but not least, you can order Blue Bird taxis through the app.

Price: Each service has its own pricing, usually cheap. By using the prepaid option Go-pay, you'll get significant discounts and you can use your credit to buy phone credit (Go-pulsa).

HappyFresh

HappyFresh allows you to buy your groceries directly from their app and get them delivered to your door within a couple hours. They have partnerships with several supermarket chains like Lotte, Carrefour, Ranch Market or Farmer's Market.

I use it for buying beer among other things (see How to Buy Alcohol in Jakarta).

Price: IDR20,000 per delivery + a 10% markup on every item bought (they are not very transparent about this, unfortunately).

Babbel

I wrote about Babbel in my article How I Learned Indonesian. It is a fun app for learning Indonesian, perfect for those who don't have too much free time available. Typically, I open it when I'm stuck in traffic or waiting for someone at the restaurant. 10 minutes every day for a month is enough to make significant progress.

Price: Around 20 lessons are free, and then you have to pay a few dollars per month.

Google Translate

Make sure you download the Indonesian language package so you can use it offline. Google Translate is available on Play Store and on iTunes.

Price: FREE

Traveloka

In general, Traveloka has lower prices for Indonesian hotels and flights, especially if you are paying with an Indonesian credit card (Mandiri, BNI, BCA, etc).

You can also try the competition, PegiPegi (only in Bahasa) and Tiket.com. All these companies always give promo codes through their websites or through their newsletter.

Zomato

I don't trust the reviews of Zomato, but you can use their app to read the menus of restaurants around you.

Price: FREE

Line

Similar to Whatsapp, Line is a very popular messenger app in Indonesia. It is often used by small businesses, like warungs or laundry shops. As such, it is useful to install it if you wish to communicate with them.

Price: FREE

Lazada or Tokopedia

Those two marketplaces are the closest things to Amazon or AliExpress in Indonesia. They have an impressive number of items for sale, from discounted plane tickets to phone credit. The only problem is that they are in Bahasa.

TransferWise
As I wrote in my article "What Is The Cheapest Way to Send Money to Indonesia", the TransferWise app (or the website) allows you to send money to most countries on earth for a fraction of what it would cost with traditional banks or with Western Union. It's essential if you have a business or a girlfriend to support in Jakarta.

Price: 1,5% of the total amount you want to transfer

This article is an update on all the promotions (Happy Hours, Ladies Nights, All-You-Can-Drink) that the best bars in Jakarta are currently offering.

The deals may change over time so I added the Facebook or Instagram of each venue for you to double check.

In general, Wednesdays and Thursdays are the best nights to drink cheap in Jakarta (especially if you are a woman). If you are on a really tight budget, you can get a few bottles delivered at your home too (Read: How to Buy Alcohol Online in Jakarta).

Here are some of the best happy hours, free flow deals and ladies nights in Jakarta in 2017:

Flow

They don't have happy hours but different promotions every night:

Monday: Free flow wine from 7PM until 10PM for IDR249,000++

Tuesday: Ladies night (Buy 1 Get 1 on cocktails and strongbow cider, Heineken bucket IDR179,000++)

Wednesday: 3-hour free flow sangria (7P to 10PM) and Buy 1 Get 1 on Cocktails/Japanese beers all night long.

Thursday: All day promos (Buy 1 Get 1 Japanese Beer and Strongbow Ciders, Heineken bucket for IDR179,000++, discounts on Talisker, Dalwhinnie and Mortlach or Free Flow on Heineken from 7PM to 9PM for IDR249,000++).

Friday and Saturday: 15% off on all bottles except beer, wine and Japanese whisky (valid until 11PM)

More information: Flow Jakarta

Cloud Lounge

Everyday from 4PM to 8PM, buy 1 and get 2 on Plaga Rosé, Heineken Draught, Bacardi Silver, Gordon's Gin, Skyy Vodka, Mojito, Lychee Martini, Classic Margarita, ...

Buy 2 Get 3 on Bintang Radler

Buy 3 Get 4 on Albens Cider

Ladies night on Thursday: Free glass of Sangria if you come with high heels (from 8PM to midnight)

More information: Cloud Lounge

Bacco

Special price from Monday to Friday from 4PM to 7PM:

Heineken Draft: IDR50,000 for 1, IDR80,000 for 2

San Miguel Negra: IDR60,000 for 1, IDR100,000 for 2

Whisky: IDR85,000 for 1, IDR120,000 for 2

Rum: IDR80,000 for 1, IDR120,000 for 2

Gin: IDR80,000 for 1, IDR120,000 for 2

Vodka: IDR80,000 for 1, IDR120,000 for 2

More information: Bacco Jakarta

Karumba Rooftop Bar

Special "arisan" promotion - Ladies-only:

- 90-minute All-You-Can-Drink Sangria, Beer and Long Island for 5 girls with 2 free sharing plates and a IDR150,000 meal voucher: IDR750,000++ (or IDR500,000++ without alcohol)

- IDR125,000 for a set menu with 1 appetizer or dessert, 1 main course, 1 welcome drink.

More information: Karumba Bar Jakarta

Masters Sports Bar

Prices in Master are already among the cheapest you'll find in Central and South Jakarta. During their happy hours from 4PM to 9PM, they'll cut an extra 10% to 20% on beers:

More information: Masters Sports Bar

Café de Burse

All day happy hours until 8PM on draught beer.

Tuesday: 20% discount on cocktails

Wednesday: Happy hour all night on Bintang tower

Thursday: Happy hour all night on Bintang pitcher

Saturday: 50% discount on all drinks by the glass for girls.

More information: De Burse

McGettigan's

Irish specials every Thursday from 7PM to 10PM: IDR75,000++ for a pint of Guinness or Kilkenny and IDR65,000++ for a glass of Jameson Whisky.
Ladies' night on Wednesday: 3 free drink voucher from 8PM to 11.30PM + free small bites.

More information: McGettigan's

Cazbar

Happy hour every day on Heineken and Bintang beer until 8PM

Monday: Flip a coin for a chance to win a double on all house pours

Wednesday: 25% discount on house pours and draft beers

Thursday: Ladies night: 50% off on selected drinks for girls only

Friday: Happy hour on Heineken tower all night long

Saturday: 15% discount on all house spirit by bottle + HH on Heineken tower/Brainwash pitchers

More information: CazBar

Eastern Promise and De Hooi
Ladies night on Thursday: 50% off for women

More information: EP and De Hooi

Loewy

Happy hour every day from 3PM to 7PM:

- Beer bucket: Buy 4 get 2 free Carlsberg or Heineken or Guiness Stout

- 20% off selected wines by the glass

- 2 house pours (Gin, Vodka, Tequila, Whisky, Rum) for IDR110++

More information: Loewy

Basque

Happy hour every day: Buy 3 beers and get 1 free.

More information: Basque

Lucy In The Sky

From Monday to Sunday (4PM to 10PM), Hippie Sundown:

- IDR175,000++ for 3 Coronas

- IDR250,000++ for 3 selected cocktails

Foundry 8

From 5PM to 9PM (Monday to Thursday):

- IDR30,000++ for spirits by the glass

- IDR25,000++ for beer

- IDR65,000++ for cocktails

More information: The Foundry 8

Bauhaus 1933
Happy Hours from Wednesday to Saturday (6PM-10PM): 3 cocktails for IDR250,000
Ladies night with free flow cocktails from 9PM to 11PM every Wednesday

More information: Bauhaus

Lola
Lark hour with a buy 1 get 1 promo on selected cocktails every day until 9PM.
Every Tuesday, free flow cocktails from 6PM to 12AM (IDR250,000++).

More information: Lola Senopati

H Gourmet and Vibes
Every Thursday: Free flow wine from 8PM to 10PM for IDR199,000++
Buy 1 get 1 free glass of wine every weekdays

More information: Gourmet and Vibes

Gia
Wednesday, Friday and Saturday: Buy 1 get 1 on classic cocktails all day long.
Free flow from 5PM every Thursday for IDR249,000++

More information: Gia Restaurant and Bar

The Dutch
Every Wednesday from 7PM to 9PM: IDR250,000++ for all-you-can-drink Guinness Draught.
Every Friday: Buy 3 Get 1 Free Stark Beer

More information: The Dutch Jakarta

Casa Kemang

Every day, all day, a bucket of 6 Heineken or Carlsberg for IDR240,000++

More information: Casa

J Sparrows

Every day from 4PM to 8PM, 2 cocktails for IDR200,000 (classic or signature) and 6 Heineken bottles for IDR160,000++

More information: J. Sparrows

Crazy Uncle

On weekdays from 8PM to 10PM: IDR85,000++ for cocktails and free flow Heineken draught beer for IDR150,000++

More information: Crazy Uncle Jakarta

Savoi

Monday to Friday (4PM to 9PM): 25% discount on spirits and wine bottles. Buy 1 get 1 on cocktails.

Thursday: Free flow cocktails from 8PM to 11PM for IDR250,000++

More information: Savoi Senopati

Social House

They don't have a proper happy hour but two interesting promotions:

Every Monday: Free flow wine starting at 5PM for IDR249,000++.

Get a selected spirit bottle for IDR750,000++ starting 5PM from Tuesday until Friday.

More information: Social House

Paulaner Brauhaus

Happy hour from Monday to Thursday from 5PM to 7PM - Buy 1 beer, get 1 free.

More information: Paulaner Jakarta

Liquid Exchange
Happy hour every day until 8PM (and all day on Sunday): Around 15%-20% discount.

More information: Liquid Exchange

Fat Shogun
Ladies night: Free flow drinks from 8PM to 9PM + IDR50,000++ cocktails for girls only.

More information: Fat Shogun

Jenja Nightclub
Wednesday ladies night: Free entry to the club and free flow alcohol from 9PM to 11PM.

More information: Jenja

Photo: Safehouse Bar by SindhenApp.

Do you know a great promotion that is not listed here? Please leave a comment below to let me know about it!

Because of the Internet, prostitution in Asia has been transformed significantly over the past 10 years.

Slowly, it has moved out from the street, the bars, and the massage parlors, and instead, it has invaded online forums, escort websites, chatting apps and social medias.

The main reason for this evolution is that it benefits the client. He no longer has to visit dodgy, sometimes illegal venues in sketchy neighborhoods. He can choose a girl directly from her photos, chat with her, make a deal, and then invite her to sneak discreetly inside his house or hotel. After finishing, he can even rate the girl and review his experience on online forums.

Some prostitutes have taken advantage of it as well. The most desirable (educated, beautiful and fun) are now officially called "escorts" or "sugar babies". On websites like SeekingArrangement.com, they select their customers carefully, favoring "quality" (= money) over quantity. A few partners per month can be enough for some to maintain a luxurious lifestyle.

For the rest of prostitutes, things haven't changed much as online prostitution does not remove their need for middlemen. There are still plenty of individuals making money from the sex work of others, but their role has evolved. While there are still pimps who act like bodyguards, drivers, debt-collectors, recruiters or organizers, others have become digital entrepreneurs or marketing managers. They create websites, advertise on online groups, respond to emails and messages, and post pics/videos.

One thing to remember is that sex work is still illegal in a majority of Asian countries except for Singapore, Hong-Kong, and Macau. Everywhere else, prostitution operates freely only because of corruption and collusion, hence the need for powerful mafias and sex traffickers who can bend the law as they wish.

How Online Prostitution Works in Asia

Few people realize how massive online prostitution has become in Asia. For information purposes only, I will give you a few example of the many forms it takes.

Note: No need to ask me for my feedback about any of those sites or apps as I have never used them personally.

1) Messenger Apps: WeChat

The "People Nearby" feature in WeChat

WeChat, the Chinese equivalent of WhatsApp, has a discreet feature which is popular among sex tourists. Simply called "People Nearby", it allows you to search for other WeChat users around you (male or female) and chat with them.

Among normal profiles, you will notice dozens of more suggestive ones with fake pics and names such as "Lotus Massage" or "Sabadee ++". The majority of those are actually owned by digital pimps running small prostitution rings.

WeChat is also the favorite app for ladyboy to advertise escort services, particularly in Indonesia, Thailand and the Philippines.

2) Social Media: Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Telegram

What would surprise you is that online prostitution exists and thrives even on mainstream social media like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

On Facebook, you can find thousands of groups or individual pages which clearly advertise prostitution. All you need to do is type keywords like "escorts" or "massage" for a particular city. Here are a few I found after 5 seconds of research:

It is strange that Facebook will remove pics of a woman breastfeeding her child, but on the other hand, it lets pimps and prostitutes advertise their sexual services.

On Twitter and Instagram, it's all about finding the dedicated hashtags. For an outsider, it is not always very easy to know them because, understandably, they are secret.

In Indonesia, for instance, people use "Bispak" (short for "Bisa Pakai") + the name of a city. This means that Bispak Jakarta is the hashtag of prostitutes who operate in Jakarta.

Twitter and Instagram are more convenient for them because, unlike on Facebook, they can keep their identity secret with a pseudonym.

Finally, Telegram has been gaining ground lately, especially in Asian countries where governments are trying to crack down on online prostitution. This app, a mix between Twitter and Facebook, allows you to create private groups where your identity is 100% protected.

3) Dating Sites and Apps

I've complained before that too many dating apps and sites in Asia are polluted by the presence of prostitutes.

In some cities like Bangkok or Kuala Lumpur, around 20% of the profiles are not those of genuine girls looking for a date. The same thing happens in tourist spots like Bali or Phuket. In Pattaya, it is at least 90% of working girls.

In general, Badoo is the dating site with the most prostitutes, followed by Tinder. AsianDating, on the contrary, has much less (probably because it isn't location-based).

4) Classified Websites: Craiglist

Personal ads on Craiglist Indonesia

This American website, one of the most visited in the world, has an infamous "personals" section where freelance prostitutes can post their pictures and detail their services/prices. It exists in every country: Singapore, Malaysia (with sometimes more than 100 ads per day), Vietnam, Thailand, Indonesia, etc.

Cracker.com, Backpage.com or Locanto.com are even more straightforward as they have a section called "escorts". It is also present everywhere (for instance here for Bangkok or Singapore).

5) Escort Websites

There are specialized escort websites in every Asian country (even where it's illegal). I don't want to mention any here but you can find them easily on Google.

On these sites, many girls are part of "model agencies" that take a cut from their fee in exchange for marketing services, protection, accommodation, and transportation. The sexual services provided are clearly explained up to the tiniest details (for an example, you can check the Singapore version of EZ141). Website visitors can also read reviews about a specific girl, written by her previous customers, just like they would for a restaurant or a hotel on TripAdvisor.

On escort sites, prices tend to be much higher than elsewhere. For girls who look like models (at least from the photos), it can reach up to 500$ per hour of companionship.

6) Sugar Daddy and Sugar Baby Websites
The two most famous websites in this niche are SeekingArrangement and SugarDaddie.com. On them, young girls (Sugar Babies) are looking for long-term "boyfriends" (Sugar Daddies) who will give them money, buy them gifts, invite them on holidays, or finance their studies.

These arrangements can be pricey and they are usually made by rather wealthy men. On the positive side, the girls can offer a more genuine girlfriend experience and they are more educated than the average escort.

7) Online Forums

Last, but not least, forums are another way to advertise and sell sex online. The members of a community will discuss various topics, ranging from the quality of an escort website to the merits of a specific working girl they've slept with. Sex141 (based in Hong Kong), Dpf2u (based in Malaysia), Kaskus (based in Indonesia) and SammyBoyForum (based in Singapore) are among the largest in Asia.

The population of Jakarta is predominantly made of Indonesians from Java, Sumatra, Borneo, Sulawesi or any of the other islands of Indonesia. The first ethnic minority would be Indonesian Chinese. Expatriates represent a fraction of the population, with the main communities being Japanese, Korean, American, Australian, and European.

Expats in Jakarta are spread in the whole city, but as each community tends to stay in the same areas and frequent the same spot, it is possible to get a general mapping of where they live and hang out:

- Indians in Jakarta (Expat or Indonesians): Many live in Pasar Baru or Sunter area. You will find them in clubs like Immigrant or Cloud or in one of the restaurants listed here: Indian restaurants in Jakarta.

- Japanese and Korean Expatriates: Most live in South Jakarta in Kebayoran Baru area (Pakubowono, Senopati, Dharmawangsa, Pondok Indah). Many offices from Japanese companies are located in Thamrin or in the Northern part of Jalan Sudirman so there are quite many Japanese/Korean restaurants there too. There is a Little Tokyo in Jalan Melawai (Blok M), which is a combination of Japanese restaurants and karaokes.

- Americans and Australian Expats: With the Australian School and Jakarta International School being located in South Jakarta, many American and Australians live in the Kemang/Pondok Indah area. Even though Americans are one of the main nationalities in Jakarta, they are not so visible. Most often, they will go out in 5-star hotel bars/restaurants, expats bars in South Jakarta, in Blok M (Jalan Falatehan), X2, Red Square.

- Arab (Saudis): Saudis I've met in Jakarta come mostly for tourism. Many come to enjoy drinking alcohol and meeting with girls, far away from their wifes. Jakarta is usually a stop on their way to Puncak. In Jakarta, they will hangout in Cikini area (Arabian Tent Cafe) or in Gatot Subroto in the club De Leila.

- European Expats in Jakarta are not a single community, but since each nationality is small, I prefer to group them: You will mostly find them in Kemang, Cipete, Pondok Indah, and in the Golden Triangle (Surdiman, Rasuna Said, Mega Kuningan). Naturally, they will hang out in clubs in those areas, particularly X2, Red Square, Immigrant, SKYE and all the expat bars.

- Indo Chinese are not expats obviously but still I wanted to include them on this listing: They are to be found mostly in Pluit, Pantai Indah Kapuk and Kelapa Gading for the wealthiest. In Glodok, the Chinese Glodok are supposed to be from a lower level. You will find them in many places in Jakarta, for instance Sun City, Club 36, Empirica, Da Fu.

- African: I haven't been there in a long time so I'm not sure if it is still valid, but in 2007 there was a small Nigerian community living in Jalan Jaksa/Wahid Hasyim area.

There is also an African bar in Blok M gloriously called Obama Fan Club.

- Russian expats: I have rarely seen Russians in Jakarta except in Dragonfly and SKYE. According to my taxi driver, there are two big Russian expat compounds in Senopati and Tebet.

Warning: This post is full of generalities and stereotypes. It is not a scientific study about Expats in Jakarta, but merely observations I made while living here. I would be more than happy to receive your comments.

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!

You can also read my other hotel guides:
Hotels With Massage Parlours and Spas in Jakarta
18 Best Jakarta Hotels Near Nightclubs and Bars
18 Best Apartments for Bachelor Parties in Jakarta

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 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: Harris Harmoni Vertu, Four Points By Sheraton, AONE Thamrin, 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:

- Kempinski, inside Grand Indonesia

- Grand Hyatt and Keraton at the Plaza, in Plaza Indonesia

- Ritz Carlton SCBD in Pacific Place

- Fairmont in Plaza Senayan

- Pullman Grogol in Central Park

- 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, AONE Thamrin
Rasuna Epicentrum and Pasar Festival: Aston Rasuna and JS Luwansa
Kuningan City: Manhattan Hotel
Kota Kasablanka: 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.

TBM, an acronym for Total Body Massage, is an outcall massage service providing a variety of sensual services in Bali for men and women who can be either straight, lesbian or gay. They are also opened to couples.

You can order through their website tbmbali.com, or via Whatsapp, E-mail and Phone (see contact details below). Note that this is not an escort or a prostitution site. You will not have sex with your therapists, only a relaxing massage with a handjob or a vaginal stimulation.

Something interesting about TBM is that they are the only ones in Indonesia offering Yoni massage, which is basically a happy ending for women. It can be done by a female or a men therapist. On their website, they describe it as a "massage on and around the vagina and other erotic zones, including breasts". Fingering is optional, depending on the customer's preferences.

Another specialty of TBM is that you can get a 4-hand massage by two therapists at the same time. They will start the session with a traditional body massage and build tension until they finally help you reach orgasm.

The price for a 60-minute massage is IDR800,000 and for a 90-minute massage IDR1,000,000. For this price, the masseuses will go directly to your hotel or your villa at the time of your convenience.

If you choose two therapists, the price is IDR1,600,00 for 60 minutes and IDR2,000,000 for 90 minutes.

For more information, you can check their website directly. They have a section presenting each available therapist (women and men), with photos. You can also see comments left by previous customers.

Total Body Massage - TBM
Gay, Lesbian and Straight Massage in Bali
Email: admin@tbmbali.com

WhatsApp: +62 (0) 823 391 88882
Website: tbmbali.com
Instagram: TBM
Facebook: Total Body Massage Bali

Mega Kuningan is confirming its status as the best nightlife district in Jakarta with the recent opening of a new happening venue called Nebula.

This bar and restaurant is part of a group that already operates two successful outlets in Bali, each with a unique design. The one in Kuta (Poppies Lane II) is a colorful, tiny space, serving artisan burgers, while the one in Petitenget is a popular spot for eating healthy lunches and breakfasts.

Nebula Kuningan has its own concept too, more suitable to the urban atmosphere of Jakarta. It has a very minimalist, yet cozy vibe, perfect for after-hour drinks, friends gatherings or even dating. Their menu is relatively small and features a blend of traditional Indonesian/Asian food. Just recently, they've also started offering a weekend brunch menu copied from their sister restaurant in Petitenget.

I visited Nebula on a Friday evening, when they had a live band / open mic session. Though the place is hardly noticeable from the outside, I was surprised to see that it was completely full (If you are planning to dine there, don't forget to make a reservation). For now, the crowd is mostly upper-class Indonesian-Chinese, with a few expats maybe bored with the usual Loewy/Basque routine.

As I only wanted to drink and enjoy the music, I was happy to just sit at the bar near the entrance. The barmen serve a handful of original signature cocktails, most of which are unique creations from their head mixologist. I had one called La Pinata, made from light rum, pineapple juice, fresh lime juice, coconut mild and... chili/pepper syrup. Unusual mix but it tasted fantastic! Other favorite options include The Joker (white tequila, fresh lime juice, homemade syrup, blueberries, basil leafs) or the Spicy Corn (bourbon, fresh lemon, roasted corn / chili syrup, eggwhite). My understanding is that they will change the drink menu regularly as they come up with new creations.

As the night went on, people started to loosen up a bit. The most talented guests went on stage to sing a few songs (mostly top 40) while the more inebriated groups started dancing. As the tables are rather close from each other, I noticed that customers would start to talk to each other and socialize. That friendly and intimate vibe is definitely one of the strong points of Nebula.

Friday and Saturday are the best nights to visit, but I also recommend you to try their Vibin' Hours every Thursday. For IDR250,000 net, you can have a free flow of gin, whisky and vodka drinks. It's well worth it considering that for this price, you would only get two standard cocktails in other bars in Mega Kuningan.

The rest of the week, Nebula tends to be more quiet. If you are not into the nightlife and only looking for good food, then it is the ideal time to visit it. Expect to spend about IDR150,000-IDR200,000 for a meal with drinks.

Nebula Kuningan - Restaurant and Bar
Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner
Jalan Dr. Ide Anak Agung Gde Agung Lot 8.9, Kantor Taman A9, Mega Kuningan, Jakarta
Phone number: +62 (0) 812-1217-3381

Email: nebula.kuningan@gmail.com

Instagram: @nebula.kuningan
Facebook: www.facebook.com/nebulakuningan
Nebula Bali: www.facebook.com/nebularestaurant

Holy Smokes is a chain of slow-smoked Texas-style BBQ restaurants, with currently three locations in or near Jakarta (Alam Sutra, Pantai Indah Kapuk and Wolter Monginsidi). It is part of Ersons Food, a group founded by three brothers who also own the famous Holy Crab franchise (previously reviewed here).

I visited Holy Smokes in Wolter Monginsidi on a Thursday evening, shortly before closing time. It is easy to spot from the outside, with its massive, bright sign that makes you feel as if you had reached the Holy Land.

By the time I entered, it was still relatively busy, which was not a surprise considering it is one of the most popular restaurants in the area.

Its interior design is based on an industrial theme and it reappropriates some of the graphic codes and materials used on construction sites or factories. Add to that the large communal table at the center of the main dining room and you really get the impression of eating in a chic American canteen.

It has a casual atmosphere, versatile enough to make it suitable for various kinds of occasions. Group gatherings (birthday, farewell parties, etc), of course, but also dates and even business lunches.

An important thing to note is that the Holy Smokes in Wolter Monginsidi is a halal restaurant. If you wish to eat pork, you should go instead to their branch in Pantai Indah Kapuk that has a menu for non-Muslims.

To order your food, you need to proceed to the counter, order from the board and pay directly (yes, just like in a fast food). You will be then given a pager that will ring when your meal is ready to be picked up on a tray.

The menu is centered around a few BBQ specialties, namely the Smokey Wagyu Brisket and the Southern-style Beef Ribs. Both are slow-cooked at low temperatures for up to 14 hours, using an imported smoker machine and wood from fruit trees.

This process, originally from Texas, gives the beef a unique, tender and juicy texture that you would never get from a traditional BBQ. Furthermore, the smoke enhances the flavors and adds a thin caramelized layer to the meat. This is why you will notice they have a very dark color on the outside when served. Beneath this coating, the meat should be slightly pinkish. That's an indication that the cooking was perfect!

If you have never eaten slow-smoked BBQ before, I would recommend trying their Brisket + Ribs combo meal (IDR235,000++ with 2 choices of side dishes) or, even better, the family package for up to 5 persons (with Briskets, Ribs and Chicken - IDR850,000++).

They also serve premium grill steaks, including a 1-kilo porterhouse steak. All the meat is imported from either the US or Australia.

During this whole month of October, Holy Smokes has a great Oktoberfest all-you-can-drink deal: IDR85,000 for 2 hours of free-flow beer. They also offer discounts on a selection of imported beers such as Stella Artois, Bohemian Pilsner or Poleeko Pale Ale.

The other current daily promotions are:

Monday: Buy 1 get 1 free on all imported beers

Tuesday: Buy 1 get 1 free on wine, for girls only

Wednesday: Bintang beer for IDR15,000 Net

Thursday: 50% off BBQ chicken wings

Friday, Saturday and Sunday: 50% off on imported beer with any main course

Finally, they have live music every Friday and Saturday night.

Overall: Holy Smokes is an excellent American restaurant in every aspect: Authentic food, quality ingredients, well-trained and friendly staff, irreproachable cleanliness and a cozy atmosphere.

Holy Smokes – Slow-Smoked BBQ

Jl. Wolter Monginsidi No. 27 (Senopati)

Kebayoran Baru, South Jakarta 12180

Phone number: +62 (0) 21 722 1795

Alam Sutera

The Flavor Bliss

Unit 12 Kav.6

Phone number: +62 (0) 21 3042 9975

Pantai Indah Kapuk

PIK Avenue

1st Floor

Phone number: +62 (0) 21 2257 0861

Website: Holy Smokes Indonesia

Instagram: Holy Smokes

Facebook: Holy Smokes

Opening Hours:

Open every day from 11.30am to 3pm and from 5pm to 11pm (open non-stop on weekends).

If you've been to Grand Indonesia recently, you may have noticed a new café/restaurant/bar on the ground floor of the West Mall.

Replacing Mad For Garlic, Greyhound is the latest venue of the Arena group, also behind several famous restaurants like Penang Bistro or Seribu Rasa.

The name Greyhound will probably sound familiar to those who know Thailand well. This is where the brand first started, in Bangkok more specifically, in 1997. The owners came from the fashion industry and their idea was to create a venue that would unify their love for design and their love for food.

Their first opening met with immediate success and, since then, they managed to open 30 more outlets in 6 countries, including in Hong Kong and Singapore.

The one in Grand Indonesia is their latest franchise, and it comes with a twist. Unlike the other branches, it also has a lounge concept with a beautiful bar, a long list of cocktails and spirits, and DJ events on Saturdays.

I visited Greyhound twice, and both times the atmosphere was different.

During the afternoon, it is more like a regular café serving, among other things, fusion Thai food, pastries and Thai tea drinks. It is a strategic meeting point in Grand Indonesia and I think many shoppers will find it convenient for a relaxing pause.

Don't get fool by their rather small entrance. Once you get in, you will discover they have a spacious area, all bright from natural light. Most customers sit on the sofas on the side, but you also have tables in the middle of the room and high chairs at the bar.

During the evening, the vibe changes perceptibly. The lighting gets darker, more intimate, and the music is slightly louder. The evening crowd also seems to be more fashionable. It is an ideal dating spot for a whole bunch of reasons including the design, the location, and the food/drinks.

The bar is well-stocked, with a special focus on whiskeys and bourbons. I tried a couple of their signature cocktails (Rp125,000++), namely the Tom Yam Martini, a creative Thai version of a classic martini, and the Siam Bourbon, a sweet and bitter concoction that comes with a vintage presentation. Both were delicious and well-balanced.

Siam Bourbon (Bourbon, Syrup, Cherry, Orange, Cocoa Bitter)

Tom Yam Martini (Lemon Grass, Lime, Tabasco, Tomato, Kafir Lime, Rum)

For food, I ordered the Street Style Grilled Pork on Skewer with Sticky Rice (Rp82,000++). The taste was exactly like the one you could eat in Bangkok, which is not surprising considering they have a Thai chef. Though I didn't try any, I noticed that many of their dishes are great for sharing with friends such as the Rice Crackers, the Spring Rolls or the Crispy Raviolis.

Overall:
Greyhound is a great addition to the F&B scene in Grand Indonesia. It is a convenient and comfortable meetup spot with delicious Thai fusion food and drinks. Recommended for dates, gatherings with friends, or pre-party drinks (on weekends).

Greyhound Café
Grand Indonesia West Mall
Ground floor G-20A

Phone number: +62 (0) 212358 1363 / +62 (0) 8 12 82 28 83 00

Website: www.greyhoundcafe.id
Instagram: @greyhoundcafe.id
Facebook: greyhoundcafeID

Opening Hours:
From Sunday to Thursday from 10AM to 10PM
From Friday to Saturday from 10AM to 1AM

Live DJs every Saturday from 9PM (EDM, Top 40, lounge)

As of November 2016, there are 766,000 porn websites blocked in Indonesia, but also 2,120 betting sites and about 100 radical websites. If you are a sex-addict, a gambler or a fanatic, you can make your life much less miserable by spending less than 3$ a month on a VPN.

I had already written about the best VPNs in Indonesia a few months ago, but following questions I received from readers, I decided to write a more specific post about how VPNs work.

To make things simple, I will show you the example of the one I'm currently using, VyprVPN. It's a great VPN that I recommend, but feel free to purchase another one if you feel there is a better choice. Anyway, the interface always looks similar to one another

To make sure everyone can understand this post, I will keep my explanations as simple as possible, especially on the technicalities. Please leave a comment below if you think I left out something important or if you require additional information.

What is a VPN and why you need one?

A VPN client is a small software that you can install on your computer or your phone in order to access a VPN (or Virtual Private Network). When you connect to a VPN, you can surf the web anonymously, from another location than Indonesia and with all your data protected.

In the case of VyprVPN, the software looks like this:

When you click on the connect button, you will access the internet through a server (here in Singapore). From this moment on, the websites you visit will not know that you are in Indonesia and instead they'll assume you are in Singapore. Since the connection is encrypted and anonymous, there is also no way for third parties to know who you are and what you are doing online.

The benefits of using a VPN in Indonesia are particularly important for 3 main reasons:

- Access websites blocked by the Indonesian government

Almost all porn websites are blocked in Indonesia, including the most famous ones like PornHub, XHamster, YouPorn or XVideos. As soon as a new one is popular, it will get banned almost immediately. Sex-oriented forums and dating sites like internationalsexguide.info or AdultFriendFinder may also be inaccessible.

- Bypass regional restrictions affecting Indonesia

Some internet content may not be available from Indonesia, not because of the government, but because of the content providers themselves. For instance, I cannot watch TV replays from a French TV channel because it only allows viewing from Europe. This is a common problem with many streaming services (Netflix, BeIN Connect, etc).

The leading betting website betfair.com also do not allow bets coming from Indonesia.

When using a VPN, it is very easy to bypass those restrictions as you can simply connect from a server in the country of your choice. This can be done with just one click:

- Protect your identity from the Electronic Information and Transaction Law of 2008

When you surf the web in Indonesia either from a laptop or a mobile phone, you are not anonymous. Your internet provider knows who you are and which websites you visit (even if you are in incognito mode). Worse, he may communicate that information to your employer or to the government. Western countries spy on the internet and there is no reason to think that Indonesia does not. If you are often exchanging sensitive information or if you like visiting unorthodox websites, using a VPN is a necessary protection for your privacy.

Furthermore, after Indonesia voted the law on Electronic Information and Transaction in 2008, it has become easier to accuse anyone of defamation, insult or blasphemy. If you enjoy political discussions about Indonesia on forums or on the comment section of news sites, I really advise remaining as anonymous as possible.

If you are regularly traveling to Asia, the VPN will also help you in almost every country as each has its own restrictions: China blocks pretty much everything (Google, Facebook, Youtube - and even Jakarta100bars.com), Malaysia blocks porn and opposition websites, Thailand blocks any websites criticizing the monarchy, etc. In almost all Asian countries, at least a few people have been arrested for writing "inappropriate" comments on Facebook.

VyprVPN Features

Servers

It is important to choose a VPN with an important number of servers, especially if you travel a lot. For Indonesia, the fastest servers will typically be the ones in countries like Singapore, Taiwan, Australia, Macau or Hong Kong.

The great thing about VyprVPN is that they even have a server in Indonesia. This is really useful if you want to be geolocated in Indonesia while having total privacy.

See more: VyprVPN Servers Location.

Privacy
VyprVPN is one of the most serious options when it comes to the protection of their users' privacy. The main reason for that is that they do not keep logs from your connection, meaning that even they do not know which websites you visited. Also, they have a Modulating IP feature that modifies your IP address continuously while you are surfing. This makes it impossible for anyone to track your whereabouts.

There are several privacy and protection features that would please more demanding users. I invite you to check this page for more information: VyprVPN.

Accessing Blocked Website in Indonesia with VyprVPN
My most important concern when using a VPN is: Can I surf any websites, even those that are blocked? Can I use any streaming websites (like Netflix)? Can I download movies and torrents fast?

I can answer YES to all of these questions. I managed (for research purpose of course) to access all porn websites I could find, and all the blocked websites mentioned above. I also could watch Netflix USA using my friend's account. I could connect to the torrent website kat.how and I download some movies (only legal ones naturally). Using VyprVPN did not affect my speed (I was even watching YouTube at the same time). Finally, I visited the website of the French TV channels I mentioned earlier and I could watch all their videos without any restrictions on content.

Is it legal to use a VPN
YES. There are no laws forbidding the use of VPN in Indonesia, even to access illegal websites (like porn). You will not get into any troubles for using one.

Read more: Are VPNs Legal in Indonesia?

Installing and Using VyprVPN
Here is a step-by-step guide on how to install and use VyprVPN (it is so easy that all you need to make it work is a somewhat functioning brain).

Step 1: Register (7 Days Free Trial)

After you choose a VyprVPN plan, you will be invited to create an account on Golden Frog's control panel. This is where you can update your information and set up your VPN (if you have special needs, otherwise just ignore it). This is also where you can contact the support team and read dozens of tutorials and guides.

Step 2: Install
After you've subscribed, you will need to download the VPN client software from your account. You just need to click on "Download VyprVPN" under the Dashboard tab:

Step 3: Connect
Once the client software is installed and launched, all you will need to do is click on CONNECT and enter your login/password.

Step 4: Surf the web freely and anonymously

Once connected, you can now surf any blocked websites and nobody will know what you are visiting (including your boss, your internet provider, etc).

You may switch server location as often as you'd like to and you can also monitor in real-time your traffic speed.

Pricing

VyprVPN has a similar pricing compared to other VPNs like PureVPN or IPVanish (actually, it is even cheaper if you buy a 12-month plan).

There are 2 kinds of plans depending on the number of devices allowed. Here is a summary:

VyprVPN Basic (3 simultaneous devices): 9.95$ per month or 5$/month with annual plan

VyprVPN Premium (5 simultaneous devices + Chameleon technology which is needed for China): 12.95$ per month or 6.67$/month with annual plan

You can see more details by clicking on this link: VyprVPN Plans & Pricing.

For most people, 3 devices are normally enough (laptop and phone). This means that with just 60$ per year, you can have access to any blocked websites in Indonesia. You'll also enjoy stress-free web browsing, knowing that no one can find out about your online activities.

In case you want to cancel your subscription, you can do it for free after 7 days. If you take a monthly plan, you can cancel any time also.

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