Jakarta100bars - Nightlife & Party Guide

Udon Thani is located in the North of Thailand (Isaan Region), near the border with Laos. Even though it is the 4th most populous city in the country (150,000 people), it is very laid-back and provincial.

I was there for 5 days as a stopover before heading to Laos and I was not really expecting there would be any nightlife.

As it turns out, I was wrong. You can find bars and nightclubs that are open and busy every night, but for that, you'll need to go outside of the tourist areas.

This short review will guide through the best venues I went to during my stay. If you think I forgot one, please leave me a note in the comment section below.

Best Hotels Near Udon Thani Nightlife

Hotels in Udon Thani are really cheap, even during high season. I was staying in the Centara, a 4-star property with a perfect location next to a large mall, and I was paying only 45$! You can click here to check the current price: Centara Hotel - Udon Thani.

If you want to be close from the red-light district, an excellent hotel is The Pannarai (4-star, 42$/night). You'll be only 20 meters from the first beer bars. A cheaper option nearby is the Prajaktra (20$/night).

You can check Agoda for more option, just remember to stay close from the Central Plaza Mall.

Nightlife Areas in Udon Thani

Party in Rhythm Club

The nightlife for foreigners in Udon Thani is very easy to find. Basically, you have two adjacent streets with a total of around 30 bars (some with ladies, some normal).

Note that the expats in Udon Thani are quite old on average and that they sleep early! You should go out before 10PM otherwise all bars will be empty. In fact, many are already closed by midnight.

The first street you can try is Soi Samphan Thamit, just behind Central Plaza Mall. Most bars there are not very sophisticated and they only have the basics for you to enjoy a beer. A few bargirls will keep you company if you need. They aren't the prettiest girls you'll meet in Thailand but a few are cute.

The most popular places as of January 2017 were Sports Bar (the most crowded), Vikings Corner Bar, Zaaps, Tiffy, the Meeting Point, the Irish Clock (an Irish pub and hotel), Fun Bar (it had the prettiest girls) and Shadow. I also saw a bar/massage parlor with ladyboys. You can just go there directly, walk around for a few minutes and sit in the bar you like the most.

There is also a tiny beer bar complex called Day & Night, just next to the Pannarai Hotel.

The second street is Soi Prajak Sillapacom, at the end of Soi Samphan Thamit. The bars are a little bit nicer there, especially Sisters (but unfortunately it does not get so busy).

The main attraction in Prajak Sillapacom is a beer bar complex called Nutty Park, which is similar to Day and Night. You'll see quite a lot of old guys, especially in the restaurant/pub the Good Corner (it seems to be a hub for the expat community). You also have bar-girls/prostitutes but they are not too pushy.

Thai Nightclubs, Bars and Cafés

The bars mentioned above are just OK for a few beers (or to find a girl if that's your goal), but they are not really happening. By the time of your second day in Udon Thani you'll certainly be bored.

Thais nightclubs are a much better option. They have the advantage of staying open later (maximum 2AM) and to have a younger crowd (including some normal Thai girls).

My most recommended venues are the following:

Rhythm (in Napalai Hotel)

Rhythm was my favorite club even though it is located more than 4 kilometers from the city center (100-120THB with a tuk-tuk). It is made of one large room, quite modern, with a live stage where bands play Thai rock/pop. I went there on a Sunday and it was full, with many girls in their 20s. When the band is not playing, the DJs mix EDM songs.

Free entrance on weekdays (200THB on weekends if there is an event). Close at 2AM.

Full review: Rhythm Udon Thani or Facebook: Rhythm.

Phoenix

Phoenix is also a fun nightclub and it is walking distance from Central Plaza. It is the newest and hippest in the city, but smaller than Rhythm. They have great sound/lighting, an intimate atmosphere, an upmarket crowd and excellent rock bands. Some of the hottest girls I've seen in Udon Thani were customers of Phoenix (or prostitutes, I'm not 100% sure).

Free entrance every day of the week. Close at 2AM.

Full review: Phoenix Udon Thani or Facebook: Phoenix

Yellow Bird (in Charoen Hotel)

Located in Charoen Hotel, a 10-minute walk from Central Plaza. It is also a very popular nightclub but it is more old-style compared to the ones listed above. The bands will sometimes play Thai folk songs and the customers are over 30 years old. During breaks though, you'll get some loud EDM and sexy dancers. The best night is on Wednesday (ladies night).

Free entrance every day of the week. Close at 2AM.

Facebook: Yellow Bird Udon Thani

Tawan Daeng

Tawan Daeng is an institution in Udon Thani. It is located 2 minutes from the tourist area of Soi Samphan Thamit (behind Central Plaza) and for this reason, you'll see plenty of foreigners inside. They have live bands (playing folk/country songs from Isaan region) and also some more random shows (comedians, dancing, etc). You can go there early for dinner and try some Isaan food.

Website: Tawan Daeng Udon Thani

Kongsiam Café

This laid-back, cool café is located next to Phoenix Club. They have live music every night, with bands who sing in English or in Thai (mostly covers of famous songs). The design and set-up is really original. It is my most recommended venue for a date with a Thai girl.

Facebook: Kongsiam Udon Thani

Twenty Up (20UP)

20UP opened on January 10th, 2017 and it was already busy when I visited. It is a Thai-style beer garden with a whole bunch of sexy hostesses and live acoustic music. Young crowd. Open until 1AM.

It is just in front of Grand Naga Hotel & KTV where apparently you can get a massage plus plus.

Facebook: 20UP Udon Thani

Bar'ista Brasserie

In front of UD Town Mall and the train station, this is a popular restaurant with an indoor and an outdoor area. It gets full almost every night with upper-class locals. They have Thai music, usually pop and mellow songs.

Facebook: Bar'ista Brasserie Udon Thani

Meeting Normal Thai Girls in Udon Thani

It is much easier to meet normal girls in Udon Thani compared with Bangkok, Phuket, Pattaya or Chiang Mai.

The best way is to make a profile on an online dating site like ThaiCupid. It has thousands of girls who are eager to meet with foreigners. Ideally, you can chat with them a few weeks before arriving in Thailand to build up the excitement. If you have a decent profile pic, you can get non-stop dates from morning to midnight.

Tinder works well also, but there are fewer profiles and most of the girls will not be interested in chatting if you are not living in Udon Thani.

Meeting girls in nightclubs is also possible, especially in Phoenix, Yellow Bird and Rhythm. It will require more effort and a bit of luck though.

In the daytime, you can hang out and meet Thai girls either in UD Town shopping center (most recommended) or in Central Plaza Mall.

You can also read 15 Best Online Dating Sites and Websites in Asia.

Udon Nightlife Map

The next Bali or the next Lombok is listed below.

If you are a tourist considering going to Bali to enjoy a quiet beach holiday, just forget it. Bali is ridiculously overcrowded and it is starting to look no different than Jakarta: Clogged with traffic, disorganized and polluted, it is far from the paradise it pretends to be.

The good news is there are 17,000 more islands to explore in Indonesia, with far better beaches and scenery. Sure, they require a bit more effort to visit and you may not find 5-star honeymoon resorts so easily. But once tourism will develop and change the authenticity of these islands, you will probably regret not making the trip earlier.

I selected 11 beautiful secret Indonesian islands that few people know of. They are located off Papua, Maluku, Sulawesi, Sumatra, Sumba or Borneo. Note that some of them are in fact small archipelagoes.

In case you are curious, the cover photo is from the Banyak Islands which are mentioned below (Photo Source: Vagabundinnen).

Taka Bonerate Islands

Photo Source: Ramadian Bachtiar

The Taka Bonerate Marine Park has 21 small islands and possesses the third largest atoll in the world. It is a paradise for divers from all over the world who can explore its 500km2 of corals. Sea turtles, cuttlefish, crocodile fish, eels and manta ray can be seen at almost every dive.

Its main island, Tinabo, is less than 2km long. It can be reach on a long day trip from Makassar via Selasar by boat.

Banyak Islands

Photo Source: Vagabundinnen

Part of the Aceh province, the Banyak Islands consists of several small islands, including Tuangku (the largest), Bangkaru and Palambak (depicted on the photo above). It is an alternative for surfers to the more "crowded" Nias or Mentawai Islands. With endless yellow-sand beaches, they are also great for adventure couples looking for privacy.

Widi Island

Photo Source: Henry Wicaksono

Widi Island (or Weda) recently made national headlines after foreign investors from PT Leadership Island Indonesia agreed to disburse IDR 600,000,000,000 for the right to manage it for 35 years.

Located south of Halmahera in Maluku, the island is expected to become a center for ecotourism and diving activities. With crystal clear water and preserved coral, it could become one Indonesia's best diving destinations.

Menui Island

Photo Source: Itsarbolo

Menui Island is part of Morowali district in Central Sulawesi. Its name comes from "manu" which means "chicken" in Bugis language. One of its attractions is the Kumapa cave, a sacred place for residents who use it as a place for meditation. The island is still under-developed and most of it is covered with tropical jungle.

Kei Islands

Photo Source: Dagmarita

The Kei (or Kai) Islands is a small archipelago in Southeast Maluk. Kei Kecil and Kei Besar are its two most famous islands, reputed for their long unspoiled beaches and beautiful sunsets.

A new airport on Kei Kecil is now connecting the islands to Ambon. It is very likely that tourism will grow significantly in the coming years.

Pulau Maratua

Photo Source: fajaradiartha

A few hundred kilometers away from Malaysia, the U-shaped Pulau Maratua is one of 92 outlying Indonesian islands. Most people visiting it go for diving or snorkeling and sleep in the Maratua Paradise Resort made of cottages and bungalows built on stilts.

An airport is set to be inaugurated within the next few months. It will also serve nearby Islands like Derawan, Kakaban and Sangalaki.

Wakatobi Islands

Photo Source: Kristanto Adibuyung

The Wakatobi Islands are part of a Marine National Park which is made of four islands: Wangi Wangi (translated as the Fragrant Island), Kaledupa, Tomea and Binongko. They are part of the larger Tukangbesi Islands group in South Sulawesi.

Most high-end visitors go to the Wakatobi Diving Eco Resort and Spa on the small island of Onemobaa, off Tomea.

Pulau Karimata

Photo from Beingindonesian.com

Pulau Karimata is the main island of a small archipelago located 60km off the coast of Borneo. It is known for having exceptional biodiversity due to to its mountainous relief. Stretching 18 kilometers from east to west and 13 from south to north, it has a large population of cave swiftlets, an endemic species of bird famous for its nests made out of saliva. The nests are hunted and exported, causing a drop in the bird's population.

Pulau Banda Besar

Photo Source: Vagabundinnen

Banda Besar is the largest of the Banda Islands, an archipelago of 10 volcanic islands in South Maluku. They have interested foreign nations for their spices (nutmeg and cloves) since 1512, when the Portuguese first visited them.

For this reason, Banda Besar has interesting historical and religious monuments. It is also possible to visit nutmeg plantations. Finally, following a short boat trip, you may enjoy a hike to the 666-meter high Gunung Api (volcano).

Numfor Island

Photo Source: Bowo MW

Noemfoor Island (or Numfor) is part of the Biak Islands, off the coast of Papua. It is actually famous among historians because it was the theater of a military battle between American and Japanese troops in 1944.

Today, Noemfoor has the potential of becoming a tourist hotspot with beautiful reef corals and some great white sand beaches (for instance Pakreki).

Halura Island

Photo Source: Ferdinand

Halura or Salura Island is a stunning island located off the Southern coast of Sumba. I spotted it several years ago and I believe it could become the next Gili Trawongan (Lombok).

The island is not inhabited, yet it is still absolutely virgin from tourism. It took me quite a long time to find an image and based on my research, it seems only two tourists have been there so far.

One of them is the travel blogger/adventurer Jalan Blog that I recommend you to follow if you speak Indonesian.

Salura Island has two smaller sister islands: Pulau Kotak and Pulau Mangkudu.

Conclusion

There are many more famous islands in Indonesia, particularly Nias, Belitung, Lombok, Flores, Komodo, Melawai, Bintan, Batam, Java or even the Raja Ampat, but I tried to focus on the lesser-known and the secret ones.

Please share with me by commenting below if you think I should add a 12th island to this list.

If you are into beach bars, cheap drinks and hooking-up with drunk tourists, you might find that Nha Trang nightlife is the best in Vietnam.

I spent about a week there on holiday, during low season, and that gave me plenty of time to party in every single bar and nightclub in town.

The best thing about Nha Trang is that compared to other cities in Vietnam like Saigon or Hanoi, the rules are more relaxed. Venues stay open late, dress codes are rarely enforced, and it's more easy to find girl-friendly hotels. Prices are also very cheap, especially during low season. With a $50 budget, you should have enough to book at least a 3-star hotel, eat in nice beachfront restaurants and drink plenty at night.

The drawback of Nha Trang, as you've probably read elsewhere, is the huge proportion of Russian, Chinese and Vietnamese tourists compared to other nationalities. I really don't have anything against them, but I noticed that they tend to stay together, maybe because of the language or culture, and rarely mix. As a result, visiting a nightclub in Nha Trang can become quite a social experiment. You'll look at other people party but you won't always feel part of the action. Of course it depends where you go.

The objective of this review is to give you the best advice on where to go for nightlife in Nha Trang if you are like me, a single guy, Westerner, in his 30s.

Hotels in Nha Trang Near the Nightlife

Nha Trang is a medium-sized city with almost 400,000 inhabitants. Most of the tourists are logically staying near the beach front.

The area with an active nightlife is limited to the city center. If you want to be walking distance from nightclubs AND the beach, I recommend you to book one of the following hotels:

High-End:
If you book in advance, you can get a 5-star hotel in Nha Trang for 100$-150$. The best one is probably the brand new Intercontinental Nha Trang, from which you can walk to most nightclubs in Nha Trang (Zima Nightclub and Havana Club are across the street). There is also the stylish RuNam Bistro on the ground level, perfect for a date.

Sheraton Nha Trang is just next to it, but it is more expensive and older. It has a quiet rooftop lounge called Altitude.

The nearby Best Western Premier Havana is another excellent choice. It has one of the most amazing nightlife venues in Nha Trang, the Skylight 360° Rooftop Bar.

Novotel Nha Trang is great 4-star beach front property, usually less expensive (100$ for the cheapest room).

Mid-Range:
Liberty Central Nha Trang is just 100m from the beach and close from the busiest area for cheap bars and restaurants. It is also walking distance from the Sailing Club and Louisiane Brewhouse, the two nicest beach clubs in central Nha Trang.

Budget
There are hundreds of small guest houses and backpacker hostels in Nha Trang. To be near the nightlife and the beach, you can check any property located near Booze Cruise Bar or Why Not Bar.

Girl Friendly Hotels / Sex Hotels
The hotels above may not be girl-friendly. It is better to ask a receptionist whether it is ok for you to bring your "girlfriend" to your room.

If you want certainty, you can book a room in one of the two hotels below. Both have a massage parlours where sexual services are provided so you can expect them to be open-minded regarding who you stay with.

Quoc Te Hotel and Sauna is the most famous. Rooms are decent for about 20-40 dollars per night. It is also central, just 5 minutes away from the beach by foot and 10 minutes from good bars.

Hoa Dao Hotel, Karaoke and Spa is a bit further from the action but cheaper. You can get a room for less than 20$.

Meeting Girls

It is easy to meet foreign girls and prostitutes in Nha Trang clubs and bars, but more difficult to meet normal Vietnamese girls. This is normal as most of them are rather conservative and not the party type.

The best way to meet those good girls is to use dating websites and apps. You can subscribe to Vietnamese Cupid before arriving (the price is around 25$ per month). If you have a decent looking profile, you should manage to organize dates with several girls upon arrival. This can really help you make your stay more enjoyable.

Best Bars and Nightclubs in Nha Trang

Most of the best bars and nightclubs in Nha Trang are within a few hundred meters from each other, on Tran Phu Street. It's very easy to do a pub crawl just by walking. Here are my recommended nightlife spots in Nha Trang:

Sailing Club

Sailing Club is one of the most famous F&B venues in Nha Trang, day or night. It is the equivalent of Potato Head in Bali. During the day, it is your typical beach club, not luxury but definitely upmarket. You can get a beach cabana/lounger without any minimum spending. Prices are higher than elsewhere: Cocktails cost between VND160,000 and VND200,000 and local beer VND70,000. For the food (curries, pizza, pasta, burgers, wraps, salads, sandwiches), you'll spend on average VND250,000 for a main course. The crowd is really mixed. You have families, couples, young people, etc. Most are Russian and Vietnamese.

In the evening, it become a hot party spot with live music or DJ. You'll see more backpackers then. Saturday nights are the best with their weekly beach party. Other days can be quiet and you'll only see a few people dancing. It's a good place to meet girls but beware as there are also some freelance prostitutes.

Louisiane Brewhouse is a similar venue but more quiet and relaxed. Both belong to the same group.

Address: 72-74 Tran Phu Street
Phone number: +84 58 3524 628

Website: sailingclubvietnam.com
Facebook: Sailing Club Nha Trang

Open everyday from 10am to 2am

Havana Club

Vietnamese club, similar to the kind you would find in Saigon. Loud dance music, people getting drunk until they pass out. They have events like sexy dancers and singers. If you live in Saigon, it's not really worth visiting as there is nothing new here. Dress code: Avoid shorts and flip-flops. They have some sort of sexy lady companions.

Address: 38 Tran Phu Street (in front of Best Western Premier Havana)
Phone number: 093 585 54 42

Facebook: Havana Club Nha Trang

Zima Club

While Havana is the best club for Vietnamese, Zima is the favourite for Russians. Guys must pay a cover charge of VND50,000 with one free drink. Many Russians girls are alone but they aren't the prettiest. The main dance floor is quite small and surrounded by tables/sofas. Second floor is more private. The music is house music from the 90s and 2000s with some Russian EDM tracks. Quite loud. Its not that sophisticated but it has a pleasant holiday feel. They have sexy Russian gogo dancers.

Address: 26 Tran Phu Street (E-Land)
Phone number: 0126 763 6888
Website: www.zimaclub.com
Facebook: Zima Nha Trang
Open every day from 8pm to 3am

Pool Pub - PP

Pool Pub is a beer garden/bar near the beach front, 100 meters before the Best Western Premier Havana. It's packed starting 9pm with a crowd mostly Vietnamese. They play loud house music that can be heard from the street. People cannot really talk to each other so they just smile all the time and keep cheering. Funny! They have some sexy waitresses and bikini hostesses.

If you like Pool Pub, you can also check Ulike, ILike and Rocky Beer Clubs. All are noisy venue with cheap beer and an all-Vietnamese crowd.

Address: 40 Tran Phu Street

Phone number: 090 511 63 56

Facebook: Pool Pub NT

Open everyday from 5pm to 2am

Lodge Club

Your typical Vietnamese nightclub. Guys drinking directly from the bottles with hot Vietnamese chicks who look 16. They have some special "hostesses".

Address: 42 Tran Phu
Phone number: 090 195 29 99

Facebook: Lodge Club Nha Trang

Yasaka 008 Night Club

Located in Yasaka Saigon Resort and Spa, this is another Vietnamese-style nightclub. It's very loud with aggressive lighting. It's supposed to be luxurious but feels a bit dodgy. Sexy dancers.

Address: 8 Tran Phu Street

Phone number: +84 58 382 0090

Open every day from 9pm to 3am

Best Rooftop Bars in Nha Trang

With several high-rise building, Nha Trang has some great rooftop bars. They are generally crowded from sunset until 10pm. They are not party places unless there is a specific events. It's best to visit them in the late afternoon when there is still day light as the view can be disappointing at night.

Skylight 360° Sky Deck & Rooftop Beach Club

One of the most popular spots in Nha Trang, Skylight is well-worth visiting at least once. You have a VND100,000 entrance fee for the beach club (VND150,000 on weekends) that comes with a free drink.

They have a swimming pool but the lounge chairs around it are often taken. It's more pricey than average so expect to pay VND150,000-200,000 for cocktails. There is a DJ playing lounge/chill out tunes on normal days. Weekends are more happening, you can check for events on their facebook page.

Address: 38 Tran Phu Street

Phone number: 058 3528 988

Website: www.skylightnhatrang.com

Open everyday from 8am to 2pm and from 4.30pm to midnight

The Rooftop Bar @ Ha Van Hotel

On the 5th floor of the Han Van Hotel, the Rooftop Bar is quite unique in Nha Trang. It is managed by a multicultural team: Nicolas, the Canadian owner, Arnaud, Annie and the Chef Marc-André. Since it opened in 2007, it has become the best expat bar in the city. You'll also find many backpackers and some locals.

It is almost always busy, and particularly on Friday during their ladies night (1 free cocktail for girls from 9pm to 12pm). The food is excellent, burgers are a must-try. There is also a Vietnamese restaurant downstairs (same owner) called Yen's.

The ambiance at night is bit psychedelic: It is dark, with predominantly red lights and electronic music. It reminded me of beach bars in Koh Phangan or Goa.

It is a good spot for meeting normal girls. Some Vietnamese girls seemed to be looking for boyfriends. Cheap if you go during happy hours from 5p to 9pm = Buy 1 Get 1 Free. 10 shots for VND500,000. Shisha available.

Open daily from 5pm to 2am
Phone number: +84 58 3525 454
Ha Van Hotel, 3/2 Tran Quang Khai Street
Facebook: Rooftop Bar

Above Sky Bar

Above is the newest rooftop bar in Nha Trang. It opened in December 2015 on top of Liberty Central Hotel. If you are familiar with Saigon nightlife, you will notice the bar look very similar to Chill Sky Bar. The concept is also almost the same: Lounge music during the day, DJ later in the evening.

Ladies night on Wednesday: Girls get free Mojitos from 9pm to 11pm.

Address: 7-9 Biệt Thự
Phone number: 058 3529 555
Facebook: Above Liberty Central
Everyday from 5pm to 1am

Altitude Bar
On the 27th floor of the Sheraton Nha Trang, the design of Altitude suffers from the comparison with Skylight. It is expensive (5$ a beer) but you can visit it from 5pm to 7pm daily to enjoy their happy hours (buy 1 get 1 free). Ladies night on Saturday will get girls free signature cocktails from 8pm to 9pm. Live Music Wednesday and Thursday.

26-28 Tran Phu Street
Phone number: 058 3880 000

Facebook: Altitude Bar

Open from Tuesday to Sunday from 5pm to 11pm (closed on Monday)

Lunar Lounge

Lunar Lounge is a recently renovated rooftop bar and restaurant in Nha Trang Center building. It is Canadian/Vietnamese owned. They have a beautiful lagoon-shaped pool, live music (English and Vietnamese songs) and an International menu ($8-$12 for a main course). Modern design. Not so crowded.

20 Tran Phu, Nha Trang Center, 4th Floor
Phone number: 096 869 00 00
Website: www.lunarbar.vn

Facebook: Lunar Bar Vietnam

Open everyday from 7am to 1am

Backpacker / Cheap Bars in Nha Trang

Nha Trang is such a cheap destination that it attracts many backpackers doing their Southeast Asia tour. As usual, they gather in just a few streets, namely Nguyễn Thiện Thuật and Tran Quang Khai.

90% of the backpacker bars in Nha Trang are within the green area

There are at least 20 bars there, with little to differentiate one from another. My advice would be to just walk around and pick the most crowded. Apart from the ones I'm reviewing below, you can have a look at Patrick (wine bar - French food - live music), Far East Rock Bar (they have 2 - cheap beer), Hole in The Wall (English-owned pub with bar girls), Crazy Kim (sports bar), La Mancha (salsa - Spanish food), Pankoff (German beer), After the Beach (empty but pretty Russian hostesses) and Connection (good location at the angle of the street).

Why Not Bar

Why Not Bar is one of those shitty places that still get to exist due to the lack of alternatives. You'll hear terrible stuff about it, yet it is the most busy bar in the city past 1am.

There are many reports about customers being stolen valuables or scammed. If you plan on getting drunk there, just don't bring too much cash with you and no passport, no papers, and no phone. The place is so cheap that you can probably drink all-night for less than $10. Hard drinks (VND15,000 for a rum coke) are most likely done using fake alcohol. It's better to stick to beers (VND10,000 for a local beer).

Why Not Bar can be a lot of fun though, and a good place to meet other tourists, particularly Western girls. Local prostitutes are lurking around too. The music is an Itunes playlist with any song that was in the Top 40 in the past 20 years.

Address: 24 Tran Quang Khai
Phone number: +84 58 3522 652
Facebook: Why Not Bar
Open everyday from 6am until 3am

Booze Cruise Sports Bar

A bit more expensive compared to other places nearby, the American-owned Booze Cruise is nonetheless one of the busiest bars on the street. Many regulars among the customers, mostly guys in their 30s and 40s. The crowd of Booze is the pretty much the opposite of the crowd of Roofop Bar in Ha Van Hotel.

They serve pub fare from breakfast to dinner. You can play pool and table football.

Address: 110 Nguyen Thien Thuat
Phone number: +84 90 571 9519
Facebook: Booze Cruise Sports Bar
Open everyday from 7am to 3am

If you like the testosterone atmosphere of Booze Cruise, you may also want to try Cheers Bar (good food and live sport). It gets quite crowded when there is a big AFL game on. The owner is Australian.

Quan 69 Bach Dang
This is the place to go if you want to tell your friends that you literally got drunk for a buck. 2 liters of local beer will cost you less than VND20,000. They also serve some good Vietnamese food (duck soup).

Many older expats seem to be spending most of their days over there.

Address: 69 Bach Dang Street
Phone number: 35 15 725

Prostitution in Nha Trang: Massage Parlours, Spas and Karaokes

Spas and Massage Parlours Plus Plus

Therapists in Hoa Da Massage Parlour

Like all major Vietnamese cities, Nha Trang has its fair share of massage parlours and spas. The best ones have a similar pricing: Around VND300,000 for the "normal" treatment, and then if you want more you must add a tip to the girl (VND300,000 for handjob, VND500,000 for full sex). VIP rooms have jacuzzi where you will be bathed naked and cost between VND500,000 and VND600,000.

The most famous "naughty" massage parlour in Nha Trang is Hoa Da. It's a chain with 4 locations in the city. From the information I could get, only handjobs are available. You can get two girls at once if you ask for the "Super VIP" package.

Hoa Da 1

10/1 Lý Tự Trọng Street

Phone number: 0583.826.877

Hoa Da 2

115A Hoàng Văn Thụ Street

Phone number: 0583.816.028

Hoa Da 3

39 Mê Linh Street (a bit far from center)

Phone number: 058.35.12.303

Hoa Da 4

14 A Trần Văn Ơn Street

Phone number: 0583.561.277

You can check the prices and photos of the room on their website: Hoa Da Massage Plus Nha Trang. The same group also owns Hoa Dao Hotel, Karaoke and Spa which is a good option if you are looking for a girl-friendly hotel with massage parlour.

Another massage parlour plus plus located inside a hotel is Quoc Te. Full service is available there. They have a sauna and steambath. Prices are higher than elsewhere. If you are on a budget, you can go to the "Seagull" hotel instead: Hai Au Hotel.

Karaokes

Nha Trang is filled with karaokes. They range from the cheap places in local neighborhood to upmarket venues on the beach.

If you want to find one with pretty lady companions and hostesses, you can go to Four Seasons Karaoke in E-Land (in front of Best Western Premier Havana) or in Yasaka 008 in Yasaka Saigon Resort and Spa.

There are so many nightclubs in Bangkok that it may be hard for first-time visitors to decide where to party. I'm compiling here a description of the venue from the entire Bangkok nightlife scene to help your planning.

For each venue, I included a link to their Facebook page. I encourage you to check the opening hours, event and entrance fee there directly. In general, most clubs are open until 2-3am and they will charge you between 250THB and 400THB for the first drink/entry. The most expensive, Onyx and Cé La Vi cost 500THB.

Beware! Not every hotel in Bangkok will accept if you bring a girl to your room. If you want to avoid an embarrassing moment, you can book the following guest-friendly hotels (that are also close to the nightlife): Heaven @ 4, Ambassador Bangkok, Ruamchitt Plaza Hotel, Sukhumvit 12 Suites and Sofitel Bangkok.

Meeting Thai Girls in Nightclubs

Thai Cupid is the best dating site to meet Bangkok Girls

It is actually quite difficult to meet normal Thai women within nightclubs in Bangkok, especially if you are a tourist. Don't expect to find a one night stand easily unless you are willing to pay for it.

The best and easiest way to find a girl is to connect to the dating site Thai Cupid. It is free but I recommend you to spend some money and upgrade to the premium version. It costs the price of two cocktails (20$) and it will allow you to send as many messages as you want. They have over 1 million member and at least a thousand girls online at any time. If you are a normal human being you should match with tons of girls.

What you need to do is to contact them a few days before actually arriving in Bangkok. Try to find the fun girls who like to go clubbing and party, chat with them a bit, then get as many phone/Whatsapp/Line numbers as you can. Once in Bangkok, just invite them to join you on your nights out and you're basically almost certain you'll end your night with someone.

You can create an account here: Thai Cupid - Free Sign Up.

Tourist Nightclubs in Bangkok

I will start with the nightclubs you should actually avoid. Tourist nightclubs are the worse, but unfortunately many visitors only go to these places. One of the reason is that they ask for advice to taxi drivers who get a commission on each person they bring (200THB). This is why some taxis will even offer you a free ride.

In this category, you have the following nightclubs: Shock39, Spicy, Climax, Bossy, EQ. CM2 was one as well but it reopened under the name Play by CM2 and I haven't been back there since. Those places are all pretty much the same: They are rather dirty, have no design, rarely organize special events, rely on an endless supply of tourists and have 99% prostitutes. The only positive thing is that they stay open later than usual (until 5am-6am). The ratio guys/girls is terrible, meaning you may struggle to find a decent looking girl, even if you are willing to pay.

You should cross them from your clubbing list unless you fit into one of these categories:

You love commercial music (Top 40, Hip Hop)
You want to find an average-looking, yet expensive hooker
You want to party after 3am
You want to party in short pants and flip flops
You are a 20-year old countryside boy on his first trip abroad
You come from a country where clubbing is forbidden

Some tourist clubs are a bit better though. In particular, you can try Mixx or Insanity. They have a similar concept (Freelancers + Tourists + Stay Open Late + Commissions to Taxi) but they are classier.

Insanity is very near from Soi Cowboy and Nana Plaza so all the girls working in gogo bars tend to visit after they finish their work. It has a nice set up, it is modern and you may meet some normal girls as well. The music is not too bad, mostly house and EDM. I like the set-up with the central podium. It is popular with Koreans and many girls seem only interested with them.

Mixx is OK as well, but quite expensive. You have two rooms there, one of which has hip hop music. It is located in the 5-star Intercontinental Hotel so the crowd is upmarket and the prostitutes more like high-class escorts (some are Russian). It closes at 5am. It is popular with expats as well.

Expat Nightclubs in Bangkok

Those bars and nightclubs are preferred by richer expats and travelers who are already familiar with the city.

Levels (on 6th Floor of Aloft Hotel, Sukhumvit Soi 11)
This nightclub almost made the tourist clubs lists. It has lots of prostitutes (pretty ones I must admit) and a mixed crowd of 30-something expats and travelers. You may still meet normal girls though, especially if you say you have a good job in Bangkok. The music is EDM and House with a hip-hop night on Sundays. A nice feature is the garden rooftop from which you can smoke. The entrance is free but drinks inside are pricey.

Cé La Vi (on 39th Floor of Sathorn Square)
Used to be called Ku De Ta. Sister branch of Cé La Vi in Singapore. This is the top high-end nightclub for expats in Bangkok at the time of writing. You need to dress sharp and bring money. It's a good place to meet other people and possibly some upper class Thai girls. If you are looking like a tourist, you can forget about it though. Hip hop ladies night on Wednesday. The music style changes often depending on guest DJs or events. There are probably high class escorts but they are discreet.

Glow (Sukhumvit 33)
A small nightclub on two floors with European techno and electronic music. It is an expat's favorite of Bangkok nightlife. You will barely see any tourists or Thai people (apart from the expat's girlfriends). Glow is recommended if you want to experience European-style clubbing.

Beam (Thonglor)
I have mixed feeling with Beam. It is a beautifully designed nightclub, with impressive lighting and smoke effects. I've rarely seen something similar elsewhere. It also has a great variety of DJs who play non-commercial electronic music and hip hop. On the negative side, it is pricey (400THB entrance) and the crowd not so friendly to be with. If you like it, you can also go to Dark Bar which is similar.

Mustache (Ratchadaphisek)
Under Belgian management, this alternative bar is one of the current hotspots in Bangkok. It is not exactly in the city center but 15 minutes away by taxi from Sukhumvit (it's a new location). The music there is similar to that of Beam or Glow but the crowd is younger and more laidback. You have two floors, including a rooftop bar. It closes late and the entrance is free.

Sing Sing Theater, Maggie Choos and Iron Fairies
Those 3 bar-clubs are similar as they all have world-class design, a chic expat crowd, good cocktails and non-commercial music. Each are worth a visit, ideally just after eating and before heading to bigger nightclubs.

Live RCA (Royal City Avenue)
Live RCA is a clubbing event space attracting major International DJs (techno, tech-house, house, EDM). They will have something different each week so it's better if you check on their Facebook beforehand. The crowd can be more or less expat depending on the DJ. Open only on weekends.

Other bars you may want to try to meet young expats: Revolucion and Oskar.

Backpacker Nightlife

Backpackers and expats on a budget normally party on Khao San Road. It is not classy but it can be fun once in a while. It is the best location to meet Western girls in Thailand.

You cannot go there directly with the BTS or MRT. It's a 120THB taxi ride from Sukhumvit. The advantage of Khao San Road is that everything is in one spot. You can just go from one bar to the other, buying cheap buckets of booze in-between.

The main nightclub is simply call "The Club". It is next to a bar called Golf which is always packed. If you cannot afford the club entrance (250THB), you can just party in the street, it's pretty much the same crowd and atmosphere. For a more rustic option, you can go to Gulliver. Brick Bar is also popular, but the crowd mostly Thai.

Hi-So Nightclubs in Bangkok

Hi-so (for High Society) is a popular term in Thailand to describe the richest Thais, the top 1%. If you are a 20-year old kid who owns a Porsche and dates a famous actress, then you are hi-so.

Hi-so Thais party in only a few locations in Central Bangkok: Royal City Avenue (Onyx) and Thonglor/Ekkamai (Funky Villa, Demo, Do Not Disturb). Thonglor is also where you'll find most hipster and trendy bars of Bangkok.

You will see the most beautiful Thai girls in some of these clubs, but you have very little chances with them unless you're part of a group. These girls are scared of tarnishing their reputation by mingling with foreigners. So you need to get the approval of the group first, and then you might get the approval of the girl.

In most Thai nightclubs (including the ones listed below), people party Asian/Chinese style: They book a sofa, order expensive bottles, stay within their small groups of friends, get drunk until they pass out and show off their wealth as much as they can. If you cannot book a table, you'll be squeezed and you'll struggle to get a drink from bartenders who are too busy to take care of VIP guests.

Booking a table means that you agree to spend a certain amount on alcohol. For instance, if the minimum spend to get a table is 300$, it means you can spend 300$ on bottles, mixers and food. If you are splitting the bill with several friends, it is often a better deal than buying drinks individually. Bottles in those clubs are not that expensive, THB2,000 is largely enough for a good whisky.

Dress code are enforced (and anyway you don't want to look like a tourist): No shorts, no sandals, no singlets. They always check IDs so make sure to bring your passport with you, even if you look 40. Some places will charge you more if you are a foreigner (Farang), but you'll get free drinks with your entry.

Onyx:

Onyx is one of the poshiest nightclubs for Thai. It is pricey (500 THB entrance fee with a drink), yet so crowded you'll barely be able to move around. Go with friends and order bottle service. An ID is necessary to enter.

Funky Villa was one of the most famous nightclubs for rich Thai but it burnt down just a few days ago (end of June 2016). They had live Thai music with famous local bands.

Demo

Next to Funky Villa (same owner), they have EDM and a smaller bar called "Dirty Bar" with hip hop.

Nunglen and Escobar

Very young rich Thai crowd listening to live bands. Similar to Funky Villa.

Do Not Disturb Club (DND Club): Similar to Demo, located behind Nunglen. They have live Thai bands and EDM DJs.

You may also want to check Myst, Safehouse and Falabella.

Nightclubs for Middle Class Thai

Unlike nightclubs like Funky Villa or Onyx, you'll be more welcome here as a foreigner. Those places are among the most fun to party in Bangkok as long as you don't mind commercial music.

They are also excellent for meeting regular, non-prostitute Thai girls. Typically, this is where students and office workers party. Don't expect that everything will be easy though. The main problem is that girls are often already accompanied by some guys who are paying for their drinks. Because of this, they may not be so comfortable spending time with you within the club. The solution is either to befriend other members of her group and join the table, or to exchange numbers. The next day she should be more relaxed.

Many tourists avoid these clubs because they cannot get laid instantly. You will only have 5%-10% foreigners on average, most of which are younger expats.

I am only listing places with DJs and Western music. If you are adventurous and looking for a local experience, you'll also find many other nightclubs with a 100% Thai crowd and Thai live music, especially outside the city center.

Route 66 in RCA
Route 66 is the place to go to for down-to-earth, normal clubbing in Bangkok. It is really big, with several rooms including an EDM zone, a hip-hop room and a live music area. The crowd is middle to upper class. It has become more popular with expats because it is always crowded and easy for meeting people.

Clubs of Ratchada 4
Ratchada 4 is a small entertainment complex 10 minutes away from Sukhumvit. There are several nightclubs, bars and karaokes in one spot. Among them, you'll find Snop, Embassy MBS, Hollywood, Next 7 Pu b, etc.

Not too far, on Ratchada 4, you can visit the brand new MAD, which used to be Mansion7.

Brick Bar
This is a good place to party with Thai if you are in the Khao San Road area.

Narz is one of the oldest clubs in Bangkok. It used to be the place to go for hip hop but now they play mostly EDM/Trance. It is not as crowded as it used to be but on Weekends it's still OK.

Hip Hop Nightclubs in Bangkok

Bangkok has the largest hip-hop and Rn'B scene in Southeast Asia. On every given night, you have at least 5 venues to choose from that are either dedicated to hip-hop or having a special hip-hop event.

The best one is Sugar, conveniently located on Sukhumvit Soi 11. This is a NY-style nightclub where the Bangkok hip-hop community meets. There is a good mix of expats and Thai people. The entrance is quite cheap, 200THB, inclusive of a drink. Another popular choice, more high-end, is the Dirty Bar within Demo club in Thonglor.
G Club is the favorite club of the African community in Bangkok. They play hip-hop, Rn'B, Reggae and Afro music.

There is a recently new hip-hop club I didn't visit called Vibe. They stopped updating their Facebook a few months ago so I don't know if they are still open or not.

Some large nightclubs in Bangkok also have smaller rooms with hip hop or Rn'B. It is the case of Route 66 and Mixx.

Finally, Cé La Vi has a great hip hop ladies night every Wednesday and Levels has one on Sundays.

Late Night/ After Hour Nightclubs in Bangkok

The curfew policy of many Bangkok nightclubs is a big turn-off for me. The rules seem to have eased a bit the past year (you can party until 3am now), but I still find it too early.

Don't start your nights out late in Bangkok, even more so during the week. I recommend you to eat around 6pm, find a nice bar at 8pm, and hit the clubs at 11pm.

A recommended after hour club is Scratch Dog (until 6am) inside Windsor Suites Hotel. It is a place with many prostitutes but if you're lucky you can meet some normal girls as well. There is a good mix of Thai and foreign guests, including some Asian nationalities. You must pay 400THB to get in with a drink.

Even though I'm not a big hip hop fan, I would say that Sugar (mentioned above) is one of the best places for late clubbing. It closed at 6am when I went there and it had a great atmosphere with no so many hookers. People were friendly and happy to meet talk to strangers. There are some reports that the security can be racist and rough, but I haven't noticed anything special. (Update Dec 2016: Since the King died, it closes at 4am).

Mustache is closing at 6am and it is where many expats are heading for underground music. There are no prostitutes at all so if you're horny and trying to score, you should avoid. It is also a bit far.

If you are looking for a female partner, go to Insanity where you'll have the largest choice of affordable freelancers + a few normal girls. Mixx closes at 5am and have a lot of (high-class) working girls too.

Finally, tourist nightclubs like Shock39, Spicy, Climax, Bossy and EQ are also closing late.

Free Nightclubs (No Entrance Fee) in Bangkok

If you are a guy, you must pay to get into most nightclubs in Bangkok. Girls can get for free during the ladies night (see below for a list of the best ones).

There are 2 nightclubs with free entrance that I know of. Levels and Mustache. Some Thai nightclubs like Demo are also free during the week, but they may charge a first drink to foreigners (apparently to filter the weed). Cé La Vi is free during the week but it costs 500THB on weekends.

If you are really a cheapo, you can party for free in the streets of Khao San Road. Many bars are packed with people who bought their drinks in 7-11.

Ethnic Nightclubs (Arab, African, Russian) in Bangkok

Bangkok nightlife is eclectic! There are a few ethnic nightclubs in Bangkok, near Nana Plaza in particular. I haven't been inside but I passed in front of some several times.

Arabs/Middle Eastern visitors will go to Dino Club inside Graceland Hotel (which is a girl-friendly hotel). Needless to say, it's full with hookers there. They also love to go to Shock39.

The African community gathers in G-Terminal Club that I mentioned above.

There are also some nightclubs and lounges with many prostitutes from Russia, Eastern Europe and Central Asia. For instance in Rajah Hotel, Bossy or Mixx Disco.

Japanese visitors tend to stay near Sukhumvit Soi 33 as there are several Japanese style massage parlours there (nuru massage). They also go to Thermae in the basement of the Ruamchitt Plaza Hotel where many freelancers can be found.

Asian clubbers from Korea, Malaysia, Singapore, Taiwan and Hong Kong tend to stick to the Thai nightclubs in RCA or Thonglor.

Gogo Bars

Almost all the gogo clubs in Bangkok can be found in just 3 locations: Nana Plaza, Soi Cowboy and Patpong. If you are confused about where to go: Nana Plaza is the largest complex, Soi Cowboy is the hottest, Patpong is the trashiest. You can walk from Soi Cowboy to Nana Plaza in 15 minutes, and go from both to Patpong in 15 minutes by taxi (or public transport).

In each of these, you have dozens of gogo bars, one after the other. To the undiscerning visitor, they may all look the same, but a regular could tell you the differences between each. Some will feature topless girls, some will have naked girls, some allow you to touch the girls, some have special shows, some have ladyboys, some have older girls, some are for Japanese, etc.

You are usually sitting down in a circle and looking at the girls. You can ask to talk with one and buy her ladies drink. She may also go home with you if she agrees. In this case, you must compensate the bar with a bar fine. It is best to visit gogo bars early in the evening, ideally around 7pm or 8pm, because the prettiest girls haven't been booked out already.

I've listed the hottest gogo bars in Bangkok in the following review: Top Nude Gogo Bars in Bangkok. If you are too lazy to open the link, I recommend you to try Baccara and Crazy House in Soi Cowboy, Spanky's in Nana Plaza, Black Pagoda in Patpong.

High-Class Gentlemen's Clubs in Bangkok

If you have both money and a taste for exceptionally gorgeous ladies, you may want to avoid the average gogo bars scene of Nana Plaza, Patpong or Soi Cowboy. Bangkok has several high-class gentlemen's clubs spread all over the city where you are almost assured to lose your head at the sight of dozens of scantily-clad hotties.

In Bangkok, the term "Gentlemen's Club" is used to describe a kind of hostess bars with coyote shows, where most clients are "members". To become a member, you must buy in advance several bottles of alcohol that you can use within a year. The prices aren't that high if you are a regular: At The Pimp for instance, with 550$ you get membership + 12 whisky bottles. If you go there with 4 friends and drink 2 bottles in total, you will have spent less than 30$ each on alcohol for your night out (and then you have to do it 5 more times during the year).

Without a membership, it is unfortunately expensive. In the best gentlemen's clubs, a non-member can expect to spend up to 200$ between the entrance fee, the drinks (for you and your hostess) and the tips. Again, you'll save a lot of money if you buy a bottle so go there with a few friends.

Girls in those clubs usually make enough money with commissions they get from drinks so they aren't really interested to sleep with you. Your chances of taking one back home are slim, or you'll need to spend a crazy amount of money.

If your budget is limited, you can go to an upmarket gogo bars instead like Baccara or Black Pagoda. The best ones have a great selection of girls and a luxurious atmosphere. It is much easier to barfine someone there as well.

Here are a few recommendations for gentlemen's clubs in Bangkok: Kush Mansion, Sherbet & Pianoforte, The Pimp, Monte Carlo and Vegas.

Best Venues to Pick Up Girls

It really depends on what you are looking for: Paid sex, free one-night stand or relationship.

For paid sex, the best places are certainly the gogo bars, Mixx club and Insanity.

For one night stand, you need to find Westernized Thai girls. I'd recommend Cé La Vi, Sugar and Levels.

For relationships, the best places are Route 66, Live RCA and the clubs of Ratchada 4.

Best Nightclubs for Each Day of The Week

Best Nightclubs for Monday: Onyx, Insanity, Mixx

Best Nightclubs for Tuesday: Levels, Sugar

Best Nightclubs for Wednesday: Cé La Vi, Demo

Best Nightclubs for Thursday: Route 66, Levels, Ratchada 4

Best Nightclubs for Weekends: Anywhere is busy

Best Nightclubs for Sunday: Insanity, Levels

Best Ladies Night in Bangkok

The best ladies4 night in Bangkok is on Wednesdays at Cé La Vi from 9pm to midnight. Girls get a free flow of sparkling wine. They also have a Free Flow wine on Saturday from 9pm to 11pm.

Levels has a great one on Sundays: Girls get 3 free drinks before midnight and all-night-long 99THB cocktails.

Insanity has a ladies night on Sundays: Girls get 2 free drinks and if they come by 4, they get a free bottle of sparkling wine.

In Hi-So in So Sofitel Bangkok, girls get a free glass of Champagne from 8pm to 11pm.

In Bangkok Betty, girls get 3 free drinks before 9pm

Any questions about clubbing in Bangkok? Please write a message below and I'll try to answer it. Photocredit: Win Photos.

I just spent two weeks in Hanoi and I must say I was pleasantly surprised by the nightlife.

When I was living in Saigon, people kept telling me that Hanoi was a conservative town with unfriendly people, a curfew at midnight and a suffocating weather.

In fact, I found barely any differences between the two cities, and particularly at night. Saigon is in my Top 3 party destination in Southeast Asia, and Hanoi is not far behind.

The hundreds of bars, clubs, lounges, spas and karaokes in Hanoi range from extremely basic (4 walls and a stool) to world-class sophisticated venues. You'll rarely pay an entrance fee for any nightclubs and the drinks are usually cheap, even in the more upmarket spots. Girls are everywhere, from young backpackers to crazy-hot Vietnamese dolls. Just open VietnamCupid or Tinder and you'll have so many matches you won't be able to follow up with half of them.

This review is the summary of my findings: The best bars, the best clubs, the best places to stay, and how to meet girls. If I forgot something important, please don't hesitate to leave a comment at the end of the post.

Nightlife Areas in Hanoi

To make things simple, I would say there are 3 major nightlife areas in Hanoi.

→ The Old Quarter is where most backpackers, tourists and Vietnamese students hang out. It is cheap, cramped and messy.
→ The West Lake is where expats and trendy Vietnamese party. It is naturally more expensive and the crowd is older.
→ The Historical Center, from Hoàn Kiếm Lake down to Tran Hung Dao street, is a posh area, particularly around the Opera House. You'll find mostly bars and clubs targeting rich Vietnamese/tourists.

Please have a look at the Hanoi nightlife map at the end of this article to see the exact delimitation of these areas.

Old Quarter: Tourists and Young Vietnamese

Old Quarter nightlife

A dense, action-packed district with at least 200 nightlife spots, most often small bars selling cheap draught beer (Bia hơi - as low as VND4,000 or $0,17 per glass). It is popular with a young Vietnamese crowd (mostly students) and foreigners (backpackers, tourists). 95% of the venues close at 1AM (official curfew), but if you poke around you'll find hidden bars to party until at least 3AM (see "Late Night/After Hour Clubs" below for more details).

You can start your evening at the intersection of Tạ Hiện and Lương Ngọc Quyến streets, also called "Beer Corner". It reserved for pedestrians and from there you can just walk from one place to the other.

Many bars seem to have been inspired by a Communist ideology: Identical design, identical product, no name (only a number) and little attention paid to customer service. That said, getting drunk on those tiny stools is still a fun local experience. You'll notice that a lot of people are breathing into balloons of laughing gas. Those are not illegal in Vietnam and they cost $1 or $2. They give a mild euphoria or a feeling of numbness for a few minutes. I have the impression that they make your hangover worse on the next day though.

On your pub crawl, you may include some more proper bars and clubs, for instance:

Bars:
Factory 47: A foreign-owned, hipster bar. Better music than elsewhere but also more expensive. Open from 10AM to 3AM.

RockStore: Same owner as above. Unlike its name would suggest, the DJs and live bands play rather eclectic styles of music, from reggae to pop. Western food.

Local, next to Beer Corner, it has a DJ playing Top 40/EDM and a dance floor (there is also a second branch here). Backpacker crowd. Prague Pub is very similar.

Dragonfly: Tiny bar with an outdoor and indoor area serving food, shisha, balloons and alcohol. They have a DJ and occasionally sexy dancers. Mainstream music.

Craft Beer Pub: A rustic pub serving craft beer and Western food. Popular with young and older foreigners. Live sports on screens.

Clubs:
1900 Le Theatre: My favorite club in the Old Quarter. A modern venue with live music (usually in Vietnamese) and DJs playing commercial EDM and Hip Hop. Mixed crowd. Recommended for meeting girls. Closes at 1AM.

Ball Bars: I counted at least 3 of them (Ball Bar 4, Ball Bar 6, Ball Bar 19). They are crowded with 90% young Vietnamese. EDM and commercial music. They normally stay open until 2AM or 3AM. Recommended for meeting Viet girls.

Hair Of the Dog, a small club with commercial music opened until around 2AM/3AM. Mixed crowd: 1st floor with locals, 2nd floor with foreigners. It gets started at midnight.

👌Food: A great way to explore the Old Quarter is to join the famous Hanoi Street Food Tour (#1 activity on TripAdvisor). In 3 hours, you'll have a chance to try about a dozen delicious Northern Vietnam dishes. More information on their Facebook.

West Lake (or Tây Hồ District): Expats and Trendy Vietnamese

In this neighborhood, trendy and chic venues are spread out, principally on the east side of the Lake. The crowd is mostly made of expats and rich Vietnamese. To go there, I advise you to use Uber (only VND50,000 from downtown).

Some of the best venues are:

Bars:
Sidewalk: Hipster/artsy café with an outdoor garden. It features random live acts: Hip Hop, Latin, 80s, Reggae... Expat and local crowd.

Birdcage: Same owner as above but only opened on Fridays and Saturdays (until 5AM). Eclectic music from Drum & Bass to Jungle. LGBT-friendly.

Standing Bar: One of the hip bars in Hanoi at the moment. It is built on two floors with an outdoor area from where you can see the lake. They serve 16 types of craft beer, local and imported, for around VND80,000-90,000 per half-pint. You can also eat some tapas. Events include stand-up comedy and live music (sometimes brought by the team from the now-defunct ATK Cama).

Furbrew: Also a craft beer bar, owned by a Danish brewmaster, with an outdoor garden. Small beers (175ml) cost around VND45,000 and a pint (375ml) double this price. Closes at 11PM.

The Republic: Aussie-owned expat bar. Good for eating Western food and watching sports (NFL, AFL, football, rugby, etc). Popular hangout on Sundays. Lake view. Close early at midnight.

Unicorn: A dive bar that you could easily miss, but worth a try for their affordable cocktails. Perfect to start the evening.

The Kneipe: A laid back German bar with reasonable prices, decent pub fare and live music/DJ.

88 Lounge: A trendy wine lounge, managed (and partly owned?) by a French guy. It's a romantic location for a date. More expensive than average but you get happy hours from 4.30PM to 7.30PM. Check their Facebook for wine tasting and live Jazz events.

Clubs:

Savage: A new nightclub, bar and lounge in the West Lake area. It is owned and managed by 4 French based in Hong Kong. Popular with expats. Techno and non-commercial electronic music. Closes very late. Expensive. Good cocktails. My favorite nightclub in Hanoi.

Hero: One of the most popular nightclubs in the city with a mixed crowd of Vietnamese and foreigners. Good setup on two floors. Reasonable prices. Pick up spot.

Hanoi Rock City: The main alternative event and art space in Hanoi, it features live bands, DJ performances, open-mic nights and exhibitions. Entrance is usually free but drinks pricier than elsewhere. Check their events on Facebook before heading there: HRC.

Historical City Center: Rich Vietnamese and Tourists

The Historical City Center (excluding Old Quarter) from the northern tip of Hoàn Kiếm Lake until Tran Hung Dao street is filled with upmarket restaurants, lounges, bars, and nightclubs. Many are targeting Vietnamese, and more particularly the high-society (Hi-So). You may see some expats and tourists in some specific venues as well.

Below are some of the current hot-spots:

Bars:

Cosa Nostra: A classy, minimalist bar with concrete floors and walls. Comfortable leather sofas. 2 floors including a small terrace. Cheapest beer costs VND100,000. Closes at midnight.

Tadioto: Just next to Cosa Nostra, it is often considered one of the best bars in Hanoi (it was even featured in Time magazine). It is owned by a prominent Vietnamese-American artist who made it a hub for the chic bohemian crowd. A bit overrated in my opinion.

La Plume Bar at Press Club

In front of Conifer Hotel, this elegant restaurant/lounge serves some of the best cocktails in the city. It is not too crowded so it is a fine choice to bring a date. VND290,000 for a signature cocktail (+ 20% tax and service!).

Clubs:
Camelia
Part of the Mélia Hotel in downtown Hanoi, it is perfect for having drinks with a group of friends. Eclectic music. Trendy design. Expensive. Chic Vietnamese and expat crowd over 40.

The Bank
A large, upmarket club with a New York vibe. Maybe the best pick-up spot to for Vietnamese girls in Hanoi (but beware the prostitutes). Recommended if you don't mind hearing commercial music.

The Breakfast Club: A new club attracting Vietnamese socialites. As I check their Facebook today, I see that they are closed temporarily due to landlord issues.

Elsewhere

Outside of these areas, there are many nightclubs, KTVs and beer clubs targeting Hanoi's middle to upper class. I've listed the most interesting on my Hanoi Nightlife map below.

Hanoi Nightlife Recommendations

Best "Vina House" Nightclubs with Sexy Dancers

Vina House, or Viet House, is a specialty of Vietnam which is just as remarkable as Banh Mi or Pho. It is a crossover between Pop Music and Techno with almost the same bassline on every track. Here is an example:

There are at least 15 Vina House nightclubs in downtown Hanoi, and I went to most of them. To be honest, it was a bit repetitive as they are not really different from one another.

Basically, they are all quite luxurious in appearance, with flashy lights, modern LED displays, high tables and a few VIP corners. Vietnamese come in groups, sometimes only guys, sometimes with girls who could be their girlfriends or hookers.

There is a DJ, often a sexy girl, who mixes Vina House, and a male MC who shouts at the crowd between songs. The sound is always deafening (bring earplugs). In most places, you also have sexy dancers wearing a different uniform every night. For me, it's the best part. The larger clubs have live music, unfortunately singing very boring Vietnamese pop.

Dress code: Guys will be expected to wear shoes and long pants. For girls, high heels and skirts are recommended, but as a foreigner, you'll manage to enter without.

Those clubs are not recommended for clubbers who are 1) alone 2) penniless. Even though the entrance is free, you'll be expected to buy a bottle of alcohol (between VND1,000,000 and VND2,000,000 for the cheapest ones) if you want to get a table. The choice of drinks by the glass or by the bottle is limited and pricey (a beer will cost from VND100,000 to VND200,000). Typically, Vietnamese will also add a shisha and a fruit platter to their table. They don't really need it but it's all about showing off how much money you can spend.

The service is particularly attentive because all waiters expect a tip. Even when you go to the toilet the janitor will do everything he can to get a few dongs, from turning on the faucet to giving you a back massage.

The best Vina House nightclub I've been to in Hanoi is called Fame. It is packed any day of the week and features some of the hottest dancers in Vietnam.

Max 3 is my second favorite and it is close from the Old Quarter. Playboy Establishment is also recommended, especially with foreigners.

You can also read the reviews I wrote for Civilize, Infinity, F Club and Q Club. More clubs I haven't been too but that are interesting: New Square, Nest, Ibars and Airport Exclusive Club.

Best Viet-Style Beer Gardens and Beer Bars

Unlike the ones in Thailand that are often laid-back, beer gardens in Vietnam resemble nightclubs and usually have a DJ/loud music. The only difference is that they are cheaper, they serve food and they are partially in the open-air.

The New Spinx Beer Bar is one of the most impressive I've seen in the whole country. It has a massive entrance resembling a temple, a staff dressed up with Egyptian costumes and a huge stage featuring live music acts, DJs and sexy dancers. Beer costs from VND40,000 for a glass of Tiger up to VND120,000 for imported Belgian beers. Sparta is similar, but with a Greek/Roman theme.

Closer from the tourist area, the famous beer club chain Vuvuzela has opened a branch near the Cathedral and another one in the Old Quarter. They close early though and they didn't seem to be so crowded when I passed by.

Best Live Music

Live band in 1900

For the usual Top 40 covers, Rumors near West Lake is fun, not too expensive and popular with foreigners. Local cafés Polygon, Ay or Swing also feature cover bands (sometimes singing in Vietnamese) in a more relaxed atmosphere.

Closer from the Old Quarter, The Doors has the favors of young students. Their drinks are cheap and they have live bands from Tuesday to Sunday (open mic on Thursday). Walking distance, RockStore has more varied bands but a more random schedule (check their Facebook). Idem with Hanoi Rock City.

For more specific genres:

Hard rock, Metal: Rec Room.

Blues, Jazz: Binh Minh Jazz Club
Latin music, salsa, bachata, kizomba: Beso Latino

Rooftops

At the time of writing, there are only a handful of rooftop bars in Hanoi. The existing ones are not really happening but still OK for a drink. The most famous is The Rooftop Hanoi on the 19th floor of Pacific Place (VND190,000 for a cocktail).

Gay Bars

Golden Cock is the official gay bar in Hanoi. Located next to Polite Pub (the oldest in Hanoi), its sign only says "GC".

Birdcage (see description above) is not specifically gay but it is open-minded and popular with the lesbian and gay crowd.

You can check the Facebook page of Hanoi Panic for special LGBT events.

Late Night/After Hours Clubs

Even though there is an official curfew at 1AM, there are many places where you can party until sunrise.

After 1AM, many clubbers will head to Hero which closes at 3AM. For a more underground experience, I also recommend Savage club, but be careful as they won't let anyone in after 2.30AM (the party lasts until 4AM). On weekends only, Birdcage is open until 5AM.

In the Old Quarter, several small clubs and bars stay open after 1AM until late, behind closed doors (to keep the police away). Temple Bar is open until 3AM. Tom's Bar until 4AM-5AM. Ball Bar 4 and Long Play (LP) until at least 5AM.

Hotels near Hanoi Nightife

You can read my article Best (Girl-Friendly) Hotels near Hanoi Nightclubs for more details about the best places to stay in the city.

If you don't have time to read it, here is a quick summary:

The best location is anywhere near the Saint Joseph Cathedral. It is walking distance from almost everything including the airport shuttle, the train station, the Hoàn Kiếm Lake, the Opera and the Old Quarter. 80% of the bars and clubs listed in this review are also within 2 kilometers.

Some of the best accommodation in this area are
→ More than $100 per night: The 5-star Apricot Hotel (home of Playboy Club)
→ Between $50 and $100: The Chi

→ Under $30: Church Legend Hotel

→ Backpacker: Chien Hostel and Hanoi Backpacker Hostel are famous for being party hostels.

Girl-Friendly hotels

Since many hotels in Hanoi are not girl-friendly (meaning they won't allow you to bring a girl to your rooms if she was not part of your initial booking), you may want to reserve a room in more open minded properties.

The chain A25 is reputed for offering short-time rooms (VND180,000 for 2 hours) and they have very reasonable prices (between $25 and $35) for an overnight stay. There are several locations near the city center such as:

A25 Hotel – Luong Ngoc Quyen (walking distance from Ha Tien bars), A25 Hotel Phan Chu Trinh (Old Quarter), A25 Hotel - Mai Hac De (further but cheaper), A25 Hotel Phan Dinh Phung (near West Lake)

Hotels with Massage/Spa ++

What's even better than a girl-friendly hotel? A girl-friendly hotel that has an in-house spa ++. For instance:

→ Fortuna Hotel ($160 per night)

→ Oasis Hotel, Baoson Hotel and Hanoi Hotel (around $80 per night)

→ Windy Hotel ($40 per night).

For a complete review about Hanoi spas, you can read my article Top 15 Massage Parlors in Hanoi.

NOTE: If you book using one of the links above, I will receive a small commission from Agoda. It does not affect the price you pay and it helps me run Jakarta100bars.

How to Meet Girls in Hanoi

Hanoi, just like Saigon, is one of the best cities in Southeast Asia to meet girls.

The first reason for that is that Vietnamese girls are keen to date foreigners, even when there is a 10-15 years age gap. They won't mind exchanging numbers or add you on Zalo (Vietnamese Whatsapp) after a short chit-chat. On the downside, many cannot speak any English and they are conservative (saving themselves for marriage). Don't expect to bring them to your hotel on the first night.

The second reason is that Hanoi seems to attract more female tourists than male ones (based on my observation). Unlike in Thailand, you won't see many hordes of single guys trying to bang anything that moves. The advantage of foreign girls is that they can be easier to approach in clubs and more liberal-minded. On the downside, many are not as pretty as Vietnamese girls (in my opinion).

Best Pick Up Spots
The best bars and clubs to pick up girls in Hanoi are the following:

To hook up with foreign girls:
- Anywhere in Ha Tien street / Beer corner area (Local, Dragonfly, Tom's Bar, Prague, Temple)
- In backpacker bars (Chien Hostel and Hanoi Backpacker Party Hostel)

For both foreign and Vietnamese girls:
- 1900 Club
- The Bank
- Hero
- Camelia

For Vietnamese girls:
- Ball Bars
- The Doors
- Vina House nightclubs: Difficult unless you can speak Vietnamese. Most girls are either hostesses or accompanying guys.

Online Dating

Online dating is your best friend for hooking up in Hanoi as long as you use the appropriate websites/apps.

Tinder: Half the profiles are Vietnamese, half are foreign. It works well if you have nice pictures of yourself and if you are a good chatter (witty, funny and fast typer). Easy to get matches but a bit superficial. Girls residing in Hanoi may not be interested if you are only staying for a few days.

Vietnam Cupid: This is the best site for those looking for a more serious relationship with a Vietnamese girl. They have 500 to 1,000 girls online at any time, most of whom are interested in meeting a foreigner for marriage. I prefer it compared to Tinder because I can use it on my laptop and have more interesting conversations. It is also the best dating sites for those who are not living in Vietnam: Girls won't mind if you are living far away as long as you're serious.

Badoo and Skout: A mix between Vietnam Cupid and Tinder, but with less available girls and more prostitutes.

Zalo, WeChat and BeeTalk: These messaging apps have a "look around" feature allowing you to add girls who are located near from you. If you can speak Vietnamese, they are a goldmine. If not, it will be more difficult.

To maximize your chances, don't rely on only one 1 app/site and don't hesitate to "cheat" by upgrading to premium membership. The cost is usually reasonable (25$ for a month in Vietnam Cupid) and it will give you the edge over the competition.

You can also read: 15 Best Online Dating Apps and Websites to Meet Asian Girls.

Hanoi Nightlife Map

There are many reasons people send money to Indonesia, but only a few ways that are cheap, easy and safe.

This article will be very useful to you if you are:

- A foreigner living abroad who supports his Indonesian girlfriend financially

- An Indonesian working abroad who needs to remit his salary in his Indonesian bank account

- An expat who wants to transfer funds to Indonesia to make a purchase (car, home) or an investment

- A traveler who lost his wallet and urgently needs money

I've written it based on my experience living in Indonesia for the past 12 years (first in Jakarta, then in Bali). I'm sure you have your own stories as well so please do not hesitate to leave a comment with your own tips.

TransferWise: Cheapest and Easiest Way to Send Money to Indonesia

You can make your own transfer simulation in just one click here

Created in 2011 by one of Skype's founders, TransferWise is a fin-tech startup that was recently declared a unicorn (more than $1 billion valuation). It is a game changer when it comes to international money transfers.

Compared with traditional banks, TransferWise does not actually transfers any money. It maintains banks accounts in key currencies in various countries. When you make a transfer request, for instance from USD to IDR, they will debit your US bank account from their US bank account and credit your Indonesian bank account from their Indonesian bank account.

Using TransferWise, the cost of sending money from abroad to Indonesia is only 1,5% of the transferred amount (minimum charge IDR14,500).

If you transfer USD1,000, it means you will only pay USD15 (+ a credit card charge depending on your bank). There are no hidden fees and they use the official exchange rate. That's at least 8 times less than what you would pay with traditional banks.

Pros:

➝ Cheapest way to send money from abroad to Indonesia

➝ As simple as it can be, just like booking a hotel room or buying stuff from any e-commerce site

➝ Less than 10 minutes needed to make the request
➝ They do not take commission on currency exchange rate (they use the official rate)

➝ You can make an accurate simulation of the cost of the transfer in a few seconds on their website

➝ They will tell you in advance when the money will be transferred and you can follow your money in real time through their app

➝ 100% transparent: They let you know how much commission they took and the exchange rate they used

Cons:

➝ Available for transfer from USD to IDR but not yet from IDR to USD
➝ Limited number of currencies you can transfer from: EUR, USD, Pound, AUD, JPY, SGD. You can check here if your home currency is accepted.

➝ You need an Indonesian bank account to transfer the money (You must know your IBAN and your SWIFT/BIC number)

➝ The transfer is not automatic and it may take from 1 to 2 days to be completed (for an Indonesian transfer)

Western Union: Only for Urgent Money Transfer to Indonesia

Unlike TransferWise, Western Union charges a fee but also takes a commission on the exchange rate

Western Union is facing tough competition but it can still be a useful way to send money to Indonesia. In particular, if you are a traveler who lost his personal belongings and need fast money, there are no better alternatives (actually, there is also MoneyGram which is similar).

I was using Western Union a lot when I didn't have an Indonesian bank account. You can pick up the money sent in cash in any of their agents locations (for instance in post offices - there are thousands in Indonesia).

The problem with Western Union is that it is expensive. If you want to transfer 1,000USD to IDR (instant transfer from an agent to an agent), it will cost you over USD80 + an hidden exchange rate fee of around IDR500,000 (as a reminder, it costs only USD15 with TransferWise).

If you transfer the money to an Indonesian bank account, it is cheaper yet still over 40$ and it takes a few days.

Pros:

➝ You can send money to Indonesia within minutes
➝ Money can be sent even if both the sender and the receiver do not have a bank account
➝ Works for virtually every country
➝ You can pay directly on Western Union's website using your credit/debit card

Cons:

➝ Very pricey if you choose fast service and to send/receive money in agent's location
➝ Hidden commission on the currency exchange rate
➝ If you send money to an agent location, you can only use the service during operation hours (close on weekends)

A Cheap Way to Avoid: Skrill iT

Skrill iT is a mix between Western Union and TransferWise

On paper, Skrill has quite many advantages. It is fast and cheaper than Western Union (about 3% from total amount Vs. up to 15%). Also, the person who receives the money does not need to have an Indonesian bank account. she can just take the money in any Alfamart in Indonesia with her ID.

However, I received a negative comment regarding their company. I decided to publish it here in case some of you would be interested in their service for a transfer:

"Hi Thibaud, I registered with Skrill, and tried to send money to Jakarta for my girlfriend. The amount was deducted from my card and appeared in "My account" in Skrill.

However, the status of the transfer appeared as "pending" at first, and then later changed to "canceled". I tried to make another transfer, which was also not delivered to the recipient.

I've sent multiple emails to the Skrill support team. Number of responses from them: Zero. I tried to contact them on Facebook & Twitter with the same result (Zero support).

Finally, I had to spend some $5 to call their London office - the guy there didn't have a clue what the problem was. When I asked how I could get my money back, he said that I needed to speak with a SENIOR manager, and it could only happen 24 hours after my initial call.

So, as of now, I'm waiting for these 24 hours to pass to call London again and "beg" the senior manager to have my money back.

Don't know how all this looks to you, but for me, it appears as a completely unprofessional business on the edge of being a scam.

Money not delivered, nobody answering emails, having to spend extra money for international calls, and I still don't know if I will ever get my money back.

Last but not least - I had a look at the Skrill reviews (which I should have done BEFORE using it) - and it's full of similar stories from other customers: money not delivered, zero support, very difficult to get your money back".

My conclusion? Just stick to TransferWise. It is rated 4.7 on the Apple Store and recommended by the Financial Times, The Economist, Wired, etc.

Other Ways to Send Money To Indonesia
Some online currency exchange companies are starting to offer international money transfer now with competitive rates. They will always be more expensive than TransferWise though. They can be useful only if you intend to send a lot of money to Indonesia (over 10,000$). The most famous companies are TorFX, HiFX or OFX. I would advise you to try the latter as it has an online simulation tool.

PayPal is cheap when you send money in the same currency to another PayPal accounts holder but for international transfer it is not worth it (when you add up the fee and the commission on the exchange rate, it costs about 80$ for 1,000$ sent).

A transfer from a foreign bank to an Indonesian bank with SWIFT is out of the question. You shouldn't even consider it. I did it once to send 200$ and I paid 40$ in fees (that's a 20% commission!).

If you know a cheaper and more convenient way than TransferWise to send money to Indonesia, please leave me a comment below. I wouldn't mind saving even more on my transfers. I'm also interested if you have tips about how to send money from Indonesia to another country.

"What are the best nightclubs in Jakarta?" is one of the questions I get asked the most by readers of Jakarta100bars.

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

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

As I mentioned in my review Jakarta Nightlife Guide 2017, almost all nightclubs in Jakarta are expensive. If you are a heavy alcohol drinker and if you are with a small group, I would advise to always buy a bottle. That way you can get a table or a sofa close from the dance-floor and also avoid the First Drink Charge, FDC (usually amounting to Rp100,000 - Rp200,000). On weekends, it is essential to book in advance.

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

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

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

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

Advertising: About Dating Indonesian Women

Foreigners can be very successful with Indonesian girls, especially within nightclubs. If you are a tourist or if you are over 40 years old, you may have more difficulties though. You should also realize that 90% of Indonesian girls will never go to a nightclub.

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

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

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

Jenja

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

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

Immigrant

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

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

Dragonfly

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

Empirica

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

Mille's (CLOSED)

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

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

Colosseum

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

X2 / Equinox

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

Fable

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

Blowfish

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

Domain

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

Golden Crown

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

Illigals (Voyeur Club)

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

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

Photo credit: Main photo Chris Seward - Other Photos from Facebook.

Many Asian girls won't admit it but they are primarily looking for foreigners when using online dating apps and websites (if they weren't, why would they write their profiles in English?).

As a European or as an American, this means you will get much interest from girls and all that will translate into an incredible number of dating opportunities. If you have 1 or 2 matches per day on Tinder in your home country, you can expect to get at least 20 or 30 per day upon landing in Asia.

All guys have a different reaction to their newfound success. Some will go on a banging spree to compensate for years of sex drought. Others will become insanely picky, rejecting girls they would have dreamed of dating just a few months back. What is certain is that all of them feel much happier with this situation.

Each country in Asia has its own challenges though. First of all, you need to know what are the best dating websites/apps in the region. You can read my guide Best Dating Apps and Websites in Asia to help you with that.

Second, you need to know the characteristics of each countries: What are the girls like? How easy is it to date them? Do they accept an important age gap? Are they conservative or open-minded? What are the best cities for online dating? Etc.

The objective of this article is to answer those questions. If you still have some interrogations after reading it, please just leave a comment below and I'll do my best to help you with them.

These are the 10 best (easiest) countries in Asia to meet girls online:

1) Indonesia

It is simple to understand why Indonesia is the best country in Asia to meet girls. It has a population of 260 million people, among which an estimated 10 million are single girls from the middle class aged between 18 and 40. Considering there are less than 10,000 single male expats living in the country, that's about 1,000 single girls per foreigner.

In a city like Jakarta, you could probably spend your entire days dating and meeting girls, and yet you would still have to pass on great opportunities due to a lack of time.

Note that the situation in Bali is different than in the rest of the country. The number of foreigners is much higher and therefore the competition is more tense.

Pros

- Indonesian girls are exotic, fun, friendly, open-minded and easy-going.

- An age gap of up to 15 years between a man and a woman is common and accepted.

- Very high ratio of available girls / foreigner

- Contrary to stereotypes, Indonesian girls are not particularly conservative, especially in the main cities (Jakarta, Surabaya, Bali)

- Bahasa Indonesia, the local language, is easy to learn

Cons

- Some girls can be a bit overly religious. I also noticed there is an increasing number of girls wearing a veil which I don't find very attractive.

- Lack of tourist activities in the main cities, huge traffic jams.

- Higher cost of living (accommodation, food, alcohol) compared to Vietnam/Thailand
- Very few foreign girls online (except in Bali)

Best Cities/Provinces:

Jakarta, Surabaya, Batam, Bali, Yogyakarta

Best Dating Apps

Tinder, IndonesianCupid, Badoo, Skout, Beetalk, WeChat, Paktor

2) Philippines

The Philippines is basically a copy of Indonesia with a Spanish/American influence and Catholicism instead of Islam as the major religion.

The country attracts more foreigners, especially Asians (Koreans, Japanese), yet it is still a great destination for single guys.

Pros

- Some of the hottest girls in Asia (some with Latin and Western features)

- Easy to get plenty of matches and dates

- English widely spoken

Cons

- Many conservative girls (Catholic)

- Most large cities are boring

- Slow internet

- American way of life = Obesity is developing rapidly and at least 20% of girls are overweight

Best Cities/Provinces

Manila, Cebu

Best Dating Apps

Tinder, FilipinoCupid, PinaLove, Badoo, Skout

3) Vietnam

Vietnam has the reputation of having the most beautiful girls in Asia, but also the most conservative (I confirm both). While it is relatively easy to get a date with a local girl, you may struggle if you want to kiss her or sleep with her. They will politely tell you that they are keeping themselves for marriage, or at least for a serious relationship.

For this reason, Vietnam is not the best country for those looking for easy one-night stands. Instead, I would recommend it to guys who are searching for a serious girlfriend or a potential wife.

Pros

- The most beautiful girls in Asia: Slim, fair skin, feminine, classy (but often surgically-enhanced with fake boobs, fake nose, etc)

- An age gap of up to 20 years between a man and a woman is acceptable

- Easy to get at least a date in coffee shops, dessert houses, etc.

- A lot of interesting things to do for tourists in Hanoi or Saigon

- A higher education level compared to Indonesia, Thailand or the Philippines

Cons

- Conservative girls who often live with their parents until marriage

- English skills sometimes poor (and Vietnamese is hard to learn)

- Character is not as easy-going and fun as Filipinas or Indonesian girls.

Best Cities/Provinces

Saigon, Hanoi, Danang, Nha Trang

Best Dating Apps

Tinder, VietnamCupid, Badoo, Zalo, Beetalk

4) Singapore

Most likely, you won't meet a Singaporean girl in Singapore. However, you'll find it relatively easy to match with European, American, Australian, Indonesian or Filipino girls.

Pros

- Lots of girls from various nationalities and backgrounds
- Many highly-educated and independent women

- An enjoyable, yet expensive city

Cons

- Dining and drinking out is pricey

- Not that many good looking girls
- High competition among foreigners

Best City

Singapore

Best Dating Apps

Tinder, Paktor, SingaporeLoveLinks, OKCupid

5) Thailand

Many foreigners assume that Thailand is great for meeting girls, but in reality the country is a disappointment.

As an expat or permanent resident, you will get plenty of opportunities with lower to middle-class girls. Rich girls may be harder to get, especially online.

As a tourist though, you will not be an interesting candidate except for older girls, prostitutes and ladyboys.

Pros

- Convenient and interesting country for foreigners and tourists (even larger cities)
- Open-minded, fun and hot girls
- Decent english skills

Cons

- High number of prostitutes and ladyboys
- A lot of competition among foreigners

Best Cities/Provinces:

Bangkok, Chiang Mai, Isaan Province (Udon Thani). Avoid Pattaya and Phuket.

Best Dating Apps

Tinder, ThaiCupid, ThaiFriendly, Badoo, Skout

6) Taiwan

Sexy Taiwanese model Jennifer

For geopolitical reasons, the country has a positive view of foreigners, especially Americans and Europeans. As a result, girls are generally easy to approach and they make fantastic girlfriends.

Pros

- A lot of very educated, English-speaking, independent girls
- Rather low competition from other foreigners
- Great country for an expatriation

Cons

- 70% of the girls look like nerds/bookworms
- The most popular apps/websites are in Chinese

Best Cities/Provinces:

Taipei, Kaohsiung

Best Dating Apps

Tinder, Paktor, Skout, I-Part (in Chinese)

7) Cambodia

Hot Cambodian model Sunisa Kim

A few years ago when I first visited Cambodia, more than half the girls on dating sites were prostitutes, ladyboys or girls trying to find a way out of poverty. Things are much better today, as the middle class is slowly growing in size.

Pros

- Friendly, fun and genuine girls
- Low competition from other foreigners (usually older guys with limited financial means)

Cons

- Still quite many prostitutes and ladyboys online
- The number of middle class girls is still limited

Best Cities/Provinces:

Phnom Penh, Siem Reap

Best Dating Apps

Tinder, Badoo, Skout, AsianDating, Beetalk

8) Malaysia

Malaysia is an interesting country for guys who can't decide if they want to date Chinese, Indian, Malay, Indonesian, Filipino or Western girls. Another advantage is that Malaysian girls are often educated and they have decent salaries.

However, I've noticed that there is only a small number of girls on datings sites and apps. Also, on average I don't find them particularly attractive.

Pros

- Girls from different nationalities and ethnicities

Cons

- Not a large choice available on dating sites

- Many conservative and religious girls
- Some girls will not date guys outside of their ethnicity

Best Cities/Provinces:

Kuala Lumpur

Best Dating Apps

Tinder, Paktor, OKCupid, MalaysianCupid, Badoo

9) Myanmar

Burmese Model Khin Coco

Burmese girls are not very active yet on dating sites and apps, but the country is popular with female tourists. For this reason, it is relatively easy to meet Western girls over there, especially in Yangon and Mandalay.

Pros

- Many desperate Western girls
- Some interesting cities to visit

Cons

- Few Burmese girls online

- Poor internet

Best Cities/Provinces:

Yangon, Mandalay

Best Dating App

Tinder

10) Laos

Laotian model Eileen Khaosanga

Lao girls can be quite pretty, but you won't find many on dating sites. Even worse, it is officially forbidden for foreigners to date Lao girls.

Pros

- Some pretty girls
- Many female tourists and backpackers

Cons

- Conservative country

Best Cities/Provinces:

Vientiane, Luang Prabang, Vang Vieng

Best Dating App

Tinder

Note
I've not tried online dating in a few additional Asian countries like South Korea, Hong Kong and China, which is why they are not in this list. My plan is to visit them before the end of 2017 so I will update this review by then.

Manilla nightlife is one of the best in Asia: Clubs and bars are crowded almost every night of the week. Pretty girls are everywhere, alcohol is cheap and foreigners are welcome.

This review will cover everything you need to know about partying in the whole Metro Manila, a huge urban area which is made of several cities including Manila, Makati, Pasay, Taguig and Quezon City.

I will answer the following questions: Why choosing Manila? Where to stay and party? What are the best clubs and bars in Manila? Where to meet Filipino girls? Where are the red light districts, massage parlours, strip clubs and gogo bars?

If you need more information or if you feel I missed something, please just leave a comment below at the end of the review.

Is Manila Recommended for Party?

I would recommend Manila nightlife for the following reasons:

- Cheap prices for alcohol, entrance fees and taxis: Even high-end nightclubs like Revel only charge a 10$ entrance with 2 strong drinks included. You can easily get yourself drunk for 30 dollars in Manila, which is the price for one cocktail in some bars in Singapore.

- Foreigner-friendly: English is spoken everywhere in Manila, even by security guards or taxis. Filipinos are open-minded and easy-going. Dress codes are almost never implemented.

- Girl-friendly hotels: There are no issues with bringing girls back to your hotel in Manila.

- Rather easy to meet pretty girls that are not prostitutes: While prostitution is big in Manila with several red light districts, you also have a great dating and flirting scene with normal local girls.

- Clubs and bars open late and every day: You can go out any night of the week in Manila, you'll always find a crowded bar or nightclub. Sunday nights can be spent in B-Side, Mondays in ZZYZX and Tuesdays in Privé. The rest of the week is busy almost everywhere. There are no real curfews: Many clubs close at 6am, a few keep going until 8am.

There are a few negative sides about Manila though. The city is still developing and you won't see the kind of sophisticated bars and clubs as you would in Singapore, Bangkok or Jakarta (except maybe for Chaos).

Hotels are usually a bit more expensive than elsewhere in Southeast Asia and their quality is average. The internet is terrible, even when advertised as being fast. During the day, you may spend a lot of time in traffic (not as much as in Jakarta anyway). There is a metro but it is packed and hot. The food is not great unless you are a fan of junk food/American food.

If you are into paid sex, be aware that Manila is rather expensive too: Bar fines can reach almost a 100$!. Finally, security is an issue but it is quite exaggerated in my opinion. As long as you stay in safe neighborhoods and use reputed taxi companies, you are not particularly at risk.

Where to Party in Manila?

Metro Manila is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world. You cannot visit everything in one night of course.

The nightlife is active in the following areas, by order of personal preference:

- Makati is the first business district in Metro Manila and it is home to many expatriates. It is the most interesting place for party because there are both high-end clubs and bars + a lively red light district. It is also centrally located with many options for hotels and apartments. Go to Makati Avenue for coffee shops/bars/clubs, P Burgos Street for gogo bars and brothels and near Havana Café in Greenbelt 3 for freelancers.

- Bonifacio Global City (BGC or The Fort) is a newer business district that currently competes with Makati. It is more modern and attracts younger Filipinos and expats. It is built on a grid, meaning it's easy to go from one place to another. It's probably the safest area in Metro Manila. Accommodation is hard to find, especially in the budget segment. Go to The Fort Strip or to The Palace for trendy bars and clubs.

- Ermita/Malate are two districts of Manila located next to each other near the Manila Bay. They attract budget travelers, backpackers, tourists and Koreans/Japanese businessmen. It is also where most government buildings are. The area can be considered a red-light district with its Korean-style karaokes and its pubs with freelance prostitutes. You also have some street prostitution and a few popular expat bars. Go to Adriatico and nearby streets.

- Quezon City is actually the most populated city in the Philippines, before Manila. It is very authentic, mostly residential, with at least 10 good nightclubs, dozens of bars and a few karaokes/massage parlours. The crowd is usually young and almost 100% local. Prices are low. There used to be a red light area with naked striptease but it was closed down by the Mayor a few years ago. You can go to Tomas Morato Avenue, Timog Avenue, Quezon City Avenue and Cubao X (for hipsters).

- Pasay/Parañaque are two municipalities located around the airport, south of Manila. It is not the most recommended area except if you are looking for sex. In particular, you have the EDSA International Entertainment Complex, a sort of smaller local version of Nana Plaza with 6 bars lined up next to each other. You also have a few bordellos and gogo bars scattered around, for instance Universe Strip Club or Air Force One KTV. Finally, this is where the mall City of Dreams is located, with its 2 luxury nightclubs (Pangaea and Chaos).

You have secondary nightlife areas like in the Ortigas Business District (Metrowalk). The ambiance there is good natured with live music and families.

Best Nightclubs in Metro Manila

I have written reviews about each nightclub in Manila and Quezon City. You can find the full articles here: Best Nightclubs in Manila and here: Best Nightclubs in Quezon City.

I list here my 11 favorites starting with the best. I usually go clubbing with 1 or 2 persons maximum so I tend to prefer when there is a dancefloor, a nice bar area and where it is easy to meet new people.

UPDATE 2017: There is a new nightclub I haven't been to called XX XX or 20 20 (in Makati). According to my friends, it is the best one in the city at the moment if you like underground music/techno. Please have a look and leave your feedback below. My next trip to Manila is only in September and I'll review it then.

1) Black Market
The current trendy club in Manila among expats and hip Filipinos. Music is anything but EDM. Lots of pretty girls but not so easy to chat with them.

2) Valkyrie
Located in The Palace in Bonifacio Global City, it is huge and modern with a great party atmosphere. If you are new in Manila, Valkyrie is my first recommendation as you can meet girls easily. It is also connected to the Pool Club and Revel.

3) Chaos
Chaos is located in the mall/casino City of Dreams. It looks neat with a perfect sound system and a high-end crowd. It is best enjoyed if you book at least a small table near the dancefloor.

4) Time
This small underground nightclub is famous for staying open until late in the morning. It has also the best DJs playing techno, minimal and electro-tech. Many expats.

5) Prime
Located in Quezon City, about 30 minutes from Makati without traffic, Prime is worth a visit if you want to experience another side of Manila nightlife: Younger, cheaper and more relaxed.

6) Revel
Revel is crowded with 30+ years old executives and expats. It could be a fantastic club but there is almost no dancefloor so unless you book a sofa, you don't really feel comfortable. It is connected to Valkyrie and The Pool Club. Easy for meeting girls.

7) Pangaea
Pangaea is the sister nightclub of Chaos in City of Dreams. It is rather intimate with a low ceiling and a NY-underground vibe (though it is a luxury place). They play mostly Rn'B.

8) Privé
Maybe the most exclusive nightclub in Manila, it is located in the Fort in BGC. You have a good crowd of expats and rich Filipinos. Some celebrities as well. They have a popular retro night every Tuesday.

9) Gramercy 71
Located on the 71st floor of the Gramercy tower in Makati, you have an indoor and an outdoor area with a nice view over Manila.

10) ZZYZX
This little club in Malate is packed every night of the week. Though targeting mostly Koreans, it is still one of my favorite places for party in Manila, especially on weekdays. You have a lot of pretty girls but 90% of them are freelance prostitutes.

11) URBN
URBN is more like a pub turned nightclub after midnight. Located next to the Fort Strip, it is considered to be a pick-up joint by many expats.

Clubs usually close around 5am-6am. If you want to keep going after that, you can go to Time, LA Café (open 24-hour with many freelance prostitutes) or Bronx (also a bar with working girls).

Best Bars in Metro Manila

You have hundreds of bars in Manila, from low-class joints in working-class neighborhoods to luxury rooftop bars in Makati.

I listed a few of them here: Best Bars in Manila.

Among my favorites, I like Cable Car, Borough, El Chupacabra and Draft. They are busy, they serve food and they get you all pumped up before party.

There are some more sophisticated venues targeting mainly expats and high-class Filipinos. The best ones are Hooch, famous for its cocktails, and Finders Keepers (next to Black Market).

Speakeasies are so trendy in Manila that it is kind of ridiculous to see so many bars having the same concept. Finders Keepers is the best. The other good ones are The Curator, ABV (Alcohol by Volume) or Blind Pig.

If you need alternative/hipster places, you can visit Today X Future and Fred's Revolucion in Quezon City (Cubao X). B-Side in Makati is great on Sundays for reggae lovers.

Manila is one of the best places in Southeast Asia for live music. You can listen to any genre in hundreds of bars, but these are the current top spots:

Rock Music: Craft, The Brewery @ The Palace, Handlebar
Oldies/Retro: Strumm's
Indie Rock/Acoustic: 12 Monkeys, Saguijo, Tomato Kick, Route 196
Jazz, World Music, Reggae: Tago, The Bar @ 1951, B-Side

Where to Meet (Normal) Filipino Girls?

Filipino girls are very friendly and they are interested in meeting with foreigners. Most are quite religious though (Catholic), and living with their families. For this reason, one night stands and hookups are not that common unless you go to the right clubs and bars.

A good idea is to download a few dating apps like Tinder, Badoo or Skout. If you are more a laptop person, you can also visit the very popular FilipinoCupid (up to 5,000 girls online in evenings). If you fill your profile with an honest, witty description and nice pictures, you should get a fair number of matches.

The big problem with those apps is that most girls are looking for expats who actually live in the Philippines (except on FilipinoCupid). If you are in Manila for a few days only, they will see you as a tourist hungry for casual sex and they hate that. Those girls might be ok to meet with you, but they will act cold and they will make you waste your time. Personally, I filter girls to meet only the ones who enjoy going to clubs and who drink alcohol. Girls who don't like those are usually uptight and still looking for their Prince Charming. Avoid at all cost unless you're looking for a wife.

If you are looking for one night stands, then clubs and bars are probably your best options. You can either invite a date from a Tinder/Badoo or find someone directly there.

If you are an expat, I would say your best chances to meet with a Filipino girl are in the following venues: Valkyrie, Chaos, Revel, Pangaea, Privé, URBN and Below (ex-Paradis). Quezon City is a bit more difficult compared to Manila nightlife because girls are not used to be approached by foreigners. You may try Guilly's there.

Gogo Bars, Striptease, Red Light Districts, Massage Parlours:

There is a lot of prostitution in Manila (though less than in the city of Angeles). For foreigners, you have 3 main red light districts:
- P Burgos Street in Makati (mostly gogo bars, massage parlours and street prostitution) - Beware, there is also a Burgos street in Manila but it's not the right one.
- EDSA Entertainment Complex in Pasay: A similar, yet cheaper alternative to Burgos
- Malate/Ermita: A mix of everything from street prostitutes, Korean KTVs, spas and freelance bars

In the past 10 years, the local governments of some municipalities have put pressure on venues owners in an attempt to curb prostitution. This can be seen in Malate/Ermita and Quezon City where most gogo bars and naughty massage parlours have shut down. Police raids are rather common in such establishments.

You also have some very local places in working class neighborhoods but for safety reasons, I would strongly advise you to avoid unless you are familiar with the city.

In the past few years, a lot of the action has moved online, particularly on WeChat. The app is full of prostitutes and escorts that are quite easy to contact using the "Look Around" feature.

Massage Plus Plus:
In terms of quality, massage parlours in Manila cannot compare with those in Bangkok or Jakarta. They are mostly disguised brothels without a real massage. You usually pay for the room a certain amount and then pay a tip to the girl depending on the service. It is rather pricey: The decent ones will cost you at least 50$.

The most high-end massage parlour in Manila is probably Flight 168, which is attached to the KTV Air Force One. Several services are included there for a price starting 90$.

The best-value massage parlours plus plus in Metro Manila are located in Quezon City on Quezon Avenue. The famous ones are Kremlin, Wilderness and Pegasus.

Nuru massage / Thai Massage / Soapy are available in Starfleet in Parañaque, not too far away from the airport.

For 24-hour massage parlour in Manila, there used to be Palacio Don Pedro in Makati but it was shut down by the police.

Many street girls will offer you massage on the streets of Burgos in Makati. The quality is usually poor.

Gogo Bars:
Gogo bars in Manila are quite similar to those you can find in Bangkok in places like Soi Cowboy or Nana Plaza. The main difference is that prices are much higher, in particular for the bar fine which can reach between 50$-80$ in Burgos street. This does not include what you pay to the girl, usually another 50$. The best ones are Kojax, Ringside Bar (a kind of blowjob bar too which features Midget Boxing) and G-String (very friendly). More venues: Best Gogo Bars in Manila.

Some of the bars have rooms where you can have sex. I'll recommend Plan B for that. Price is the same as the bar fine + tip for the girl.

EDSA Entertainment Complex has cheaper prices, but the bars are not as numerous and the quality of girls is lower.

You can also look at my list of the Best Girlie Bars in Manila where I included all the gogo bars and the venues with a high proportion of freelancers.

Stripclubs:
In terms of striptease, there is only one place that I could find with full nudity in Manila. It is called Universe and it is located in Pasay. Horizon Gentleman's VIP Club has real pole dancing shows, Las-Vegas style, but the girls don't strip naked.

Some gogo bars in Burgos street are hotter than others. In particular, Bottoms Bar where ladies' drinks can create miracles and make bras disappear.

Karaoke and Digital KTV
Popular family karaokes in Manila include CenterStage (Pasay and Makati) or the chain Music 21 (several locations).

My guess is that you are more interested in sexy karaokes with hostesses and hot lady companions. In this case, most of them are in Ermita/Malate (Korean and Japanese). You also have a few in Burgos Street (Makati), in Quezon City and around the airport.

In Ermita/Malate, you can just walk on Adriatico, Mabini, Bocobos and Remedios street and you'll see a lot of them with girls waiting outside in sexy dresses.

In general, you pay an entrance fee of 500PHP. This gives you access to free booze and food for a certain amount of time in the common area. The common area is quite similar to any bar with hostesses/bar girls except that you can sing. There might be a show sometimes (just singing). You can call the girl you like, chat with her and buy her ladies' drinks. You can also get some private time with her in a room, but this generally does not include anything sexual. The girl will usually give you her phone number and you can meet her outside for lunch or dinner. What happens next is just between you and her.

The famous ones are Room 526 (the most luxurious with the hottest girls), Subaru (but girls there are mostly interested in Japanese and Korean customers), Mysterious Lady Angel KTV Bar, Vogue KTV and Upstage.

KTVs in Malate rarely have bedrooms inside. If you want sex, you must go to other municipalities:

In Quezon City, check Classmate, Pegasus and Heartbeat.

Around the airport, the best one is Air Force One (next to the massage parlour Flight 168). You also have Liberty Island and Universe Strip Club. Other good places to check are Genie Magic KTV but it is far in Rizal municipality and East Asia KTV in Roxas. Some other names mentioned on internet are Studio 69 and Apeira but I cannot confirm if there are still open or not.

If you think I missed something in this Manila nightlife review about the best clubs and bars in the city, please leave a comment below!

Photo credit: Goks.

So you've just arrived in Tokyo? You've checked into your room and you were finally able to connect to the Wifi? Now, you must be wondering, “Where should I go for partying?” and “How to meet a nice Japanese girl”.

You are reading the right guide. I'm a French expat, single, and I have been living in Tokyo for 3 years. I will tell you where the best party districts are located, the best bars and the best nightclubs. I'll also share some tips to those of you who want to meet Japanese girls.

So let’s dive right into it! Let’s start with the most famous nightlife areas of Tokyo

Nightlife Areas - Where to Party?

Roppongi

Roppongi, 六本木, literally “six trees”, is well-known as the city’s most popular nightlife district for foreigners (or "gaijin"). If you don’t speak Japanese, this is definitely where you should go first. Japanese in Roppongi are more open-minded towards expats or tourists, and you'll have more chances to bump into English speakers.

The most famous clubs in Roppongi are Alife, V2, New Lex, Gas Panic and ELE. All of them have mostly commercial, mainstream music (Top 40, EDM, Hip-Hop).

Roppongi can be reached by the Hibiya and Oedo Subway Lines (Roppongi Station) and the Nanboku Subway Line (Roppongi-Icchome Station). Actually, it is not too expensive to sleep there, so you should really consider choosing a hotel in this area.

Most Recommended Hotels in Roppongi Near the Nightlife:

Candeo Hotels Roppongi (rated 9/10 - About 130$ per night): New hotel, comfortable, ideal position for clubbers, affordable price, near the subway.

Remm Roppongi (rated 9/10 - About 115$ per night): Conveniently located next to Roppongi station, great price, rooms a bit small.

Shibuya

Shibuya (渋谷区) is probably one of the most iconic areas of the city. Any trip to Tokyo should include a visit there, and particularly to the famous Shibuya Crossing. It’s a major commercial, shopping and business center, served by two enormous railway stations.

It is also a great nightlife area, where you'll find many of Tokyo's hippest clubs and bars. Compared with Roppongi, it is more popular among Japanese trendy youngsters.

Within Shibuya, the most popular venues are Womb (EDM, techno), Contact (Techno), Camelot (All Music), Sound Museum Vision (All Music), Atom (All Music), TK Shibuya (All Music) and Harlem (Hip Hop, Rn'B, Old School).

Most Recommended Hotel in Shibuya Near the Nightlife:

Excel Hotel Shibuya (rated 8.4/10 - About 350$ per night): Business hotel, great location in Shibuya walking distance to bars and restaurants, fantastic view from the upper floors.

Shinjuku

Shinjuku, 新宿, the world’s busiest railway station, is handling more than two million passengers every day! Try Golden Gai, a network of several alleys packed with tiny bars, each with an original style. It is packed with an alternative crowd of artists and students. The Robot Restaurant is also a must-see.

Nearby, you will find Kabukicho, Japan’s largest and wildest red light district! I will give more information about it at the end of this review.

Most Recommended Hotel in Shinjuku Near the Nightlife:

APA Hotel and Resort (rated 9.2/10 - About 100$ per night): New property, next to the red light district of Kabuchiko, low price.

Azabu

Azabu, 麻布, Tokyo’s most expensive and upscale residential district, is home to many actors, singers, businessmen, and celebrities. If you have a more refined taste, enjoy high-end venues and have deep pockets, here is where you should hang out. It's also where I like to bring dates that I want to impress.

My 10 Best Clubs and Bars in Tokyo

Contact

If you are a techno head like me, then this is where you should go to attend the best events in town. Recent famous international DJs who mixed there include Ben UFO, Pan-Pot, Laurent Garnier, Ame, and Dubfire. If these names mean anything to you, then you know what kind of club I’m talking about. It is only 100 meters from the Shibuya subway station. Prices: ¥1,500 entrance fee during the week and up to ¥4,000 for special events.

Facebook: Contact Tokyo

Womb

Also in Shibuya, this is probably the most renowned clubs in Tokyo. It is huge, with a capacity for 1,000 clubbers spread across four floors! They host daily special events, with different genres of music (Trance, EDM, Techno, Drum and Bass, Hip-Hop - mostly good quality) in each room.

Backpackers and tourists love it, and also the Japanese girls hunting them. On weekends, it is very likely that an international DJ will play there. Prices: Between ¥1,000 (with flyer, weekdays) and ¥4,000 (special DJ).

Website: Womb Tokyo

TK Shibuya

TK Shibuya (previously known as T2) is one of the most popular and largest clubs in Shibuya. It is a hit with the young EDM crowd, partly because of the cheap entrance fee and drinks. Mostly frequented by Japanese (not many foreigners), you can still have an enjoyable time as the atmosphere is friendly. The lights and the sound system are awesome! Don't miss the sexy pole dancers!

Website: TK Shibuya

AgeHa

Located about 30 minutes from Shibuya, on the artificial island of Odaiba, Ageha is Japan’s biggest nightclub. You should go there only during special events otherwise it will probably feel empty. Music is mostly EDM, with sometimes Korean pop, Hip Hop, and Techno. A free shuttle can pick you up every 30 minutes from Shibuya.

Website: AgeHa

ELE Tokyo

Located in the Roppongi area, ELE Tokyo is a very commercial nightclub with the usual EDM music, pole dancers, and bottle service. I would not recommend it normally, but I must admit girls are particularly hot there. For guys, the entrance fee varies between ¥2,000 and ¥3,000 depending on the day of the week (For ladies, it is FREE). It's better to visit with a group and order a VIP package as single guys are not treated very well. The same group also owns V2 and The Villa.

Website: ELE Tokyo

Muse

Just 10 minutes from Roppongi Station, this is a popular club among older foreigners (35+). The reason: It's rather easy to meet Japanese girls, albeit many are actually professionals. Free entrance for girls, ¥3,500 for guys with 2 drinks. The music is a mix of everything famous. Open only from Thursday to Saturday.

Website: Muse

1 OAK

1 OAK, for 1 Of A Kind, is the first Asian branch of a famous NY nightclub. It has made a reputation as the place to party for the world’s biggest celebrities and for its decadent hip-hop parties. The club is high-end, so naturally, it isn’t cheap, Expect to pay ¥4,000 on regular nights and ¥5,000 for special events.

Website: 1 OAK Tokyo

HUB

The most popular chain of English pubs in Japan (more than 52 locations!). Relaxed, unpretentious atmosphere. The HUBs in Shibuya/Roppongi/Shinjuku are the most famous branches.

What really makes them attractive are the value-for-money drinks and food. They tend to be really busy on the weekends from 8 PM to 2 AM. Perfect for meeting people over a fresh pint of beer and some chicken wings. The crowd is a fair mix of young 20–30 years old foreigners (including English teachers) and Japanese.

Website: HUB

Bridge DJ Bar Shibuya

Bridge is an intimate restaurant/bar/nightclub just around the corner of the Shibuya Crossing! It can be a bit hard to find because you need to take a lift with no clear indication of where to go. Once you get there, you will be rewarded with an awesome view of the Shibuya Crossing and a great selection of cocktails. DJs usually play deep house and electro. The crowd and staff are fairly international so no need to be a fluent Japanese speaker to have fun there. No entrance fee. A beer costs around ¥700 and a cocktail ¥1,300.

Website: Bridge Nightclub Shibuya

Gas Panic

Located in Shibuya (the Roppongi branch has closed), this bar is an institution in Tokyo. It is often called a meat-market because it is packed to the rafters with mostly horny guys (and girls, to a lesser extent). Drinks are cheap (under ¥300 before 10 PM) and music is commercial Top 40/Rn'B.

Website: Gaspanic

After Hour Nightclubs

Some late-night clubs and bars in Tokyo that stay open until morning are:

Oath
Underground style, techno music. Close at 8 AM on weekends and 5 AM during the week.

Website: Oath Bar

Odeon
In Roppongi, friendly boutique club with reasonable prices and an international crowd. All kinds of music played. Open until 11 AM.

Website: Odeon Tokyo

Prostitution in Tokyo

Prostitution in Tokyo can take many forms: Hostess bars, cabaret clubs (Kyabakura), erotic massages (soapland), karaokes and strip clubs. Among all of these, only the massage parlors officially sell sexual services. The other ones merely connect you with prostitutes, with whom you can then negotiate a price for sex. A website like Erolin can help you understand the system, from a foreign perspective.

Kabukicho, Ikebukoro and Roppongi are the most famous red-light areas of Tokyo. There, the venues are not hidden, on the contrary. As you walk on the streets, you will be given flyers by some of the staff to try to lure you in.

Generally-speaking, you should be careful before entering random places, especially if you don't speak any Japanese. You can get scammed easily, for instead by having to pay hidden fees (membership fee, joiner fees, etc). Make everything clear from the beginning, if necessary by helping you with an online translator.

If you go into a girls' bar or hostess club, you can expect to pay anything between ¥10,000 and ¥100,000. For this price, all you get is to sit in a small room and chat with a cute girl for a few hours. You may get free-flow alcohol in the cheapest ones. Otherwise, drinks can be prohibitively expensive, costing up to 10 times what you would pay in a normal club (and still, you must add a 40% service charge).

Recommended hostess clubs are those of the Chick Group, like Chick Ginza or Chick Roppongi. Bars with no English-speaking ladies will often refuse entry to foreigners.

If you want something more straightforward, then you'll have to go to a "soapland". Most are in Yoshiwara, in the northeast of the city, or in Kawasaki, in the southwest. Again, only a few accept foreigners, for instance, Makeup, Paradise, Satin Doll, Kadoebi or Chateau Petrus. The price range for 2 hours is between ¥15,000 and ¥35,000.

Strip Clubs and Gentlemen's Clubs often feature foreign girls (Russian, Southeast Asian). The famous ones are Seventh Heaven and Tantra.

Off the street, you also have a huge online escort scene that targets mainly Japanese customers. A few websites are foreigner-friendly, you can find them easily on Google. The most famous (and probably the most expensive) is the sugar daddy website Universe Club. A better and cheaper alternative, in my opinion, is SeekingArrangement.

How to Meet Japanese Girls in Tokyo

Personally, I am not a client of prostitutes. I think it is useless as it is relatively easy to meet Japanese girls and engage in actual relationships with them.

One obvious option is Tinder.

This is how I got 80% of my Japanese dates. The most positive about this dating app is that most of its users have a fair level of English. However, on the negative side, you need time to make some progress in the relationship. 2 weeks is a minimum before you can gain a girl's trust and hang out with her in real life. For tourists, you are almost guaranteed to fail using Tinder.

A good alternative, especially for guys above 30, is to plan your trip ahead using Japan Cupid. Girls on this website tend to be a bit older (25-40) and they are generally looking for foreigners who want to marry. They won't mind if you are not physically in Japan when chatting. You can subscribe to the site a month before going to Tokyo and arrange all your dates even before arriving.

Picking up Japanese girls in clubs is possible, especially in areas like Roppongi. But this will be a hard grind because even if it’s the most famous nightlife district for foreigners, English speaking girls are still not the majority. You'll need to be lucky, confident, and particularly handsome. Good luck with that. To be honest, you have more chances hitting on foreign girls than Japanese ones.

Drugs in Japan

I recommend you to avoid consuming or obtaining drugs while traveling to Japan. Drugs aren’t very common in Japan so they are expensive and hard to find. Japan also has some of the toughest drug laws in the developed world. If you get caught using and dealing drugs the sentences are arch, usually several years in prison.

While Japanese rarely take drugs, they tend to drink very heavily, often to the point of passing out.

General Tips About Tokyo Nightlife

Dress Code:
Surprisingly, it's not that strict. Still, I recommend wearing at least a pair of jeans with a collared shirt. If you have tattoos, it may be better to hide them.

ID:
You'll need to show a valid ID to enter most clubs. Photocopies are rarely accepted, but you can bring a driver's license.

In nightclubs, you need to be 20 to enter. Bars generally don't care, unless you really look 14.

Best Time to Go to Nightclubs:
Friday and Saturday from 2 AM to 5 AM. There are often discounts if you arrive before 12 AM, or on weekdays.

Prices:
They vary a lot, but overall expensive of course. Before midnight, you'll pay ¥1,000 on average for an entrance fee. After midnight, it will be from ¥2,500 to ¥4,500 for the best clubs. On special events, expect to spend even a little bit more. Girls almost always pay less (from ¥0 to ¥2,500).

A standard drink will cost you between ¥700 to ¥1,200.

Bring cash as many venues don't accept cards.

Going Around:
Forget Uber (they don't have a license to operate as they do in Europe). Taxis cost about 4-5$ per kilometer, with a 20% surcharge from 10 PM to 5 AM.

Note that most trains and buses stop working shortly after midnight. They start again in the morning around 5.30 AM, so what most people do is just party until then. You can also hang out in a McDonald's or a 24-hour internet café.

That said, I would really recommend you to choose one of the hotels I mentioned before. They are walking distance from clubs so you'll save money and time.

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The SHVR Ground Festival 2018 is the most exciting clubbing event so far this year in Jakarta. It will take place in the Allianz Eco Park, Ancol, on May 4th and 5th, 2018.

In this review, I will tell you everything you need to do about it: Which artists will attend, where to stay nearby, how to buy tickets (with discount), and how to prepare for the D-Day.

Don't hesitate to leave a comment at the end of this article if you need more information!

Artists Line Up:

The line-up confirmed for this year's event features some of the world's most famous DJs and composers on the EDM and Trance scene. There are also several up-and-coming artists, some of them that you should follow closely like the band FKJ (French Kiwi Juice).

Here are some of the names, along with videos of their most famous songs:

Alan Walker (DJ Mag No. 17 Best DJ in the World)

Nicky Romero (DJ Mag No. 50 Best DJ in the World)

Gareth Emery

Disclosure (DJ Mag No. 100 Best DJ in the World)

Rita Ora

Aly & Fila (DJ Mag No. 53 Best DJ in the World)

Dipha Barus (Indonesian DJ)

Cheat Codes

Alison Wonderland

Cash Cash

CADE

3LAU

FKJ

Apart from the names mentioned above, you also have Bondax, Gryffin, KhoMha, Standerwick X Will Atkinson, The Magician, Andre Dunant and RBA!

How to Buy Tickets?

Excited by the line-up? Then hurry to buy your tickets before the prices increase.

You can buy them online, through the website: http://www.shvr.id/shvrgroundfestival/tickets.

Several types of passes and packages are available:

2 Days Pass (General Admission) : IDR825,000

2 Days Pass (Early Entry Before 7PM): IDR650,000

2 Days Pass (General Admission) for 4 persons: IDR2,600,000 (or IDR650,000 per person)

2 Days Pass (General Admission) for 6 persons: IDR3,600,000 (or IDR600,000 per person)

2 Day Pass (VIP): IDR1,500,000 - VIP passes allow you to be much closer from the stage, in an exclusive area near the DJs.

How to get a special price?

To get a 10% discount on your ticket, please type the code SGF18xJAKARTA100BARS (valid on GA 2 DAYS PASS ticket only).

Where to Stay Nearby?

The SHVR festival will be held in Allianz Eco Park, in Ancol. This is the north of the City, not too far from the airport, but at least 45 minutes from the center.

The closer hotels from there are Aston Marina and Mercure Convention Center. They are average for their prices (around 50$ per night) and they may fill up quickly.

For better value for money, I recommend you to stay in Mangga Dua area instead, just a 5-10 minutes taxi ride to the event. There, you have plenty of street food and shopping malls (low-to-mid range). If you don't know Jakarta yet, you can spend your afternoon near Kota Tua, the city's historical quarter.

The most recommend hotels in Mangga Dua are:
Ibis Styles Mangga Dua (45$ per night) and Le Grandeur Hotel (70$ per night: An old luxury property but located just above a mall and with a rather good value for money).

You may also prefer staying closer to Jakarta's city center. In that case, I advise you the area near the shopping center Sarinah, particularly along Jalan Wahid Hasyim. You can see a list of recommended hotels here.

Preparing for the Event

Food
You cannot bring your own drinks and food. Several bars and eating joints will be available during the event.

Clothes
There is no particular dress code. However, it is recommended to bring comfortable light clothes and shoes.

Lockers
Lockers will be available if you need, for a fee.

Stages:
There will be 2 stages during the event, but the schedule for each artist has not been released yet. I will let you know about it as soon as I know more.

Age Limit
You must be 18 to enter the festival. No exceptions to the rule, an ID will be asked.

More Information:

Website: SHVR Ground Festival

Instagram: @shvr_id

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

The SHVR Ground Festival 2018 is the most exciting dance music festival so far this year in Jakarta. It will take place in the Allianz Eco Park, Ancol, on May 4th and 5th, 2018.

In this review, I will tell you everything you need to do about it: Which artists will attend, where to stay nearby, how to buy tickets (with discount), and how to prepare for the D-Day.

Don't hesitate to leave a comment at the end of this article if you need more information!

Artists Line Up:

Here are some of the names, along with videos of their most famous songs:

Alan Walker (DJ Mag No. 17 Best DJ in the World)

Nicky Romero (DJ Mag No. 50 Best DJ in the World)

Gareth Emery

Disclosure (DJ Mag No. 100 Best DJ in the World)

Rita Ora

Aly & Fila (DJ Mag No. 53 Best DJ in the World)

Dipha Barus (Indonesian DJ)

Cheat Codes

Alison Wonderland

Cash Cash

CADE

3LAU

FKJ

Apart from the names mentioned above, you also have Bondax, Gryffin, KhoMha, Standerwick X Will Atkinson, The Magician, Andre Dunant and RBA!

How to Buy Tickets?

Excited by the line-up? Then hurry to buy your tickets before the prices increase.

You can buy them online, through the website: http://www.shvr.id/shvrgroundfestival/tickets.

Several types of passes and packages are available:

2 Days Pass (General Admission) : IDR825,000

2 Days Pass (Early Entry Before 7PM): IDR650,000

2 Days Pass (General Admission) for 4 persons: IDR2,600,000 (or IDR650,000 per person)

2 Days Pass (General Admission) for 6 persons: IDR3,600,000 (or IDR600,000 per person)

2 Day Pass (VIP): IDR1,500,000 - VIP passes allow you to be much closer from the stage, in an exclusive area near the DJs.

How to get a special price?

To get a 10% discount on your ticket, please type the code SGF18xJAKARTA100BARS (valid on GA 2 DAYS PASS ticket only).

Where to Stay Nearby?

Preparing for the Event

Food
You cannot bring your own drinks and food. Several bars and eating joints will be available during the event.

Clothes
There is no particular dress code. However, it is recommended to bring comfortable light clothes and shoes.

Lockers
Lockers will be available if you need, for a fee.

Stages:
There will be 3 stages during the event, but the schedule for each artist has not been released yet. I will let you know about it as soon as I know more.

Age Limit
You must be 18 to enter the festival. No exceptions to the rule, an ID will be asked.

More Information:

Website: SHVR Ground Festival

Instagram: @shvr_id

Are you done planning out your next holiday vacation this 2018? If not yet, then you must pick the Cayman Islands as your only choice for exciting and enjoyable tourist adventures. Stunning with its wealth of wonders, Cayman Islands continue to be the home of the best restaurants and delicious food menus that you can always look forward to throughout your travel escapade in such a beautiful paradise.

If you’re more than excited to discover the perfection of the islands of Cayman, here are the best hot food stops and things to do in the place that you’ll surely enjoy for the rest of your trip.

Eating: Fantastic Places to Eat in the Cayman Islands

If you’re looking for places to eat in Cayman Islands, you can take advantage of the island’s top-notch restaurants where professional, and highly-trained chefs prepare delicious meals for breakfast, lunch and dinner as well as cakes and pastries.

1. Abacus

If you want to have a one-of-a-kind Caribbean food experience, visiting Abacus in Camana Bay, Grand Cayman can satisfy your food cravings. Designed with elegant city dining along with a tropical breeze, it’s famous for its Oxtail Spring Rolls and Grilled Octopus with chorizo. Moreover, drinks served are so refreshing as the restaurant’s mixologists shake seasonal fruits to make it. All in all, Abacus is a stylish restaurant you can spend your holiday with.

2.Calypso Grill

Calypso Grill is one of the most-loved restaurants found at the heart of the Cayman Islands. Partnered with flowing soft breezes and a full deck overlooking the scenery around it, Calypso Grill in West Bay is perfect for its delightful lunches and dinners. Food tripping will be a remarkable experience with the food stop’s fantastic views of fishing boats. At night, feelings of comfort and freshness await you at this restaurant.

3.Duke’s Seafood & Rib Shack

If you’re a seafood lover, visiting Duke’s Seafood & Rib Shack is always an excellent idea. With classic beach movies-inspired decorations, the restaurant serves Cayman’s tasty seafood. Included in their food menu is their delicious steak and ribs served in a BBQ style. Moreover, you can try Duke’s hot crawfish and fried oysters along with their signature drink called “Summer Lemonade.” In most cases, it’s a fabulous food stop for lunch and dinner. Just bring your companions with you, and you’ll surely come back for more.

4.Lobster Pot Restaurant & Wine Bar

Experience breathtaking views of the ocean with Cayman’s best, Lobster Pot Restaurant & Wine Bar. As the most popular restaurants on the island, its lobster dishes are mouth-watering. Furthermore, your food stop won’t be complete without complementing any of their succulent dishes with the wine of your choice.

5.Burger Shack

Located at Marquee Plaza in Grand Cayman, Burger Shack can be an ideal place for hanging out with family and friends throughout your trip. Its tasty gourmet burger snack is made up of 100% certified Angus beef. What’s enjoyable with this kind of meal is the idea that you can customize your own burger just the way you like it to be. If you bring your kids with you, they’ll undoubtedly be delighted with the food stop’s kid’s meals.

6.Chicken! Chicken!

Want to try a good taste of Caribbean roasted chicken? Then, you should head over to Chicken! Chicken!, a specialty chicken house found on the island of Grand Cayman. Famous for its awards, this restaurant is undoubtedly awesome for its fresh servings of vegetables and salads, soups and Cornbread served in Cayman style.

More thrilling things to do in the Cayman Islands

The Cayman Islands offer a wide array of exciting things to do during a good holiday adventure. Here’s what you can do on the island:

Explore the beauty of their beaches

Go swimming all you want and discover how beautiful Cayman Islands’ beaches are. Take a glimpse of the beaches’ crystal clear water and powdery sand. Feel the breeze as you enjoy the ambiance of the place.

Diving and snorkeling

If you’re a sea enthusiast, Cayman Islands are the best place for your diving and snorkeling adventures. Keep entertained with these activities as you continue to navigate the beautiful seas of the island.

Watersports

Apart from diving and snorkeling, Cayman Islands are also known for several water sports to try to. Paddleboarding, sailing, deep sea fishing, parasailing, and even kayaking tours are some of the thrilling water sports you can take advantage of on your holiday stay on the island.

Bicycle Ride

Perfect for a simple wandering, Cayman Islands can be appreciated more by taking a bicycle ride along the streets where you can meet the locals, witness the sophistication of the islands’ beaches and chic restaurants.

Experience the taste of Cayman Islands by visiting their refined food stops and restaurants. Moreover, you can also make the most out of your trip by letting yourself enjoy some of the island’s unforgettable things-to-do. By considering the information mentioned in this article, we hope we’ve given you the idea as to how you can make your Cayman experience extra special.

George was born in the Cayman Islands, and has a passion for writing about tourist adventures in the Cayman Islands and elsewhere. He travels a lot, and blogs to his audience about his journeys.

I was in Yangon (Myanmar) in January 2017 for two weeks. It was more than enough time for me to go to almost all the nightclubs and bars in the city.

Yangon nightlife is better than what I expected, even though it will need a few more years before it becomes travel-worthy. For now, it is still a bit rough around the edges and somewhat repetitive. I counted over 15 nightclubs, but only 3-4 that I really enjoyed. The others are either too loud, too quiet or they simply have too many prostitutes. On the plus side, I was happy to find out that they are usually open every night of the week, sometimes until late, and that Burmese are enthusiastic party-goers.

Finding information was a challenge. Most of what you'll read online about bars and clubs is outdated, inaccurate or completely irrelevant. Hopefully, this review will make it easier for you. You can help me keep it up-to-date by leaving a comment below.

Note: The Myanmar currency is the Kyat (MMK). At the time of writing: 1USD = 1,360MMK

Yangon Nightlife - Quick Summary

If you don't have time to read my whole review, below is a short summary:

Where to stay?
To be close from both the nightlife and the tourist sites, stay in the downtown area near the Sule Pagoda.

→ 5-star:
Shangri-La Hotel Sule: 200$/night - Find the cheapest price on HotelsCombined.

→ 4-star:
Best Western Chinatown Hotel (80$/night) - Check the best rate on HotelsCombined.

→ 3-star:
City Star Yangon (40$/night) - Find a lower price on HotelsCombined.

→ 2-star and dormitory
Backpacker Bed and Breakfast (10$-20$/night) - Compare rates on HotelsCombined.

→ Hotels With Nightclubs
Parkroyal (Music 5), Yangon International Hotel (Pioneer), Inya Lake Hotel (DJ's Bar, Inya Bar) and Kandawgyi Palace Hotel (The Clubhouse).

Where to party?
→ Backpackers: Go to 19th street to eat, drink beer and meet other travelers (especially Kosan bar). You can also try 7th Joint Bar. If you feel like clubbing, I recommend Channel V or Pioneer.

→ Expats living in the North: Go to Kanbawza Street for eating, to Kan Yeik Thar Street for drinking. If you are young, Fuse Club in Myanmar Plaza or BME 2 are the best. If you are older (and a guy), go to DJ's Bar.

→ Tourists/Expats with a comfortable budget: Sunset at a rooftop (Atlas, Penthouse, Yangon Yangon), dinner in Shwe Sa Bwe, Opera, Alamanda or Le Planteur. More drinks in Union, The Envoy or 50th Street. For partying, open a bottle in Clubhouse or listen to live music in Parkroyal (if you don't mind the prostitutes).

→ Single guys: If you are adventurous, go to Mingalar Mon Market (JJ). Less adventurous, try Pioneer. Even less, go to Music 5 (Park Royal) or DJ's Bar.

Where to meet normal girls?

→ Tinder: Very limited unless you want to meet tourists/expats
→ Asia Dating: Some English-speaking profiles, you can check who's online by making a free account here.
→ Badoo: Only 10 girls online
→ WeChat, BeeTalk, Line: Only if you speak Burmese
→ Best bars and nightclubs to meet Burmese girls: Fuse, Eclipse, Harry's, Channel V, The Vibe, Cuba, BME 2
→ Best bars and nightclubs to meet foreign girls: 7th Joint, Kosan, Double Happiness Bar, 50th Street
→ During day time: Myanmar Plaza Mall, Junction Mall, Sule Plaza, United Living Mall (middle class)

You can also read 10 Best Countries to Meet Asian Girls and 15 Best Online Dating Apps and Websites.

How to get around?
Unless you have a car, you can only walk or use taxis.

Taxis don't have a meter so you need to negotiate directly with the driver. Crossing Yangon from Chinatown to Inya Lake costs about 4,000MMK. Traffic jams are a big problem during the day (average speed: 10 kilometers/hour) but it gets better after 8pm.

Walking is fine for short distances, especially during the cooler months from December to February. Sidewalks are generally well-maintained. At night, it is not so safe as the streets are dark and filled with stray dogs. Burmese drive like crazy and they'd run over you just to avoid slowing down.

Travel Insurance
Dog bites, dengue fever, car accidents, food poisoning, etc... Your health is more at risk in Myanmar and the proper hospitals (International Clinic in Parami Hospital) are very expensive. Make sure you have a solid travel insurance that covers your whole trip. If you don't have one, I suggest WorldNomads. You can easily get a quotation in 1 minute: How Much Does Travel Insurance Costs? (click on "Get a Price").

Nightlife Areas in Yangon

Overview of nightlife areas in Yangon

I created the map above to give you an idea about the different nightlife areas in Yangon. I also made a more detailed Google Maps that you can see at the bottom of this article.

The 6 major nightlife areas in Yangon are the following (ranked from North to South):

1) Inya Lake Hotel Compound
Within the Inya Lake Hotel compound, there are 2 upmarket nightclubs (DJ's Bar and Inya Bar). A few hundred meters away, in Kan Yeik Thar Street, there are some less expensive bars and restaurants targeting both expats and wealthy Burmese (Brave, The Vibe, Joe's Kitchen, Spy and Escape).

2) Myanmar Plaza and Bahan
One of the poshest neighborhoods in Yangon, it is also where you'll find the trendiest nightclubs and bars. They can be found in the brand new mall Myanmar Plaza (Fuse, Eclipse, Harry's), in Kabar Aye Road (Cask 81, The West) or in Kanbawza Street (Genki Kids, PorterHouse and a few more fine dining restaurants). BME 2 nightclub is also there.

3) Kandawgyi Lake and Shwedagon Pagoda
This is not exactly a nightlife area, but you have several rooftop bars and cafés targeting tourists and locals. You can have a drink there at sunset time. Vista and The Penthouse have a beautiful view on Shwedagon Pagoda.

At night, it becomes more sketchy. On the main road, you may encounter ladyboys looking for customers. There are also luxury KTVs such as VIP and The One.

4) Yangon International Hotel Compound

This popular complex next to the Summit Parkview Hotel and the Yangon International Hotel is home to Pioneer club, Muse, Mbox Karaoke and a few more bars.

5) Mingalar Mon Market

The dodgy Mingalar Mon Market is a red-light area with KTVs, massage parlors, freelance prostitutes, short time hotels and discos. Inside high-rise buildings, you'll find the famous JJ Entertainment (the most popular among foreigners) and the more local Nasa, Channel V, 9 Floor and Asia Entertainment City.

UPDATE JUNE 2017: According to some info I've received, all the venues of Mingalar Mon Market have been closed down by the police.

6) Downtown Yangon, Chinatown (19th Street)

This is the older part of town where most tourists stay when they visit Yangon. The clubs, bars and restaurants are diverse and they are scattered around a large area. Some are popular with backpackers (part of 19th Street and particularly Kosan bar), some with Chinese visitors (Emperor KTV in City Central Plaza), some with NGO workers (7th Joint), some with Burmese (Cuba), some with businessmen (Club 5 in Parkroyal Hotel) and some with expats (50th Street Café, Union).

Best Nightclubs in Yangon

Yangon nightclubs are similar to each other, probably because they are owned and managed by just a few different individuals.

Below is a short description of each of them (you can click on the name to read my full review).

Note: Unless specified, the music is almost ALWAYS commercial EDM, especially fast-paced Top 40 remixes (old and new songs).

Fuse Nightclub (Myanmar Plaza)

Located on the rooftop of Yangon's newest mall, Fuse is easily the trendiest nightclub in the city at the moment. It has international standards, attracts a cosmopolitan crowd and welcomes guest DJs at least every two weeks. There isn't much space for dancing so it's better to book a table (and cheaper too).

→ Crowd: 85% rich Burmese (including celebrities and socialites), 15% young foreigners.
→ Prostitution: Not so obvious, but some girls are money-oriented (KTV girls who come after work).
→ Entrance fee: 20,000MMK for walk-in guests. 10,000MMK if you've already booked a table (and a bottle).
→ Open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until 3AM.

Channel V (Mingalar Mon Market)
One of my favorites in Yangon, it is perfect for those looking for a more local clubbing experience. Great atmosphere and cheap. Busy any night of the week.

→ Crowd: 99% Burmese, 1% random foreigners
→ Prostitution: Difficult to know, let's say 50% of the girls.
→ Entrance fee: 5,000MMK
→ Open every day until 2AM

Pioneer (Yangon International Hotel)
Maybe the most famous nightclub in Yangon. Crowded on most nights and not so expensive. Full of prostitutes. The DJs are better than average.

→ Crowd: 90% Burmese, 10% foreigners (tourists and expats, mostly guys)
→ Prostitution: 90% of the girls
→ Entrance fee: 10,000MMK with one beer
→ Open every day until 3AM

Club 5 (Downtown)
Live music bar and club of the 5-star Parkroyal Hotel. More expensive than average. Many freelance prostitutes.

→ Crowd: 20% rich Burmese, 80% foreigners from Europe, US, Australia and Asia (expats and businessmen)
→ Prostitution: 90% of the girls
→ Entrance fee: 12 US Dollars (16,200MMK) with a beer (free for hotel guests)
→ Open every day until 1AM

The Vibe and Brave Bar (Kan Yeik Thar Street)

Two popular hangout spots among young, upper-class Burmese. They'll normally be busy on Friday and Saturday. Hip Hop/Rn'B DJs start playing at 10PM in The Vibe. In Brave, the music is EDM. Reasonably priced.

→ Crowd: 85% Burmese, 15% foreigners

→ Prostitution: 10% or less
→ Entrance fee: Free (except when special events)
→ Open every day until 1AM (weekdays) or 3AM (weekends)

BME 2 (Bahan)
Upmarket bottle club near Inya Lake. Small but friendly crowd.

→ Crowd: 90% Burmese, 10% expats.
→ Prostitution: 20% + KTV girls/Hostesses.
→ Entrance fee: 15,000MMK with one beer.
→ Open every day until 4AM

The Club House (Kandawgyi Palace Hotel)
Modern club with international standards. Nice design. Good DJs. Unfortunately not so crowded when I visited.

→ Crowd: 80% rich Burmese, 20% foreigners.
→ Prostitution: None.
→ Entrance fee: I didn't pay any
→ Open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until 3AM (4AM on weekends)

DJ's Bar (Inya Lake Hotel)
Popular with foreigners (and prostitutes). It has 3 different areas: A beer garden with a large screen, a bar, and a small nightclub.

→ Crowd: 30% Burmese, 70% young foreigners.
→ Prostitution: At least 80% of the girls
→ Entrance fee: 10,000MMK with a beer or a glass of spirits
→ Open everyday until 4AM

Inya Bar (Inya Lake Hotel)
A nightclub walking distance from DJ's Bar. Rather small and quiet. Mid-to-upper class customers, including some working girls.

→ Crowd: 95% Burmese, 5% foreigners
→ Prostitution: I'm not sure but I would say more than 50% with some KTV girls.
→ Entrance fee: 10,000MMK with one beer
→ Open every day until 4AM

JJ Entertainment (Mingalar Mon Market)
A very famous club among expats and tourists (looking for sex). The area is dodgy but the place in itself is luxurious by Myanmar standards. Early in the night, they will have a fashion show. Two floors above they have a spa with massage plus plus.

→ Crowd: 20% Burmese, 80% foreigners (Koreans, Chinese, Japanese mostly)
→ Prostitution: Close to 100%
→ Entrance fee: 5,000MMK for men and 3,000MMK for girls with a beer
→ Open every day until 2AM.

9-Floor (Mingalar Mon Market)
Also called 9-F, it is a large, local club with a very young crowd. Not very clean, a bit too dark, but friendly.

→ Crowd: 99% Burmese, 1% foreigners.
→ Prostitution: Hard to tell... Maybe 70%?
→ Entrance fee: 4,000MMK with 2 beers in a plastic cup.
→ Open every day until 2AM

Nasa Club and KTV (Mingalar Mon Market)
Maybe the most underground nightclub I've been to in Yangon. It is like a softer version of the ecstasy discos in North Jakarta. Busy on most nights, even during weekdays.

→ Crowd: 99% Burmese, 1% young foreigners (or less).
→ Prostitution: Probably more than 70%. There is a short-time hotel in the same building.
→ Entrance fee: 5,000MMK with 1 beer.
→ Open every day until 2AM

Muse (Yangon International Hotel)
A new club targeting wealthy Burmese, but not busy unless they have special events.

→ Crowd: 95% Burmese
→ Prostitution: There were very few girls, at least half were prostitutes.
→ Entrance fee: I didn't pay
→ Open every day until 3AM

Asia Entertainment City (Mingalar Mon Market)
The largest nightlife complex in Yangon, there is a spa, a KTV, a fashion show lounge and a disco. A bit old, mostly popular with Chinese.

→ Crowd: 40% Chinese, 35% Burmese, 20% Other Asians, 5% Westerners
→ Prostitution: Close to 100%
→ Entrance fee: 5,000MMK with a beer
→ Open every day until 2AM

Emperor KTV (Chinatown)
For mysterious reasons, this brothel is popular with tourists (even Western girls). Inside, you'll find a main room with mild "fashion" shows and several karaoke rooms.

→ Crowd: 80% Asian guys (Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, Burmese), 20% Western tourists
→ Prostitution: 100%
→ Entrance fee: 5,000MMK with one beer
→ Open every day from 7PM to 12AM

J-One (Kandawgyi Lake)

When I visited, it was really empty. I think it only gets busy on specific nights. In particular, they hold LGBT friendly events and Hip Hop nights.

→ Crowd: 95% Burmese
→ Prostitution: No girls when I visited.
→ Entrance fee: 5,000MMK with a beer
→ Open every day from 9PM to 12AM.

Recommended Bars and Pubs

You can't just walk around and expect to find bars in Yangon. The city is too big and the number of bars too small.

Here are some of the most famous, by neighborhood (for the exact location you can see my Yangon nightlife map at the end of the article).

Downtown Yangon
This large area (3.5 kilometers long and 1 kilometer large) has the highest number of bars in Yangon. Some of my favorites are:

Double Happiness and Kosan Bars (19th Street)

As I mentioned before, 19th street is the busiest nightlife area in downtown Yangon. Many backpackers will hang out there every night. The best bars are Double Happiness and Kosan (both belong to the same people). Friendly and cheap (1,000MMK for a mojito, 800MMK for draught beer).

Note: Avoid the overpriced street food in the whole 19th street. Go to 18th street instead.

50th Street
It used to be the place to be among expats but it is now much quieter. Still a cozy place to drink, eat, watch sports and play pool/foosball.

7th Joint:
A small, Jamaican reggae bar with daily live music. Open mic nights on Tuesdays are very crowded. Full review: 7th Joint Yangon.

Union
Upmarket restaurant and bar, popular with expats. It was created by a group owned by an English guy who is also behind Parami Pizza and Tin Tin 118 (a tiny Mexican restaurant). Regular event such as Salsa and live music nights.

Gekko
Japanese/Korean bistro with some of the best cocktails in Yangon.

Blind Tiger
Speakeasy bar popular among expats. Serves Western and Asian food.

The Envoy
Restaurant with live Jazz every Saturday night. They have DJ events with techno, deep house and minimal every once in a while.

Fat Ox British Pub
Expat bar, they have decent pub food but the prices are high. Pool table in the back.

Cuba
Local bistro on two floors with a terrace. Very crowded at night with mostly middle class Burmese. The food portions are huge. One of my favorite places in Yangon for eating.

Hyper Pub
Similar to Cuba, it is a local bar with cheap beer and some local food.

Oriana 24
Another local pub with eclectic music, Western food and a few backpackers. In Chinatown.

Kan Yeik Thar Street
This is a good street to begin your nights out on Fridays and Saturdays (if you stay in the North). You can have dinner in Joe's Kitchen or Escape bar, then grab a beer in Brave (local crowd) and finish your night at The Vibe. The prices are reasonable.

Myanmar Plaza
The mall has several hangout spots but the best one is Harry's sports bar. You can also go to Eclipse rooftop (just next to Fuse) but it will be more expensive.

A Hard Rock Café will open there in 2017.

Kanbawza Street/Kabar Aye Road
On a 500-meter stretch of road, there are a few upmarket bars and gourmet restaurants. Expats tend to go to Genki Kids while very rich Burmese prefer the Whisky bar Cask 81.

Kandawgyi Lake
You need to pay to access the park around the lake (like 200MMK). Inside, there are several cafés, none of which really memorable. Two of the busiest when I visited were YGN Bus Café and Off the Beaten Track.

Yangon International Hotel Compound
There are several bars (P2, Alchemy Rooftop, The Cup Sports Café), coffee shops and restaurants. None are remarkable but they are interesting if you are planning to go to Pioneer later on.

Yangon Nightlife Map
I've listed all the venues mentioned in this review in the following map:

Manilla nightlife is one of the best in Asia: Clubs and bars are crowded almost every night of the week. Pretty girls are everywhere, alcohol is cheap and foreigners are welcome.

If you need more information or if you feel I missed something, please just leave a comment below at the end of the review.

Is Manila Recommended for Party?

I would recommend Manila nightlife for the following reasons:

- Foreigner-friendly: English is spoken everywhere in Manila, even by security guards or taxis. Filipinos are open-minded and easy-going. Dress codes are almost never implemented.

- Girl-friendly hotels: There are no issues with bringing girls back to your hotel in Manila.

Where to Party in Manila?

Metro Manila is one of the largest metropolitan areas in the world. You cannot visit everything in one night of course.

The nightlife is active in the following areas, by order of personal preference:

Best Nightclubs in Metro Manila

Gogo Bars, Striptease, Red Light Districts, Massage Parlours:

If you think I missed something in this Manila nightlife review about the best clubs and bars in the city, please leave a comment below!

Photo credit: Goks.

Atmosphere inside a "basement" club

Nightlife Areas + Nearby Hotels

Sexy dancers inside a basement club

Best Bars and Nightclubs in Baku

Otto

Barrel Playground

Sintetik

Hashtag Bar

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

More information: Hashtag Bar

Bukowski

Hard Rock Café

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

Best Wine Bars in Baku

Room

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

More information: Kelfi

TrulyAsian.com is a dating website aimed mostly at men looking for an Asian girlfriend or wife.

I’ve tried the service for a few weeks and this is my review of it:

What is the concept of TrulyAsian?

Unlike location-based dating apps (like Tinder), TrulyAsian allows you to fill a complete profile, along with a detailed personality test. This allows you to focus on your personality instead of your appearance.

This also means that the website is more suitable for those looking for a long-term relationship. The girls you will chat with may not be located near you so it will take some time before you can meet them in real. They know that and they understand it, which is rarely the case on the other dating apps. In those, you are often ignored if you live far away and can’t meet them immediately.

What kind of guy could be interested with TrulyAsian?

Based on the concept, I would recommend TrulyAsian to a specific target of men:

- Guys who are currently not living in Asia but who are interested to meet with an Asian girl.

- Guys who are living in smaller Asian cities with few opportunities for meeting girls

- Guys who want to be judged on their personality and not on their looks

- Guys who want to find an Asian girl with specific traits (religion, studies, etc)

What are the best features of TrulyAsian?

Compared to its competitors, TrulyAsian has some very interesting features.

Matching Percentage

My favorite one is that you can check how your profile is matching with a girls expectation (and how her profile is matching with yours). For that, you just need to click on “Match” in any members’ profile and you’ll get the following:

Click to see more

As you can see, I get to know exactly what this girl is looking for and what my chances are to interest her. Above, the match percentage is 64.29%, which is average.

Personality test:

Another feature I like is the personality test. It gives you the opportunity to know more about the character of the girl you are talking to: Is she an extrovert/introvert? Is she open-minded/conservative? Is she organized/messy? Etc.

The summary looks like this:

If you are not familiar with psychology, don’t worry as there are explanations available for members.

Search function:

You can also search for specific persons based on criteria like age, country of residence, body type, religion and ethnicity.

You don’t have to fill each criterion, but only the ones you care about.

Translation:

If the girl you want to talk to is not an English-speaker, you will love this tool.

Each user can just click on “Translate” under each message, and it will automatically translate it into English (or any other language you want).

Video Chat:

This feature, only for members, allows you to make a video call with a girl. This is a perfect way to check if the pictures and the profile are real.

You can see the detailed list of their features here: TrulyAsian Features.

How much does it cost?

Most of the features are free of charge, even though some are premium (unlimited messaging, incognito mode, detailed personality tests, translation, video calls, etc.). A premium offer will cost you a reasonable 2.95USD for the first 7 days, which is enough time to decide whether you want to become a monthly subscriber.

How are the girls on TrulyAsian?

First of all, like any other dating site, be aware that there are some scammers. Typically, they will have beautiful photos, they will message you first and they will ask you to move to another app (like Kik, or Skype, or another site).

If they do, just report them immediately. I had two “fake” profiles talking to me like that and the webmasters removed their account within 5 minutes.

As long as you stay smart, you won’t be bothered. The fact is, there are thousands of real girls available, a majority of which are Filipinas and Indonesian. Many of the ones I talked to are from the middle-class, usually employees, and they want to get married to a foreigner. There are many reasons for that: They can be divorcees, single moms, or simply independent women interested to live abroad and to improve their conditions. None was looking to hook-up or for a one-night stand.

Conclusion:

If you are looking to meet an Asian girl for a serious relationship, you may want to try TrulyAsian. I advise you to take the 7-day subscription for $2.95 as a starter, to test the site’s features and to see if you fancy any of the members.

I previously wrote about the best areas to in Jakarta for tourists. You may want to read this article as well to get a first introduction to the city's neighborhoods.

I wouldn't say that there isn't one best place to live in Jakarta, as the criteria for each person will be different.

The most important factor when deciding where to stay should be the distance between your home and your work or, if you have children, between your home and their school.

This means your choice will probably be limited to a few options, knowing that each kilometer will cost you 10 more minutes sitting in traffic every day.

With that in mind, here are three of Jakarta's best neighborhoods for expats, in no particular order:

Kemang

It is not an actual district of Jakarta, but the name given to the area near the streets Jalan Kemang Raya and Jalan Kemang.

Various factors have made this neighborhood one of the most popular among expatriates in Jakarta: Its proximity to famous international schools (NZ, Australia), its village vibe (it is called the Seminyak of Jakarta), a tight and active expat community, a large choice of Western restaurants, a good nightlife, and a great offer of luxury villas and condominiums. It is also relatively easy to buy imported food there (for instance in Kem's Chicks) and to find house staff that speaks English.

The construction of Kemang Village in 2013 has made the neighborhood even more attractive (increase in the number of apartments available, more shops and restaurant). Some long-term expats will argue that Kemang has lost its soul but that's another debate...

Not everything in Kemang is ideal, though. The first problem of this area is that there are often traffic jams, and especially after work (5 PM to 8 PM). If you work in the Central Business District, it is not rare to need more than 1 hour to go back home. The situation is even worse on Friday nights.

Also, Kemang has frequently been hit by floods (the latest on May 2018) and this is likely to happen again. If you rent a house there, it can be a smart thing to ask your neighbors if it has ever been flooded.

Pros:

- Great social life with plenty of bars, restaurants, expat clubs, etc.

- A high density of expats, especially in villas and in apartments like The Mansion.

- Mostly a low-rise neighborhood

- Rich area but with some Indonesian features (street food, village life, etc).
- Moderate prices compared with Menteng, Senopati, Kebayoran Baru, SCBD, Pondok Indah

Cons:

- Traffic jams are permanent, especially on Friday night
- Poor quality of the sidewalk

- Floods happen almost every year

If you like Kemang, you may also be interested in:

Cipete:

This area, south of Kemang, has a more local feel. It is a favorite among French people, especially around Jalan Cipete Raya, because it is near the Lycée Français (French high school). It is cheaper than Kemang, more laid-back, but you also have fewer attractions and fewer luxury villas.

Cilandak:

This is a large district, south of Cipete, which is popular with the local middle class and some expat families. It is mostly clean and low-rise, with a typical Indonesian atmosphere. The areas near Jalan TB Simatupang, near Pondok Indah and near the Jakarta Intercultural School are expensive, but elsewhere it is relatively affordable. The location is far from the CBD so it is more suitable for those working in South Jakarta.

Mega Kuningan

Close to the Central Business District, Mega Kuningan is a planned neighborhood that consists of just 2 concentric roads, all built with towers (offices, luxury hotels, apartments). It is one of the rare areas in Jakarta where you can walk around, thanks to relatively well-maintained sidewalks (and thanks to the palm trees for the shade). It doesn't look at all like the rest of Jakarta, but rather like a modern metropolis like Singapore.

As I wrote before, Mega Kuningan nightlife is particularly active, and logically this is a great location for single expats or young couples with no kids. You can hop between bars/restaurants easily, for instance between Loewy, Flow, McGettigan's, Cazbar, Master's and Basque. These are always crowded with expats and excellent for meeting people.

The area lacks a proper luxury shopping center, but you can still go rather easily to Lotte Avenue or Pacific Place (less than 10 minutes for both). There is also the Bellagio Boutique Mall for groceries and alcohol.

Living in Mega Kuningan means living in a condominium. The price range varies from midrange (USD800 per month in Bellagio) to luxury (USD4,500 per month in Oakwood or Ritz-Carlton). A website like Jendela360.com can be helpful to find an apartment to rent.

Some houses are available a bit further away, in Kuningan, with usually high prices. Unsurprisingly, most of them are owned by foreign embassies and consulates.

Pros:

- Modern, relatively clean, proper sidewalks, possibility to walk around
- Many bars, cafés and restaurants targeting expats
- Supermarkets with expat products
- Near many embassies and offices

- Good offer of luxury condominiums and serviced apartments

Cons:

- The massive traffic jams outside of Mega Kuningan make it difficult to enter or exit the area.
- No "Indonesian life": It is the same as living in a gated community. In particular, no street food.
- Mostly expensive prices

If you like Mega Kuningan, you may also be interested in:

SCBD:

This area is very similar to Mega Kuningan, only slightly more expensive and with fewer expatriates. It is also great for nightlife. Ideal if your office is in the south of Jalan Sudirman or in Senayan.

Taman Rasuna/Thamrin Residence/Sudirman Park/Taman Sari Semanggi:

These apartment complexes have a good location in the CBD, but rather affordable prices. They are popular with expats who don't have a high salary.

Setiabudi:

This area between Jalan Sudirman and Jalan Rasuna Said is still developing. You have a mix of low-rise, low-income accommodation and high-rise, high-income apartments (Setiabudi Sky Garden, Ambassade Residence). It's one of my favorite locations in Jakarta as it is in the heart of the city center yet it has preserved a certain authenticity.

Pondok Indah

Again, Pondok Indah is not a district, but a name used to designate an area between Pondok Indah Mall and Jalan TB Simatupang. Its main draws are the Pondok Indah Mall, the Pondok Indah Golf Course, and its proximity to the Jakarta Intercultural School campuses.

This is a very wealthy area where residents are a mix of foreigners and Indonesians ("new money" while Menteng is "old money"). It used to be called the Beverly Hills of Jakarta and, in the 1990s, there was even a sitcom called Pondok Indah 1 modeled after Beverly Hills 90210.

The whole Pondok Indah has been planned in the 70s/80s by private investors like Ciputra. For this reason, there is nothing authentic about this neighborhood. Living there is the closest you'll be from living in a gated community in Jakarta.

While some may not like being disconnected from normal Indonesian life, others will enjoy the quietness. Traffic is generally low and the streets well-maintained. This means you can walk around with your kids or even go for a jog.

The Pondok Indah Mall is the best one around. It includes a cinema, several supermarkets, lots of boutiques, and some reputed restaurants. There is a small nightlife targeting expatriates as well, especially in the bar De Hooi.

Houses in Pondok Indah can be ridiculously massive and tacky. Overall, most of them will cost between USD3,000 and USD5,000 per month to rent.

Pros:

- Quiet and safe area
- Fairly good location if you have kids and if you work in South Jakarta

- High-quality neighborhood

- Less pollution
- 50 minutes to the airport
- Many international schools nearby

Cons:

- Boring neighborhood for single guys, far from the CBD
- Expensive prices
- Not authentic

If you like Pondok Indah, you may also be interested in:

Kebayoran Baru:

This large district holds various neighborhoods, from the rich Senopati to the middle-class Blok M. Generally speaking, the areas directly south of Senayan and the ones around Dharmawangsa Square are popular among the upper class. Many expats, especially Japanese and Koreans choose to live there. The location is convenient as it is close to the CBD, from malls, from restaurants, from international schools. It is also less polluted and the traffic is reasonable. You can choose between luxury houses and apartments (Pakubuwono View, Pakubuwono Signature, Botanica, etc).

Menteng:

It is one of the richest and most livable areas in Jakarta, especially near Taman Menteng or Taman Suropati. Many of Indonesia's richest families live there, especially those involved with politics or government affairs. Famously, the Soeharto family has a house on Jalan Cendana (and therefore, they are referred to as the Cendana clan). Most of the accommodation consists of large houses, in relatively quiet streets shaded. Swimming pools are not as common as in the South. Menteng is a good neighborhood for older expats who don't have kids.

Menteng (Cikini) - From Menteng Park Apartments

How about North / West / East Jakarta?

Since there aren't many office buildings in North, West and East Jakarta, the expat communities there are relatively small.

That said, some areas are worth considering if you want to save money on your accommodation. My two favorite are:

Kelapa Gading:

It is an interesting option if you work in the north of the City. This is a planned neighborhood with wide streets and plenty of diverse accommodation, from affordable apartments to high-end housing complexes. There are many large malls, restaurants, hospitals and schools, including a few international ones. Many of its residents are Indonesian Chinese. The main issue is that it is quite far from the CBD, about 45 minutes by car.

Kebon Jeruk:

In this growing residential area, you can find some reasonably-priced apartments, for instance in Royal Garden Mediterania, less than 40 minutes away from both the airport and the Central Business District.

Overview of the All the Neighborhoods Mentioned in this Article

Update July 2018:
Illigals just changed its name to 108 The New Atmosphere. I haven't visited yet as I'm not in Indonesia at the moment. I will write about it around August/September. From what I've heard, it's pretty much the same as before. I think the change is only a way for Illigals to keep a lower profile.

Until I review 108 Club, you can read my old review of Illigals:

Illigals Hotel and Club is the new BIG one stop entertainment venue in Jakarta, and it replaces the old 1001, which used to be one of North Jakarta's most crazy place (the "sashimi sex" night club in the book Jakarta Underground).

To have it name Illigals is somehow a huge provocation and a sign that some people in Indonesia can do pretty much anything they want. I don't know who the owner of Illigals is, but I can imagine he is very well protected. The owner of 1001 also has Mille's and Millennium, that also have quite a reputation for being ecstasy factories + giant prostitution centers.

The days after the opening at the end of 2010 were slow, but now things are starting to move: Happening parties are being organized every weekend and they are crowded.

First floor: Illigal has a night club, bar and lounge, not too big, and with no real dancefloor. People sit by groups in big sofas around tables.

Second floor: Karaoke rooms, restaurant and billiard, with local "Lady Companion" (LC) (another name for prostitutes actually).

Third floor: Karaoke rooms with "foreign LC".

Fourth floor: Luxurious spa with huge swimming pool

Fifth floor: 100 hotel bedrooms

As you can see, the activities in Illigals are completely illegal in Indonesia, and nobody seems to worry about it. It's funny to think that at the same time, Ariel from Peter Pan is in jail for porn outrage following its leaked sex tape.. How hypocritical!

There is no doubt Illigals will now compete with Alexis and Malioboro in becoming one of Jakarta's hottest nightlife spots. They are planning to have sexy dancer shows and all that stuff, typical of night clubs in North Jakarta. If you go there, please comment or send me an update.

For more information, you can check Illigals facebook fanpage here: or follow them on twitter: @illigalsjakarta

Update April 2011:
I saw that Illigals organizes some gay events on Sundays (see flyer below). I don't know yet if it is a regular event each Sunday.

Update July 2011:

There was a special event in Illigals with a German DJ, Phuture Traxx, and I shot this video:

Contact details:
Illigals Hotel & Club
Jl.Hayam Wuruk no.108
Jakarta Barat, 111620
Tel: +62-21 626 - 4567

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108 Club (Previously known as Illigals Hotel & Club)