Bachelor Party in Jakarta

This guide will give you insider's tips and recommendations to help you prepare a memorable bachelor party (or bachelorette) in Jakarta with your friends.

I will answer all the questions you may have about the best clubs to visit, how to get around in the city, which hotels to choose, how to meet Indonesian girls and how to stay safe.

If there is anything else you would like to know, please write a comment or send me an email thibaud@jakarta100bars.com.

Really, why Jakarta?

Jakarta is not as popular as Bangkok or Manila for bachelor parties, probably because the city has a poor reputation: Endless traffic jams, pollution, chaos, underdevelopment and very few tourist attractions.

All of the above are true. Jakarta is a mad city, yet it has a few advantages compared to other Asian capitals:

- It is not difficult to mix with Indonesians, guys and girls. Indonesians usually speak good English and are friendly. In particular, if you come for party, you can expect meeting girls easily in clubs or through online dating apps.

- Endless nightlife options, all relatively safe to visit. You have a mix of posh clubs and more local venues where you won't feel uncomfortable even if you are the only foreigners there.

- Nightlife curfews are usually ignored, meaning you can keep on partying until early morning.

- No difficulties to enter clubs with large groups of male.

- There are few foreigners staying in Jakarta compared to Bangkok. For this reason, being a "bule" (white person) can be an advantage, especially with girls.

Is it smart to organize a bachelor party in a Muslim country?

You may also wonder if it is a good idea to organize a weekend of debauchery in the capital of a Muslim country.

As of 2015, many middle-class Jakartans follow a moderate version of Islam and they don't mind drinking a bit of alcohol, having sex before marriage and even eating pork once in a while.
That's not the majority of the population, but that's enough to have all nightclubs packed on Fridays and Saturdays. Most Indonesian-Chinese are protestants or catholics so they amount for a large percentage of clubbers in the city too.

Indonesia is becoming more and more religious though. I think that a ban on nightlife activities and alcohol in Jakarta is very likely to happen in the coming years (I'll write about that in the near future). One more reason to enjoy it while it lasts!

How much will I spend on a 2-night weekend bachelor party in Jakarta?

Jakarta is more expensive than Bangkok. For a decent night out, you must spend at least 150$ per day (excluding the hotel). If you plan to go to the top luxury karaokes and massage parlours in the city, then it will cost even more (up to 500$ per day).

The big problem is that alcohol is heavily taxed and it's hard to get a cocktail for less than 10$.

If you cannot spend that kind of money, I advise you to go somewhere else. Try Vietnam: Saigon Nightlife.

Recommendations to make sure your stag party goes well:

Keep the party in the clubs. Don't show that you are drunk in public space. The country is Muslim and even though Indonesians are easy going, you don't want to offend anybody. Local media love running stories about disrespectful foreigners. If you don't want to make national news, you should understand that and be smart, even when you are drunk.

Do not visit during a religious holidays (Ramadan, Idul Adha). On National Day (August 17th) and at Christmas/New Year, Jakarta is more quiet than usual. It is better to enjoy Bali nightlife during that time. It is also best to avoid Jakarta during the peak of the rainy season (January-February). Jakarta can be flooded during this time, making transport more difficult from one point to the other.

Since Jakarta can be intimidating, it is best if a local expat help you organize or if you can come to scout the city beforehand.

You need to make sure that your hotel is located in the center of the city and close from Sudirman street. Jalan Sudirman is the backbone of Jakarta, it is connected to almost all the important streets and buildings you'll need to go to. 

For this reason, I would recommend one of the following (please book through Agoda, I get a small commission out of it):

Grand Hyatt Hotel: It is connected to Plaza Indonesia mall, in which you have the Immigrant nightclub, the Dreams lounge and Cloud rooftop bar.

Kempinski: It is connected to Grand Indonesia with several popular bars like Paulaner Brauhaus, Social House or Skye.

The Mandarin Oriental and the Pullman Thamrin are good as well and they were renovated just a few years ago.

The Mulia Hotel and the Shangri La are not as centrally-located but they have very busy bars with lots of working girls. It can also be an option.

There are several Accor properties in Jakarta which are relatively new. Mercure Sabang is located in the center. Novotel Gajah Mada is quite up north but it is interesting if you just want to party in that area.

Other central choices: Check the hotels in those locations - Plaza Indonesia, Mega Kuningan, Rasuna Said, Plaza Senayan.

If you are wondering if your hotel is girl-friendly or not, you don't have to worry. Almost all hotels in Jakarta are except small family guesthouses.

Best luxury apartments starting 100$ per night per person:

A great way to enjoy your bachelor party is to rent an apartment during your stay. The cost for a 3-bedroom all-inclusive apartment is not that high if you split the bill.

The apartment makes it easy to buy and store booze, and it is a comfy place for starting the party.

I recommend you to check the following, all located in central locations:

How to get around in Jakarta?

Considering you might spend a lot of time in traffic jams, your transportation choices are crucial. I strongly recommend renting a minibus or minivan to get around in the city. The price is reasonable and it will assure you continuous fun throughout the weekend.

You can rent a isuzu for instance and pack it with beer and music. The price is about 90$ per day including the driver, cheaper than paying several taxis each time you want to go somewhere.

I used the services of 911 Rental several times and it was always a great experience. You can also try Jakarta Rent Bus. Make sure to explain to the driver that you are planning on partying in the bus to avoid any troubles.

You can also rent a party bus from Royale VIP Party Bus. It is a bus specially made for bachelor parties. You can contact Dhandy 0856 64226056 or email them at royalevipbus@gmail.com.

Inside the Royale VIP Bus - Special for Bachelorette and Bachelor Parties

Finally, if you choose to go with taxis, just remember to negotiate the meter in advance. I use Blue Bird and Express but other brands are fine too. The dangers of taxi is overrated in my opinion. If you go inside a "bad" taxi, your only risk is to lose a 5$ or to do a few extra kilometers.