I will be in Surabaya for three nights the end of November, and I would like to find a hotel that is central to the action.

I will be sampling Dolly, the discos, the various brothels around town, and maybe take a trip to tretes and/or tandes...definitely a full agenda.

I need high speed internet connections for a Vonage (VIOP) Laptop phone for business.

I need the hotel to be girlfriendlly, which doesn't seem to be an issue, even for 5 star hotels, based on what I have read of the reports on various boards.

I need a hotel that is less than $60 a night, and preferably one that is significantly cheaper than that, with high speed internet, and reasonable accomodations, at least to the standard of a Hampton Inn, or a Comfort Inn or something. Just decent accomodations...it doesn't have to be real fancy, but it does need to be clean, and have high speed internet connections.

I've done some research, and I'm considering staying at the Garden Palace Hotel, Jl. Yos Sudarso 11, Surabaya 60271 Indonesia. Anybody have any direct experience staying at this hotel? High Speed Internet? Girl Friendly? Good Location? etc...

I'm open to suggestions for alternatives, and appreciate the help. Thanks in advance.

As we discussed last week, I think much of Indonesia is the black hole of the internet. Good luck in finding it, though...

JW Marriott supposedly has high speed interent in the rooms. You can probably find it for 70-75 night. I don't have any special info, but I do know that the internet chokes up all over Java during normal business hours. Also, I wouldn't expect a whole lot of english speaking in Surabaya.

Just back from Surabaya. The hotel situation is good but at my hotel when I ask where there was internet I completely stumped the otherwise very professional staff. I'd try the 5*'s. All are well located because the taxi situation is very good and it won't be more than $1-$2 on the meter to Dolly from any of them. No problems with taxies there which is almost unprecedented for any location. All ran the meter without asking and none tried any kind of funny business. Blue Bird taxies are plentiful but others were fine for me too. Hyatt is a 5* at $65 on Hyatt.com and is the same price at KAHA so I would just book online. There is supposed to be a good disco at Hyatt too but I only checked out 2 other discos. Marriott, Shangrala, et al would be good locations too. There are good old old fashioned street walkers on a block down the street a ways from Shangrala. You will use taxies allot so don't sweat location to much. All my taxi experiences were positive.

I stayed at Sahid since Hyatt where I planned to stay was all booked up. It is a good cheap option. $21 a night, 3*(slightly run down older 4* so it looses a star), a few easily walkable blocks from a very nice large modern mall and the best FL disco in town. No internet anywhere around there though. MANY other good hotel options as well.

sancho-- thanks for the hotel intel. I assume in-room broadband widely available in-room except at Sahid?

Now how bout some sordid tales of sura pussy hunting !

I stayed at the Hyatt in July. Good hotel, some of the staff spoke English, it was about $50/night (I think through KAHA), but we checked in under my Indonesian (now ex-) GF's name for a lower rate. That was a problem, since I didn't know her last name, and we were separated a few times when I had to identify myself. Fortunately, the desk clerk recognized the bule who didn't know his "wife's" name.

The restaurant had a very interesting treat: I was starving for a steak after a month eating Filipino and Indo food, so I ordered one. It came raw, on a stone so hot it cooked the meat. You sliced off a piece, laid it on the stone, and cooked it to your personal degree of perfection. Very nice (expensive, of course).

Japan is another good location for "stone-cooked" beef, but if you think it was expensive in Indo . . . .

was about $50/night (I think through KAHA), but we checked in under my Indonesian (now ex-) GF's name for a lower rate.

KAHA had 45k Rupia rates for the Hyatt IF you could produce an Indonesian ID card. Only have a passport? USD$66, just the same as Hyatt.com. Sahid was also the same price 21k from KAHA or on walk in.

Sahid is very near and walkable to Surabaya Plaza mall and Kohloon (sp?) disco. Next to "the submarine" if that counts as a land mark.

I wish I knew what mall it was we went to, I didn't get the name--not far down the street (I think) from the Hyatt.

Sancho, I am EAGERLY awaiting your report, with details about, like, "the submarine," which may or may not have mongering relevance, and Kohloon disco, which I'm sure does.

Spent 2 nigths (incl New Years) in Surabaya and will return 2night. Thanks to Sancho for all his tips. I actually like SUB, but more the discos than Dollys. Maybe it's just the time I went, but Dollys had lots of girls but only a handful that I would do (similar to what Murasaki saw). However, there were more SYT (Sweet Young Things) at the discos this time of year than you can possibly imagine. The disco girls seemed a bit more agressive than in JKT, they came up to you and struck up a convesation or touched your stomach or butt as you passed by :-) I liked Station disco and Kowloon disco the best. Typical Indo disco, music is way too loud and everyone is on E, espec. the freelancers.

New years was a neat but horrendous traffic w/bands of mopeds cruising blowing their horns and causing traffic tie-ups. I definitely heard some occassiona celebratory gunfire as well. Lots of bottle rockets and fireworks so be careful.

I actually prefer JKT and believe JKT has more consistently good looking girls everywhere and a much more varied p4p scene.


(Message edited by merlin on January 02, 2006)

I am on my way to Surabaya in late February/early March. I expect to visit Dolly's and the discos. I have been to Indonesia before but this is my first visit to Surabaya. If anyone has any up to date information let me know.

Spent a good amount time there about 2 mos ago. Did a recent TR re: Surabaya and Tretes. Dolly is a large area and there are certain houses in the alleys away from the main drag with some cuties buty they charge a whopping $13U.S. vs. the $7-$9 avg. There are also many gals that don't sit by the windows as there is only a finite amount of sofa space. Ask the papasan for his most "chantik" gal.

In January 2014, 189 girls (out of a population of 1080) working in Dolly were diagnosed with HIV. This reflects on poor condom use and authorities are also unsure when the girls contracted HIV.

Play safe and wrap it up guys. HIV can ruin your day very badly.

Where did you see this reported? That's an extremely high ratio, percentage-wise.

Found this article. Google does a nice job of translation.

Appears the numbers are from the Department of Health in Surabaya.

Last year supposedly the number was 10% of Dolly workers were HIV positive. Now that appears to be over 17%.

http://www.pontianakpost.com/nasional/12687-hati-hati-189-psk-hiv-masih-kerja-di-dolly.html

Here is another article. This one mentions syringes and drug use among the ladies.

http://www.sumeks.co.id/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=32919:mucikari-biarkan-psk-hivaids-layani-tamu&catid=60:news-update&Itemid=134

Given that the government in Surabaya has been trying to shut down Dolly, I wouldn't be at all surprised if those numbers are being inflated to give them cover to do what they want.

Haven't been hanging around there for a few years but when I used to go there semi regularly, smoking meth was far and away the favored drug habit amongest the Dolly dope fiend ladies. Never personally heard of or saw any hint of any needle usage as part of any drug habit. Heard of and saw a huge amount of meth smoking going on along with an occasional ekstasy tablet here and there.