I was in Jakarta:
October 24 - November 5 (13 nights)
Statistics
During my 13-day stay in Jakarta, I had:
ST: 15
LT: 3
Girls: 18
Kota Bars
Overview
Bintang Mawar (2 visits; No STs)
Hotel Travel (2 visits; 1 ST)
LA Bar (3 visits; 2 STs)
MTR (3 visits; 2 STs)
Royal (2 visits; 2 STs)
Sari Ayu (4 visits; 3 STs)
Siera: (3 visits; 2 STs)
Stadium (6 visits; 3 STs)
TC (2 visits; No STs)
Bintang Mawar
Directions
Bintang Mawar is on a side street off Jalan Mangga Besar. Coming from Jalan Hayam Wuruk, turn left just before Lokasari Plaza. Bintang Mawar is on the left hand side; Siera is just across the street.
Observations
I was introduced to Bintang Mawar by MongerX. I spotted quite a few cuties on my first visit. When I went back after 10 PM, the selection wasn’t nearly as good as earlier that day.
According to MongerX, the best time to visit is around 4 PM. Most of the freelancers are gone by 10 PM.
The room costs 70.000 IDR. The girl will set you back 180.000 – 200.000 IDR. The freelancers are also available for take-out. LT prices are negotiable.
Verdict
I never made it back to Bintang Mawar after that first day. MongerX describing the place as “very Chinese” was instrumental to that decision. But Blik had a good experience in Bintang Mawar and Socrates was able to negotiate great LT deals. The fact that many of the girls are freelancers is a definite plus. Worth checking out!
Hotel Travel
Directions
Address: Jalan Mangga Besar VIII / 21
Coming from Jalan Hayam Wuruk, walk along the right hand side of Jalan Mangga Besar. Walk past Lokasari Plaza (opposite side of the road) until you see the Hotel Astika (same side of the street), then take the next right. Hotel Travel is on the left hand side of the street.
Observations
When you enter Hotel Travel, you’ll be given a bracelet, just like in a Rio termas. When you leave, you’ll get a detailed bill (drinks & girls).
A ST costs 285.000 IDR, itemized as:
- Room: 150.000 IDR
- Add Level 4: 125.000 IDR (Girl
) - Condom: 10.000 IDR
Hotel Travel has 2 viewing rooms, harboring the biggest and best selection in town. Nevertheless, it’s my least favorite bar. The atmosphere is totally clinical. The couches may be littered with perfect specimens, but they’re likely to run for their life when they spot a bule eyeing them up. Unlike any other Kota bar, the girls do not have the right to turn a customer down.
During my Ramadan visit, Hotel Travel was the only place open during the daytime. In a town where the service is generally great, 3 out of 5 girls were basically starfish. Socrates also said that Hotel Travel is the place where you’re most likely to be disappointed with the service.
The old rooms have mirrors on the ceiling. The new rooms are larger and have brown ceilings. All 3 rooms I visited had faulty A/C.
Verdict
Hotel Travel is so sterile, it makes me feel ill-at-ease. But if you’re into pretty starfish, their awesome selection makes it the place to go.
Pen J Bars
Directions
Address: Jalan Pangaran Jayakarta 45
This looks like any old address, but it actually refers to a U-shaped block, including two whole streets – Indonesian addresses are weird!
Coming from Jalan Hayam Wuruk, walk along the left hand side of Jalan Pangaran Jayakarta until you see a sign saying “New PH – Hot Stone Massage”. Take the first street on the left after that sign.
The little cluster of bars on this street is often referred to as the Pen J (or PenJay) bars. LA Bar is on the left hand side of the street. Sari Ayu is across the road. Royal is next to Sari Ayu. MTR is on the stretch connecting both streets forming the U-shaped block.
Observations
The 4 Pen J bars were made from the same mold, so I’ll review them together.
As soon as you sit down, the mamasan will start pushing girls into your lap... until you bite. To get a view of the complete selection, venture to the back. While the bar is pretty dark, the viewing room allows you to see the girls under bright white lights.
A ST costs 230.000 IDR in all 4 bars. Royal has 2 prices; the “stars” will set you back 260.000 IDR. Both my girls fell in that category. I must have expensive taste!
The Pen J bars have a beauty shop on-site. The standard of make-up and hair is the highest in town. Some girls change their look on a daily basis. In many ways, Pen J feels like a miniature version of Soi 6.
The rooms in the Pen J bars are of a similar standard. They all feature en-suite facilities and have mirrors on the wall. The A/C works well.
Verdict
9 out of my 15 STs were in the Pen J bars. Apart from one disappointing experience, all the girls were absolutely wonderful. Pen J totally rocks!
Siera
Directions
Siera is on a side street off Jalan Mangga Besar. Coming from Jalan Hayam Wuruk, turn left just before Lokasari Plaza. Siera is on the right hand side; Bintang Mawar is just across the street.
Observations
A Chinese local and friend of MongerX said that many Chinese Indonesians were afraid to visit the place. Siera is mainly frequented by real Indonesians.
Siera is a grubby little bar with fun-loving girls. In all other bars, the mamasans handle the introductions. The Siera girls will approach you directly and can get very friendly in the bar. The standard of looks is a little sub-par, but the bar has a great ambiance.
If you do find yourself a cutie, a ST will only set you back 200.000 IDR. The LT prices reflect the fact that these are high-volume girls: 750.000 IDR after 10 PM and 1.000.000 IDR before 10 PM. And the girl has to be back by 10 AM.
The rooms are of a decent standard, and offer a shower, a mirror on the wall and good A/C.
Verdict
Siera is the antithesis of Hotel Travel. The beer is cheap; the girls are cheap and cheerful; the bar is a lot of fun. Recommended!
Stadium
Website
http://www.stadiumjakarta.com/profile.html
Directions
Address: Jalan Hayam Wuruk 111
Walk from Jalan Mangga Besar to Jalan Hayam Wuruk, and then turn left. Walk until you see the sign for the “GS Fame – Institute of Business” and the neon sign for the adjacent “1001 Executive Club”. Stadium is in the small side street just before these 2 establishments.
Observations
Stadium has a pub on the 3rd floor, which features live music and dancing shows at times. The 4th floor disco has a 35.000 IDR cover charge, which includes a drink.
Both floors have a flurry of mamasans, each with their troupe of girls. The competition is fierce, so the mamasans will aggressively push their girls. But, as in any bar, you can just have a drink and take your time to find your dream girl.
While you’ll hardly ever spot a fellow bule in any of the other Kota bars, bules are a common sight in Stadium. The girls are used to servicing bules – some even prefer bule customers.
A ST at Stadium will cost you 280.000 IDR. Apart from the mamasan girls, Stadium disco also features the odd freelancer. Some of the mamasan girls can also meet you outside at the end of their shift.
Stadium is the only Kota bar with truly luxurious rooms, featuring all the mod-cons.
Verdict
Stadium is the most bule-friendly place in Kota. It has by far the best rooms in town. For me, Stadium remains the #1 bar in Kota.
TC
Directions
Address: Lokasari Plaza
Finding Lokasari Plaza is easy enough. Walk along Jalan Mangga Besar until you see the arch above the entrance to Lokasari Plaza.
Finding TC is a lot trickier. Walk through the arch, past the Prinsen Park Hotel (right), KFC (left) and McDonald’s (right) until you get to the multi-story shopping mall. Go into the shopping mall and take the escalator up to the 1st floor. Straight ahead, you’ll see a door with a “Wartel” sign above it. Walk through the door and enter the car park. TC is right in front of you and the entrance is to the right.
At night (after 10PM), the shopping mall is closed. At that time, you’ll have to take the stairs up to TC. But as Lokasari Plaza is a lot less crowded at that time, and as there are employees to show you the way, you shouldn’t have any problem finding TC at night.
Observations
TC, which stands for Today Country (sign outside) or Tiara Ceria (sign inside), has a cover charge of 20.000 IDR, which also buys you a drink.
TC is a large bar, with a few competing mamasans. The biggest problem with TC is that it’s just too damn dark. Sitting at a table near the toilet, you’ll get a proper look at the girls introduced by the mamasans. It’ll also allow you to check out the girls in decent light when they visit the ladies’ room.
On my 1st visit, I was presented some decent options, but didn’t really fancy a ST. On my 2nd visit, I was looking to get laid, but wasn’t introduced to a girl to my liking. Finding a girl by myself turned out to be a mission impossible. The girls prefer to hang out in the darkest corners, where it’s impossible to tell whether they have a spotty face.
Some of the TC girls are freelancers, and are available for 550.000 IDR LT, which is a decent deal.
Verdict
After 3 visits over 2 trips, I still haven’t popped my TC cherry. It’s not one of my favorite places in Jakarta, but worth checking out.
Business Model
Some punters have commended the Kota bars for not having ladies’ drinks. The girls will often drink whatever you’re drinking. If you order a drink for her, it’ll be the same price as yours.
Ladies’ drinks may not be part of their business model, but the bars make up for that by charging a fortune for the use of their ST rooms. In Siera, the girl’s share of the spoils is a measly 55.000 IDR (out of 200.000 IDR). In Stadium, the girl gets 70.000 IDR (out of 280.000). The rest goes to the house and the mamasan.
I prefer my money to go to the girls instead of ending up in the pockets of some greedy bar owner. Considering how little money the girls make, it’s surprising the service is as good as it is. Tipping is definitely appropriate!
Except for the freelancers (Bintang Mawar, TC, Stadium), most of the Kota bar girls are basically prisoners. They’re not allowed to leave the bar unless a customer pays the extortionate LT fee. Moonlighting, which could be lucrative for the girls, is simply not an option.
The girls getting only 25-30% of the spoils is daylight robbery. The business ethics of the Kota bar owners are despicable!
Blok M
Website
http://www.jakartablokm.com
The Blok M website is outdated, as it hasn’t been updated since 2006. The maps and directions for idiot taxi drivers are still invaluable. The bar reviews may no longer be accurate, but are still worth perusing. The categorization of the girls and punters is a hoot.
My Bar
The few babes in My Bar seemed more interested in sponging expensive drinks than in making money on their back. I noticed them leaving with their Indonesian boyfriends at closing time.
Andita seemed shy and reserved in the bar, but turned out to be a real tigress in bed. Carie was an underperformer.
Top Gun
On my 2nd visit to Blok M, I spent hours pondering my options in Top Gun. In the end, there wasn’t a single girl I fancied taking home.
Verdict
After 2 visits to Blok M, I gave up on the place. Once you get used to the Kota bars, where the girls are younger and prettier, the quality in Blok M is simply deplorable. I also heard that the better looking Blok M girls had switched to the hotel bars, where they can make more money.
While Blok M remains a great place to party, you’ll need beer goggles to find any of the girls attractive.
Hotel Bars
CJ
Information
CJ is on the mezzanine floor of the opulent Hotel Mulia Senayan.
http://www.hotelmulia.com
The prices reflect the 5 star setting. A simple Coke costs 45.000 IDR; a beer will set you back 80.000 IDR. While I was sipping my drink, businessmen on expense accounts were buying pitchers of cocktails for the girls!
Observations
On my first visit, I spotted a cutie standing alone in a corner at closing time. My night with Annie turned out to be the highlight of this trip to Jakarta.
The earth-shattering experience with Annie tasted like more. Alas, there was only one Annie. Risma wouldn’t spend the night with me for less than 1M IDR. Vivi turned out to be a regular girl.
Arriving late, the hottest babes were often taken. Invariably, they were hanging off the arm of some Chinese punter. Expensive suits with bottomless pockets picked the place clean. I was unwilling to compete with them.
Verdict
Visiting Jakarta in the company of MongerX, I neglected to do research on the Jakarta scene. I was unaware of the million rupiah cartel, which has long caused expats to avoid CJ.
I foolishly kept going back to CJ... until the million rupiah cartel finally daunted on me. Unless you think 1M IDR is cheap enough, you’re probably wasting your time in CJ.
Other Hotel Bars
Information
Freelancers can also be found in these upscale hotel bars:
Bats Disco - Shangri-La Hotel
- http://www.shangri-la.com/en/property/jakarta/shangrila
Tiga Puluh Bar - Le Meridien
- http://www.starwoodhotels.com/lemeridien/property/overview/index.html?propertyID=1837
Stix - Park Lane Hotel
- http://www.parklanejakarta.com
Retro - Crowne Plaza Hotel
- http://www.ichotelsgroup.com/h/d/cp/1/en/hotel/jktcp
Observations
Annie normally went to Bats. She told me that Bats was still bule-dominated, while CJ is full of Chinese & Indian punters. The girls from Bats will generally settle for 500.000 IDR LT. Why didn’t I visit Bats or any of the other hotel bars? I fucked up!
Discos
Sands
Location
Address: Mangga Dua Square
Observations
Sands is a big techno disco, conveniently located in the same complex as the Novotel Mangga Dua, where I was staying. A handful of freelancers can be found near the stairs leading to the bathroom. But they were the kind of girls you wouldn’t fuck for free.
Verdict
Avoid!
Red Square
Website
http://www.redsquarejakarta.com
Observations
Red Square is a trendy Russian themed vodka bar located on the Plaza Senayan Arcadia. On a Friday night, the young crowd that visits this hip bar was packed like sardines.
Plenty of hot babes around, but most already had company. I’d also brought my own sand to the beach.
Verdict
Red Square seems to be a popular place to go when the hotel bars close. Worth checking out if you’re looking for company late at night.
Indonesian Girls
Looks
Indonesian girls often have a distinctive look. I wouldn’t say that they were prettier than girls from other SE Asian countries. I wouldn’t say that they were less attractive either. Just different.
Service
Statistics
Kissing
DFK: 17 (94%)
Lips Only: 0 (0%)
No Kissing: 1 (6%)
Blowjobs
BBBJ: 13 (72%)
CBJ: 0 (0%)
No BJ: 5 (28%)
Overall
Excellent Service: 14 (78%)
Decent Service: 3 (17%)
Bad Service: 1 (5%)
Observations
The above stats are pretty impressive. Except for the babe from Uzbekistan, all the girls loved French kissing. Of the 5 girls who didn’t suck my lollipop, there were 2 where I was so eager to jump their bones that I never asked for a BJ. Most importantly, Indonesian girls are horny as hell and simply love to fuck!
Overall, the service in Jakarta is fantastic!
Final Words
Some of the (hottest) girls in the Kota bars have a bule phobia. Still, you’ll find plenty of babes willing to service a foreigner. The price is right and the service is great. Unfortunately, the girls don’t receive their fair share of the spoils, as most of the money disappears into the pockets of greedy bar owners.
Finding LT company in Jakarta is a lot more of a challenge. The quality in Blok M sucks. The million rupiah cartel makes CJ an expensive proposition. Of course, there are many options I didn’t explore. I only visited one hotel bar. I spent little time in the discos. Neglecting to do in-depth research on the Jakarta scene meant I was ill-prepared.
Still, Jakarta is mainly a ST destination. In Asian mongering hotspots, LTs happen to be my staple diet. I made plenty of mistakes, but the LT statistic of 23% (3/13) is simply appalling. While Jakarta is a worthwhile diversion from the Philippines, no Asian destination will make it onto the A-list unless the LT percentage approaches 100%.
Loso