Jakarta

[PartyAnimal]

Nice report. But yeah, she was trying to play you with that 'some guy is scaring me' routine. Heard that more times than I care to remember. Glad you caught on without paying her exorbitant initial asking price.

Did you survey any of the other clubs in the Bats area? I'll likely spend some time there when my visit commences in January.

I've only been to BATs and one in kuningan I forgot the name of. This is central area, so not a lot of options like what you may see in Blok M.

[LoveItHere69]

To my experience, they offered best rate during weekends compared to the Fake Dolarindo next to classic.

Never heard of such a thing as a better rate on weekends anywhere. Plus, that makes little sense because on the weekends all the banks are closed so if anything rates would go up, not down.

Fake Dolarinda next to Classic. What is fake?

I checked out 4 currency exchanges all within 2 hours. Almost identical rates. Like 15,000 to 15,150 difference. 1%.

[Zippos]

That scam or scheme, whatever you want to call it is true! Any bills older than 2009 will get you lower exchange rates. I asked and confirmed with my girl. Banks will gladly accept old bills at their rate.

In regards to money exchange, I had posted a review back in September / October. To my experience, they offered best rate during weekends compared to the Fake Dolarindo next to classic. You can also reserve through Dolarindo website which switches to WhatsApp and connects you to your preferred Dolarindo and rates are fixed for a certain timeframe.

I think this is true. I gave an SA girl some USD and she told me the exchange place offered here a lower rate because "bill was old". However I got the proper rate from exactly the same bills at the airport. So it seems to depend on the exchange place and sometimes they may try to screw you over by complaining about the bills. All in all, ATM is the best option for cash and I mostly pay with CC everywhere.

[Gabacho]

It was me that had that experience and wrote about it. If you are at the entrance that takes you downstairs to the make out rooms, this sofa with girls is to the right of that entrance. I chose some girls on it but they looked scared and all shook their head yet I seen them willingly go with others and actually heard one speak good English and asked if the man was Muslim the girl was big and volumptous actually looked mixed like Arabian. (This was when I was coming back into the main room with a girl and walked past their sofa)

Anyway I got the mamasan she was old and small and wrote a translation for her and said I want this one the mami asked her girl shook her head and mami didn't look bothered just shrugged shoulders. I don't know if there's different levels of handlers for these girls. If the mami was chacha they wouldn't say no.

So yea here seems to be this one sofa where thy act like they are too good it's annoying.

Back in early November I wrote about a bad experience where the girl tried to force me to use a condom and then gave a really bad experience. (luckily there have only been 2 that were like that and really only the one that was really horrible out of 50+ classic girls now). Anyways she came from that back couch on the right side as you are walking down to the rooms.

She also is in cahoots with thr fat woman that assigns the rooms because on several occasions she has said something in bahassa to my girl as we are walking to the room and then the girl attempted to over charge me for BBFS. I quickly put an end to that tho and started going to T5 for a while to where I now get BBFS for just a 100 k tip. I then started going back to T2 again more recently and haven't had any more lip from the fat lady but I prefer to use the make out rooms on the other side by the billares tables. Those seem to only be used later in the evening.

-Gabacho.

[Sychip1]

Ah, Sychip1, glad to see someone enjoyed themselves herethough I must admit, your glowing review of the lobby has me wondering if we stayed at the same hotel or if I've accidentally wandered into a municipal office block in my sleep.

As for my Premier Suite on the 22nd floor, apparently it's the crown jewel of the place, the one and only. If this is the best they've got, I shudder to think what the regular rooms are like. Don't get me wrong, it's fine, but compared to the Holiday Inn next door? It's like comparing a Lidl steak to a Michelin-star filet mignon.

Better lobby, better decor, and waitresses downstairs who could charm the socks off a monk. The Novotel? Well, it has. A lift that doubles as a carnival ride.

Still, I respect your optimismit's refreshing, if a little baffling. Cheers, mate!

But you can't compare like-for-like as Holiday Inn with just a cursory glance is around $80-90 whereas Novotel is $50. I think that represents fantastic value especially in the context of staying in a place like Jakarta. If you take a date back, it makes no difference to them if it's Holiday Inn or Novotel it's just another well-known brand. I personally would rather pocket the difference and have an extra 3-some at Classic thanks very much. But to each their own some people would want to pay for other hotel brands. With a decent gym, pool and very good service you can't beat it for value at this price point.

[EdAdams]

You really sound like a bundle of laughs and it's quite a detailed though very negative review of a perfectly decent hotel. I stayed in this exact hotel last month then this month I stayed in Grand Mercure which was a lot more expensive but this Novotel is decent. The lobby isn't that tiny at all and I'm not sure if you stayed in the lowest grade room but I stayed in the biggest suite with 5 different rooms. I can tell you my mattress was not hard whatsoever.

Ah, Sychip1, glad to see someone enjoyed themselves here—though I must admit, your glowing review of the lobby has me wondering if we stayed at the same hotel or if I've accidentally wandered into a municipal office block in my sleep.

As for my Premier Suite on the 22nd floor, apparently it's the crown jewel of the place, the one and only. If this is the best they've got, I shudder to think what the regular rooms are like. Don't get me wrong, it's fine, but compared to the Holiday Inn next door? It's like comparing a Lidl steak to a Michelin-star filet mignon.

Better lobby, better decor, and waitresses downstairs who could charm the socks off a monk. The Novotel? Well, it has. A lift that doubles as a carnival ride.

Still, I respect your optimism—it's refreshing, if a little baffling. Cheers, mate!

[L00PY]

So here in Jakarta I found a pharmacy in the Pasar Baru area called Apotek Maju Jaya that sells a box of 4 tablets 100 MG generic Sildenafil for 125 k Rupiah.

Thanks for the info. For others, there are a few pharmacies right there in that corner of the mall. If one doesn't have what you're looking for at the price you want, you can easily go to three others right there and compare.

I wasn't happy with the option for the cost and the manufacturing date. Another had a better price and more recently made too. All of these pharmacies seem to close at 5 pm. The mall where you'll use the walkway to cross the street also closes up at 5.

The timing doesn't quite work out but there's a really good street food stall serving nasi bebek (duck rice) at the corner. Bang for my buck, it's probably the best 30k I've spent in Jakarta so far.

[Sychip1]

Grand Harmoni Mercure is pretty decent and is about 2 Kms from classic if my memory serves me right. Actually, the bartender there was ready to come out to Bali with me within 5 minutes of me chatting with her. Tells me everyone is game in the services industry in Jakarta.

Grand Mercure is more like $150 but all of the female staff wear pretty short skirts, the ones at the bar / restaurant wear long skirts but with a high slit which actually looks even better / sexier. I think I know which one, there's one who is particularly curvy at the bar and she's very exotic / pretty looking too. I was tempted myself to chat her up but I was there on business so a bit riskier.

[Gaijin Gigolo]

In my experience they are all using WhatsApp which is a messaging app. Make sure you have WhatsApp when you get here as that is how everyone communicates. I am not on social media such as Twitter or Instagram so I don't know if they use those apps or not but I think with WhatsApp you should be fine.

Cheers. I have WhatsApp, just never used it.

[Gaijin Gigolo]

Exactly, there are those of us who admit that we pay for sex and report about our experiences to help other mongers along the way. And then there are those guys who make up fake stories about fucking girls for free from SA or using a fake service called "grab feel" to grope women on motorcycles just trying to earn an honest living, in order to impress their internet buddies and to stroke their massive "I am better than you because I pay more than you" arrogant egos.

-Gabacho.

Well stated.

[Gaijin Gigolo]

Greetings,

If you're coming to Jakarta for the first time, you'll find the prices cheaper than Pattaya but the biggest problem for me is finding proper food. TGI Fridays, Tony Romas, Outback Steakhouse, etc. Have all closed leaving you to search Italian restaurants dotted around the city or the big hotels in Sudirman business area.

Ehmmm. What do you consider 'proper food'? You have to have something every time from some Western restaurant? Open your mind, man, a lot of Indo food is awesome. And there are certainly a ton of local 'Western' food joints around as well.

As far as a place with a balcony, just stay in an AirBnB if it's that important to you. Nearly all of them have balconies.

Old women. Block M. I wouldn't think you'd have any trouble at finding 'middle aged women' to shag.

[Gaijin Gigolo]

There is another option. I always ask and get two key cards at the check-in, explaining that I booked the room for two guests and the other guest will join me later. Most hotels have no problem with this, some hotels will charge an extra refundable deposit. Then when I meet the girl and if I trust her, I give her a card to follow me to my room after a few minutes to avoid getting noticed. This option even worked for having two girls to come to my room.

Bad, bad, BAD idea. NEVER give a working girl your key card, no matter how trustworthy she seems.

[Gaijin Gigolo]

I think the above post and pictures he posted proves that he has been to Jakarta. Maybe you should RTFF a little better before you post wrong information and lies.

You think you know it all, but here you proved you don't really know shit. I think GG may have even more experience in Indonesia than you do. Maybe if you actually read the forum instead of making asinine remarks, and telling people not to take their trips, you might have found this report he posted back in April. I've also read his reports about visiting batam on the ferry from Singapore and I have found his info more helpful than the half-baked shit that you post post about overpaying for 5 star hotels and airfare just to stay only five days. Do you even know any words in bahasa Indonesia other than terima kasih? In the short satu bulan that I've been here I've picked up enough to have short conversations now.

Indeed I have been to Indo many, many times. I worked in SE Asia for nearly two decades and visited Jakarta, Batam, other areas on a regular basis all that time. Unfortunately based back in the US now, so haven't been there so much lately. Looking forward to spending several months there starting in January!

[Gaijin Gigolo]

If I trust her is a hell of a qualification that you need to give a serious thought to before proceeding. Remember that even if you totally girl-proof your room, you're still on the hook for a "memento" or two she might not be able to leave behind, LOL. And yes, this is coming from personal experience (not in Jakarta, though), and it ain't fun.

Very.

Very bad idea to ever leave a room key with a working girl, not matter how 'trustworthy' they seem. Just don't.

[Expat American]

Months ago guys were complaining about that side and several posted that they were going to talk to the manager and / or mamis to find out what was going on. But as always everyone is full of SHT. But I did months ago. The manager if found is near the bar which is furthest from the girls but I never sit over there and never saw him until I asked. Anyways he said he was not the manager but said maybe he could help. Nothing of course. Two mamis on that side when I asked about it suddenly could not speak English. But some mamis still try to get me to take their girls so they must be available. Only answer I can figure is that a few of the girls had bad foreigners and they spread the word. Now it is considered fact because the story has been told so many times and for so long. Two weeks ago I actually had a girl from that side that was good and repeated with her.

Are you really surprised? Have you seen posts from recent arrivals to Jakarta? Any girls who have encountered some of the fine specimens posting here will swear off foreigners forever and I don't blame them one bit.