Jakarta

[QUOTE=Smoothy;1316467]But I'm curious, how much do you pay your "regulars" at CJ's?[/QUOTE]Funny, I went to CJ's for the first time the other night to meet up with a gf, not a worker. I saw an old regular from Top Gun, she playfully hid her face behind her hands and made a show of pretending not to see me (then smiled to show no offence meant). I think she was trying to tell me that she was out there looking for more money than she knew I'd spend on her, that she didn't want Top Gun rates that night. Haha. Good luck to her, hope she found someone with a fat wallet for her Lebaran bonus. As I said, I was with a friend, so I never got to find what prices the girls are charging. But Jeez, a glass of wine is Rp165, 00. You could get ST for two of those at Blok M. I'm way too tight fisted to become a regular there.

EDIT: She did the playful face when I was still at the bar on my own. Of course, if I was with the girl I was meeting, she would have been professional and discreet. Indonesian working girls, to give them credit, are pretty good about knowing when to butt out and keep a low profile. Experts at keeping quiet when you're on the phone to someone else, for example.

[QUOTE=Rbamane; 1316496]Friends,

I will be flying into CGK from Batam on Lion Air and out to SIN on Air Asia.

Few questions.

1) Are these airlines pretty safe / how has been your experience on them if you did travel them?

2) Any tips to note while I travel on these, based on your experience?

3) What about Tiger Airways. They seem better than these, but is slightly expensive.

Thanks![/QUOTE]Hi,

I concur with this. Budget airlines are cheap and reliable. No need to pay the SQ / GA infamous rates to go to or leave CGK.

I would add that, when I manage to get a decent rate, I prefer to take Air Asia, which has its own terminal which is brand new, less crowded and more efficient.

Arriving in or leaving from the "normal" terminal (#2 for most airlines, thai, sq, ga.) can really be a pain. You can be facing lines at immigration that can take up to one hour. Am not joking. If your flight arrives at the same time as one loaded with foreigners who need visa on arrival, especially Chinese (PRC) , japanese, koreans, who, take longer to clear in general, for some reasons unknown to me if not just with the language bareer. Same goes with departure process, which is most of the time quite annoying at T2.

To be completely thorough, two things about Lion Air :

- one positive : the stewardesses rock! I found Lion Air to have the prettiest in general. Other airlines have apparently lower hiring standards. Although nothing to be compared with our European or US airlines, where age does matter!

- one more negative : lots of Indo people still talk about the one or few case (s) where Lion Air pilots were caught positive on metamphetamine or a similar drug, this being blamed on the very pressuring flight schedules imposed by their sophisticated model. Have no idea if this is a legend or not.

Last, on some destinations, and that goes for Jakarta too, compare extensively with flag carriers. Jakarta-KL seems to be a very competitive route, and sometimes Malaysia Airlines is cheaper than others, if you add up prices for extra luggage, or meals and drinks. And you get miles on all Skyteam programmes for most of the tickets.

Hope this helps

FT

[QUOTE=Spartan; 1316097]Hi Bros,

Going to Jakarta again, usually stay at Mulia as its easy for hunting. I have my regulars there so I don't pay the normal high prices that other tourist pay.

This time Mulia seems to be full and I've been put up at Ibis Slipi. Seems like there is an Onyx bar there. Any action at this bar?

Spartan[/QUOTE]The Onyx bar is a small bar. Sometimes there are FL there and I have used their services whin I was attracted.

The bar is not a regular hunting ground; mostly for hotel guests, but there is the occasional live band.

Regards,

Ko

[QUOTE=Rbamane; 1316496]Friends,

I will be flying into CGK from Batam on Lion Air and out to SIN on Air Asia.

Few questions.

1) Are these airlines pretty safe / how has been your experience on them if you did travel them?

2) Any tips to note while I travel on these, based on your experience?

3) What about Tiger Airways. They seem better than these, but is slightly expensive.

Thanks![/QUOTE]I fly a lot with Airasia with no problems whatsoever. About 50 legs so far. Make sure you book your meal, baggage and your preffered seat in advance. Also do the online check in.

Tiger air I flew twice where Airasia was not flying eg Saigon to Singapore. Again no problems, Simply book your baggage when making the reservation otherwise you"ll have to pay very high charges at the airport.

Lion air I never had the chance to use them.

All those who replied about the flights on the low cost carriers to CGK. Thanks a lot!

It feels good to hear that there are frequent travelers on those routes / airplanes from our community.

Cannot wait to be on that plane now.

[QUOTE=Rbamane; 1316496]Friends,

I will be flying into CGK from Batam on Lion Air and out to SIN on Air Asia.

Few questions.

1) Are these airlines pretty safe / how has been your experience on them if you did travel them?

2) Any tips to note while I travel on these, based on your experience?

3) What about Tiger Airways. They seem better than these, but is slightly expensive.

Thanks![/QUOTE]To Rbamand,

I fly Lion air last yr from CGK to Batam they have 4 flight a day about 45 USD one way on time no problem and from Batam you just take the fast Ferry to Harbur front in Singapore about one hr.

Fast Eddie 48

Hi been in country for a couple of weeks and so much to understand about this country. Do not count my posts as I was a member under a different name previously. (Never use an e-mail address for a screen name! LOL) Hope to get a tour with JAD in the next couple of months. Work is crazy right now (oil). I am looking for a few numbers if any senior member can pm me. Sorry just so busy right now so hoping you can help a fellow member. I am in Cilandak near PIM.

A field report:

BATS-walk in and get followed by so many skirts. Picked a 22 yo that was 4'9" and maybe 80 pounds. Over priced but was cute. Asked for a million and over paid at 600, 000 plus tip. I rocked her world but was not impressed with her skills. BATS is got to be the easiest place to pick-up here as over half the girls are on the take. I have yet to try block m or any of the other places listed here.

So begging guys. Pm me with any information!

[QUOTE=El Greco; 1317237]I fly a lot with Airasia with no problems whatsoever. About 50 legs so far. Make sure you book your meal, baggage and your preffered seat in advance. Also do the online check in.

Tiger air I flew twice where Airasia was not flying eg Saigon to Singapore. Again no problems, Simply book your baggage when making the reservation otherwise you"ll have to pay very high charges at the airport.

Lion air I never had the chance to use them.[/QUOTE]Air Asia is fine if you for sure are not going to change your flight plans. I prefer Lion Air because if my plans change, I can change the flight dates with no extra cost. Air Asia is a nicer airline, but you pretty much have to buy a new ticket if you change your plans. I've never flown Tiger, but did buy my girlfriend a ticket on it once. $70 round trip Jakarta to Singapore on Tiger at the time (last year). And she said it was as good as Air Asia.

I was thinking of visting the city in Jan for a couple of nights and am struggling to find recent intel on cheap, girl-friendly hotels or guest houses like I have stayed in Cambodia & Thailand in the past. Price-wise I was thinking about USD$30 per night max for 2-3 star quality with en-suite & a / see. Hope someone can help.

DL

[QUOTE=Donnylad; 1317615]I was thinking of visting the city in Jan for a couple of nights and am struggling to find recent intel on cheap, girl-friendly hotels or guest houses like I have stayed in Cambodia & Thailand in the past. Price-wise I was thinking about USD$30 per night max for 2-3 star quality with en-suite & a / see. Hope someone can help.

DL[/QUOTE]To Donnylad,

There are a Jarkata hotel thread you can go to get more info just search and you shall find, all the info are there for you ro read.

Fast Eddie 48

[QUOTE=Donnylad;1317615]I was thinking of visting the city in Jan for a couple of nights and am struggling to find recent intel on cheap, girl-friendly hotels or guest houses like I have stayed in Cambodia & Thailand in the past. Price-wise I was thinking about USD$30 per night max for 2-3 star quality with en-suite & a / see. Hope someone can help.[/QUOTE]Some of the places on Jaksa might serve, although none of them are really much good. Djody's Guest House is not too bad, Nick's is a flea-bag, so is Borneo. I only use those places when I pick up a girl in Jaksa who even I would be embarrassed to take back to my apartment, and I usually end up paying for the night but leaving after I've done what I need to do and go home. Many of the other cheapies on Jaksa discourage tourists checking in with obvious hookers, although if she's a "girl-friend" (ie. You actually check in together) , they may not kick up a fuss. Still, quite unlike quality hotels, who usually don't give a shit, they worry about hookers bringing the tone down. For about double what you mention, there are a few hotels on Wahid Hasyim that might be a bit better. I don't know if F1 is girl-tolerant, seems likely, I've never used it. Jakarta is generally not good for what you want, though. It's more geared towards expats and visitors with some cash to spend. Jogja and Bali and practically anywhere else in Indonesia, except the more Islamic provinces (Aceh, West Sumatra, some of the Nusa Tenggara islands) , are much better. Hotel Travel is inconveniently located for tourists, but will tolerate anything so long as you don't stain the sheets. There are a few other places that are pretty explicitly short-time hotels, often used for nookie with someone else's wife, but most of them aren't really designed for anything except that single purpose.

EDIT: The other thing about the cheap Jaksa places is that even a self-respecting Blok M girl would probably turn up her nose and sneer at you if you tried to take her there, let alone anything classier than that. They are really only good if you pull a girl on Jaksa itself. The girls on Jaksa range from grim to just ok, with the ones in the latter group usually being left-overs from Blok M and the clubs - ie. the ones who can't always get a guy, so they go to Jaksa for a last-chance shot or a consoling drink. Nicks actually has a dorm with a nightly charge that some girls use when they are really down on their luck, but you are talking the bottom of the barrel, bar the railway lines.

DOUBLE EDIT: Forget the advice about Hotel Travel, it's just a knocking shop, not a real hotel. I'm getting it mixed up with the one near Utan Kayu, forget the name ... don't worry about it anyway, a bad choice, filled with Arabs, extremely shady characters, and Mamasans pushing girls who should be at primary school ... lousy vibe, dangerous, and uncool.

[QUOTE=Smoothy;1317334]Air Asia is fine if you for sure are not going to change your flight plans. I prefer Lion Air because if my plans change, I can change the flight dates with no extra cost. Air Asia is a nicer airline, but you pretty much have to buy a new ticket if you change your plans. I've never flown Tiger, but did buy my girlfriend a ticket on it once. $70 round trip Jakarta to Singapore on Tiger at the time (last year). And she said it was as good as Air Asia.[/QUOTE]Being a retiree I can easily plan ahead 3-6 months therefore always going after their promos. Even if I miss a flight, which has happened, is not a big deal. Only a few hundred baht.

I remember a few years back they had a zero fare promo. I booked several flights going around SE Asia. Eg Jakarta to Singapore not even a penny was charged since airport tax is payable in cash on departure. I paid nothing flying to Pnom Penh from Bangkok and I had to pay 7 dollars for the taxi ride to my hotel. I was thinking of that and was laughing.
Those days have gone now but still their promos are cheap. Eg BKK to Chang Rai for 7 euros and returning from Chang Mai for 8 euros, or round trip to Surathani on my way to Koh Samui for 17 euros. Just peanuts.

I book the extras a few days before my flight when I am certain that I am going to fly.

Thanks

[QUOTE=Smoothy; 1316467]Quite a downgrade from the Mulia to the Ibis. I don't know that Onyx bar.

But I'm curious, how much do you pay your "regulars" at CJ's?[/QUOTE]Usually pay 600k for LT, only for the few that I like. The rest are waiting to take you to the bank. 1 mil for ST. Crazy. Yet people still pay. Go figure.

Reading reports it seems that the malls have dried up in south and central Jakarta. It is the end of the holiday and was in Pacific place yesterday. Mall was not it's usual business. I am an attractive 40yr old. (If I say so myself! LOL) I only noticed one overt stare. I could feel her looking and did not want to turn around for the stare. She was cute but not really one to be interested. Been to a lot of the malls and do not know if it is the holiday but really nothing there.

Went to CITOS today and really got nothing. I really would like one of the shop girls in the stores with the black skirts and high heels! Will try block m this weekend. That is 3 days away!

Called a couple agencies and they are asking 2 mill and up for short time. Was tempted but turned them down. Anyone with experience using them?

With high hopes I boarded the plane from Bangkok to Jakarta this evening. Have heard so much nice stories of BATS so decided to fly down to have a go. What happens? It is fucking closed. What do I do then. Just write this report and go to bed I guess.

Tomorrow I go to Philippines to see what is cooking over there. Probably closed down the hole country I guess. Skogis angry.

But I have to say Indonesia do have some beautiful women. I was getting my hopes up allready during the flight so stunning beautiful cabincrew. Delishes.

I have told myself as long as I am in Asia I will not wank but I am not sure right now have to ease the pressure but would appreciate to have a girl helping me. NB! There will be no pics from this action, hehe.