Jakarta

[Smoothy]

They talked to me through the window first, but when I said that I had forgotten my passport I they told me to get out of the taxi.

I never carry my passport. It's basically always been the same routine. When they ask to see my passport, I hand them a scanned copy of my passport (which they will not accept). They then reply with "what is this? This is not your passport". They don't ask me to get out of the taxi, but they immediately go into their "I can help you" routine (meaning if I give them money, I can be on my way). I haven't had them ask me get out of the car. But I haven't been pulled over in a few years, maybe they are getting more handsy. Not a pleasant thought.

Regardless, giving them 100 k was perfectly fine and well done on your part to be on your way.

I have always thought this was a very corrupt thing, but lately I have taken a different view of it. I think we should start doing this in the USA as well. Force every person to carry their passport with them and do random searches. If they don't have the proper documents, arrest them. If they are discovered to be illegal immigrants who have either entered the country illegally or overstayed their visa, deport their ass and never allow them in the country again. That would help to get rid of the problem of people overstaying their visas. I am in Indonesia completely legally, so I wouldn't have anything to worry about other than being hassled.

[MaxAircon]

You are the second person on this forum who has said the police searched their pockets. I find that so bizarre. I've never had them do that. Heck, I've never had them ask me to get out of the taxi. They just talk to me through the window. Passport was obviously not their concern, they were hoping to find some drugs on you.

They talked to me through the window first, but when I said that I had forgotten my passport I they told me to get out of the taxi. Had I been carrying the necessary ID, possibly it would not have gone any further. What was slightly strange is that they did not search my back pockets, one of which was empty and the other which contained my wallet. By the way, my age and appearance is not consistent with the profile of a 'typical' drug user, and for the record I would not touch drugs with a barge pole in Indonesia or anywhere else.

[Smoothy]

(1) I'll be in Jakarta again soon this time staying near BATS and the World Trade Center. I really prefer point and shoot places (Grand LA, Hotel Classic / Travel, New Medika, King's Cross) so was wondering if there are any such bars like those in the area. Seeing the girl in person or seeing an ACCURATE recent photo are a must for me. Spas are ok.

Only fortune massage is in that area. The next closest place is Malioboro.

(2) My buddy prefers a strip club / gogo bar atmosphere. Other than Malio are there other places where you can buy girls drinks and get a lap dance? He does not want to have sex with the girls. Just drink and grope them. Money is not a factor since it will be on the company's tab.

I'm not a groper, but gropers usually like to go to karaoke where they can select a girl to sing and grope her the entire time she is singing. Other than that, D's place might be an option although the girls are not very hot there. Any place with dancers like hotel classic might be an option. Hotel Classic bunker has continuous dancers. Malio is by far the best choice for that kind of thing though.

(3) Finally, I know this is a stretch but does anyone know if Chica still works at Grand LA or anywhere else? Every time I go there they tell me she is still there and even there that evening but I never see her.

Is she number 53?

[Smoothy]

while another guy, can't remember if uniformed or not, fished about in my front left trousers pocket. I was not too comfortable with that, but had little option.

You are the second person on this forum who has said the police searched their pockets. I find that so bizarre. I've never had them do that. Heck, I've never had them ask me to get out of the taxi. They just talk to me through the window. Passport was obviously not their concern, they were hoping to find some drugs on you.

[MaxAircon]

My second evening at the Orchardz Industri Hotel grew near, and I knew that it did not make sense to rely on another chance encounter at the karaoke bar. Earlier, I had taken a long walk, including two circuits of the Kota Indah loop (Starmoon and others). I received a couple of invitation from the doorways, but although I did not find the area as sketchy as expected, I don't think that it's a good place for a solo, relatively inexperienced, bule with minimal Bahasa. I did actually see one other white foreign male, who looked as lost and out of place as I most probably did.

So after a rest and a freshen up, I took a bluebird down to Blok M. Even as the crow flies, that's about a 12 k trip, but it was quite late now, maybe midnight or so, and by that time most of the Jakarta traffic, apart from the central Thamrin area, is quite light. So it was probably less than 30 minutes. My body-clock had not yet adjusted, so the late hour meant little anyway. My expectations of the Blok were low. I had visited a couple of times on a previous trip, although probably mostly or all during the week, with results which could be described as mixed at beast. The first bar that I visited then was the famous but now almost deserted Top Gun, which must been only a few weeks before it was holstered for the last time. Although on the previous occasion I visited "all" five or so bars in the Blok, this time I stuck to two bars. MyBar and the's Place, which conveniently are only a few paces apart. My Bar is the one on the left, with the disco-type atmosphere, and the's Place is the one on the right, containing a small stage with four or so dancing girls, and which has more of a general bar type of atmosphere.

So on this Friday night I was pleasantly surprised by the lively atmosphere and quantity of girls, particularly in My Bar, where I ended up spending the majority of the time. Quality was better than previously, too. That time, it was difficult to find a single girl worth taking, and although I am quite selective, I am not excessively picky. Any girl who I would rate in terms of looks as six or above is worthy of consideration. This time, there were at least three who were definitely takeable, no doubt about it. I got talking to one of the three, surprise surprise. Told me she worked as a hairdresser, and came to the blok only at weekend. Certainly on my next visit, on a weekday, she was not there. Also got talking to the second of my personal 'top three' prospective companions for the night. She was cute, slim and petite, and an enthusiastic and excellent dancer. Told me she stayed in an area of South Jakarta which is only about 3 k from the blok, as the crow flies. I did not talk to the third of my top three, who was the prettiest although not as slim and petite as the others. In retrospect, I regretted that decision and if I saw her again, I would definitely make a move.

Anyway, the beers were flowing down and I was having a good time, but the clock was moving on. The hairdresser, who by this time I had spent a fair amount of time with, and bought some drinks for, and who I seemed destined to go with, started to get a bit impatient, which did not bode very well, action-wise. Soon it was nearing closing time, which I think is about 5 am on weekends. The really pretty girl had disappeared, the dancer girl seemed better left for a subsequent trip, and the hairdresser had becoming cloying and annoying. So, in a last-minute switch, I picked up an alternative slightly less cute girl but with seemingly better attitude, and headed out in the darkness and taxis. At that time, traffic was still very light, the trip back to north Jakarta was going very smoothly, and the taxi was only a couple of km from my hotel, when I saw a police roadblock up ahead. There were a couple of police cars, with it seemed about six or seven police, some uniformed and some plain clothes. The taxi was flagged down and I was asked for my passport. I knew about the obligation to carry it, but had forgotten and in any case preferred to leave it in the hotel safe. I got out of the taxi as requested, and a plain clothes man, who seemed to be in charge, asked me whether I knew about my ID obligations and what I had been doing that night while another guy, can't remember if uniformed or not, fished about in my front left trousers pocket. I was not too comfortable with that, but had little option. Anyway it held only a few totally innocuous items, so I had nothing to worry about on that score.

Although I had had quite a few beers, I had sobered up swiftly. I was completely cooperative, respectful and friendly throughout, and explained that I had been in some bars, had forgotten to carry my passport, and was on my way back to my nearby hotel, the address of which was on a couple of hotel cards that I was carrying. The policeman did not ask me about the girl, I guess he worked that out for himself. He asked for a donation or contribution, using some rather round-about wording, but leaving the underlying meaning perfectly clear. He was very polite throughout, but of course in a situation like that there is no doubt where the power lies. Thanks to the generous previous contributors on this thread and my extensive and indeed enjoyable RTFF, I knew the drill and swift complied, politely handing over 100 k, which is only £5 or $7.

Of course I would if necessary have gladly handed over the complete contents of my wallet, at that point probably down to about 500 k - 1 M, to avoid any escalation. I politely bid him good day, and got back into the taxi. The taxi driver and the girl, who I think simply been asked for their IDs, were clearly relieved that the episode was over. As one point, I had caught the briefest glimpse of the girl passing something small. Too small for me to see. To the driver, presumably for easier concealment at the front of the vehicle. When the trip resumed, I asked her what it was, but the mumbled response was not enlightening, so I left it there, as at that time I probably really did not want to know. If it was something illegal, I guess that the situation could well have taken an unpleasant and expensive turn for the worse, regardless of my innocence and whether I had been carrying my passport or not. Soon we were back at my hotel, at which point it was already daylight, so it must have been shortly after 5. 30 am.

To be continued shortly.

[Dirk67]

Why?

If you just want to "get in and out" without any ground work then you need someone with the same expectations, not someone who is looking for dinner and dancing.

If she is too shy to meet at your hotel, then she is unlikely to hop into bed at a moments notice.

I've found that being very direct I / scares off the girls who not want you are looking for, ii / makes your expectations very clear very early and iii / saves time.

Of course meeting for coffee or a meal widens the field but, as you rightly said, adds time, cost and dramas to the equation.

Well, sometimes all I want is in-and-out, other times I would like something more substantive. Girls at places like Hotel Travel etc either can't speak English, or the level of education is pretty low so all it's good for really is a ST. A handful of girls I've met online have been more engaging, educated, work office jobs or other as their main employment and the experience is totally different.

But you're right-- if I'm more direct and just ask them to come to my hotel then I'll know quickly what the girl is after also. I do find the discussion of money and such (like you'll find in Bali a lot "you want sex? Right off the bat to be a bit off-putting, maybe it's my own hang-ups and not wanting to feel like the animal many girls think we are. But that's a whole other discussion, haha.

[Kodja]

I actually prefer the free lance scene. It's so easy to match a girl on Tinder in Jakarta and meet up with her soon afterwards. But I actually prefer going to the bars and meeting girls.

I'm the opposite. My preference is short time in brothels / clubs. I don't live in Jakarta any more (that was many many years ago) and I don't feel comfortable bringing a girl back to my hotel room for many reasons. Sometimes in Jakarta I'm staying with friends so there's no chance of bringing one back then either.

[Banana Boi]

3 quick questions.

(1) I'll be in Jakarta again soon this time staying near BATS and the World Trade Center. I really prefer point and shoot places (Grand LA, Hotel Classic / Travel, New Medika, King's Cross) so was wondering if there are any such bars like those in the area. Seeing the girl in person or seeing an ACCURATE recent photo are a must for me. Spas are ok.

(2) My buddy prefers a strip club / gogo bar atmosphere. Other than Malio are there other places where you can buy girls drinks and get a lap dance? He does not want to have sex with the girls. Just drink and grope them. Money is not a factor since it will be on the company's tab.

(3) Finally, I know this is a stretch but does anyone know if Chica still works at Grand LA or anywhere else? Every time I go there they tell me she is still there and even there that evening but I never see her.

[Banana Boi]

In a constantly changing lineup, who can you tell who would be the only attractive girl (by your definition of attractive)? You would really need to frequent that place often, and be completely familiar with the entire current lineup to make that assessment, wouldn't you? Were you there in the past few days? Also consider the most attractive girls in any brothel are going to be the most likely to be busy in the room with a client or off on an outcall "booking". Even when things are slow, there is a greater chance of the "only attractive girl" being unavailable. If you don't mind me asking, are you staying in Jakarta now?

I'm not in Jakarta now but I have made over 30 visits to Starmoon in 2018. In all my visits Nanda 88 is the ONLY girl I thought was hot at Starmoon. Yes I am picky. Sure there are other girls I could have went with because the price point is so cheap but price is not the primary factor for me selecting a girl. If Nanda costed 2 or 3 million rupiah I would still go with her. She is a bit skinny for my preference but her face and happy personality make her irresistible for me.

[Goferring]

I haven't tried asking them to come directly to my hotel

Why?

If you just want to "get in and out" without any ground work then you need someone with the same expectations, not someone who is looking for dinner and dancing.

If she is too shy to meet at your hotel, then she is unlikely to hop into bed at a moments notice.

I've found that being very direct I / scares off the girls who not want you are looking for, ii / makes your expectations very clear very early and iii / saves time.

Of course meeting for coffee or a meal widens the field but, as you rightly said, adds time, cost and dramas to the equation.

[Dirk67]

I actually prefer the free lance scene. It's so easy to match a girl on Tinder in Jakarta and meet up with her soon afterwards. But I actually prefer going to the bars and meeting girls. I went to CJs at the hotel Mulia last night. The talent level was great!

Granted, I haven't done the bar scene yet (BATS, CJs, etc) because I am cutting back on my drinking and sometimes I just want to get in and out vs a 1-2 hours hanging out, scoping, then negotiating. From RTFF I thought the bar scene tended to be more hardened girls, who are also older (like late 30's?) plus it'll be at least 700-800? Maybe I'll give it a try on my next trip.

As for the freelance scene, what are your tips for cutting down on the TTB (time to bed), LOL? For me at least, it generally takes at least a couple days of messaging, then arranging a time and place to meet (I haven't tried asking them to come directly to my hotel), etc. The part-timers won't always tell you up front their expectations, and I don't want to turn off civvies by suggesting they are a pro. Also I've found with the cost of transport, dinner and / or drinks, even coffee at a decent place, it ends up costing close to what Classic or Malio would be.

[Smoothy]

This is where BlokM was great when it was in it prime.

Every night it had all manner of customers from over night businessmen straight off the plane to long term, Bahasa speaking residents.

These supported all ranges of girls: stunners looking for an early ST before CJs or BATS became busy, seasoned pro's or cousins fresh off the bus from the Kampung.

And the best thing was that it was all in one spot with the bars a short stumble away from each other.

Absolutely. Blok M had plenty of young girls and even though they couldn't speak any English at first, they learned to speak some English fairly quickly. I don't know of an environment like that in Jakarta anymore where the girls from the village start working a free lance area before working the brothels. And the big problem with night clubs like Golden Crown is that it doesn't even get started until around midnight.

[Kodja]

Has anyone had any experiences with either a dancer in the bar downstairs or the lounge upstairs?

Was it worth it?

[Goferring]

If you want a free lancer who is not yet 20 years old like many of those brothel girls you are talking about, you are going to be hard pressed to find them. However, you can find girls around 20 years old at a place like Golden Crown. That's a night club where the girls are there to party. They are quite easy to pick up and have a great time with if you can speak Indonesian. If you can't speak Indonesian, they are still fairly easy to pick up if you find some way to communicate. Some of the University girls that go to Golden Crown can speak English and they are also easy to pick up. If you can find a University girl, they are my favorite because they will often recommend you to their other University friends as well and you get a good chain of meet-ups going that way.

This is where BlokM was great when it was in it prime.

Every night it had all manner of customers from over night businessmen straight off the plane to long term, Bahasa speaking residents.

These supported all ranges of girls: stunners looking for an early ST before CJs or BATS became busy, seasoned pro's or cousins fresh off the bus from the Kampung.

And the best thing was that it was all in one spot with the bars a short stumble away from each other.

[Smoothy]

I like the CJs setup better too. Meet a girl. Have some drinks and laughs. Then take her home to bang the bejesus out of her. But from my very limited experience there (2 visits) I got the impression that this is where older (late 20's and 30's) ladies hang out and that the place catered to the older businessman crowd (kind of like Spasso or Oskar in BKK). The girls at Kohta Inda or Malio seemed a lot younger than what I saw at CJs.

Suffice it to say, most girls straight out of the village who have been sold to the mafia are younger than the free lance girls you will meet in 5 star hotel bars where they have already learned English and are clever enough to fend for themselves. That's the normal progression. Their parents sell the girls when they are still teenagers to the mafia who then take them to the brothels and sell them for a few years until they pay off their debt. After that, the girls will move to other similar positions in less controlled establishments since it's all they know. Once they have been around a while, they may try free lancing. The ones who are the most clever learn some English and they may end up at places like CJs and BATS. By that time they are around their mid 20's. Due to the lack of girls who are clever enough to reach that elite level, there are girls even pushing 40 years old who still go to the 5 star hotels. A few years ago, I suggested to a couple of girls who were 19 years old to try BATS. They were stunners who had worked at Malioboro previously but they spoke no English. Sadly, they both went home alone that night and did not return to BATS again. I have no doubt they were the hottest girls in the bar that night. They said guys lost interest in them when they found out they couldn't speak any English. And thus we know the reason why the girls in BATS are older. There is no demand there for young girls who cannot speak English.

If you want a free lancer who is not yet 20 years old like many of those brothel girls you are talking about, you are going to be hard pressed to find them. However, you can find girls around 20 years old at a place like Golden Crown. That's a night club where the girls are there to party. They are quite easy to pick up and have a great time with if you can speak Indonesian. If you can't speak Indonesian, they are still fairly easy to pick up if you find some way to communicate. Some of the University girls that go to Golden Crown can speak English and they are also easy to pick up. If you can find a University girl, they are my favorite because they will often recommend you to their other University friends as well and you get a good chain of meet-ups going that way.