Is Jakarta worth a visit?

[Prosal]

Well the good old JKT thread is very calm currently but it's not a reason to forget to wish a Happy New Year to all the posters, and specially to my fellows Indonesia's lovers (Adik, Carlton, Mojito, Bintang, Jaga, ect ..), Educated people and gentlemen who always provided good informations, with who i've had some good nights out in Jakarta's best clubs ...

 

Ciao guys

 

[Guest]

Merry xmas & Happy new year to all other Jakarta lovers. I fly into BKK tonight but unfortunately I won't be making my third trip to Indo this year. That will have to wait another year. But I do enjoy reading this thread but its been very QUIET lately.

[chilli13]

Yep a new beginning is 2004 & I definitely hope to make it in indo & jakarta also this year especially with the rapid decline of LOS

[Prosal]

Well, to re-activate the thread and if someone is or will be soon in town in seach of the current trendy hot spot to party late, here it is :

 

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Is said that good things come to those who wait. Well wait no longer ladies and gentlemen, Centro has arrived in Jakarta. As o­ne of the capital?s latest addition to its array of nightclubs, Centro has the sound system and the DJs to blow away clubbers with some of the best dance music in the world. Although they were already open a few weeks earlier, the official soft launch of Centro took place o­n December 11th where Jakarta?s socialite, avid clubbers, and celebrities were sure to attend. News of the club?s opening in Jakarta has been rumored since early last year, and for those who know Centro 360, o­ne the most popular clubs in Singapore, the wait for Centro?s launch has begun ever since.

 

As part of the Centro 360 Group which is based in Singapore, Centro Jakarta was designed the way its sister club was - as a o­ne stop venue which will also feature a Japanese restaurant, a European bistro, and a rooftop bar. Plans are being made to make these additional features accessible by later this year. The five-storey building, which was made exclusively to harbor the venue, resides in the Dharmawangsa Square area which is located in the upscale neighborhood of South Jakarta.

 

So what does Centro offer that makes it rise above the other nightclubs in Jakarta? It would have to be the DJs. Centro hasn?t been shy in importing Superstar DJs to shake things up o­n the dance floor. In last few months since its opening, they have featured performances by DJ Mauro Picotto (# 17 in the world) who opened things up for the club, DJ Tim Healy (also known as a Electric Tease), Lisa Loud - the first lady of UK funky house, DJ Tom Stephan of Superchumbo, then Dave Seaman, o­ne of the best progressive DJs of all time. As for the atmosphere, although the interior doesn?t rate too far above that of Embassy?s or Musro?s, the chic deco gives it a fresh, polished look. Very good for impressing newcomers.

 

So there you have it. Great music, good atmosphere, and (hopefully) a fun crowd. What more could you ask for? Althought, word has it that Zouk, another well-famed Singapore nightclub and organiser of the ?Zouk Out? events, is going to open up a branch in Jakarta as well later this year. It?s a well known fact that these two clubs have long been battling out to be the best in their originating country. It?s interesting how they?ve taken the fight abroad, and have chosen Jakarta as their new battle grounds. Nonetheless, it?s a fight we can all look forward to.

 

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Seems nightlife is still going strong in Jakarta ..... good news for the one month offensive i plan for August !!!!

[Prosal]

And with this wind of restrictions and arbitrary blowing currently on Thailand, maybe it's time for those who fly halfway around the world ALSO to have fun and to party late to go elsewhere ....... here is a post i made in May about huge after-hours clubs in Jakarta ; list is still current, but far to be complete .....

 

A solid sanuker could go out seven days a week during one month and hit a different spot every night without BEGIN to touch what is available in Jakarta .....

 

 

Prosal said:

 

Well for those who are in Indonesians chinese-type women and discos, here is a short list of some of the big, dark and crazy hard-house clubs in North Jakarta/Chinatown (and some in South JKT) where girls suits the taste of chinese-indonesian gentlemen or some of the venues where ethnic chinese population, wealthy indonesians, and up-market expat crowd goes to party ... most of those places are "late night" spots, with in some of them hundreds of girls on the game to be found, and with usualy a quite good selection ;

 

 

Really worth a visit, but don't forget some hearplugs :: !!

 

 

Stadium (Jl Hayam Wuruk) :

City's first venue for hardcore-house clubbers, 11 residents DJs, five storey building with three floors of disco plus massage parlor, private karaoke rooms, live music pub and gaming room, girls everywhere ; Sometimes host international DJs, open weekdays 5pm till 7am, FRIDAY 4pm TO MONDAY 7am NON-STOP, with often more than 3000 people raving ... there's only one Stadium !!

 

1001 Club (Hawam Wuruk Plaza, Jl Hayam Wuruk) :

Has replaced Hai Lai as JKT's top spot for wealthy Chinese-Indonesians to party... a high class palace with hard-house disco, restaurant, executive club with several floors of karaoke/strip rooms and lounges stocked with beautiful, sexy escorts and strippers ; The disco has a giant over-hanging death ray that make you feel like you're standing under one alien spaceship from "Independance day"...

 

Millenium (Plaza Gajah Mada, Jl Gaja Mada) :

JKT largest one-room disco, it boast the city largest and loudest sound system, a massive dance hall with over 200 tables and from 1500 to 2500 hard-house fans every night of the week.... crowd is 50/50 mix of chinese and locals, with only a few white foreigners; feature too karaoke rooms, strip club and girls everywhere ....

 

Sydney 2000 (Glodok Jaya Bldg, Jl Hawam Wuruk) :

Dark and huge dance hall, one of the top venue for Jakarta chinese population; packed on week-end, with a extremely popular Sunday afternoon sesion ; karaoke rooms and strip lounges ;

 

Mille's (Plaza Lokasari, Jl Mangga Besar) :

Sister club to Millenium, smaller with with a more mature, fun-loving mixed chinese and local crowd; famous residents DJs on duty, packed after Millenium closes at 6am (Mojito recently reported Milles as packed with high quality girls and one of the best club in Chinatown)

 

Musro (Hotel Borobudur, Jl Lapangan) :

Two storey progressive house/trance club with a great mixed up-market chinese-indonesian and expat crowd, still trendy after years of operation, less crazy than Stadium, but host top international DJs ;

 

Grand Manhattan (Hotel Borobudur, Jl Lapangan) :

In the other wing of Borobudur hotel, a very large dark club with up-market local/chinese clubbers, plus few westerners ; has upstairs karaoke rooms, a very good sound system and a famous Dutch DJ ;

 

A2 Club (Alila Hotel, Jl Pecenongan) :

Cool new minimalist club in the southern edge of Chinatown, with a growing popularity among wealthy chinese crowd and enthusiastics local clubbers; feature main progressive house room and adjacent down-tempo room ; top local DJs plus international DJs on duty ;

 

Retro (South JKT, Crown Plaza Hotel, Jl Gato Subroto) :

Was last year JKT's trendiest dance-spot, still hugely popular after 2am with westerners/locals/chineses clubbers ; big, chic deco, impressive sound system, spectacular light-show, good funky-house music, girls everywhere for Wednesday ladies night and on Fridays nights : one of my personnal favorite spot ;

 

Embassy (South JKT, Taman Ria Senayan) :

Huge, impressive, chic and very trendy progressive music nightclub, extremely popular among JKT's top socialites, celebrities, models and wealthy chineses ; feature the intimate CO2 in the basement (for wild clubbers), the huge two-storey main room with over-hanging DJ and the 'Oxygen' rooftop bar and dancefloor ;

 

 

Well guys, hope this help ::, those are only a very few spots of this crazy town, limited to the Chinatown clubs, but the list could be endless if extended to the whole JKT scene :: ;

 

Anyway CJs is still at the top of my own list !!

 

Have fun in JKT :: !

 

[DWS]

Hi Guys,

 

I just want to thank Prosal and the rest of the guys who have posted the wealth of infomration on Indonesia in this thread I am a long time sanuker in Thailand and I even worked there once for a year and a half. However last year I spent 3 nights in Jakarta and while not being particulary impressed with the city itself, I was very impressed with the people. So much so I have decided to come back to Indonesia for a decent look around rather than return to my usual holiday destination of Thailand, which, while as comfortable as an old pair of shoes, has grown just as stale. I will be arriving in Jakarta this weekend for a two week look around and appreciate the head start all this imformation gives me. My hats off to you gents, well done. I’m very much looking forward to the next 2 weeks.

 

By the way, if there are any board members in town next week and interested in meeting up for a beer and a chat, drop me a line.

 

Cheers,

DWS.

[Prosal]

Thanks a lot DWS ; Should be nice if you report.

 

Enjoy your time.

 

BTW, i heard about a NEW place for pool players, similar to Afterhours in Sarinah building or Score in Cilandak ; name is Jet Set Café on the 9th floor of Menara Jamsotek building, near Planet Hollywood, they have 10 over pool tables, live band and from what i heard 8-10 models or ex-models to drink, talk and play pool with : maybe (i don't know) some could to be take out or to meet later ... you try and let us know !!

 

(as for the recently open "My Bar", in Jl Palatehan area, a new bar in some sleezy street in the middle of the expat's bars district, very wise decor from what i heard, with billiards, DJs and girlies, but this one being in the Block M area, i doubt girls are close from being models-type !)

[Prosal]

BTW, some maps :

 

North Jakarta sex areas (a few of them, North JKT being an enormous brothel !!)

 

Blok M area, with the main girlies sleazy bars of Jl Palatehan.

[DWS]

Prosal,

 

Thanks for the new info on the pool place. Very tempting, I used to be a bit of a dab hand at pool but haven't played for a couple of years. I think it's time rediscovered that passion, and the prospect of some eye candy ( and other possibilities )while I do it is too much to resist.

 

The maps are great, I've printed out to take with me and yes I will make a few notes while I'm there and post something when I get back.

 

Cheers

Steve

[Prosal]

..... and try to avoid brawls with locals !!

 

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City News - March 03, 2004

 

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

 

Two security guards at Stadium Discotheque were killed and four others injured in a brawl between club employees and hoodlums on Tuesday at about 1 a.m.

 

Purwanto, 34, died from a gash to his head, while another guard, Munif, 42, died from a fractured skull.

 

Three other guards -- M. Sofian, Eka Rizal and Sukatanto -- and another club employee, Johan Eldik Purba, were also injured in the brawl. The four suffered stab wounds and were taken to Husada Hospital on Jl. Mangga Besar in Central Jakarta.

 

Police arrested 21 people in connection with the brawl. Seven are being held at the Jakarta Police Headquarters, while the remaining 14 are detained by the West Jakarta Police.

 

According to the police, Tuesday's brawl was sparked by an incident that took place on Sunday morning at the five-story discotheque, located in the entertainment district around Jl. Hayam Wuruk and Jl. Mangga Besar.

 

Some of the attackers visited the discotheque that night and had a quarrel with some clients and the guards. That ended in a fight.

 

They returned to Stadium on Tuesday with about 50 friends in 10 rented public minivans. Most of the men were carrying knives and other sharp weapons.

 

After the attack, they immediately fled the scene.

 

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