Is Jakarta worth a visit?

[Guest]

i have been going to the philippines lately, and i can book a business class manila-cebu roundtrip cheaper on the PALwebsite than my travelagent in NZ can get me in economy class.

[Guest]

THANKS ALL OF YOU FOR THAT WONDERFUL JAKARTA INFORMATIONS.I HAVE ONE QUESTION TO YOU THOUGH:I WILL BE TRAVELLING TO JAKARTA ON 29 TH OF OCTOBER.wıll ı have difficulty ın havıng relatıons because the girls will go to their families for the holiday at he end of ramadan?

[Prosal]

Oct 30 will be dead. It's a muslim event.

 

Anyway Eid-al-Fitr (end of ramadan) is on Nov 4. Then almost everybody (girls included) travel to visit family in the kampungs. It's a very bad period to party in JKT, and more generally, to travel in Indonesia, as ALL flights, trains and buses are fully booked.

 

 

[frogpatrol]

Prosal said:

 

There's NO taboo about sex. They're naughty. Threesomes (with two girls) is common stuff. Wild sex, awesome oral performances and multiples wild positions is the way most indonesian girls make love.

 

 

Goog lawd, man. Seems i've made a brilliant choice for my trip in early November!

 

Hey, I was wondering if you know about all the 'activities' that supposedly go on around the railway tracks (and in the carriages), I believe just outside of Jakarta? Seems pretty wild, even if only for a look.

 

Great rports here. The lenghth of the thread is a tad overwhelming, but shit, what else do I have to do? ::

[Prosal]

 

Railway tracks and carriages ?

 

Never heard, and definitively not my scene.

 

 

::

 

 

 

[carlton68]

frog,

 

I know that article you refer to. When I read it right it meant Tanah Abang and the railway tracks behind. A little west of central Jakarta.

It's been about four years back when I ventured about that direction. Never went as far as the railway tracks, though. It was late, all the shops/stalls already closed. Not too many people around. Deserted by Jakarta standards. There were a few girls, clearly on the game, but looking very uninterested. There might have been more activity in the smaller gangs but I didn't feel like venturing any further. It's definitely not the best part of town. Not that anyone threatened me.

Don't expect them to speak english there.

The textile market of Tanah Abang was burned down two years ago, no idea how the area looks like today. What I get from online papers is that there are thugs who demand money from drivers passing through. You better skip this.

 

I think this article also mentioned the brothel complex of Krammat Tunggal (if that's spelled right). North-east of central Jakarta and a little outside I think. Wasn't worth the taxi ride. They tore down the whole complex about three years ago.

 

 

Prosal's right, there's not that much daytime activity for a single male foreigner in Jakarta. Even the brothels around Mangga Besar don't start earlier than 4 in the afternoon. As far as I know. Mind, there's no curfew in jakarta, you won't see much daylight. How long are you going? Indonesia has much more natural beauty than the girls.

[gobbledonk]

Wise words, Carlton - I sometimes fear that we paint a little *too* rosy a picture of Jakarta and its inhabitants. I didnt spend any time in the Kampungs, didnt even hang around Blok M (a drive-by was sufficient), but commonsense tells you that a city of this size is going to have a few 'no-go' zones. As one Indo lad said on SBS recently, it doesnt pay to upset people in JKT, and alluded to 'headless bodies' following 'disagreements'. Enough said.

[Prosal]

gobbledonk said:

Wise words, Carlton - I sometimes fear that we paint a little *too* rosy a picture of Jakarta and its inhabitants.

 

 

You're totally right.

 

 

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The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

 

 

Alone in Jakarta during business trips, or on short-time working contracts, foreigners are increasingly becoming targets for crime.

 

Less than two weeks after German and Australian nationals were murdered in their rented houses, a Japanese identified as Isamu Otsu was found dead last Friday in Park Lane Hotel, South Jakarta .

 

On Aug. 22, German citizen Helmut Kleinen was found dead in his bedroom in his rented house in Jl. Bangka, South Jakarta.

 

On the same day, police arrested Kleinen's domestic helper and the latter's two friends as suspects of murder.

 

Earlier in mid August, Australian Frans Luis Merre, 60, was found dead in his house in the Tugu subdistrict of Depok.

 

Police suspect that the Australian was murdered by relatives of his domestic helper. Police said that they were still trying to find their whereabouts.

 

This year, several foreigners from South Korea, Russia, USA and Japan have been found dead in their hotels, apartments or rented houses.

 

"We acknowledge that foreign nationals are being targeted by criminals as many live alone and isolate themselves from their surrounding area. Criminals will take advantage of such a situation," Suhardi said.

 

He added that sometimes it could be many days before the police became aware that a foreign resident had been murdered.

 

"Foreign nationals should select helpers or assistants carefully to make sure they can be trusted."

 

 

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The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

 

 

South Korean Nam Ho In, 40, was found lying unconscious and injured near a vacant house in Kampung Curug, Sawangan, Depok, early on Saturday.

 

According to information from the man's maid, police believe that Nam was robbed while taking a taxi to his home in Cempaka Putih, East Jakarta.

 

Jakarta Police spokesman Sr. Comr. I Ketut Untung Yoga Ana said the police had found indications that the victim, who works for Asiana Airlines, was robbed by at least three people.

 

The robbers made off with Nam's cellular phone, watch and at least Rp 9.5 million in cash.

 

He said that as with other robberies inside cabs, the taxi driver could have been involved in the crime.

 

The victim is being treated at MMC Hospital in Kuningan, South Jakarta, for a broken leg and head wounds. He has yet to regain consciousness.

 

This is the 19th known robbery of foreigners inside a taxi this year , with all but one of the cases remaining unsolved.

 

Police said they had trouble identifying the perpetrators because of a lack of clues.

 

 

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The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

 

 

Responding to a recent string of robberies targeting foreigners, the Jakarta Police said on Friday that they had stepped up investigations into several crime syndicates in the Greater Jakarta area.

 

The latest case was a robbery of an Australian couple in a car on Jl. Thamrin in Tangerang, Banten, on Tuesday afternoon.

 

The cars tires burst and the couple and their driver had got out of the car to check the damage when the robbers stuck. Two men seen riding a motorcycle made off with cash, jewelry and belongings, including a laptop, a cellular phone and several important documents, from inside the car when the tire was being fixed.

 

Another Australian man lost his laptop, passport and credit cards after being robbed in front of the office of the Ministry of Youth Affairs on Jl. Gerbang Pemuda, Central Jakarta, on Sept. 26.

 

Ketut called on foreigners to conduct precautionary measures when stopping or parking their cars.

 

"If they can, they should stop at a busy place if they find they have a problem with their car. Always lock the car when checking it. Try also to choose different roads when going from home to the office to avoid being detected by robbers or thieves," he said.

 

Twenty robberies or thefts targeting foreigners occurred in the city in September, up from only nine in August.

 

Police could not provide special security measures for foreigners, only for diplomatic staff, as they lacked the personnel, he said.

 

Ketut said police were conducting regular patrols to monitor places prone to robberies.

 

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[frogpatrol]

carlton68 said:

How long are you going? Indonesia has much more natural beauty than the girls.

 

Going for about a week. Actually, most of the trip will be doing some touristy things. I want to see the historical sights at Borubudor, as well as Komodo Island with all the water monitors. Ever been? Any suggestions for either?

 

Jakarta will be the icing on the cake at the end of the trip. BTW, just how good is Tiara Ceria? Is it the real deal or just overly hyped on the different boards. I've been to 1001 and the like, and did like these places. Thought Tiara might be a good change of pace.

[carlton68]

Hahaha,

 

you're going for a week and think you can zip over the archipelago from Jakarta to Komodo / Flores in just a week? While this is possible you wil be travelling most of the time and not see much in between. Now if you had four weeks...

 

Borobodur is worth going. So is nearby Yogjakarta and the Prambanan temple complex. Best is to stay in Yogja and make one day trip to Borobodur and one to Prambanan, will leave you enough time to see Yogja as well. Doing both temples in one day is possible, but stress. Then on the way to Bali stop by at Mount Bromo.

 

If you are determined to go to see the Komodo dragons on a tight schedule, fly to Labuhanbajo on Flores. Accomodation there is basic. Backpackers mostly. Hotel staff was very helpful when it came to booking boat or bus. Even took care to find a group for the boat so we could share the rent. I'm sure they got a commision, and they earned it. When there arrange your trip for the next day. Make it a day trip, leave by boat in the morning, have a two/three hour tour over the island (small group accompanied by a ranger). If you like snorkeling make sure when you arrange the trip that hey take you to a nice place for an hour of snorkeling on the way back. Most enjoyable. Don't forget to bring some bottles of water and some pisang to eat.

When I was there they wanted to sell only three day trips to Komodo including two nights on the boat and a lot of snorkeling. Instead I opted for a day trip to the neighbouring island Rinca, which has dragons as well and rangers available to guide you.

Depending on the flight plan you might leave late the same day, thus merely spending 24 hours.

 

If you ask me: don't do it in such a hurry. If you have only a week, stay in Jakarta, have a blast. Maybe a trip to Bogor (nice garden), Bandung, or take a girl for one or two days to Pulau Seribu (thousand Islands) or to Javas west cost (Carita, Anyer) where you can arrange for a boat to Krakatau.

 

About Tiara Ceria (before called Todays Country if I remember). Kind of walk-in fishbowl with cover charge and attached bar. If you look for an hour of relief then there are better places (and a little cheaper, too). As you are travelling alone, skip the brothels and go directly to freelancers (or regulars, disco chicks, girls who like to party with someone who looks decent and foots the bill, etc.). More fun in the sack. Try to schedule your trip with Prosal, he'll show you the ropes...