EXTRACT FOR
Prostitution in Jakarta
(Rockit Reports)
The sale of sexual services of any kind is officially forbidden by law in Indonesia. In practice it's often tolerated openly and at times even regulated. That's not to say that everything comes up roses for sex workers and their clients. There are often campaigns to close red light districts and other attacks on the industry. For now the world's oldest profession prevails despite of that.
Jakarta is the country's large capital city and it's filled from one side to the other with options for horny men. They are not always obvious but they are always there. I have researched the industry thoroughly. In this book I will write about my findings.
Bars and clubs offer specific venues for pick ups. Many of them either hire working women or attract freelance working women looking for customers but plenty are simply mainstream with no connections to the sex industry whatsoever. Jakarta is such a huge city that it can be difficult for many to navigate.
Clubs are often filled with prostitutes. Some may work for the club owners while others are simply freelancers. Interestingly in Jakarta prostitutes and "regular girls" often go to the same clubs without issue. In most countries the freelance haunts stand apart from the more mainstream hot spots.
Some of the more popular clubs in Jakarta are Colosseum on Jalan Kunir, Dragonfly on Jalan Gatot Subroto, and Sun City on Jalan Hayam Wuruk. Some women in these clubs are happy to have a one night stand with a new guy. Some are looking for boyfriends or dates. Some are looking for nothing. Still others are part time sex workers looking for money. They will happily hit the hay with a guy who can give them a little. Rates vary so much from one woman to the next that it's impossible to give anything approaching an average.
Bars in Jakarta can attract working women, civilian women or some mix of both. There are too many mainstream bars to mention but some stand out for attracting large numbers of working women. B.A.T.S. at the Hotel Shangri-La is a very popular place that is filled with working women from around the world every night of the week. CJ's in the Hotel Mulia Senayan and Tiga Puluh in Hotel Le Meridien are similar establishments. Women working these bars tend to ask for a lot more than women in other places around the city.
There are also a host of bars that will occasionally draw sexy dancers or more. They tend to draw more local crowds but the women working them don't ask for premium prices. Red Square is a popular bar with a reputation as an easy place for foreigners to find free pick ups or free-lancers, though lately it seems to attract more freelancers than civilians.
Of course some guys don't like clubs, bars or picking up women at all. They figure that shelling out a little cash is all the courting they need. For them more straight ahead pay for play options are preferable.
Adult entertainment complexes offer all sorts of options under one big roof. They occupy entire buildings and staff dozens or even hundreds of people. These places are large and obvious while still offering discretion.
They normally contain clubs which are often visited by "regular gals" along with the working women, karaoke rooms with women available to sing and play along, basic massage services, and spas with women offering full service massages. Many also feature sexy women dancing in various states of undress.
In this book I will describe Malioboro, Alexis Hotel, V2, King Cross, Classic Hotel, and Illigals. Other establishments include Golden Crown, Bandara, FM1 Boutique Hotel, M Star Hotel, and the infamous Travel Hotel.
Full service massage in these complexes can typically be had for anywhere from 325,000 Rupiah ($28 USD) to more than 1,000,000 Rupiah depending on the lady and the venue. Foreign women from places like China and Russia tend to get higher rates than locals with the exception of the sexy dancers. Lap dances and drinks can add to the tab.
Blok M, better known to locals as Jalan Palatehan, contains a small strip of bars where freelancers congregate. Most bars in Blok M attract foreigners and most of the women they attract in turn are quite aged considering the work they do. What's more they tend to ask foreigners for premium prices of up to 1,200,000 Rupiah ($103 US) for a romp. Only a few years ago the normal asking price was more like 300,000 ($26 US). I will write more on Blok M later.
The most notable places in the area are D's Place with its small gogo-like stage for dancing girls and "secret room" and the nearby Maribaya massage on the 6th floor of the Hotel Melawai where full service massage from very skilled women is available for 600,000 Rupiah ($52 US). There are numerous karaoke places in the area aimed at Japanese customers too.
Street walkers can be found in various areas of the city at night. Jalan Hayam Wuruk seems to be popular for this at times. At times these ladies ask for even more than the regular full service providers in nearby complexes.
Massage parlors also abound in Jakarta. They aren't as plentiful as they are in Thailand, clearly the world leader in massage parlor density per square mile, but they definitely exist. Some are mainstream but many offer happy endings or full service as a part of the regular program. All of the adult entertainment complexes I mentioned earlier have their own massage areas. I'm writing here of standalone massage operations. Popular places include Sumo Spa, Galaxy, Kimochi, Fortune Spa (with several locations) and the previously mentioned Maribaya. Kartika and Berlian are the only places I know that offers soapy massage. The price is 350,000 Rupiah but the facilities are run down.
Red light districts exist all over the city. They don't typically attract a lot of foreigners. Some are among the most dangerous areas of the city though guys who can keep their wits about them usually come out alright. Kalijodo is one of the oldest and most well known. Bongkaran is another. Short time sex sessions are sold to locals for as little as 50,000 Rupiah ($4.25 US) each in these places.