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[TEAM_PAPUA]

There's been a lot of talk about spending our salaries on entertainment & the problems of trying to maintain a good standard of living on the salaries we are earning: bars, clubs, restaurants, cafes, malls, cinemas, bookstores, DVD rentals/buys, getting away for the weekend etc. So, how about some tips/tricks/advice?

I'll begin if I may:

Club 1001 (close to the infamous 'stadium') - from what I remember, it is free to get in, it is very plush, very 'Chinese' with a stage and live music and hookers from the four corners fo the planet. I think they work as escorts in the club & then you negotiate for extras - everything seemed to be expensive BUT lots of eye-candy. Also several smaller rooms attached for dining, drinking etc. I think this would be a cool place to go and take it easy for a few hours, a bit like a circus for adults.

In short - expensive, smart, nice and lots to look at!

American Grill (Taman Anggrek Mall) - Buffet salad for around 40.000rp or 60.000 with chicken/100.000 with a steak. To be honest the salad is so varied that it's a meal on its own.

In short - cheap if you like 'all you can eat' salad & ice cream & you want to fill up on good food for the week this is a good place (though drinks can cost almost as much as the meal!!!)

Tamani Cafe (not to be confused with it's smaller sister Tamani Express)

For the smallest steaks in the world at 50.000rp this is the place to be! And the club sandwich has more grease than a roadside nasi goreng!

In short - not good.

Celebrity Fitness (Puri Mall) - Great gym, great equipment, friendly staff, good music, lots of eye-candy BUT NOW OVERSOLD AND CROWDED!

In short - if you want to go at 600am then fine, but any other time you can't move. Not a great investment.

______________________________

All can think of right now - anyone know where there are any boxing gyms or martial arts gyms with boxing gear in JKT?

Anyone know of any live music bars which cater for Indonesians and not only to rich Chinese and expats?

And where's the best place to buy DVDs?


T_P

[El Llama]

Being somewhat of a lazy bloater, boxing/martial arts are outside the realms of possibility. However, my pie-enhanced status eminently qualifies me to talk about DVDs and bars.

BB's - a cool little hole-in-the-wall music bar in Menteng (down a little side road beside Menteng Plaza). Cheap beer, a laid-back local crowd and good live music: Friday night is reggae night (amazingly, more than Bob Marley - rare in Indo) and Saturday is classic rock. A great place to kick off a weekend evening.

DVDs are everywhere, but probably the best places are ITC Kuningan, ITC Mangga Dua and Ratu Plaza.

Keep em coming. . .

[gugelhupf]

Getting away from it all cheaply...

AIR ASIA: Very cheap, but also uses modern aircraft maintained to Malaysian standards. Be aware that this is definitely a 'no frills' airline so no complimentary food service, and seating is not pre-assigned. Aside from that the service is generally pretty good and it is the only domestic carrier where you can book online with a credit card. For cheapest rides book well in advance and avoid peak holidays.

Sriwijaya, Jatayu, Star, Adam Air etc - all much the same. 'Low cost' carriers means they are basically tatty versions of full service airlines and most offer some kind of business class and in-flight food. Aircraft vary from reasonably modern to absolutely ancient. Cheap and (fairly) cheerful. Pay attention to the safety brief...

Lion Air - works on the principle that if you advertise something often enough people may start to believe it is a good product. You may be lucky, but while these guys market their impending purchase of next generation Boeings they are still using antique MD-82's on many routes. Have the worst punctuality record of any domestic carrier!

Mandala & Merpati- Largely state-owned (Mandala is actually owned by the military!) imitations of Garuda that are generally fairly creaky and old fashioned. Not generally that cheap although they may sometimes be the only carrier available on less popular routes.

Garuda - The national flag-carrier is the most expensive of the lot but service is generally the best. Recently re-introduced hot food on many domestic routes. Good puctuality record, mainly modern planes. Call centre staff all speak English. You pay for it, though.

LOUNGES - Many teachers don't realise that if you hold a gold credit card with most of the major banks here you get free use of many business lounges. Some of these aren't particularly good, but all offer comfy seating with free drinks and snacks and some offer free internet and English newspapers. Rather more pleasant than the a.s.s. breaking hard seats in the public areas of Soekarno Hatta.

[happy_me]

did the aisa air thing 1 time not so nice but cheap i fly to Singapore on Silk air very good servise but you pay for it.

i have told the every one i work for Silk Air is what i wantand thats what i get.
but within indo Garudais the only to fly

lets face it they make $ on you at least they can do is give youy a good flight.

[TEAM_PAPUA]

Shabu-Shabu Buffet

These things are everywhere. I went to one in Meruya: price around 180.000rp for 2 - if you like meat, and you don't mind cooking it up yourself in a hot pot and on a hot plate, this is a good option for a weekly dose of PROTEIN!! - Downside, tend to eat TOO much and end up with 'meat sweats' and 'I can't move off the sofa for a day' feeling.

Golf Driving Range - Seneyan

30.000rp for 100 balls (36.000rp at weekends) & if you don't have your own clubs you can rent some very poor ones at 16.000rp

K O N I

Near Seneyan - the outdoor sports/park area. The only way to escape JKT and still be right in the centre of it. Nice place to hang out for the day and do/watch sports or just enjoy NO TRAFFIC.


Next Weekend - Mountain Bike championship in Bandung

[guruengerish]

Interestinlgy enough, Starbucks has a very good news letter, on upcoming events around Jakarta.

I only wish it was around when I was living there. sorry, I don't have the web link.

I can't locate the subscription address, but here's a couple of email addresses:

[email protected] & [email protected]

[TEAM_PAPUA]

Seems you all work all week and then stay home

If you like riding bikes there is a great offroad track near BSD. It's on the site of a gas pipeline. The place is surrounded by small villages and farms and is relatively scenic, compared to Jakarta. So, even if MTB is not your thing it is a nice escape from the city.

[TEAM_PAPUA]

Book: 'Bule Gila' - written by the guy who runs the Bugils bar. Reading this collection of very short stories about nothing makes me glad that I'm not lining this idiot's pockets by visiting his bar (I borrowed the book and wouldn't waste $10 on this Shlt).

Movie: 'Mission Impossible III' - Loved it. Apparently it is banned in China because the scenes which were shot in Shanghai show 'negative image' of China: some underwear hanging out to dry in the streets; but I noticed that there wasn't anybody coughing up pints of phlegm or urinating in the street as usual.

Dangdut Bar: forget the name, very close to CitraLand Mall (West JKT) cheap and cheerful and a very friendly local crowd.

[drgonzo]

Bart, the manager of Bugils, Cazbar, and a few others as well as the writer of that book is actually a good guy. The bars he operates are a bit pricey, but at least once a year at each one of them he has a free booze night.

For the cheapest beer in town, that I know of, you'll have to stop by Jaksa. There are at least 2 air-conditioned bars now with 15000rp large bintangs. The bars are now much more commonly filled with English teachers rather than tourists, prostitutes, or ladyboys... unlike days in the past.

[PlasticPill]

[TEAM_PAPUA]