Jakarta is the largest city in Indonesia and known for amazing nightlife, stunning girls, and horrific traffic.
An underrated Asian metropolis, the city is starting to see hordes of expats flock in for the fun times without too many other foreigners around. Just don’t wait too long. Jakarta won’t be our little secret forever.
Today, I’m going to talk to you about this amazing South-East Asia city and help you get started on the right food. So let’s read everything you should know about Indonesia’s capital in my Jakarta travel guide below!
Population: 10 million
Weather: Jakarta is fairly hot and tropical. The temperature ranges between 75-85 degrees Fahrenheit throughout the year. The city is often incredibly humid and rain is common during certain seasons.
Safety: Jakarta has more security concerns than some other Asian cities. However, the city on a whole is exceptionally safe, especially for foreigners staying in the nicer areas.
MUSTS: Party! Jakarta is a huge city that’s tailor-made for enjoying high-end nightlife all weekend long. If you come to this city, then get ready for some debauchery.
You don’t come to Jakarta to enjoy nature. You come to party until the wee hours of the morning with jet-setting locals and expats. Oh, and you can certainly meet some fine Indonesian girls while out at night.
Apartment Prices: A studio or one-bedroom apartment in the nicer areas of town, like near Grand Indonesia Mall, will run you between $500 – $900 a month on Airbnb. Many apartments come with a gym, pool, and other amenities.
If you plan to stay here longer term (three months and up), you can find more cheaper deals – so the longer you stay, the lower your monthly fee for accommodation.
Hostel Dorm Prices: Hostel dorms tend to run between $7-15 per night, I don’t recommend staying in them while in Jakarta. Without an apartment, you won’t be able to properly enjoy this city and the nightlife.
Nightlife in Jakarta: This is why you come to Jakarta.
You come to this mega-city to party and have a great time. Jakarta is the new Bangkok if high-end nightlife is what you’re after.
In a city so large, there are bound to be a number of party options, but we’ll keep things simple for you and offer a few tried and true options.
- Immigrant: This should be a staple of any weekend night out in Jakarta. Many players have raved of this spot and it didn’t let me down. A table and a bottle is almost a requirement here.
- Dragonfly: Another high-end spot that’s ideal for bottles and tables. Dragonfly seems to be the go-to Friday spot in Jakarta. Wednesdays are great, too.
- X2: Last, but not least – X2 is another great club for “bule” looking for a fun night out in Jakarta. The scene tends to lend hand towards expats going home with Indonesia women here.
Price of Beer: $2-7 depending on type and venue.
Price of a Bottle: Varies. $80-250 tends to be the average rates.
Online Dating in Jakarta: Nightlife isn’t the only way to meet Indonesian girls in Jakarta, you can turn to online dating, too.
Yours truly certainly did while I was in this giant Asian city. I met a lot of cute chicks online while in Indonesia and basically only used two sites: Tinder and Indonesian Cupid.
Both worked incredibly well and kept my date schedule full. Men under the age of 23 should stick to Tinder, but anybody a bit older would do well to grab a membership on Indonesian Cupid.
Chance of Hooking Up: 9/10
If you spend a couple weeks in Jakarta and don’t hook up, you’ve done something very, very wrong. This city is huge, there are a ton of girls online, and they love to meet foreign guys.
Get your own apartment or decent hotel near Grand Indonesia mall, fire up an Indonesian Cupid account, and go out twice a week. It’s almost impossible to fail if you do these things.
Next thing you know, you’ll have plenty of nice Indonesian ladies fighting over you. (Yes, I am exaggerating a big, but not a ton!)
Are the Girls Beautiful in Jakarta?: I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: girls in Indonesia are some of the “thickest” Asian girls you’ll find. By that, I mean that girls in this country have more butt and boobies than your average Asian girl.
Personally, I found myself exceptionally attracted to the women in Indonesia and most of the expats I met did, too. And the bodies aren’t just great here, these chicks have some stunningly cute faces, too – although teeth can be an issue for many.
The best part is that they’re not just about looks. These girls, once you get to know them, are extremely smart and nice to be around. A really good combo in my opinion.
Language Barrier: While Bahasa is the official language of Indonesia, most young people, speak at least a little bit of English.
I was fairly pleased with the levels of English in Jakarta and you shouldn’t have too much issue communicating.
Work Available?: There is definitely work for expats and professionals in Jakarta, but I wouldn’t count on it. Finding something to fit your skill set could be difficult. English teaching is always an option, but the pay won’t be great here.
So I would recommend to come here either to live off your savings or, even better, if you already have a source of income set up – either your own gig or the possibility of working remotely.
Taxi/Uber: Uber is in Jakarta. As such, there’s really no reason to use anything else. The app is safe and inexpensive in this city.
Jakarta Overall: In your author’s humble opinion, Jakarta is one of the finest cities in Southeast Asia for partying and meeting amazing women.
The only downsides are the lack of nature and the horrific traffic. But both of these issues can easily be solved with good logistics and a quick flight to Bali every month or two.
Get to Jakarta before the “bule” ruin an amazing city! That’s all I can say.