Quantcast
Viewing all 1118 articles
Browse latest View live
↧

Yangon Nightlife - Best Nightclubs and Bars (Updated)

September 1, 2020, 1:41 am
$
0
0
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
I was in Yangon (Myanmar) in January 2017 for two weeks. It was more than enough time for me to go to almost all the nightclubs and bars in the city.

Yangon nightlife is better than what I expected, even though it will need a few more years before it becomes travel-worthy. For now, it is still a bit rough around the edges and somewhat repetitive. I counted over 15 nightclubs, but only 3-4 that I really enjoyed. The others are either too loud, too quiet or they simply have too many prostitutes. On the plus side, I was happy to find out that they are usually open every night of the week, sometimes until late, and that Burmese are enthusiastic party-goers.

Finding information was a challenge. Most of what you'll read online about bars and clubs is outdated, inaccurate or completely irrelevant. Hopefully, this review will make it easier for you. You can help me keep it up-to-date by leaving a comment below.

Note: The Myanmar currency is the Kyat (MMK). At the time of writing: 1USD = 1,360MMK

Yangon Nightlife - Quick Summary
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
If you don't have time to read my whole review, below is a short summary:

Where to stay?
To be close from both the nightlife and the tourist sites, stay in the downtown area near the Sule Pagoda.

→ 5-star:
Shangri-La Hotel Sule: 200$/night - Find the cheapest price on HotelsCombined.

→ 4-star:
Best Western Chinatown Hotel (80$/night) - Check the best rate on HotelsCombined.

→ 3-star:
City Star Yangon (40$/night) - Find a lower price on HotelsCombined.

→ 2-star and dormitory
Backpacker Bed and Breakfast (10$-20$/night) - Compare rates on HotelsCombined.

→ Hotels With Nightclubs
Parkroyal (Music 5), Yangon International Hotel (Pioneer), Inya Lake Hotel (DJ's Bar, Inya Bar) and Kandawgyi Palace Hotel (The Clubhouse).

Where to party?
→ Backpackers: Go to 19th street to eat, drink beer and meet other travelers (especially Kosan bar). You can also try 7th Joint Bar. If you feel like clubbing, I recommend Channel V or Pioneer.

→ Expats living in the North: Go to Kanbawza Street for eating, to Kan Yeik Thar Street for drinking. If you are young, Fuse Club in Myanmar Plaza or BME 2 are the best. If you are older (and a guy), go to DJ's Bar.

→ Tourists/Expats with a comfortable budget: Sunset at a rooftop (Atlas, Penthouse, Yangon Yangon), dinner in Shwe Sa Bwe, Opera, Alamanda or Le Planteur. More drinks in Union, The Envoy or 50th Street. For partying, open a bottle in Clubhouse or listen to live music in Parkroyal (if you don't mind the prostitutes).

→ Single guys: If you are adventurous, go to Mingalar Mon Market (JJ). Less adventurous, try Pioneer. Even less, go to Music 5 (Park Royal) or DJ's Bar.

Where to meet normal girls?
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
→ Tinder: Very limited unless you want to meet tourists/expats
→ Asia Dating: Some English-speaking profiles, you can check who's online by making a free account here.
→ Badoo: Only 10 girls online
→ WeChat, BeeTalk, Line: Only if you speak Burmese
→ Best bars and nightclubs to meet Burmese girls: Fuse, Eclipse, Harry's, Channel V, The Vibe, Cuba, BME 2
→ Best bars and nightclubs to meet foreign girls: 7th Joint, Kosan, Double Happiness Bar, 50th Street
→ During day time: Myanmar Plaza Mall, Junction Mall, Sule Plaza, United Living Mall (middle class)

You can also read 10 Best Countries to Meet Asian Girls and 15 Best Online Dating Apps and Websites.

How to get around?
Unless you have a car, you can only walk or use taxis.

Taxis don't have a meter so you need to negotiate directly with the driver. Crossing Yangon from Chinatown to Inya Lake costs about 4,000MMK. Traffic jams are a big problem during the day (average speed: 10 kilometers/hour) but it gets better after 8pm.

Walking is fine for short distances, especially during the cooler months from December to February. Sidewalks are generally well-maintained. At night, it is not so safe as the streets are dark and filled with stray dogs. Burmese drive like crazy and they'd run over you just to avoid slowing down.

Travel Insurance
Dog bites, dengue fever, car accidents, food poisoning, etc... Your health is more at risk in Myanmar and the proper hospitals (International Clinic in Parami Hospital) are very expensive. Make sure you have a solid travel insurance that covers your whole trip. If you don't have one, I suggest WorldNomads. You can easily get a quotation in 1 minute: How Much Does Travel Insurance Costs? (click on "Get a Price").

Nightlife Areas in Yangon
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Overview of nightlife areas in Yangon
I created the map above to give you an idea about the different nightlife areas in Yangon. I also made a more detailed Google Maps that you can see at the bottom of this article.

The 6 major nightlife areas in Yangon are the following (ranked from North to South):

1) Inya Lake Hotel Compound
Within the Inya Lake Hotel compound, there are 2 upmarket nightclubs (DJ's Bar and Inya Bar). A few hundred meters away, in Kan Yeik Thar Street, there are some less expensive bars and restaurants targeting both expats and wealthy Burmese (Brave, The Vibe, Joe's Kitchen, Spy and Escape).

2) Myanmar Plaza and Bahan
One of the poshest neighborhoods in Yangon, it is also where you'll find the trendiest nightclubs and bars. They can be found in the brand new mall Myanmar Plaza (Fuse, Eclipse, Harry's), in Kabar Aye Road (Cask 81, The West) or in Kanbawza Street (Genki Kids, PorterHouse and a few more fine dining restaurants). BME 2 nightclub is also there.

3) Kandawgyi Lake and Shwedagon Pagoda
This is not exactly a nightlife area, but you have several rooftop bars and cafés targeting tourists and locals. You can have a drink there at sunset time. Vista and The Penthouse have a beautiful view on Shwedagon Pagoda.

At night, it becomes more sketchy. On the main road, you may encounter ladyboys looking for customers. There are also luxury KTVs such as VIP and The One.

4) Yangon International Hotel Compound
This popular complex next to the Summit Parkview Hotel and the Yangon International Hotel is home to Pioneer club, Muse, Mbox Karaoke and a few more bars.

5) Mingalar Mon Market
The dodgy Mingalar Mon Market is a red-light area with KTVs, massage parlors, freelance prostitutes, short time hotels and discos. Inside high-rise buildings, you'll find the famous JJ Entertainment (the most popular among foreigners) and the more local Nasa, Channel V, 9 Floor and Asia Entertainment City.

UPDATE JUNE 2017: According to some info I've received, all the venues of Mingalar Mon Market have been closed down by the police.

6) Downtown Yangon, Chinatown (19th Street)
This is the older part of town where most tourists stay when they visit Yangon. The clubs, bars and restaurants are diverse and they are scattered around a large area. Some are popular with backpackers (part of 19th Street and particularly Kosan bar), some with Chinese visitors (Emperor KTV in City Central Plaza), some with NGO workers (7th Joint), some with Burmese (Cuba), some with businessmen (Club 5 in Parkroyal Hotel) and some with expats (50th Street Café, Union).

Best Nightclubs in Yangon
Yangon nightclubs are similar to each other, probably because they are owned and managed by just a few different individuals.

Below is a short description of each of them (you can click on the name to read my full review).

Note: Unless specified, the music is almost ALWAYS commercial EDM, especially fast-paced Top 40 remixes (old and new songs).

Fuse Nightclub (Myanmar Plaza)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Located on the rooftop of Yangon's newest mall, Fuse is easily the trendiest nightclub in the city at the moment. It has international standards, attracts a cosmopolitan crowd and welcomes guest DJs at least every two weeks. There isn't much space for dancing so it's better to book a table (and cheaper too).

→ Crowd: 85% rich Burmese (including celebrities and socialites), 15% young foreigners.
→ Prostitution: Not so obvious, but some girls are money-oriented (KTV girls who come after work).
→ Entrance fee: 20,000MMK for walk-in guests. 10,000MMK if you've already booked a table (and a bottle).
→ Open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until 3AM.

Channel V (Mingalar Mon Market)
One of my favorites in Yangon, it is perfect for those looking for a more local clubbing experience. Great atmosphere and cheap. Busy any night of the week.

→ Crowd: 99% Burmese, 1% random foreigners
→ Prostitution: Difficult to know, let's say 50% of the girls.
→ Entrance fee: 5,000MMK
→ Open every day until 2AM

Pioneer (Yangon International Hotel)
Maybe the most famous nightclub in Yangon. Crowded on most nights and not so expensive. Full of prostitutes. The DJs are better than average.

→ Crowd: 90% Burmese, 10% foreigners (tourists and expats, mostly guys)
→ Prostitution: 90% of the girls
→ Entrance fee: 10,000MMK with one beer
→ Open every day until 3AM

Club 5 (Downtown)
Live music bar and club of the 5-star Parkroyal Hotel. More expensive than average. Many freelance prostitutes.

→ Crowd: 20% rich Burmese, 80% foreigners from Europe, US, Australia and Asia (expats and businessmen)
→ Prostitution: 90% of the girls
→ Entrance fee: 12 US Dollars (16,200MMK) with a beer (free for hotel guests)
→ Open every day until 1AM

The Vibe and Brave Bar (Kan Yeik Thar Street)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Two popular hangout spots among young, upper-class Burmese. They'll normally be busy on Friday and Saturday. Hip Hop/Rn'B DJs start playing at 10PM in The Vibe. In Brave, the music is EDM. Reasonably priced.

→ Crowd: 85% Burmese, 15% foreigners
→ Prostitution: 10% or less
→ Entrance fee: Free (except when special events)
→ Open every day until 1AM (weekdays) or 3AM (weekends)

BME 2 (Bahan)
Upmarket bottle club near Inya Lake. Small but friendly crowd.

→ Crowd: 90% Burmese, 10% expats.
→ Prostitution: 20% + KTV girls/Hostesses.
→ Entrance fee: 15,000MMK with one beer.
→ Open every day until 4AM

The Club House (Kandawgyi Palace Hotel)
Modern club with international standards. Nice design. Good DJs. Unfortunately not so crowded when I visited.

→ Crowd: 80% rich Burmese, 20% foreigners.
→ Prostitution: None.
→ Entrance fee: I didn't pay any
→ Open Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday until 3AM (4AM on weekends)

DJ's Bar (Inya Lake Hotel)
Popular with foreigners (and prostitutes). It has 3 different areas: A beer garden with a large screen, a bar, and a small nightclub.

→ Crowd: 30% Burmese, 70% young foreigners.
→ Prostitution: At least 80% of the girls
→ Entrance fee: 10,000MMK with a beer or a glass of spirits
→ Open everyday until 4AM

Inya Bar (Inya Lake Hotel)
A nightclub walking distance from DJ's Bar. Rather small and quiet. Mid-to-upper class customers, including some working girls.

→ Crowd: 95% Burmese, 5% foreigners
→ Prostitution: I'm not sure but I would say more than 50% with some KTV girls.
→ Entrance fee: 10,000MMK with one beer
→ Open every day until 4AM

JJ Entertainment (Mingalar Mon Market)
A very famous club among expats and tourists (looking for sex). The area is dodgy but the place in itself is luxurious by Myanmar standards. Early in the night, they will have a fashion show. Two floors above they have a spa with massage plus plus.

→ Crowd: 20% Burmese, 80% foreigners (Koreans, Chinese, Japanese mostly)
→ Prostitution: Close to 100%
→ Entrance fee: 5,000MMK for men and 3,000MMK for girls with a beer
→ Open every day until 2AM.

9-Floor (Mingalar Mon Market)
Also called 9-F, it is a large, local club with a very young crowd. Not very clean, a bit too dark, but friendly.

→ Crowd: 99% Burmese, 1% foreigners.
→ Prostitution: Hard to tell... Maybe 70%?
→ Entrance fee: 4,000MMK with 2 beers in a plastic cup.
→ Open every day until 2AM

Nasa Club and KTV (Mingalar Mon Market)
Maybe the most underground nightclub I've been to in Yangon. It is like a softer version of the ecstasy discos in North Jakarta. Busy on most nights, even during weekdays.

→ Crowd: 99% Burmese, 1% young foreigners (or less).
→ Prostitution: Probably more than 70%. There is a short-time hotel in the same building.
→ Entrance fee: 5,000MMK with 1 beer.
→ Open every day until 2AM

Muse (Yangon International Hotel)
A new club targeting wealthy Burmese, but not busy unless they have special events.

→ Crowd: 95% Burmese
→ Prostitution: There were very few girls, at least half were prostitutes.
→ Entrance fee: I didn't pay
→ Open every day until 3AM

Asia Entertainment City (Mingalar Mon Market)
The largest nightlife complex in Yangon, there is a spa, a KTV, a fashion show lounge and a disco. A bit old, mostly popular with Chinese.

→ Crowd: 40% Chinese, 35% Burmese, 20% Other Asians, 5% Westerners
→ Prostitution: Close to 100%
→ Entrance fee: 5,000MMK with a beer
→ Open every day until 2AM

Emperor KTV (Chinatown)
For mysterious reasons, this brothel is popular with tourists (even Western girls). Inside, you'll find a main room with mild "fashion" shows and several karaoke rooms.

→ Crowd: 80% Asian guys (Chinese, Koreans, Japanese, Burmese), 20% Western tourists
→ Prostitution: 100%
→ Entrance fee: 5,000MMK with one beer
→ Open every day from 7PM to 12AM

J-One (Kandawgyi Lake)
When I visited, it was really empty. I think it only gets busy on specific nights. In particular, they hold LGBT friendly events and Hip Hop nights.

→ Crowd: 95% Burmese
→ Prostitution: No girls when I visited.
→ Entrance fee: 5,000MMK with a beer
→ Open every day from 9PM to 12AM.

You can't just walk around and expect to find bars in Yangon. The city is too big and the number of bars too small.

Here are some of the most famous, by neighborhood (for the exact location you can see my Yangon nightlife map at the end of the article).

Downtown Yangon
This large area (3.5 kilometers long and 1 kilometer large) has the highest number of bars in Yangon. Some of my favorites are:

As I mentioned before, 19th street is the busiest nightlife area in downtown Yangon. Many backpackers will hang out there every night. The best bars are Double Happiness and Kosan (both belong to the same people). Friendly and cheap (1,000MMK for a mojito, 800MMK for draught beer).

Note: Avoid the overpriced street food in the whole 19th street. Go to 18th street instead.

50th Street
It used to be the place to be among expats but it is now much quieter. Still a cozy place to drink, eat, watch sports and play pool/foosball.

7th Joint:
A small, Jamaican reggae bar with daily live music. Open mic nights on Tuesdays are very crowded. Full review: 7th Joint Yangon.

Union
Upmarket restaurant and bar, popular with expats. It was created by a group owned by an English guy who is also behind Parami Pizza and Tin Tin 118 (a tiny Mexican restaurant). Regular event such as Salsa and live music nights.

Gekko
Japanese/Korean bistro with some of the best cocktails in Yangon.

Blind Tiger
Speakeasy bar popular among expats. Serves Western and Asian food.

The Envoy
Restaurant with live Jazz every Saturday night. They have DJ events with techno, deep house and minimal every once in a while.

Fat Ox British Pub
Expat bar, they have decent pub food but the prices are high. Pool table in the back.

Cuba
Local bistro on two floors with a terrace. Very crowded at night with mostly middle class Burmese. The food portions are huge. One of my favorite places in Yangon for eating.

Hyper Pub
Similar to Cuba, it is a local bar with cheap beer and some local food.

Oriana 24
Another local pub with eclectic music, Western food and a few backpackers. In Chinatown.

Kan Yeik Thar Street
This is a good street to begin your nights out on Fridays and Saturdays (if you stay in the North). You can have dinner in Joe's Kitchen or Escape bar, then grab a beer in Brave (local crowd) and finish your night at The Vibe. The prices are reasonable.

Myanmar Plaza
The mall has several hangout spots but the best one is Harry's sports bar. You can also go to Eclipse rooftop (just next to Fuse) but it will be more expensive.

A Hard Rock Café will open there in 2017.

Kanbawza Street/Kabar Aye Road
On a 500-meter stretch of road, there are a few upmarket bars and gourmet restaurants. Expats tend to go to Genki Kids while very rich Burmese prefer the Whisky bar Cask 81.

Kandawgyi Lake
You need to pay to access the park around the lake (like 200MMK). Inside, there are several cafés, none of which really memorable. Two of the busiest when I visited were YGN Bus Café and Off the Beaten Track.

Yangon International Hotel Compound
There are several bars (P2, Alchemy Rooftop, The Cup Sports Café), coffee shops and restaurants. None are remarkable but they are interesting if you are planning to go to Pioneer later on.

Yangon Nightlife Map
I've listed all the venues mentioned in this review in the following map:

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
↧
Search

Muscat Nightlife (Oman) - Best Bars and Nightclubs (2020)

September 1, 2020, 1:42 am
$
0
0
You shouldn't expect much from Muscat nightlife. There are very few bars, even fewer nightclubs, and you won't find a party atmosphere like in Dubai.

That said, if you are living in the city, or if you are visiting for a few days, you can always find some decent venues to have fun, to meet people, and to drink alcohol.

Just scroll down to learn more about the best party spots in the capital of Oman.

Muscat Nightlife Areas + Hotels
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Nightlife in Muscat
Muscat is a city with several centers, making it quite inconvenient to navigate. Expect to spend quite a bit of time in a car or a taxi every time you want to go somewhere.

For this reason, it is important to choose your hotel carefully. Personally, I would recommend a location near the Sultan Qaboos Highway, ideally near the neighborhood of Al Qurum. It is an upmarket district, near the beach, where you can easily reach shops, malls, and restaurants. It is also within 10-20 minutes from the business district of Ruwi.

For nightlife lovers, the Grand Hyatt Hotel is the best choice as it has three popular bars and clubs inside: Safari Pub, Habana Sports Bar and John Barry. It is quite expensive, but you may be able to find some good deals on Agoda (less than US250$/night).

In a similar price range, the Intercontinental is a good choice as well, with two bars: Al Ghazal Pub and Trader Vic's.

Al Qurum Resort is walking distance from the Intercontinental, with a beachfront and 2 nearby bars (Privé and Route 66). It costs about US$150/night.

The W Hotel has recently opened and they have a nice pool bar called Siddharta by Buddha Bar (to be opened in 2019). Prices start at US300$/night.

If you need a cheaper option, book the Beach Bay Hotel (US90$ per night) It is across the street from Grand Hyatt and it has the expat bar Milly O'Brien inside.

Also good are the Ramada Qurum Beach Hotel (less than US80$/night) and the Waves International Hotel (US50$$ per night).

Note: Hotels in Muscat may not always be girl-friendly. You should remember that it is normally forbidden for unmarried couples to live together. The international chain hotels will rarely enforce the rule, but, still, it is better to be discreet and to make your booking for two people.

Meeting Girls in Muscat
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Girls in the bar "On the Rocks" (Instagram)
Like the rest of the Middle-East, Muscat is not an ideal destination for bachelors. Local women are pretty much impossible to date so your only chance is to meet foreign girls.

Oman Air has some cute flight attendants that you may encounter in places like La Vida, Trader's Vic, On the Rocks or Rumba Lattina. They are from various nationalities (Thai, Filipinas, Eastern Europeans, etc) and you can certainly interest them as long as you are handsome, smart and/or wealthy.

English teachers are another possibility. I talked to a few in the usual dating apps like Bumble or Tinder. None were my style of girls.

Finally, you also have thousands of foreign ladies who work as maids, or as shopkeepers/waitresses/receptionists/etc. Many are Indonesians or Filipinas. They rarely go out to bars or clubs, so you'll have to find them online.

Prostitution in Muscat
There are working girls, often Asians, in several expat bars like Safari Pub, O'Malley's, Al Ghazal or Rock Bottom Café. You may also match with them online on Badoo or Tinder. The sugar baby website Seeking Arrangement has a limited number of girls in Muscat, but they are the most pretty you'll see around.

Muscat Nightlife Tips
Here are a few things you should know to prepare your nights out in Muscat:

Bring your ID/Passport
You must be 21 to enter a bar or a club in Oman.

Price of Clubbing
Clubbing in Muscat is a bit cheaper than in Abu Dhabi, Dubai and Doha. Most bars are free to enter, especially if you are in a couple. The places that charge an entry fee, like Rock Bottom, only do so on the weekends, and they give you 1 or 2 free drinks.

In a typical expat bar, a beer will cost OMR2-3 (US$5-8) and a cocktail OMR3-5 (US$8-13).

Many of the venues listed below will have a happy hour promotion, usually from 5PM to 8PM. Ladies' nights are also a great way to save money. The best ones are in Sheraton (Turbines & Taps) on Wednesday and La Vida on Friday.

Dress Code
Since most bars and clubs are located within luxury hotels, you are normally required to dress well. In particular, do not wear shorts and sandals.

When to Party
Weekends in Oman are on Friday and Saturday. Therefore, the best nights for clubbing are on Thursday and Friday. The rest of the week, it can be very quiet unless you go to a specific event.

Weekly and monthly events:
For information on the latest events and parties in Muscat, you can check the following online groups:
- MuscatNights.com (Facebook)
- Oman Parties and Events (Facebook)
- Muscat Party (Private Facebook Group)
- Oman Events (Facebook)
- Muscat Events (Instagram)

You can also follow the Instagram accounts of famous local DJs like Dj Djibo and DJ Pharaoh.

Finally, if you are into Salsa/Kizomba/Bachata, look at Latin Dance Muscat and Muscat Salsa Rueda.

Internet Censorship in Oman
Many websites are blocked in Oman, including porn. To unblock them, you can download a VPN like VyprVPN. This is the one I use and I'm very happy with it. If you are confused about how it works, please read my article: Why Adult Websites are Blocked in Qatar (and How to Unblock Them).

Best Bars, Pubs, and Clubs in Muscat

The Cave Complex
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Rumba Lattina in The Cave
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
La Vida Muscat
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
La Vida Muscat
This unique location is a man-made cave in which you can find several restaurants and bars. The advantage of going there is that if you can do some bar-hopping and try several venues in one evening. You can also eat various types of cuisines (Italian, Omani, Indian, Chinese, Brazilian, Mexican, Moroccan, etc).

At the moment, these are some of the popular spots:

La Vida Muscat
African night on Wednesday. Ladies night on Friday (Free drinks for ladies all night long). Arabic night on Saturday. Shisha.

NV (Envy)
New lounge with a Pinoy night (Filipinos), an African night, an urban night, and a Latino night.

Rumba Lattina (I'm not sure if Lattina is voluntarily spelled with two "t")
Mexican/South American restaurant with reggaeton/salsa/EDM. Same owner as NV.

On the Rocks
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
With its modern design, this restaurant/lounge/bar is a bit more sophisticated than most other venues in Muscat. It attracts a young crowd of locals and foreigners, rich and trendy, who party in groups.

Wednesday is probably the best night, with a free flow promotion for only OMR10. Otherwise, they have Deep house/EDM/Techno on Thursday, and Hip-hop/Rn'B on Friday.

Safari Club, Habana Sports Bar, and John Barry in Grand Hyatt
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Habana Sports Bar
Within the Grand Hyatt Hotel, there are 3 different nightlife venues:

The Safari Club is a typical expat bar with a kitsch African theme. It has live music, pub food, and pool tables. There are some Asian/Chinese prostitutes as well. Attached to it, Habana is more laid-back and perfect for watching sports.

Finally, the John Barry Bar is more stylish. It is more appropriate for a date or a quiet drink with its live piano music nights.

Other expat pubs in Muscat
There are many British/Irish/American pubs in Muscat. They are quite similar to each other so I thought it was useless to describe each of them. I rank them below starting with my favorites:

→ Milly O'Brien in Beach Bay Hotel: Simple and clean Irish pub with a good crowd (fewer prostitutes than elsewhere). Daily events like karaoke, quiz night, live music, jazz, sports, etc. Good food.

→ Turbine and Taps in Sheraton: Best bar in the business district of Ruwi, modern industrial design, nice cocktails. Bollywood night on Friday, Ladies night on Wednesday (3 free drinks).
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Turbine and Taps
→ Duke's Bar in Crowne Plaza Hotel: Sports bar, good burgers, outdoor terrace with the ocean view.

→ Al Ghazal in Intercontinental Hotel: British food, pool tables, live band/DJ from Wednesday to Friday.

→ O'Malley's in Al Khuwair Hotel Radisson Blu: Busy on weekends, many Filipinos, live music, some prostitution.

→  Route 66: Busy and affordable bar in Al Qurum Resort Hotel. Special events every day: African nights, Salsa night, karaoke night, Arabic night, Hip-Hop night. In the same hotel, you also have the more upmarket gastro lounge Privé (Bollywood nights, house nights, techno nights)

→  Rock Bottom in Ramee Guestline Hotel: High testosterone bar/club with an OMR10 entrance fee on weekends. The crowd is mostly Arabic, with many Asian prostitutes as well. Daily live music followed by a DJ. Affordable prices.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Rock Bottom Bar in Muscat
Trader's Vic in Intercontinental Qurum
Trader Vic's is a chain of Polynesian-themed restaurants and the self-claimed inventor of the Mai Tai cocktail. It is surprisingly very present in the Middle East, with branches in Dubai, Doha, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and Bahrein.

I find it a bit touristy, but if you are a bit old-fashioned, you might enjoy it there. They have live music, exotic cocktails, and a relaxed atmosphere. Beware that shorts and sandals are not allowed.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
↧
↧

20 Best Cities for Nightlife in Asia (Updated)

September 1, 2020, 6:20 am
$
0
0
I've spent most of the past two years trying the nightlife of various Asian cities, from Indonesia to Kazakhstan. I've written individual reports for most of them (see the tag Asia Nightlife), but I thought it could be useful to make a brief summary recapitulating everything I've learned.

Based on my travels, these are my 20 favorite cities for partying in Asia (I ranked them by order of preference):

Metro Manila
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Revel Nightclub in Manila
I spent three weeks in Metro Manila (Makati, Malate, Quezon City). It has become one of my favorite metropolises for nightlife due to several factors: Prices are affordable, nightclubs and bars abound, girls are exceptionally pretty, Filipinos are friendly and tourists are still rare.

Note: I haven't been to Manila since Duterte became president. The atmosphere might have changed since.

In a nutshell:
⛔ What you will hate: Safety issues in low-class neighborhoods, crazy war on drug, traffic jams, slow internet, conservative society (Catholic), disappointing food

✅ What you will love: Gorgeous girls, cheap prices on alcohol, English is spoken everywhere, large diversity of entertainment venues, midget boxing, 24-hour casinos

Number of nightclubs: 25
Curfew: 5 AM
Prices: Cheap
Meeting Girls: Easy (FilipinaCupid)
Prostitution: Moderate (in Malate, Makati, Pasay) or online on Seeking Arrangement
Where to party: Makati, BGC (Bonifacio Global City), The Fort, Quezon City
Where to stay: Makati

For a complete review, you can read Manila Nightlife - Best Nightclubs and Bars.

Saigon
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Ladies night in Lush
I lived in Saigon for 8 months in 2015 and I loved it. As the economic capital of Vietnam, it is one of the most happening and fastest-paced cities in Southeast Asia. It is also quite touristy and popular with young Westerners. Its nightlife could be perfect if only Vietnamese clubs were more welcoming toward foreigners.

In a nutshell:
⛔ What you will hate: Traffic jams, very hot during the intermediate season, some difficulties to communicate with Vietnamese

✅ What you will love: Cheap, diverse, beautiful girls, delicious food, Vietnamese people (smart, educated, hard-working, big drinkers), 24-hour massage parlors

Number of nightclubs: 30
Curfew: 4 AM
Prices: Low
Prostitution: High (Massage Parlours in Saigon) or online on Seeking Arrangement
Where to Party: District 1 - Read my article 12 Best Nightclubs in Saigon to Meet Girls
Where to stay: Near Ben Thanh Market

For a complete review, you can read Saigon Nightlife.

Jakarta
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Dragonfly in Jakarta
Jakarta nightlife is not as crazy as it used to be 10 years ago (24-hour clubs where everything was permitted), but it is still really fun, especially if you know your way around.

In a nutshell:
⛔ What you will hate: Massive traffic jams, difficulties to walk around, 200% tax on alcohol, commercial music almost everywhere, growing conservatism.

✅ What you will love: Safe to visit, plenty of attractive girls, modern clubs, hipster bars, friendly people, off-the-beaten-track destination.

Number of nightclubs: 15
Curfew: 4-5 AM
Prices: Expensive (10$ for a cocktail, 4$ for a beer, up to 25$ for an entrance in the best clubs)
Meeting Girls: Easy (IndonesiaCupid) or online on Seeking Arrangement
Prostitution: High
Where to Party? See my guide Party Areas in Jakarta
Where to stay? See my guide Where to Stay in Jakarta

For a complete review, you can read Jakarta Nightlife - Best Nightclubs and Bars.

I've always felt that Bangkok nightlife was overrated. This has been particularly true in the past 3 years after the new government issued stricter regulations on nightclubs. Still, it remains an interesting option for the least adventurous travelers.

In a nutshell:
⛔ What you will hate: Touristy, early curfew. Difficult to differentiate between ladyboys, prostitutes and normal girls

✅ What you will love: Busy every night, foreigner-friendly, lots of beautiful girls, cheap prices on almost everything (hotels, food, drinks, transport, etc).

Number of nightclubs: At least 30
Curfew: 1 AM
Prices: Low (5$ for a cocktail, 2$ for a beer, 15$ for an entrance in the best clubs)
Meeting Girls: Moderately easy (ThaiCupid) - Lots of competition from other guys.
Prostitution: High (in Nana Plaza, Soi Cowboy, Patpong) or online on Seeking Arrangement
Where to Party: Sukhumvit, Thonglor, RCA
Where to stay: Near Asok BTS

For a complete review, you can read 30 Best Nightclubs in Bangkok.

Shanghai
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Bar Rouge is the best party spot in Shanghai
As one of the fastest developing cities in the world, Shanghai is an amazing destination for extravagant parties. It is not a solo destination, though, as most nightclubs are geared towards bottle service. Perfect for a stag or a weekend with a group of friends.

In a nutshell:
⛔ Too many bottle clubs, rather expensive, daily annoyances from government restrictions.

✅ Huge diversity of clubs, easy to get around, small underground scene, interesting crowd of expats and locals, hot girls aplenty

Tip: Subscribe to a VPN service BEFORE arriving in China if you want to keep using Google, Facebook, etc. The most recommended for China is VyprVPN.

Number of nightclubs: 40
Curfew: 4 AM
Prices: Average (15-20$ for club entrance)
Meeting Girls: Average
Prostitution: Discreet (KTVs, online, spas)
Where to Party: Hengshan road, Xintiandi
Where to stay: Near Shanghai Library Station

Few people would think about Taipei for a party weekend, and yet they are wrong. The Taiwan capital is home to a wild nightlife, with plenty of sophisticated nightclubs and bars. The locals are welcoming towards foreigners, the prices are reasonable, and you can go almost everywhere by foot. One more thing: They have the most amazing sexy dancers I've seen in Asia.

In a nutshell:
⛔ Nightclubs are only happening on weekends and, to a lesser extent, on Wednesdays.

✅ Taiwanese are foreigner-friendly, prices are moderate (free flow nightclubs available), few tourists around, easy to get around.

Number of nightclubs: 10
Curfew: 4-5 AM
Prices: Moderate (free flow nightclubs available)
Meeting Girls: Moderate (Tinder)
Prostitution: Low
Where to Party: ATT4FUN, NEO19
Where to stay: Near Taipei 101 MRT

For a complete review, you can read Taiwan Nightlife Guide

Singapore
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Bang Bang Nightclub
If it didn't cost 10 euros to buy a beer there, Singapore could be much higher in this ranking. There are dozens of stylish bars and clubs, with an excellent crowd and often famous DJs. Another interesting feature is that you can meet girls from all over the world, from an American banker to a Filipino maid.

In a nutshell:
⛔ Too expensive, more challenging with girls, quite tame, too many rules

✅ Diversity (Indian clubs, Arab clubs, Chinese clubs, Western clubs, Thai clubs, etc), quality DJs, stylish venues, comfortable city, amazing Ladies' nights (usually on Wednesdays)

Number of nightclubs: 25
Curfew: 3-4 AM Prices: Very expensive
Meeting Girls: Moderate (Tinder, Paktor)
Prostitution: Moderate (in Geylang, in Orchard Tower, online prostitution, "health centers". The founder of the sugar dating website SeekingArrangement is actually from Singapore.
Where to Party: Chinatown, Clarke Quay
Where to stay: Near Orchard MRT

For a complete review, you can read Singapore Nightlife Guide

Hong Kong
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
The Lan Kwai Fong area is filled with party-goers at night
A world-class city, a bit more stylish than Singapore, with a plethora of bars and lounges. Some good clubs as well, very international yet with a strong Chinese influence.

In a nutshell:
⛔ Expensive, limited nightlife on weekdays, average-looking women (as Americans would say: No offense).

✅ Cosmopolitan crowd, sophisticated venues, crazy red-light district.

Number of nightclubs: 20
Curfew: 4-5 AM
Prices: Moderate (free flow nightclubs available)
Meeting Girls: Moderate (Tinder)
Prostitution: High (Wanchai), or online on websites like SeekingArrangement
Where to Party: Lan Kwai Fong, Wanchai
Where to stay: Near MRT Central

Bali: Kuta to Seminyak Area
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Clubbing in Jenja Bali
Bali nightlife is mostly located in the south of the island. Kuta is touristy, cheap and tacky, while Seminyak is more sophisticated and popular with long-term residents. You can have a lot of fun, especially if you decide to rent a big villa for a crazy weekend with friends. After that, it can get a bit boring as you always see and meet the same people over and over.

In a nutshell:
⛔ Bali is surprisingly small and it can sometimes feel like a village.

✅ The diversity of clubs and bars (EDM, techno, Rn'B, etc).

Number of nightclubs: 15
Curfew:  5 AM
Prices: Average
Meeting girls: Easy
Prostitution: Growing (see Is Bali Becoming A Sex Tourist Destination?).
Where to party: Jalan Oberoi (Seminyak) or near Sky Garden (Kuta)
Where to stay: Near Jalan Oberoi or near Sky Garden

For a complete review, you can check: Where to Party in Bali: A Complete Nightlife Guide

Hanoi is not very different from Saigon, to be honest. It is also very touristy and its nightlife is not as conservative as you would think.

In a nutshell:
⛔ Unbearable heat and humidity most of the year (from April to November), loud music in nightclubs, some tourist scams, conservative people

✅ Interesting city to visit, many young foreigners (including Western girls), very cheap (10 cents for a beer)

Number of nightclubs: 20
Curfew: 3 AM
Prices: Low
Meeting Girls: Easy (VietnamCupid)
Prostitution: High (Massage Parlours in Hanoi)
Where to Party: Old Quarter, West Lake
Where to stay: Near the Saint Joseph Cathedral

For a complete review, you can read Hanoi Nightlife Guide

Almaty
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
TSB - My favorite club in Almaty
Almaty was a great surprise for me. I was initially just passing by while traveling in Central Asia but I ended up staying two weeks. The city is safe, pleasant (at least during spring) and cheap. It has an awesome and fun nightlife too, easily the best in the region.

In a nutshell:
⛔ Only happening on weekends, freezing temperatures in winter, girls can be a bit conservative (though interested to meet with foreigners).

✅ Cheap everything, stunning girls (mix of Asian and Russian), interesting underground scene

Number of nightclubs: 15
Curfew: 5 AM
Prices: Cheap
Meeting Girls: Easy (Tinder, Mamba)
Prostitution: Average
Where to Party: Around the Park of 28 Panfilov Guardsmen and Gogol Street
Where to stay: Near Panfilovtsev Park

For a complete review, you can check: Almaty Nightlife: Best Bars and Clubs

Phnom Penh
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Pontoon Club in Phnom Penh
Due to a mix of poverty and corruption, Phnom Penh's nightlife is still one of the craziest in Southeast Asia (though it has been tamed in recent years). It is a popular stop for sex tourist, especially the older and poorer ones.  There is also a nascent upmarket and expat scene that is interesting enough for a weekend of clubbing.

In a nutshell:
⛔ Too much prostitution (it's hard to meet normal girls). The city is still underdeveloped, messy and dirty.

✅ Very cheap prices. Laidback vibe. Interesting city to visit as a tourist (temples, markets, museums).

Number of nightclubs: 20
Curfew:  5-6 AM
Prices: Cheap
Meeting girls: Easy but many prostitutes
Prostitution: High
Where to party: Street 51 (Pasteur) near Pontoon. For hostess bars, streets 104, 130, 136. 
Where to stay: Near Cardamom Hotel, Lux Riverside or Sun & Moon Urban Hotel.

For a complete review, you can check Phnom Penh Nightlife.

Phuket
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Seduction Club in Patong
I wouldn't spend a week in Phuket, but for a short weekend, it is fun enough. Most of the nightlife is located in the coastal town of Patong, along Bangla street. You have a bit of everything, including some trendy nightclubs and dirty ping pong shows.

In a nutshell:
⛔ Lots of tourists (and not the best kind), prostitution, ladyboys, crowded beach, scams

✅ Everything walking distance, party every night, mixed crowd, reasonable prices

Number of nightclubs: 10
Curfew:  5-6 AM
Prices: Average
Meeting girls: Rather difficult to meet non-prostitute. Try ThaiCupid.
Prostitution: Everywhere
Where to party: Bangla Road
Where to stay: Near Bangla Road

For a complete review, you can check: Patong Nightlife (Phuket)

Cebu is one of the richest and most populous cities in the Philippines. It is also the capital of a beautiful region, popular yet not overcrowded with tourists. Its nightlife is particularly recommended if you are hoping to find a pretty Asian girlfriend. Many Filipinas live there by themselves because they work in one of the numerous calls centers or BPOs.

In a nutshell:
⛔ Becoming more touristy (especially among Koreans), rather small and provincial.

✅ Great for meeting girls, laid-back, cheap, plenty of tourist excursions nearby.

Number of nightclubs: 10
Curfew: 4 AM
Prices: Cheap
Meeting Girls: Easy (FilipinaCupid)
Prostitution: Important
Where to Party: Mango Square, Mango Avenue
Where to stay: Near Mango Square

For a complete review, you can check: 10 Best Nightclubs in Cebu

Pattaya does not have many equivalents in the world. The city has over a thousand bars and probably 10 times as many prostitutes. It is just a huge, 24/7, bordello for sex tourists from all over the world. If you are a regular tourist, you may be amused by it for a few nights, but after that, you'll be begging for a ticket back home.

In a nutshell:
⛔ Seedy atmosphere, very commercial, dirty beach.

✅ You have to see it once to believe it. Crazy clubs, crazy people, crazy nights. Cheap. Gorgeous girls (none for free).

Number of nightclubs: 20
Curfew:  5-6 AM
Prices: Average
Meeting girls: Almost impossible to meet a non-prostitute
Prostitution: Everywhere
Where to party: Walking street, Soi LK Metro
Where to stay: Near Central Festival Beach Mall

For a complete review, you can check: Pattaya Nightlife: Clubs, Bars, Gogo, Hotels

Kuala Lumpur
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Zouk Club in the TREC complex
Kuala Lumpur nightlife has some interesting aspects, but it is far from being my favorite. I've always felt uncomfortable there, as if partying was only tolerated but not really embraced. I also had a couple of bad experiences with locals, especially young and rich Malay kids.

In a nutshell:
⛔ Conservative mentality, racial tensions, limited number of clubs

✅ Affordable, conveniently located in two major areas, easy to get around.

Number of nightclubs: 20
Curfew: 4 AM
Prices: Average
Meeting Girl: Average
Prostitution: Average
Where to Party: TREC, Jalan Changkat Bukit Bintang
Where to stay: Near Sungei Wang Plaza

For a complete review, you can check: KL Nightlife: Best Bars and Clubs

I lived in Koh Phangan for about 6 months in 2013. This gave me plenty of opportunities to try the famous Full Moon Party (and its sisters: Half Moon Party, Dark Moon Party, Jungle Party). It was not as wild as I was expecting and I quickly got sick of the backpacker crowd, but I still think it's worth trying it once.

For more sophisticated nights out, I also stopped a few times on the nearby island of Koh Samui. There are more proper nightclubs there (atmosphere similar to Phuket).

In a nutshell:
⛔ Fake alcohol, touristy, cost of living higher than on the mainland, a lot more men than women, expensive hotels during full moon parties (book in advance).

✅ Great beaches, massive parties, easy access to some drugs, easy to meet fellow travelers (in the 20-25 range)

Number of nightclubs: 5
Curfew:  5-6 AM
Prices: Average
Meeting girls: Mostly Westerners. Not so easy.
Prostitution: Average. Mostly in the form of massage parlors.
Where to party: Haad Rin Beach (Koh Phangan), Chaweng (Koh Samui)
Where to stay: Haad Rin (Koh Phangan), Chaweng Walking Street (Koh Samui)

Vang Vieng
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
For unknown reasons, Koreans love to party in Vang Vieng
Even though Vang Vieng is only a tiny town in the middle of Laos, it used to have some of the craziest parties in Southeast Asia. A major reason for that was the availability of drugs. Things have changed in the past 5 years, unfortunately, after several tourists died. There is still a fun nightlife, split in a few open-air bars that attract young backpackers (Europeans and Koreans).

In a nutshell:
⛔ Small, low-class, repetitive, prices above than average.

✅ The best place to party in Laos, many wild Western girls, easy to get around, some drugs still sold openly.

Number of nightclubs: 3
Curfew:  3-7 AM
Prices: Low to moderate (as elsewhere in Laos)
Meeting girls: Maybe the best place in Southeast Asia to meet Western girls (a lot of British, Canadian, American, Nordic, etc).
Prostitution: Small
Where to party: Start in Sakura Bar, then move to Viva, then to Room 101.
Where to stay: Near the Post Office

For a complete review, you can check: Vang Vieng Nightlife

Chiang Mai
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Zoe in Yellow is the place to go for backpackers
Chiang Mai does not have a big reputation for nightlife, and yet I had some of my most memorable nights there. One of the reasons for that is the high concentration of girls, either foreign backpackers or Thai students. In the meantime, there aren't that many guys, probably because they all got stuck in Bangkok.

In a nutshell:
⛔ Provincial, very early curfew, not many venues (mostly Thai live music).

✅ Easy to meet girls, very cheap, interesting tourist sights in the city.

Number of nightclubs: 5
Curfew:  1 AM
Prices: Cheap
Meeting girls: Easy with both Western girls and Thai girls
Prostitution: Small
Where to party: Nimman (Thai area), Old City (Tourist area), Loi Kroh (Lady bars)
Where to stay: Near Tha Phae Gate.

For a complete review, you can check: Chiang Mai Nightlife

Gili Trawangan is the only Thai-style, backpacker party island in Indonesia. It's great if you want to meet Western girls, drink cheap beers and try magic mushrooms. During the day, there isn't much to do apart from suntanning and diving.

In a nutshell:
⛔ Low-class, very young foreigners. Overcrowded. Accommodation more expensive than in Bali.

✅ More Western girls than anywhere else in Indonesia. Mushrooms and marijuana easily available. Some beautiful beaches.

Number of nightclubs: 4
Curfew:  5 AM
Prices: Average
Meeting girls: Moderate (Western girls mostly)
Prostitution: Small
Where to party: Between the Pier and Villa Ombak Hotel.
Where to stay: Backpackers: Stay in party hostels like Gili Castle or Broken Compass. If you have money, try instead Scallywags Resort.

For a complete review, you can check: Gili Trawangan Nightlife - Lombok
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
↧

Vientiane Nightlife: Top 20 Nightclubs and Bars (Updated)

September 1, 2020, 7:16 am
$
0
0
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
I stayed a week in the capital of Laos, Vientiane, to explore its nightlife. In this review, I will give you some tips about the best nightclubs, the best bars, where to stay near the nightlife and how to meet Laotian girls.

If you expect Vientiane to be a boring town, you are only partially right. After night falls, it isn't long before all shops and restaurants close, and by 10PM most streets are desperately deserted. At this time, even finding street food can be challenging.

If you go to the right places though, you'll discover some much more happening areas. As I realized, you can party every night in Vientiane until at least 3AM, well past the official midnight curfew.

Nightlife Areas in Vientiane
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Click on the map to enlarge
Most of the bars, restaurants and nightclubs recommended in this article are within a small area north of the Chao Anouvong Park (green rectangle on the map) and along the riverside. Almost every visitors will stay there and you should probably too. These are recommended hotels near the nightlife:

→ 5-star: Crowne Plaza (200$ per night)
→ 4-star: Salana Boutique Hotel or Dhavara (120$ per night)
→ 3-star: Sunbeam Hotel (50$ per night)
→ 2-star: Moonlight Champa (30$ per night)

West of Vientiane, along Setthathilath Road, you will find some more upscale venues with much less tourists. This is where rich Laotians party as well as some expats (pink rectangle on the map).

Elsewhere in the city, the nightlife spots are sparsely located. Vientiane is not a city where you can just walk around and hope to find a great random bar. In general, as you get away from the city center, it gets naughtier. This is particularly true on T4 Road (Kamphengmeuang Road - red rectangle on my map). It can be considered a low-end red-light district as I counted at least 30 cheap girlie bars and karaokes, with working girls and sometimes hidden short-time rooms.

👉 Renting a motorbike: I was using a motorbike to get around in Vientiane. It costs about 50,000-60,000 per day and it will save you the trouble of negotiating with tuk-tuk drivers every time you want to go somewhere (and to explain where you want to go). The police does not seem to hunt tourists and the absence of traffic jams makes driving relatively easy. Still, it remains dangerous and you should make sure you are properly insured. You can read my Travel Insurance Guide for more information (it's about Indonesia but it applies to Laos as well).

Top 10 Bars in Vientiane
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
I-Beam Bar
You will find plenty of small restaurants, cafés and beer gardens selling alcohol in Vientiane. They will almost always be recognizable by their yellow and green neon sign (paid by Beerlao, the main brewer in Laos). Unfortunately, most of those places are not very interesting unless all you care about is getting drunk for as cheap as possible.

If you are looking for slightly more happening venues, you can try any of these:

Located by the riverside on the 4th floor of a building, it is one of the most popular bars in Vientiane. It gets consistently crowded every night from sunset until closing time with mostly tourists and backpackers, a few expats, some Laotians, some prostitutes and some ladyboys (later in the evening). The central bar makes it easy to meet people. You can play pool and there is a nice view on the Mekong. 15,000 kip for one beer, 40,000 kip for a cocktail and 40-60,000 kip for a main course. Music is Top 40 and EDM.

Musso
Part of the S Park Design Hotel, this live music pub is a popular hangout for rich Laotians and mixed Chinese. It is also where you'll see some of the prettiest girls in the city. Retro design. More expensive than average. Open every day until midnight.

I-Beam
This bar shares the same building with the fine dining restaurant Silapa. I visited on a Friday night and you had mostly dressed-up expats living in Vientiane. You might also meet some pretty and educated Laotian girls. Live music on Friday (Jazz, acoustic). Salsa on Thursday. Ladies night on Wednesday. Pricier than elsewhere (50,000 kip for a cocktail).

Samlo bar
An old, European-style pub serving food and cheap beer (10,000 kip). In another city I would never recommend it, but for Vientiane it is among the best for meeting people. Pool tables and foosball. Pop and rock music. Close at 2AM.

Read my full review: Samlo Bar Vientiane

Go Dunk
A new beer garden similar to those you have everywhere in Thailand. Laid-back vibe, live music, friendly staff.

CCC or Lao Café
This small bar is almost hidden near the Wind West Pub. It is officially gay-friendly but you'll also see plenty of girls, including hookers. It is the closest thing to a Thai-style girlie beer bar in Vientiane. It stays open until late (at least 2AM).

O'Grady's Irish Pub
O'Grady's is about 10 minutes away from the tourist area. It is patronized by an expat crowd who comes to watch sports, drink Guinness and eat Irish pub fare. Various events: Live music, quiz nights, darts nights, sports nights (rugby, UFC, football, AFL). Friendly owner. It is a family-friendly, especially during the weekend (kids playground in the backyard). Open every day except Monday until 12PM.

This is more a café/beer garden. Popular with older travelers. Nice setting but a bit expensive. The only reason I put it here is because it is normally quite busy and because it serves good food.

Hard Rock Café
The Hard Rock Café Vientiane is far from the city center, expensive and not very crowded. Live bands may sing in Laotian or English.

There are many more small bars in restaurants in the tourist center, particularly in Setthathirath Road, Samsenthai Road and the riverside street (Fa Ngum Road). For instance, the Beer House (largest beer selection in Vientiane), Paris Cocktail 2, Charlie's, Chokdee Belgian Beer Bar, Jazzy Brick Jazz Bar or Highland Sports Bar. Typically, those places are owned by foreigners married to a Laotian. They will rarely have more than 15-20 guests at once.

For a more local experience, you can try Western-style bars with a 100% local crowd elsewhere in the city, for instance Corebeer, Garage Cocktail Bar, Relax, Suite 21 or Classic (see my nightlife map at the end of the article). 

Top 10 Nightclubs In Vientiane
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Marina Nightclub
Most nightclubs in Vientiane are located in the western part of Setthathilah Road. As elsewhere in Asia, the local crowd tends to purchase bottles and stand around a table with their group of friends.

Marina
Marina is my favorite nightclub in Vientiane. It is also the only one with international standards (to a certain extent). It is large and packed on most nights with middle-to-upper class Laotians, a few Asian tourists (Chinese, Thai, Koreans) and surprisingly almost no foreigners. Loads of pretty girls. EDM and Hip Hop commercial music. Free entrance. Beer 18,000 kip. Close at 3AM.

Read my full review: Marina Club Vientiane.

Gold Star
Another fun place to party, Gold Star is part of a the huge Dao Kham Hotel complex. It is a Thai-style nightclub with live music acts followed by DJs (EDM). Compared to Marina, the crowd is much younger (some clubbers are probably under 18) and not as rich. Many opportunities for guys who want to meet girls. Free entrance. Close at 3AM.

Read my full review: Gold Star Nightclub

Wind West
Open since 1992, this live music pub has a mixed crowd of Laotians and tourists. The bands are a hit-and-miss but it does not really matter as people will dance whatever is being played. Excellent venue to meet local girls. Close at 2AM.

Read my full review: Wind West Vientiane

@Home
This is the Vientiane club where you'll see the most foreigners. It isn't too big nor sophisticated, but they have less commercial music (trance/techno). There are some normal girls but also prostitutes and ladyboys. Free entrance. Beer for 25,000 kip. Close at 3AM.

Read my full review here: @Home Vientiane

Also spelled Mark 2, it is an upmarket beer garden and live music club popular with rich Laotians. In the beer garden, the bands will normally play soft and romantic songs while in the club they will play pop/rock. Giant screen with sports. It also serves food. Walking distance from Mercure Hotel.

Phoenix
A small club with live music and commercial EDM DJs. As of today I don't really see the point of going there.

Read my full review here: Phoenix.

Romeo and The Pavilion
An upmarket complex featuring a live music hall (The Pavilion), a nightclub (Romeo) and an unnamed KTV. It was almost empty when I visited. Not worth it as it is 15 minutes from the tourist center.

Read my full review: Romeo Nightclub and Pavilion Music Hall

Batman Pub
A decent nightclub which is unfortunately located in the middle of nowhere, at the end of a dirt road. EDM, live music, karaoke. Local crowd.

Read my full review: Batman Pub & KTV

Mittaphab Club and Karaoke
An odd club with a mix of old Laotian couples, some Chinese guys and 20-something karaoke hostesses. A live band plays mellow Lao songs. Group dancing. Free entrance. 25,000 kip for a beer. Close at midnight. It belongs to the Mekong Hotel.

Read my full review: Mittaphab - Mekong Hotel

Galaxy
An upscale Lao live music bar. Chic crowd and professional service. Only if you are into local music.

Read my full review: Galaxy.

There are a few more nightclubs in Vientiane: Heartbeat (Live Music and DJ), Catwalk (Live music), Impeng Hotel (Live music), What's Club (Didn't visit), Xscape Club and KTV (click to read my review) or Ton Khao Restaurant & Club (far and very local but packed).

Meeting with Lao girls is not so difficult if you go to the right places. They will generally be open to talk with foreigners and interested to develop long term relationships.

The best places for that in my opinion are Wind West, Marina, Gold Star, Mark Two, Musso, I-Beam and Phoenix.

You can also use online dating sites and apps, but the pool of available girls is limited. As of February 2017, Tinder had around 100 profiles (including 20 foreign girls), Badoo around 200 (but many idle profiles). Asia Dating did not even have one girl (even though it normally has the largest number of Asian girls).

It will be much more difficult if you want to bring a Lao girl to your room. As you may have read, sex between unmarried foreigners and Lao girls is officially forbidden. Even though the law is widely ignored, it gives you an idea of what the local mindset is like.

The worst part is that few hotels are girl-friendly, meaning they will refuse any late-night guest who wasn't part of the original booking.

You can avoid this problem by booking a room in girl-friendly hotel. They often have poor ratings but at least they won't bother you with your private life. Some of them in Vientiane are:
Lao Plaza Hotel (5-star, centrally located, but expensive = 150$ per night)
City Inn (4-star, a bit run-down but still rated 7.8/10, = 70$ per night)
Mekong Breeze, Heuang Chaleun, La Ong Dao 1 and La Ong Dao 2: Poorly rated but cheap girl-friendly hotels in Vientiane (between 20$ and 40$ per night).

There are also at least 3 hotels with nightclubs/KTV that have the reputation of providing prostitutes. They are Tihao Hotel (Dihai KTV), Inpeng Hotel (Inpeng Club) and Mekong Hotel (Mittaphab KTV).

Vientiane Nightlife Map
I've added every bars and clubs mentioned in this review on the following map:
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
↧

Nightlife in Goa: Best Parties, Bars, Clubs and Festivals (2020)

September 1, 2020, 9:38 am
$
0
0
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
As the most liberal state in an otherwise conservative country, Goa is easily the best party destination in India.

Relatively small in size (Goa is only slightly larger than Hong-Kong or Luxembourg), it attracts millions of tourists every year with its beautiful beaches, a relaxed vibe, cheap booze and tons of crazy parties. There are also thousands of long term residents, including hippies who have been living there since the 1970s.

The following review will give you an overview of Goa nightlife. If you have any questions, please ask them in the comment section below.


Best Seasons to Party in Goa
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Goa experiences unbearable heat and heavy rainfall from late April to September. This is the time when many foreign residents (and some businesses) pack their bags and leave for the milder climate of the Himalayas, in northern India.

October to March is a good time to visit Goa, especially the month of January when the best parties are organized. Unfortunately, it is also quite crowded then, and everything is more expensive. It is common for hotels to charge up to twice as much during this season.

It gets even worse during Christmas and New Year Eve. This is the peak season, and it can be complicated to find a decent hotel at a reasonable price.  Some restaurants will even have a different menu with hiked prices just for these few days. Taxis charge more, motorcycle rent increases, etc. Be aware of this when planning your trip.

To summarize:
→ April to September: Off-season with few parties, many closed businesses (including bars, clubs, etc), but inexpensive hotels.
→ October to March: High-season (best to enjoy the nightlife and the beach).

Party Areas in Goa + Hotels
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Just to make things clear in case you didn't know it yet: Goa is NOT a city.

It is an Indian state split between two main areas, North and South Goa, each with their own characteristics:

Generally speaking, North Goa is more known for its party vibe while the South is considered more secluded, with its pristine beaches and chic boutique resorts.

Naturally, this Goa nightlife review will focus on North Goa, even though I will also mention a few South Goa clubs as well.

In North Goa, these are the most interesting options for your stay:

→ Vagator, Anjuna, and Morjim beaches are former hippie destinations which have now morphed into partygoer’s paradise (nowadays, mostly Indians, Russians, British, and Israelis). If you come to Goa mainly for the nightlife, you should choose a hotel in one of these three cities (see below for the most recommended ones).

→ Calangute and Baga beaches are more crowded, tacky, and noisy. Its residents are beach enthusiasts who come from India or from Russia/Europe on cheap holiday packages. There is an infamous nightlife area called Tito's Lane where you will find tourist bars like Tito's or Mambo's. Beware as there are can be some prostitutes there. In the past few years, some upscale Indian bars have opened near Baga as well, such as Owl and Las Olas.

→ Candolim beach is known for its exclusive hotels and peaceful environment. The nightlife is limited to hotel bars like the one in the Hyatt Centric.

→ Arambol beach, further north, is almost a 3-hour drive from central Goa. It is an up-and-coming destination, where hippies, digital nomads, and backpackers from all over the world stay for longer periods of time.

Personally, I like Anjuna as I enjoy its long beach, its tasty restaurants, and its numerous affordable hotel options. This is also where you have the best nightclubs and bars.

Here are a few recommended hotels to stay near Goa nightlife (from cheap to expensive):
⭐Jungle by the Hostelcrowd (rated 8.9/10, US$6 per night for dormitory and US$25 for a private room) - On Vagator beach, great party hostel for the budget traveler.
⭐⭐⭐The Ivy Anjuna (rated 8.9/10, US$50 per night) - Very central, near the restaurants and shops, just 7 minutes to the beach
⭐⭐⭐⭐Larive Beach Resort Vagator (rated 8.1/10, US$80 per night) - On Vagator beach, this hotel often hosts great parties
⭐⭐⭐⭐Casa Anjuna (rated 8.1/10, US$80 per night) - Beautiful colonial-style garden with a relaxing garden
⭐⭐⭐Ozran Heights (rated 8.2/10, US$90 per night) - Comfy bungalows right on Vagator Beach, next to the Chronicle bar.

Best Nightclubs and Bars in Goa
Enjoying Goa nightlife is all about knowing the right events, parties, and festivals. A great club may be packed on a Wednesday afternoon, but empty on a Friday night for instance.

Therefore, it is crucial to get up-to-date information about the latest parties before heading out.

To help you, I recommend you to follow these groups and pages:

Goa Trance Parties: A list of all the trance parties and festival
Nightlife in Goa and Events in Goa: Weekly parties and events
Goa Freaks: Info about the underground party scene in Goa
What's Up Goa: A hip guide to what's happening in Goa

Otherwise, you can go to these clubs which are normally the busiest (check their Facebook page before going to make sure they are open, though).

This simple beach shack on Anjuna beach is one of the most popular hangout spots in Goa, both during daytime and nighttime. In particular, Shiva Valley is known for its beach parties every Tuesday. Then, the bar is lit with neon artwork, and it welcomes top DJs spinning trance and psychedelic tracks. The party starts in the late afternoon and the audience often leaves with the sunrise.

Another beach shack, similar to Shiva Valley (and right next to it), where the best parties are held on Thursdays. It's also a good spot to have a beer during the day.

If you walk 10 minutes north, you will find Cafe Lilliput which has some good events during the high season. Also similar is UV bar/Plan B.

If you need a change from your beach party routine, Club Cubana offers a memorable experience on top of Arpora hills. Hosted in a large building, this club boasts several bars and dancefloors with different styles on each level (mostly commercial: House, hip-hop, EDM). The place also features a serene outdoor area with a guarded swimming pool to relax under the stars.

Opened only during high season. Stag entries (single guys) are strictly prohibited. INR 3,000 entry for couples with unlimited drinks. Go early as it closes at midnight.

As its name suggests, this iconic venue is an actual open-air hilltop. It has been known since the 1970s to host some of the biggest parties in Goa, including music festivals like Sunburn (see below).

I recommend going there on Sunday afternoons. They will have several different DJs (local and international) playing mostly trance sets. It is a huge venue so it can often feel a bit empty, unfortunately.

Hilltop parties are subject to noise pollution norms and hence they shut at 10 pm unless they have special permission, which is usually for music fests, Christmas and New Year’s Eve.

Morjim’s gem Bora Bora is the only bar in Goa that stays open 24/7. It's a good place to crash after a long night out and to order some food. They have nice music and a relaxed atmosphere. Good for meeting girls as well. Most customers are Russians (the owner of the bar is Russian as well).

A multi-level all-day beach club featuring a cool bar and restaurant. More upmarket than most other venues in Goa, it attracts an international crowd. Recommended for sunset drinks.

Leopard Valley is an offbeat venue in the southern part of Goa, not too far from Palolem. You need to go about 5 kilometers into the jungle in order to reach it. They have a big open-air party on Fridays that lasts until morning. The music is techno and trance and there are some shows like sexy fire dancers. A great experience but a bit more pricey than the usual Goa nightclub (INR700 entrance). Beware that it does not open every year (check their Facebook page for more information).

If you stay in South Goa near Palolem, there is another party that may interest you. Called Silent Noise, this is a place where music is played in your ears via headphones (a smart way to avoid the noise restrictions). There are several DJs playing at the same time, each a different set of music. The entrance is INR800.

Music Festivals and Parties
Goa is a popular destination for music festivals and regular parties in India. During high seasons, there is at least one happening every month. Three events that stand out from the crowd are:

With the distinction of being Asia’s largest music festival, Sunburn attracts artists like Sam Feldt, David Guetta, KYGO, Martin Garrix, and many others. It was also ranked as one of the top 10 music festivals in the world by CNN. This 3-day festival is spread across multiple stages with artists playing day and night. Sunburn was hosted in Goa until 2015 before shifting its venue to Pune. In 2019, the organizers have brought it back to Goa. It usually happens just before the New Year. Prices start at USD50 for one day pass.

Located in Riva Beach Resort, this is the largest reggae festival in India. It usually features up to 50 local and international artists, for an event that lasts 3 days. Prices start at USD30 for a day pass.

Note that the Riva Beach Resort has a weekly Reggae party at its pool area every Sunday as well. Click here for more information.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Riva's Sunday reggae party


Liquid Sky parties are organized by a group of foreigners who have been living in Goa for decades. They were among the first ones to introduce underground electronic music in Goa, initially from a beach shack in Arambol. Check their Facebook page for their next events, their parties are usually great!

Indian and Bollywood Clubs

SinQ is an upmarket Indian club with different daily events (the retro nights on Thursdays being the most popular). Nice cabanas near the poolside for those who want to chill. Forbidden for single guys, but you can enter if you accompany a couple (INR 2,000 for the couple, and INR 3,000 for the guy).

LPK - Love, Passion, and Karma - is a waterfront club on the Nerul river in Candolim. Surrounded by water on three sides, this place has an old heritage feel. Popular among the upmarket Indian tourists. It is known for cocktails, Goan Chicken Cafreal, and unlimited house brand drinks at a low price of Rs. 1000 (~$14).

Some other popular Indian and Bollywood nightclubs in Goa: Owl, Soho, and Hammerzz.

Goa Nightlife Tips

Places to avoid

→ Baga / Calangute
Unless you like to be on cramped beaches with endless EDM and Bollywood music blaring out of every beach shack, you should avoid visiting Baga or Calangute beaches. These beaches were, about a decade ago, the go-to destination. Over time, they have been polluted and crowded beyond imagination. Many tourist guides and blog posts still feature them, but the authors are yet to visit them in 2019.

→ Tito's / Mambos on Tito's Lane
You will find Tito's and Mambos on most “must visit” listicles online. These two bars are one of many that are located in Baga/Calangute, on Tito's Lane. They can be OK to visit once out of curiosity, but I doubt you will enjoy partying there. The entrance fee is a whopping INR2,700 for single males, for which you get a free flow of cheap alcohol. Poor food, poor music, poor atmosphere.

Cost of partying
The cost of partying in Goa can be divided into three categories:

One is the entry fee. This can vary from season to season ranging from INR200 (~$3) to INR1500 (~$22).

The second most important cost is the transport cost to and from the party place. Goa is one state in India where you cannot find Uber or similar cab services. Taxis in Goa charge an exorbitant amount of money. The best way to go is to rent-a-car if you have one sober driver to get you back. If not, it is wise to share a cab with other people in your hotel/hostel. 

The third is the cost of booze and food. For top party places, this ranges from Rs. 500 (~$7) to Rs. 2000 (~$28). Alcohol is cheap in Goa. A can of beer will cost you less than $1.5 in most places.

Safety
It is important to follow traffic rules for safety. Many tourists rent motorcycles to save money and end up in a hospital or caught by traffic police. Locals may encourage you to rent a motorcycle but beware. If you meet with an accident, it is going to cost you dearly (for this reason, make sure you have travel insurance before heading to India - personally, I use WorldNomads which costs about US2$ per day).

Another thing to be careful about is drugs. Pay attention so that no one is spiking your drink. Do not accept drugs from people you do not know. They might sell you fake drugs or worse, bad quality substances.

Drugs are illegal in India, including soft stuff like Marijuana. That being said, they are quite common in many nightclubs and bars. In recent years, the police have started a crackdown on drugs in Goa. They keep a tab on every popular party and will barricade the roads leading out of the venue. If suspected, you will be thoroughly checked and penalized. 

Prostitution is illegal in India too. There are places where you will find prostitutes offering their services but it is important to be cautious and stay away. Just like drugs, there is a crackdown on prostitution too. If you are suspected of inviting a prostitute to your guesthouse or hotel, the staff there can report you to the police.

Finally, I should mention that I was bitten by a wild dog once while riding a motorbike. There are quite many around and it can be annoying. Again, it is useful to have travel insurance for this kind of issue.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
↧
↧

Macau Nightlife: Guide to Nightclubs, Bars, and Saunas

September 1, 2020, 9:55 am
$
0
0
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Macau nightlife is not very interesting for the young traveler. If you are expecting to party like in Las Vegas, you will be disappointed: There are actually very few nightclubs and bars, and you rarely have famous guest DJs or performers.

Macau is really focused on hardcore gambling, with a rather large high-end prostitution scene. That makes it a popular destination for sex tourists, mostly from mainland China, but it's not really my thing. Therefore, I was happy to spend only a couple of days there before heading back to Hong Kong, which is way more fun.

During my two days, I had enough time to explore all the nightlife spots around, except the famous Macau saunas (a local friend told me everything about them for this review).

The following article will give you a quick overview of what I learned during my trip. If you have more questions about partying in Macau, please just leave me a comment below.

Where to Stay in Macau Near the Nightlife
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
The NAPE Zone ((Novos Aterros do Porto Exterior) is the best location in Macau to be both near the nightlife and near the casinos.

In this area, I recommend the following properties:

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Wynn Macau (rated 9.0 on Agoda, US$250 per night).

⭐⭐⭐⭐
Grand Emperor Hotel (rated 8.4 on Agoda, US$140 per night).

⭐⭐⭐
Sintra Hotel (rated 8.1 on Agoda, US$95 per night)

Macau doesn't have any decent budget hotel. There aren't any hostel either. It seems the government doesn't want to attract low-end tourists and backpackers. If you want to sample the nightlife without booking a hotel, it is possible to arrive in the afternoon and to go back early in the morning. The ferries operate 24-hour from and to Hong Kong.

Best Nightclubs in Macau
Nightclubs in Macau are almost all Chinese-oriented. This means that they tend to favor large groups who book a table and order bottle service. If there is a dancefloor, it will often be very small. If you are planning to dance and to buy individual drinks, you may feel like a second-class customer in those places.

D2
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
This is the only European-style nightclub in Macau. It is quite small, almost like a bar, with just a few tables and a live stage. They have some sexy hostesses and dancers, from Thailand, China, and even some Eastern Europe countries (maybe Romania?). It is "busy" only on weekends and late (entrance fee around 200-300 MOP with two drinks). Before entering, make sure there are some people inside. Music is generally house/EDM.

Cubic
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Cubic is often considered the best nightclub in Macau, and yet it is empty on most nights. It is a medium-sized venue with a stage for live performances (DJs, bands, dancers) and several VIP seating areas. Unfortunately, there isn't a real dance floor. Entrance is free before 12.30am. After that, it will cost you on average 250 MOP with 1 or 2 drinks. Famous DJs who played there in the past couple years include Dimitri Vegas & Like Mike, Yellow Claw, and Martin Garrix.

DD3 Disco & KTV
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Just 3 minutes walking distance from its sister venue D2, this is a small Chinese-oriented club with Thai hostesses and karaoke rooms. The main lounge has a DJ or a live band every night. I didn't visit it.

Show House in Studio City
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
This nightclub, originally from Taiwan, replaces Pacha which closed down last year. It has mostly (sexy) dance shows, DJs and concerts, with a special event about once every two weeks. For instance, in the past months, they welcomed artists like Paul Van Dyk or Mr. White. The rest of the time is rather quiet, even during their ladies night on Friday (free entry and drinks for girls). Most visitors are groups, but I think it is still enjoyable for a single guy as you can watch the dancers. It closes at 6 AM.

Best Bars in Macau
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
The bar scene in Macau is pretty poor. There are some expensive, yet boring venues in most of the luxury hotels (for instance, McSorley's Ale House in The Venetian). They often have live music (cover bands or piano), but nothing truly happening.

For a more busy atmosphere, you don't have that many options. Your best bet is to head to the Docks, in the street opposite Kun Iam Statue. There are several bars, cafés, and restaurants there, including Moonwalker. It is a simple venue, with a live Filipino band every night, decent food, and a friendly crowd (if you are lucky!).

Another possibility is to go to the Broadway food street in the Galaxy complex. It is a busy place to eat, with two bars: Duffy's, a typical Irish pub, and The Roadhouse (American country style with live music). Both places share the same menu which is quite expensive (US$12 for a pint of beer).

In Taipa's old village, Prem1er Bar has a large selection of liquors and wine. You can check their Facebook page for their events (live music, sports, happy hours).

Finally, if you need a more stylish venue to invite a girl on a date, I'd recommend the rooftop bar Sky21 on AIA Tower. It has both an indoor and an outdoor area, with a nice view of the Nam Van Lake. They serve mostly western food.

Fishbowls and Saunas in Macau
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Note: I haven't visited any of Macau's infamous saunas. The information below comes from a friend (+ some research online).

Since prostitution is legal in Macau, the industry has been allowed to grow with little restrictions. In particular, you will find some very exclusive and expensive 24-hour brothels called "saunas" and "fishbowls", both of which are venues where men get (soapy) massages, followed by sex.

In the saunas, you have access to nicer bathing facilities (hot pool, shower in the room), and you pick your girl from a line-up. They are also open 24-hour. In the "fishbowls", you make your choice after looking at an "aquarium", a glassed room where dozens of girls are sitting and waiting for customers. They offer soapy massages, a bit like the ones in Thailand.

Some services happen in the main lounge. For instance, back and shoulder massages, manicure, or even the notorious "thigh massages" (in which a girl will sit next to you and give you a handjob directly under your robe). For the more intimate services, you will go to a private room with a bathtub and a TV (that often shows a porn movie).

These are the most famous saunas and fishbowls in Macau:

Rio Sauna in Rio Hotel (open 24 hours) is the most luxurious of all the saunas in Macau. It has some amazing facilities, and their girls are truly gorgeous. But the cost is high. The minimum spend is US$150 (you will have to pay this amount even if you don't do anything inside). Choosing a "normal" girl is US$350 (Vietnamese, Thai, etc), and for an Eastern European girl, you'll have to fork out at least US$410. The Japanese models are the most expensive at US$660 for a session.

Familia Nobre Sauna (also open 24-hour) is another popular sauna with foreigners, with cheaper prices than Rio (about 20% less). The facilities are still great, with a large number of girls (including some Russians and Blacks).

The other famous saunas are East (smaller one, in Waldo Hotel), Eighteen (the worst one), Emperor (in Emperor Hotel).

For the "fishbowls", Darling 1 in Macau Masters Hotel is the most recommended. It also has a sister property called Darling 2. They are both less onerous than saunas (30% less than Rio), but you don't get the same standard of service and facilities. If affordability is your main concern, then you may want to check Hou Va, one of the cheapest adult massage parlors in Macau.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
↧

Best VPNs in Indonesia- How to Access Blocked Websites (2020)

September 1, 2020, 2:00 pm
$
0
0
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
In this review, I will explain how to bypass Internet censorship in Indonesia (mostly targeting porn websites) by using a VPN service (Virtual Private Network). I will also give you tips on how to watch Netflix in Indonesia.

Note: The VPNs I recommend here also work well for China, Vietnam, Philippines, Laos, etc. 

Most porn and torrent websites are blocked in Indonesia. This includes all the most famous ones like XVideos, YouPorn, PornHub, XHamster, KickAss Torrents, and The Pirate Bay. It is also not possible to visit some forums like Reddit or InternationalSexGuide. Same thing with the hook-up website Adult Friend Finder and the cam website Chaturbate.

Some regular websites have also been banned, like Vimeo. Tumblr has been shut down in March 2018 after its management refused to remove porn content from the platform.

Another problem internet users are facing in Indonesia is the 2008 Electronic Information and Transactions Act. This vague set of laws can make you the target of a defamation suit for exposing your views online. You are not allowed, for instance, of suggesting that someone might be corrupt.

Because of this law, posting a comment on Facebook, Twitter, or Path in Indonesia can land you in jail. This is what happened to Alexander Aan or Florence Sihombing.

I have been using a VPN for over 4 years already. It allows me to visit any websites I want on the internet without anyone knowing about it. It is 100% legal, secure, and safe. In fact, according to this study, Indonesia is the country with the most VPN users in the world: 23% of its Internet users have one installed.

The cost is cheap (less than 3-4$ per month on an annual plan) and it works great. If you travel a lot in Asia, it is also very useful in heavily-censored countries like Vietnam or China.

Since VPN companies usually give you a free trial from a few days up to 1 month, I tested at least 10 of them to make sure I was choosing the best. There are so many different companies that you could probably get a free VPN just by using their trial periods and switching from one to another.

However, the prices are really reasonable so once you've found one that works well, it's really easier to just pay.

Here are my top 3 recommendations for best VPNs in Indonesia (I used the 3 of them and they worked great):

Vypr VPN - Strongest VPN with 3 months FREE (Annual Plan)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
VyprVPN is a slightly more expensive VPN because of one main feature: The Chameleon technology. Thanks to that, it manages to bypass the government's restrictions in China (one of the only VPN providers to do so).

When I was traveling to China last year, I used it a lot and it never let me down. Their support was really amazing, I could ask any questions and they would reply to me within just a few minutes.

I would recommend it to those who travel in countries with heavy restrictions on VPNs. Naturally, it works perfectly for Indonesia as well (they have a server in Jakarta too for faster speed).

VyprVPN was recommended by the New York Times, The Verge, and LifeHacker.

A great thing about VyprVPN is that the annual plan is actually quite cheap! It will cost you only 3,75$ per month, which is nothing for the privilege of being able to surf the web freely and anonymously.

You can purchase it using your credit card, Alipay or PayPal. It can be used on up to 5 devices (smartphone, tablet, laptop, TV, etc).

NEW! You can get 3 months free by opening this link: Promo Deal for Vypr VPN - Indonesia. 

Pricing of Basic Plan:
3.75$ per month (billed annually)
9.75$ per month (billed monthly)

Pricing of Premium Plan:
5$ per month (billed annually)
12.95$ per month (billed monthly)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

IPVanish - The fastest VPN I've used

Before VyprVPN, I was using IPVanish for about a year. In particular, I had it while in Myanmar and Laos. Both countries censor the Internet heavily, from porn to peer-to-peer sites, and they have a reputation to spy on web users. I had no issues there, and of course no issues in Indonesia as well.

IPVanish VPN advertises itself as the fastest VPN in the world and as far as I know, this is true. I've used it to stream Netflix or to download torrents and I felt I could use my provider's maximum speed. They also encrypt all communications with the AES-256 standard, which is currently used by the US Government to protect its classified information. Finally, they do not keep any log of your web activity, including the sites you visited and your IP address.

You can check by yourself if you subscribe to any of their plans (there is a free 7 days trial): IPVanish Plans.

Pricing:
IPVanish is great but more expensive than the competition. If you can afford it, don't hesitate:
6.49$ per month with a 1-year plan
8.99$ per month with a 6-month plan
10$ per month without a plan

PureVPN - Best Value: Perfect for anonymous web browsing, downloading torrents and streaming videos (Netflix)

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
PureVPN is often considered one of the best on the market because of its super-fast servers (they have over 750 of them in 140+ countries, including one in Jakarta). If you watch a lot of videos or download movies through torrents/peer-to-peer network, I strongly recommend it.

First, because there is no bandwidth limit on your data transfers. Second, because they keep no logs of your connection (or IP) and therefore your activity is 100% anonymous.

If you are looking for a VPN that allows you to watch Netflix US, this is an excellent choice too. Just choose an American server, and it will be as if you were there.

In terms of security, they use a military-grade key with up-to-256-bit encryption to protect your communication for government spying.

They also have a great support team that will resolve any issue you may have within a few hours.

Pure VPN is the recommended choice for PC Mag, Mashable, Forbes, and the Huffington Post.

Great news! PureVPN has just launched a huge offer. You can now buy a 2-year plan for only $1.89 per month. That's 80% off from their normal price.

To benefit from this offer, you can click on the following link: PureVPN - 7-Day Money-Back Guaranteed.

How Do You Access Porn/Blocked Websites in Indonesia? Do You Use A VPN As Well?
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
There are a lot of new VPN providers entering the market every month. If you are using a different VPN in Indonesia or if you have another way to visit porn/blocked websites in Indonesia, please leave a comment below to share your experience!
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
↧

Abu Dhabi Nightlife: Best Bars and Clubs (2020)

September 1, 2020, 4:06 pm
$
0
0
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
With 1,8M inhabitants, Abu Dhabi is the second-most populous city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE) after Dubai.

Even though the country is officially Islamic, it has a decent nightlife that caters mostly to expats, tourists, and businessmen. There are around 10 lively bars and nightclubs, almost all of which are located in 4- or 5-star hotels. You can find a crowded event most days of the week, except during Ramadan when everything is closed.

That said, not everything is perfect. The main problem is that very few women go clubbing in Abu Dhabi, so it is not rare to have a bar full of guys (minus the prostitutes). To avoid that, select your venues carefully and keep an eye out for ladies nights.

Another issue is that prices are generally quite high. A cocktail in a high-end bar will easily reach US$20, and a beer US$10. To order bottle service, be ready to spend at least US$500 for one bottle. It is a good idea to check for happy hours, usually from 5PM to 8PM.

If you want to know more about Abu Dhabi nightlife, just scroll down and read all my tips below: The best hotels near the nightlife, how to buy alcohol, how to meet girls, the best time to party, how to dress, what to bring with you, and a list of my favorite bars and clubs.



Abu Dhabi Nightlife Areas + Hotels
Abu Dhabi nightlife is spread over a rather large area. You may need more than 30 minutes to reach some clubs, so it's important to choose the right neighborhood, depending on your taste.

Yas Island
If you want to party in the hippest venues, you should stay on Yas Island. This is not very central, especially if you work in the city center, and it is more expensive than average, but you will be near Ferrari World, the F1 Circuit, the Yas Mall, and the Yas Marina. In the latter, you have several great restaurants and bars, particularly Iris and Mad.

Where to stay on Yas Island?
Yas Hotel is the most recommended place to stay as it has several bars and a club (US$110/night). Park Inn By Radisson is also good and it is well-priced (US$65/night).

Tourist Club Area (near Capital Park)
Al Khalidiya and Al Danah, also called the Tourist Club Area, is where you have the highest concentration of bars (many of which can be quite seedy and full of prostitutes). It is an older part of the city, that can be interesting for tourists, but it is not so modern nor beautiful. Choose this area if you want to experience the busy city life.

Where to stay in the Tourist Club Area?
Le Royal Méridien is reasonably priced (US$100 in low season), and it is ideally located. For nightlife lovers, it has three popular bars: Illusions (see review below), PJ O'Reilly's Irish Pub and the rooftop lounge Stratos.

A more affordable option is Al Maha Arjaan Hotel by Rotana (around US$70 per night).

In the midrange category, Novel Hotel (ex-Mercure) is interesting for some tourists. It has a bar called Cyclone (ex-Blitz) that has live music. It's quite popular with an Arab crowd. Many Chinese and Pinay prostitutes work there as well.

Al Bateen/Corniche Beach
This area, particularly between Corniche Beach (St Regis Hotel) and Al Bateen Marina, is one of the most sought-after neighborhoods in Abu Dhabi. There are only a few upscale bars around, but it is only 15 minutes away from the Tourist Club Area. Stay there if you want to live in a beautiful and relaxing neighborhood.

Where to stay in Al Bateen?
Grand Hyatt Abu Dhabi is a new 5-star hotel that opened in 2018. Gorgeous design, great views. Around US$200.

Are Abu Dhabi Hotels Girl-Friendly?
Almost all the 4 and 5-star hotels in Abu Dhabi are guest-friendly, especially the famous international chains. However, if you wish for a girl to visit your room, she will always be required to register at the reception and to show her ID.

Buying Alcohol in Abu Dhabi
If you are over 21 and a non-Muslim, you will have three ways to buy alcohol in Abu Dhabi:
- The easiest is to get some bottles at the duty-free in the airport, just after the luggage pick-up (up to 4 liters per person)
- You can also apply online for a special license that will allow you to purchase alcohol from liquor stores like Spinney's (several outlets all over the city).
- Finally, you can just buy drinks/bottles in a bar or a club, and drink on the spot

Meeting Girls in Abu Dhabi
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
While in Abu Dhabi, it is very unlikely that you will get to meet, talk, or hang out with a single Emirati girl (except in a professional environment). So you can just forget about this option.

The single girls you might meet are all foreigners, from various backgrounds.

There are many Arabic women from other countries (Egyptian, Syrian, Jordanian, etc) but in the best scenario, you'll just get to chat with them online and you'll never meet.

You have the Indonesian or Filipino maids, especially on social media or dating sites (especially on Tinder, Badoo, OkCupid), but they are not often free to do what they want, and they work almost all the time. If you are very picky, you should know they aren't really the model type. They are easy to meet in Filipino clubs like the one in the Emirates Plaza Hotel.

There are also quite many flight attendants, in particular from Etihad Airways (Tinder, Bumble, Happn). They come from all over the world, and you'll often see them in high-end nightclubs and bars. You cannot imagine how much attention they receive from guys, so don't expect to approach them easily unless you have good money and looks.

English teachers are also plentiful and they are more easy to date. Again, not always the most pretty.

In the end, apart from the famous dating apps, your best bet is to go to the most successful ladies' nights in Abu Dhabi, like MAD on Thursday/Friday, or Iris on Wednesday.

Prostitution in Abu Dhabi
While it is normally forbidden for a non-married couple to live together, prostitution is nonetheless very common. There seems to be a certain tolerance from the authorities, at least with expats.

There are hookers in almost every bar or club in the city, mostly Chinese, Africans, Eastern Europeans, and Southeast Asians. As a general rule, if a pretty girl is staring at you or smiling repeatedly, you can assume she is after your money.

On Tinder/Badoo, you will also see many girls advertising for massage or sex, but beware as they are almost always scams. Most likely, a pimp is managing the account and the pictures are fake. The sugar baby website Seeking Arrangement is more trustworthy, but it can be expensive.

Finally, there are some secret AMPs (or Asian Massage Parlors) in hidden locations in the city. They are constantly moving from one apartment to another, but taxi drivers will often know where they are.

Here are a few things you should know to prepare your nights out in Abu Dhabi:

Bring your ID
You can enter a bar or a nightclub in Abu Dhabi only if you are over 21. Showing your ID is often compulsory (passport recommended).

Price of Clubbing
Partying in Abu Dhabi is rather expensive if you are a guy (girls can find free drinks almost any day of the week). The best clubs will often charge at least AED100 for entrance (with one or two drinks) on weekends. On top of that, you will pay around AED30 for a beer and AED50 for a cocktail.

Overall, for a typical night out, expect to spend AED300-500.

Dress Code
You should always dress up when you visit a bar or a club in Abu Dhabi: Wear pants, closed shoes and a collared shirt. It is very common for non-accompanied guys to be denied entry at a club (particularly if your skin is dark).

When to Party
Since the weekend in the Emirates is on Friday and Saturday, the busiest nights of the week are Thursday and Friday. On the other nights, bars can be quite empty unless there is a special event or a ladies night. Most venues close at 3AM or 4AM.

The best time of the year to party in Abu Dhabi is during the Formula 1 Grand Prix. Most of the action happens on Yas Island, near the racetrack. You can expect some famous DJs or singers to come for the occasion.

On the contrary, the worst time is during Ramadan. Then, there is no nightlife in Abu Dhabi. Some clubs stay open but there won't be any music or alcohol.

Weekly and monthly events:
To check the latest clubbing events in Abu Dhabi, you can have a look at Abu Dhabi Nightlife Guide.

Internet Censorship in Abu Dhabi
Many websites are blocked in Abu Dhabi, including porn. Personally, I use VyprVPN and I'm very happy with it. If you are confused about how it works, please read my article: Why Adult Websites are Blocked in Qatar (and How to Unblock Them).

Best Bars and Nightclubs in Abu Dhabi
This is a list of my top venues to party in Abu Dhabi.

Roberto's Club in Rosewood Hotel
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
This elite lounge/bar is attached to the fine dining Italian restaurant Roberto's. Chic design. Stylish, mature crowd (40-something), mostly Westerners, including some pretty flight attendants.

Music is eclectic: Deep house/electronic/techno on Wednesday (best night to visit) and Thursday, 70s/80s hits on Monday, Jazz on Tuesdays and Fridays. Strict dress code (no flat shoes for ladies). It is best to book a table in advance.


In the Rosewood Hotel, there is also an elegant speakeasy bar called Dragon's Tooth. Perfect for sipping cocktails in an intimate setting.

MAD (Yas Island)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Originally from Beirut, Lebanon, MAD is probably the most exclusive club in Abu Dhabi at the moment. It's a massive venue, surrounded by a 360° LCD screen, with a bar in the center and sofas on the side.

It is open every Wednesday, Thursday and Friday until 3AM and, despite the 350 Dirham entrance fee per couple, it is usually full. Very strict door policy: Dress well and bring a girl with you (she should wear high heels). If you are just a bunch of guys, you should reserve a table ahead (minimum spend around AED3,000-US$815 on a normal day). Ladies night on Thursday and Friday.

The music is mostly hip-hop/R'N'B. Great sound system. About every 2 weeks, they will host a famous band or singer (so far this year: Akon, Busta Rhymes, Maitre Gims, among others) for their URBN nights (Thursday).

Iris (Yas Island)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
This outdoor bar-club-lounge-restaurant is only opened during the colder season, between fall and winter. Upscale crowd, mostly Arabic and Western (seems that Blacks and Asians have issues getting in). As usual in this kind of venues, dress chic, and make a reservation if possible. Without a lady with you, you will have to buy a bottle to enter. Music is good, mostly house/EDM/chillout. Some famous international DJs have played there like Erick Morillo or Roger Sanchez.

They have a popular brunch on Friday for around 200 AED per person. The Ladies Night on Wednesday is interesting too (girls get 3 free drinks).

American-style sports bars, originally from Monaco. Popular with Western expats. The outdoor area has a nice view of the Viceroy Hotel. Recommended for watching sports in Abu Dhabi.

Generous ladies night on Wednesday (4 free drinks). Popular Latin night on Thursdays (Reggaeton).

In Yas Marina, there are more nightlife venues that you can visit:
- Casa de Cuba (live Cuban music, Latin cocktails)
- Mr. Miyagi (Asian food, daily cabaret shows, karaoke at 8PM)
- Iris (reviewed above)

Porter's in Grand Millenium Hotel
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Classic English pub with reasonable prices (27AED for half a pint of beer, 45AED for a cocktail). Karaoke on Sundays, Ladies night (3 free drinks) on Mondays and Tuesdays, and Brunch on Fridays. Daily live band.

There are two similar pubs in Abu Dhabi: Victor's in Hilton Grand Capital and Cooper's in Park Rotana Hotel. Both are perfect for meeting other expats living in the city. In particular, you can check the karaoke ladies night in Victor's on Wednesday (5 free drinks).

Al Diar Capital Hotel is home to a few famous bars with affordable prices: On the first floor, Mardi Gras (free entrance, live band),  and on the second floor, Pomodoro (for Arabs) and Rock Bottom (club atmosphere, live band at 9PM, AED110 entrance with 2 drinks). They can be crowded at the end of the week. Many prostitutes from various nationalities.

Update 2019: A new bar called Groovz has opened its doors in the hotel

Histeria in Hilton Capital Grand
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Histeria is an elite, medium-sized lounge with a modern design. It's mostly geared towards Arab clients, with Arabic music nights several times a week. I talked to a group of Moroccan girls there but they turned out to be high-end escorts. Free bar for ladies from 11PM to 2AM on Monday.

Onyx in Novotel Al Bustan
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
This brand new lounge has just opened in July 2019. They have a Lebanese night every Monday, and 2 very generous ladies nights on Thursday and Saturday (everything free for girls). It's a bit far from the Tourist Club Area. Sexy girls will dance on podiums several times during the night.

The Exchange and New Bar Arkadia in Le Méridien
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Le Méridien has two bars which are somewhat similar. The Exchange is more upmarket, with an English live band, and targets Arabs/Western expats. New Bar Arkadia is more focused on Indians, Pakistanis, Southeast Asians. It has a Filipino live band.

Both have many working girls.

Good to know: Ladies night in Arkadia every Wednesday (2 free drinks from 11AM to 1AM).

Illusion in Le Royal Méridien Hotel
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
This small nightclub is one of the most famous prostitution spots in Abu Dhabi. 200AED entrance charge with 1 free drink for non-hotel guests (free on weekdays). Many working girls from various nationalities, particularly from Eastern-European or Russian-speaking countries.

Le Royal Méridien Hotel (which is girl-friendly) also has two other bars: PJ O'Reilly (Irish Pub) and Stratos (panoramic revolving bar).

49'ers and Trap Bar in Al Diar Dana Hotel
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
On the penthouse level of this hotel, 49ers is another bar with live music (Filipino band) and plenty of prostitution (with girls that are mostly from Asia, in particular Chinese). Entrance fee is 80AED (110 AED on weekends). Better to visit after 11PM. Before that, the place is actually a decent steak restaurant.

In the same building, there is a smaller bar, Trap, with no entry fee.

Emirates Plaza Hotel
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
This unique 2-star hotel in the Tourist Club area has several "ethnic" nightclubs inside its walls: Manila Bay Club for Filipinos (probably the best venue there) + several other ones for Iranians, Arabs, Pakistanis, Africans, Indians, etc. They are rather cheap places, targeting expats with lower salaries. Crowded on weekends.

Viewz in Cristal Hotel
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Sports bar, popular with Western expats. Live music and DJ every day. Owned by a British guy. Average food. Closes at 4AM.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
↧
Search

Hong Kong Nightlife: Best Bars and Nightclubs (2020)

September 1, 2020, 4:24 pm
$
0
0
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Note: This Hong Kong nightlife review was written by a reader who has lived over 7 years in the city.

One of the richest cities in the world, Hong Kong hosts a crowded 7 million people. Among them, you will find a diverse party-loving crowd of businessmen, expats (and their grown-up kids), students, and a fair number of tourists.

This makes for an extremely dynamic, sophisticated and intense nightlife that I consider to be one of the best in Asia.

I wrote this detailed review of Hong Kong nightlife to make sure you'll have a great time partying in the city. If you have any questions or comments, please leave them at the end of the article and I'll do my best to answer you!

Hong Kong Nightlife Areas + Hotels
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
There are three main party districts with their distinct atmospheres: Lan Kwai Fong, Wan Chai, and SoHo.

Here's what you need to know about each of them:

→ Lan Kwai Fong
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Lan Kwai Fong at night
The main party area, called Lan Kwai Fong (LKF), is located in the heart of the busy Central Business District. It is a tiny area with 3 streets that are full of bars: Lan Kwai Fong Street, Wyndham Street, and D'Aguilar Street. If you are new to Hong Kong and you don't know where to start your night out, just go there first and you'll easily meet people from all over the world.

LKF tends to draw a younger crowd of local and international students, young working people, and interns who depart straight from their megalomaniac bank towers after a hard day of work. It is also where you'll find the most tourists and backpackers.

The nightlife really starts at around 10pm: The bars pump up their music, turning the entire streets into parties where people smoke, drink and dance in the middle of the road. While you can party horizontally, going from one bar to another all night long, don’t forget to look up. There are a lot of venues on the upper floors of the buildings. Sometimes an elevator ride can lead you to a completely different and unexpected space.

Recommended hotels near Lan Kwai Fong nightlife:
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Landmark Mandarin Hotel (rated 9.3/10, US$550 per night) - One of the top 5 hotels in Hong Kong.
⭐⭐⭐⭐Ovolo Central (rated 8.6/10, US$280 per night) - Just 1-minute walking distance from the clubs.
⭐⭐⭐Homy Hotel Central (rated 8.1/10, US$82 per night) - Best value hotel near LKF nightlife.

→ Wan Chai
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Side street in the red-light district of Wan Chai (Lockhart Street)
If LKF is light-hearted fun, Wan Chai is the darkness. Often referred to as the red light district of Hong Kong (especially because of the ever-popular hostess bars, bordellos and massage parlours on Lockhart Road), it has emerged in recent years as a great nascent party district.

Wednesdays in Wan Chai are midweek decadence where the trendy youth of Hong Kong comes to get wasted thanks to an abundance of cheap alcohol deals (as low as HKD20 per drink). Hidden within a labyrinth of boulevards, you can find a diversity of places – from classy rooftop bars to clubs more hedonistic than others.

The nightlife in Wan Chai is spread over a rather large area, but the most happening party streets are Sun Street, Star Street, Moon Street, and Ship Street. The prostitution area is a bit further away, mostly in Lockhart Street (where you can also find some great expat pubs such as Queen Victoria, Churchill's, Trafalgar, Delaney's).

Recommended hotel near Wan Chai nightlife:
⭐⭐⭐⭐Burlington Hotel (rated 8.1/10, US$87 per night) - Good value for money, guest-friendly, located on Hennesy road (1 street away from the red light district on Lockhart street).

→ SoHo
Just a few minutes away by cab from LKF, SoHo district is a hipster sanctuary. In the daytime, the area is filled with small, niche art galleries and concept stores. During the night, you can find plenty of trendy live venues, cocktail bars, and comedy clubs. There is an innumerable amount of different places, so it is worth having a walk around to explore their diversity. You can start at Old Man's (named one of the 50 best bars in Asia), then walk along Staunton's Street, stopping in Little L.A.B. (craft cocktails) and ending up in Pontiac Bar (named one of the best bars in the World in 2019).

Note about getting around in Hong Kong at night:
Generally, once in Central, everything is within walking distance. The three main party districts are equally close together, but if you plan on traveling from LKF/SoHo to Wan Chai, you may require either public transport which runs until 1am or a taxi/Uber, that costs around $30-50 HKD. Night buses are also available throughout the night and are extremely punctual and frequent if you need to travel to another part of the island. 

Best Bars and Nightclubs in Hong Kong
Due to the fast pace of the city, specific bars and clubs have a quick turnaround rate. Strange concept bars aiming to become the next hot thing are constantly opening which makes the process of going out always unique and ephemeral.

At the moment, the current hotspots are the ones listed below:

(Note: Don't forget to bring your ID when going to clubs in Hong Kong. The bouncers may not let you inside if you don't show them proper identification.)

Located one escalator ride from the main street of LKF, Dragon-I is an upper-class nightclub.

You are greeted by sexy hostesses on a wooden-floored terrace that smells like the inside of a Shanghai Tang store. Inside, the stone tables are encrusted with (fake) diamonds and above your head, chandeliers subtly glitter in the darkness.

It is a cool place to party with a group if you enjoy being surrounded by beautiful people. Entrance fee can be quite expensive for guys (up to HKD400 depending on the event). Bottle service starts at HKD5,000 of minimum spending. Hot dancers will entertain the guests several times during the night.

Dragon-I has hosted many celebrities in the past, both as DJs and clients (including Bruno Mars recently). It prides itself on being exclusive so you need to make sure you dress up if you want to enter.

Levels (Lan Kwai Fong)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Levels is one of the largest and most packed nightclubs on Lan Kwai Fong. The crowd is mostly local and very young (early 20s). Lots of groups but you can still enjoy it if you are alone (entrance around HKD400). Two rooms with different DJs (mostly commercial EDM).

Volar (Lan Kwai Fong)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
This popular venue is where many clubbers will end their night after partying in Hong Kong. Volar is at its best after 2 or 3AM, when most of the other bars/clubs in LKF have closed. The crowd is young and international. Music is EDM/Techno/Hip-Hop. Some famous DJs are invited once in a while.

Oma (Lan Kwai Fong)
Techno is considered an alternative style in Hong Kong, especially compared to the mainstream pop that echoes through the streets of LKF. The small Oma club is trying to change that, bringing local and international DJs on Friday and Saturday (on the other days of the week, you have live bands).

The venue has an incredible sound setup, seeming enormous in proportion to its size. Also, it closes at 5am, significantly later than its counterparts. Ladies night is on Thursday with free drinks for girls.

If you like Oma, you may also want to check the LGBT-friendly Mihn Club (written 宀 Club) and Social Room.

On Wednesday, Devil’s Advocate is crowded with young people carrying stacks of 20$ bill. For this price, they can get one alcoholic drink. In the context of a pricey Hong Kong, it is a steal, even though they give you low-quality liquor that will give you the hangover of a lifetime on the next day (that's why I usually prefer sticking to drinking beer).

The bar is old and decrepit, and the music is mostly mainstream hits of the moment, yet the atmosphere is incredible. The place is usually packed both inside the club and outside on the street, where people are extremely friendly and talkative. The moment you get tired of Devil’s Advocate, you can cross the street to Carnegie’s which also has great deals on their drinks with equally-average music and bar decoration. However, in Carnegie, the tables have been built to handle standing and dancing which becomes the main attraction once the cheap alcohol has been ingested.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Carnegie's Bar in Wan Chai is one of the most popular expat bars in HK
Designed by Ashley Sutton (also the creator of hip bars in HK like Iron Fairies, J.Borowski, and Dragonfly), this hidden spot is not for the light-hearted and borders on performance art and hedonism.

To reach Ophelia, you must traverse an iconic lantern street that has been constructed to look like an old Venetian road, with paved floor and colorful colonial building facades.

The club resides on the second floor of the building. As the doors of the elevator open, you find yourself in a completely alternate reality. The walls are decorated with seemingly real foliage and from the ceiling hang bird cages, swings, and plants. Gently swinging are women dressed up as birds, who adorn the walls and merge in with the greenery. Ophelia is a good crystallization of the oddities that Hong Kong is capable of producing and certainly worth a stop for its sheer creativity.

Picada (Lan Kwai Fong)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
For all those Latin-American lovers out there, Picada is the place to go. Hong Kong has an unexpected but thriving salsa community, with Picada as their sanctuary. Cooped up in a skyscraper, the restaurant/bar becomes a nightclub on weekends at around 11 PM: The music is turned up and the tables are moved aside to reveal a gold-trimmed dancefloor. Expect to hear various beats including Merengue, Bachata, Reggaeton, Kizomba, Tango, Samba and, of course, Salsa.

You can sip on their delicious cocktails while watching Hong Kongers twirl their partners gracefully to the dulcet tones of cumbia. Their Salsa Caliente Thursdays are a must-go. For HKD100, you partake in an evening of salsa classes, with a drink on the house which facilitates the learning process!

Must-Try Nightlife Experiences in Hong Kong

For both a great festive environment and an unmissable local cultural attraction, the Hong Kong Jockey Club comes to life every Wednesday evening. Starting early at 7pm, there is a $10HKD fee to enter the ring and watch horse races until 10pm.

The horse track is enormous, endowed by the silhouette of skyscrapers in the background. While betting on horses is certainly part of the attraction, there is also live music concerts between races, craft beers, dancing and celebrating. On the bleachers, you can observe what seems to be the taxi drivers that zoom around Hong Kong during the day, deeply concentrated on their newspapers in order to bet on the right horse to score big.

The Hong Kong Jockey Club on Wednesday night is a unique event, but make sure to come early because, after the final race at around 9.30pm, the festivities are over. Generally, if the gamble has gone well, the partygoers will then shift to Wan Chai Wednesday to celebrate.

Drinking at the International Financial Centre (IFC)
As Hong Kong remains a pricey place to live in, and even pricier to go out in, students and locals have found hacks to still enjoy the natural beauty and ambiance without breaking the bank.

Carrying open cans of alcohol in public spaces is legal in Hong Kong. Many young adults will buy alcohol at a local 7/11 and consume it on the roof of the International Finance Centre – one of the most famous skyscrapers in the Hong Kong skyline. On the roof, there are benches, a garden and arguably the best view of the port. You can sit on the roof, bring a speaker and drink with your friends while enjoying a view of Kowloon’s light show on the other side of the port.

It’s cheap, economic and authentically Hong Kong.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
↧
↧

The Pimp Gentlemen's Club Review (Bangkok)

October 14, 2020, 11:14 am
$
0
0
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
I was introduced to The Pimp a few years ago by a friend, an expat living in Bangkok, who told me that it was the equivalent of men's clubs like Alexis or Malioboro in Jakarta.

It is actually quite different, for many reasons (it is not a massage parlor for a start), but I understand what his point was: All these places are men's paradises, where almost all their fantasies can become reality.

As far as I know, The Pimp is the best nightclub in Bangkok for VIP party. It is also a one-of-a-kind venue in Southeast Asia, combining in a single location a high-class gogo bar, a club, and a private KTV.

Most people start their night out in the nightclub, on the ground floor. It is a large space, literally filled with gorgeous ladies, maybe 100 or 150 of them, all wearing some sexy outfits, bikinis or lingerie (sometimes just a g-string). They are everywhere, either dancing on the stage, performing shows or entertaining guests. Best of all, you can invite any of them to join your table and party with you.

Here is a look at some of their prettiest models:
There is great, entertaining music all night long, from some of the best bands in Bangkok (two of them every night - check their Facebook to hear for yourself). They usually play a mix of the latest international hits with some classic Top 40 songs. The sound quality is excellent as they use Nexo speakers and Campco amplifiers in the whole club (including the KTV), the number 1 references for professional audio equipment.

Here is what the atmosphere at The Pimp looks like in the nightclub area:
There is almost always something new and exciting going on at The Pimp. The shows, the girl's costumes, and the themes of the night change regularly, so the atmosphere is never really twice the same. You have the Sexy French Maid nights, the Sexy Nurse nights, etc. I recommend going there early in the evening when you can have almost all the girls for yourself, and then to stay well after midnight when the erotic show starts.
The latter is one of the reasons The Pimp stands above the competition. You may have up to 60 girls on three stages, almost naked, doing some mesmerizing strip shows and sensual choreographies. It’s easy to lose your mind, considering you also have around 100 more girls wearing bikinis and lingerie all around you in the club.
Girls who work at The Pimp are an eclectic bunch. Some of them are innocent-looking students you wouldn't mind introducing to your mom, while others, with their fake boobs and tattoos, could be pornstar-material. Overall though, they are young, beautiful, awesome to party with, and they are smart enough to hold a conversation. They are all working freelance, so anything is possible as long as you make them feel they can have fun in your company.
If you are with a group of friends, you can also rent one of their 18 private KTV and Party rooms, some of which can accommodate up to 30 guests. Of course, you are allowed to bring any girl from the club with you (you can also ask for a line-up of the girls directly in the room as well). As you can imagine, this is where the craziest parties happen, the kind of stuff only your best friends can know about.
If you are planning to organize a stag party in Bangkok, renting a Party room in The Pimp is one of the best decisions you could take. They are like an intimate, private nightclub, with a top-notch sound and lighting system, pool tables, TVs, a DJ, a shower stage, harem rooms, a dance floor, and even, in some cases, a jacuzzi. The best party room, the Pool zone, is an actual outdoor pool with a podium for dancing in the middle of it.

To see what a pool party looks like at the Pimp, play this video:
Like anything exclusive, partying at The Pimp is not exactly cheap. It is not crazy expensive either if you come with a group of friends, or if you are a regular customer. It is also not more expensive than going to 3-4 different nightclubs in one night, spending 2,000 baht in each.

You have to ask yourself, which experience do you think will be the most memorable? Partying with 150 models or being squeezed by hundreds of guys in a random club?
Opening hours:
Every day from 9 PM to 2 AM

Location:
The Pimp is located about 15-20 minutes by cab from Sukhumvit/Nana Plaza:

496 Rotchanamin Alley @ Pracha Uthit Rd,
Wang Thonglang, Bangkok 10310, Thailand

Instagram: @pimpbangkok
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
↧

Why Online Gambling Has Become So Popular in Indonesia?

September 1, 2020, 4:10 pm
$
0
0
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Gambling is famously illegal in Indonesia, mainly because it is forbidden in the Koran. Despite this, millions of Indonesians still love to bet or gamble, especially among the non-Muslim population.

To satisfy their craving, some underground casinos used to operate under the radar until the early 2000s. Most of them have now disappeared as social media and the internet have made it almost impossible for them to hide from the public eye. Moreover, it has become easier and less risky for Indonesians to gamble without having to go to an illegal venue.

Some Indonesians just choose to go to neighboring countries where gambling is legal, such as Malaysia or Singapore. Others, especially the younger generation, have moved to the online world. Gambling websites are blocked by the Indonesian government, but they can easily be accessed with a VPN. The largest and most popular ones, such as Garuda Game gather tens of thousands of users, enabling them to play dozens of different games.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Several factors can explain their success: Of course, in a country where it is almost impossible to go to a casino, any alternative will draw plenty of interest from gamblers. But it is not the only reason.

Online gambling is actually a lot of fun, sometimes even more than the real thing. One thing to understand is that being "online" doesn't mean "fake". When you play poker online, for instance, you will play against real people and not against a computer. Your odds of winning and the rules of the games are the same as they would be in a real-life casino. Idem if you are into sports betting: You can place your bets on real games, then watch them with a group of friends. The best sports for that are usually UFC fights or football games.

If you are a beginner, you will find online gambling less intimidating than real casinos as you can practice without being watched by others. You can start small, with a deposit of only a few thousand rupiahs, and bet tiny amounts of money until you feel more confident. It is very common to be given bonuses when you deposit money, sometimes up to 100% of your initial amount (meaning that if you deposit 50, you get another 50 for free).

The number of games available online can't be beaten by any brick-and-mortar casino. The website I mentioned earlier, Garuda Game, gives you access to hundreds of games. Not all of them are readily available on the website, though, as you will sometimes have to download a specific program on your computer or on your phone before playing. Then, you will launch a platform that can connect you to other players around the world.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
In the case of Garuda Game, you will get access to some famous platforms:

- Sbobet (where you can bet on thousands of international sports competitions)
- Pragmatic Play, Wan Mei, and Gameplay Interactive (online casinos using virtual reality)
- Habanero, Joker, and Spade Machines (among others, for slots machines)
- Gudang Poker (a platform to play poker for Indonesians)

Finally, online gambling is convenient as you can just play from the comfort of your home, either from your laptop or your phone. You don't need to dress up or to travel to feel the thrill of gambling. You also don't need to worry about cash as it is easy to pay online with bank transfers (in the case of Garuda Game, local banks such as BCA, Mandiri, BNI, BRI, or CIMB Niaga are accepted). During this time of Covid-19 pandemic, it is also a safe way to gamble without worrying about social distancing.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
↧

Bogota Nightlife - 20 Best Bars and Nightclubs (Updated)

September 30, 2020, 7:33 pm
$
0
0
Bogota is Colombia's capital and largest city (8 million people). It is much less touristy than Cartagena or Medellin, probably because of the weather (a bit cold and rainy) and the traffic situation.

In terms of nightlife, though, Bogota is certainly the best place for partying in Colombia (and even in Latin America according to The Guardian). You have at least 50 nightclubs, hundreds of bars and countless live music venues where you can dance salsa, champeta, vallenato, kizomba, zouk or tango, etc.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Seeking Arrangement is the #1 Sugar Baby Website in the World
SeekingArrangement is the #1 Sugar Baby Website in the World - You Can Join Free
In this Bogota nightlife review, I will rank my 20 favorite bars and nightclubs in the city. I will also give you a list of tips to prepare your night out: Best hotels near the party, how to meet girls, how to stay safe, how to get around, etc.

If you still have questions, please just leave a comment at the end of the article.

Bogota Nightlife Areas + Hotels

Zona Rosa/Zona T
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Bogota nightlife is highly concentrated in a party area called Zona Rosa/Zona T. On a map, Zona Rosa goes pretty much from Avenida 79 to Avenida 85, and from Carrera 11 to Carrera 15. Zona T is a smaller part of Zona Rosa, basically the pedestrian area next to the shopping mall Andino.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
If you come to Bogota for partying, I strongly advise you to stay in Zona Rosa as this will mean you won't need a taxi to go back home. This is a very safe neighborhood where you will be comfortable to walk at any time of the day or night.

The main problem is that the hotels there can be quite expensive. The two best affordable choices are NH Bogota Boheme Royal (70US$ per night) and Hotel Saint Simon (57US$ per night).

You also have two 5-star hotels, Sofitel and the Four Seasons, but they cost over 200US$ per night.

Airbnb is a possible alternative. They have at least 50 apartments in Zona T. A few that I found interesting are: 39$/night, 45$/night, 46$/night, 50$/night, 90$/night (3-bedroom) and 135$/night (2-bedroom).

If you don't have an Airbnb account yet, you can register using the following link: Promo Code Airbnb. You will get up to 35$ off your first booking.

Chapinero
Another recommended location with plenty of bars and clubs is Chapinero. This is a middle-upper class neighborhood, popular with students, with a lot of affordable restaurants. It is slightly less safe than Zona Rosa, but more authentic. It is also within 15-20 minutes from the historic city center.

On a map, it goes from Calle 44 to Calle 74 and from Carrera 4 to Avenida Caracas:
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
A great budget hotel in Chapinero is Colonial Inn, which costs around 30$ per night and is located near a large bus stop. A bit more expensive, Scala 68 (60US$/night) and Holiday Inn Express (90US$/night) are both next to Zona G (Zona Gourmet), an area full of trendy restaurants, cafés and bars.

Travel Tips to Enjoy Bogota Nightlife
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Weather
Bogota's weather is quite stable all year round. The average temperature is 20°C (68°F) during the day and 9°C (48°F) at night. It rains a little bit almost every day, particularly during the wet seasons (March to May and September to December). This means that you'll usually need to bring a jacket with you when going out.

Mobile Phone
It is really useful to have the internet with you at all time while in Colombia. Personally, I bought a Claro sim card with 2.2GB of data directly at the airport in Bogota for just above 40,000 Colombian Pesos (COP) - 13USD. If you don't buy it at the airport, you can find shops easily on the streets or in malls. Recommended providers apart from Claro are Movistar and Tigo.

Going Around
There is no metro/subway in Bogota, but they have buses with dedicated lanes. Called Transmilenio, I was using them quite often during the day as they go quickly to most of the major sights in the city. It is comfortable, except during rush hours (5PM to 8PM) when you will be squeezed with hundreds of other commuters. You can buy a Frequent User Card (3,000COP) and top it up with credit. Each ride will then cost you 2,200COP (0.70USD). To find your way, download the Transmilenio App for Android or Apple.

After 11PM, there are no buses available so you'll have to take taxis or Uber. The cost is reasonable, about 5$ for a 20 minutes ride in the evening. Avoid walking at night when going out of clubs, except in the Zona T/Zona Rosa.

Safety
If this is your first trip to Bogota, you may feel apprehensive because of its past reputation as a drug and murder capital. This is no longer the case, but you still need to be careful.

To make things simple, safe neighborhoods are in the North. In Zona Rosa, Chico, Virrey or Parque 93, you have almost nothing to worry about, even late at night and even when you are alone in the streets.

Then the situation gradually deteriorates as you go to the South of the city.

In Chapinero or La Candelaria (tourist area), it gets more tricky. During the day, it is safe as long as you stay in busy streets. At night, do not walk home by yourself going back from nightclubs, even for short distances.

Further South is supposed to be even more dangerous and you should avoid going there alone for no reasons.

Wherever you are, avoid tempting wannabe thieves and pickpockets. Do not show your cameras, cell phones, wallets, jewelry or valuables.

What to Expect at Night in Bogota
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
This is what you should know before heading out for party in Bogota:

Working Girls
Yes, there are prostitutes in Bogota, but proportionally less than in other cities in Colombia (at least in the bars and clubs I've been to). You can read at the end of this article my comment about the red light area of Santa Fe.

Price of Clubbing
Many high-end bars and clubs in Zona Rosa will charge an entrance fee on weekend. It is usually very reasonable, between COP20,000 and COP50,000 depending on the event.

Typically, cheap bars will charge COP5,000 for a 33cl can of beer, COP10,000 for hard drinks or cocktails. In upper-class venues, you can expect to pay COP10,000/15,000 for a beer, COP25,000/30,000 for a nice cocktail, COP300,000 for a bottle of premium alcohol (Black Label, Jack Daniel's, Grey Goose, etc).

If you are on a budget, you can share with your friends a bottle of locally-made Aguardiente. It is usually cheap (COP50,000 to COP80,000 for a bottle).

When to Party:
Wednesday and Friday are the biggest nights out. Surprisingly, Saturdays can be quiet as many Colombians will stay with their families on Sunday. Some clubs are open until 5AM, but generally, the peak clubbing time is 2AM.

Music:
The DJs of most nightclubs will play a mix of popular Latin and EDM tracks that can include reggaeton, pop, salsa, merengue, champeta, bachata, etc. It's always music that makes people want to dance. Your nightlife experience will be greatly improved if you know how to move at least a little bit. It's also the best way for you to approach girls.

Dress Code:
In Zona T, avoid wearing sandals and jeans. They are rarely accepted. Plus they make you look like a tourist. Remember that the weather is cold at night so it's weird not to be wearing pants.

Meeting Normal Girls in Bogota
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
The best website to meet Colombian girls
As a tourist, your best chance of dating a Colombian girl in Bogota is to anticipate. It is called "pipelining", meaning you need to talk to a few girls online first, days or weeks before landing in the country. You can do some phone or video calls from abroad, with the idea that when you arrive in Colombia, things can go faster. Ideally, you'll find a nice one who can even pick you up at the airport and accompany you straight to your hotel.

In my personal experience, Tinder doesn't work well for that as most girls there do not want to date tourists or short-term visitors. I prefer ColombianCupid. This dating site has thousands of Colombians girls, many of whom do not mind long-distance relationships.

Some of my friends use SeekingArrangement.com instead. This Sugar Baby website has over 8,000 gorgeous Colombian girls in Bogota only, but most of them expect money or gifts to go out with you. That's quite straight-forward, so it may be more suitable for guys who are only looking for a short-term companion while in the country.

You can also meet some girls in nightclubs or bars. The best ones for that, in my opinion, are Armando Records, Vintrash (on Tuesdays), Octava, Dembow and Andres Carne de Res.

Two things that will greatly help you seducing Colombian women:
- Learn some Spanish (use Mondly App to help you)
- Learn to dance (if you can't dance, avoid clubs with Latin music and choose EDM ones instead)

Bogota Nightlife: Best Bars and Clubs

Fantastic club with electronic music (techno, tech-house, deep house, acid jazz, etc) in the main room (600 pax), and Latin beats in the smaller one. It is housed in a renovated warehouse which gives the perfect underground vibe. They regularly have famous international DJs (Ben UFO, Legowelt, etc). Open until 5AM. Entrance fee from COP25,000 up to COP50,000.

The best techno club in the city, with a total capacity of at least 900 clubbers. Big names electro DJs will almost always play here when they visit Bogota. Recently, they welcomed famous artists like Robin Schulz, Guido Schneider, John Acquaviva, Hernan Cattaneo, Cassius, Guy Gerber, etc. Door policy can be strict so dress well and don't act drunk. You can download their app and register to help you enter. Cover charge COP30,000. After-hour club: It closes late at around 8AM. Friendly atmosphere but a bit too masculine, unfortunately. Many foreigners (expats and tourists).

Similar venue: Vagabond

A gigantic nightclub, presumedly the largest in Latin America with 13 different rooms and a total capacity of 5000 people. It is officially a gay club and, as such, you will see male gogo dancers/transexual singers. Yet, there are also a lot of straight visitors in the crowd, including tourists. You can listen to almost every style of music: Salsa, house, EDM, techno, reggaeton, pop-rock, etc. Cover charge a bit expensive (COP60,000) but it gets you free drinks (open-bar) until 2AM. It's best to visit when completely packed (Friday, Saturday, special days like Halloween or Carnival). Beware, the hottest girls in Theatron are most-likely dudes.

Large club with a futuristic design built on 3 floors (techno, electro, house, EDM, Reggaeton). Nice terrace on the rooftop. Entrance fee around COP30,000. Beer at COP20,000. Mid-to-upper class crowd.

An iconic restaurant, bar and club that you should try at least once. Several floors with a beautiful, unique décor. There are two locations: One in Chia, about 45 kilometers from the city center, and one near Zona Rosa. The Chia branch is better, but you'll still have a lot of fun in the second one. You can go there for dinner around 8PM, order plenty of drinks, then join the party. Crossover music. There is a cover charge on weekends of around COP15,000-COP20,000.

One of the busiest nightclubs in Bogota, even during weekdays. This is a recommended spot if you are new to the city as it is popular with foreign visitors. It is very big, with two main rooms (electronic in the rooftop, Latin crossover in the patio). They also have live bands. Entrance fee usually COP30,000 unless they have a special event. The crowd is rather diverse, including middle and upper class, students and executives. Get their early to avoid queuing.

A messy yet festive club with a young, middle class, local crowd. DJs play crossover music, mostly reggaeton. Lots of pretty girls. Entrance COP20,000.

Vintrash
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Vintrash is famous for a weekly event called Gringo Tuesdays where foreigners (backpackers, tourists, expats) and Colombians meet to practice their Spanish/English. It is followed by a party starting at 9PM, where everything is made to encourage customers to socialize (games, foosball, beer pongs, etc). In the end, it is always fun and I recommend it if you are new to the city. The bar in itself has an exotic vibe, with 2 floors and the DJs will usually play reggaeton. Free entrance from 5PM to 9PM, COP20,000 after that.

Small, upscale bar featuring electronic music/deep house/indie rock. It is owned by a group of Colombian celebrities, including the actor Andres Juan. Beautiful yet pretentious crowd.

Another similar bar is Hotel Quinto Bar

A new club with an upmarket crowd. Strict door policy: If possible come with at least one girl. Music is mostly electronic on the rooftop. They have a second room with crossover. Hot girls but they are rarely alone.

Latino Power
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
This club located in Chapinero is a great location to listen to live Colombian artists. Various genres are played: Indie Rock, Funk, Ska, Champeta, etc. Alternative crowd. LGBT friendly. Entrance fee varies according to the event (usually COP20,000 to COP30,000).

Rooftop bar in Zona Rosa reputed for its reggaeton nights. Can be loud and tiring. Good to meet girls.

4.40 Music Hall
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
A laid-back medium-sized club where you can eat, sing and dance. Live bands and DJs play a bit of everything as long as it is festive (salsa, rock, top 40, merengue, bachata, etc). The crowd is older than average (over 35 years old). Popular with large groups celebrating special events. Owned by the successful Evedesa group which is also behind Furia, Marquez Bar, Hotel V Bar, Black Sheep and Bungalow Rooftop.

Deja Vu Bar
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Do you find Chapinero or Zona Rosa too touristy/boring? There are some cool clubs in Bogota that are completely unknown to foreigners. Deja Vu is one of them. It is cheaper than average, very hot (sexy dancers, male gogos, some prepagos/prostitutes), and quite friendly as long as you can speak some Spanish.

A trendy rooftop bar, popular with the local elite. Located just above 4.40 Music Hall, tiny entrance. The same group also owns the Furia (also upper class, crossover music).

Colombian Music Clubs and Bars
The clubs I listed above all have crossover, electro or reggaeton music. To experience a more local side of Bogota nightlife, you can try one of these bars and clubs:

Matildelina Bar
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Famous bar to listen to and dance to vallenato music. This slow-paced genre comes from the Carribean coast of Colombia and it is characterized by the use of accordion. Large stage with a band all night long. If you like it, you may also want to try: La Trampa Vallenata

This club specializes in music from the Pacific and Atlantic coast, such as Marimba, Zouk, Champeta and Electrocumbia. They also serve traditional drinks like Arrechon or Viche. Popular with the NGO/Embassy expat crowd. Lots of girls.

Famous bar to dance salsa. A bit touristy. For a more local place, go to El Bembé or El Goce Pagano.

Best bar in Bogota to dance Champeta. Live band. Small dancefloor easily crowded. Another similar venue is El Pico.

Adult Nightlife in Bogota: Red Light District
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
The red light district of Bogota is located in Santa Fe, between Chapinero and La Candelaria. I only visited during the day, out of curiosity, and you can see plenty of strip bars, brothels, clubs and massage parlours. There are also many street prostitutes.

The largest club there is La Piscina where you can get anything a man can dream of: Lap dance, topless striptease, threesome, etc. They welcome couples as well. You can ask a taxi to drop you there directly and then go back home by taxi again. Do not wander alone and drunk in this area at night!

Another club famous for prostitution in Bogota is El Castillo Vip, in the North of the city. It seems to be a bit more luxurious, yet the same services are offered (massage, sex, striptease, stag parties, etc).

I'm not sure it is very safe for a foreigner to hang out in those venues. If you really want a girl, it's probably better to just look online on a website like Seeking Arrangement.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
↧

Kuala Lumpur Nightlife - Best Nightclubs and Bars in KL (Updated)

October 1, 2020, 1:51 am
$
0
0
I would not recommend going to KL specifically for partying, but if you happen to be in town, there are enough good venues to have fun. The following review will guide you to the best bars and nightclubs in the city as of 2019.

Comments, criticism and questions are much welcome, just write them below at the end of the article.

If you don't have time to read the whole review, here is a summary in 50 words:
- If you are a backpacker, party on the street Jalan Changkat Bukit Bintang (near Havana Bar).
- For something more sophisticated, try the TREC complex and especially the mega-club Zouk.
- If you are an expat, try Kyo in Mandarin Oriental.
- Recommended good value hotel for nightlife: MOV (50$ per night)

Note: This article was last updated in January 2019.

Nightlife in Kuala Lumpur has a poor reputation as Malaysia is considered one of the most conservative countries in Asia. Authorities often cancel high-profile concerts due to religious and cultural issues, such as Beyonce in 2007 or Ke$ha in 2013. Lady Gaga is banned from performing as well. More recently, Islamist militants protested against the venue of Elton John because he was homosexual and Selena Gomez for being "too sexy".

The government is actually rather hypocritical. While flirting with Islamists, the previous prime minister, Najib Razak is also the grandson of the co-founder of Genting Berhad, one of the largest casino operators in the world and also the owner of nightclubs like Zouk. It is not surprising that in March 2016, his son was able to replace DJ Fadi in Zouk Singapore, causing a backlash from fans. 

The low-point of KL nightlife for me is the generally poor atmosphere within nightclubs. Communities don't seem interested to mix. Chinese go to Chinese clubs, Arabs to Arab Clubs, Indians to Indian clubs, etc. Within nightclubs, party-goers will stay in groups around tables and avoid any interactions with others. Expat hangouts seem more diverse and open though.

Even worse, you can feel racial tensions from time to time. Just last week, I was on Jalan Changkat Bukit Bintang having a drink when a group of rich Malay teenagers started to insult an Indian guy because he was staring at one of their girls. They made him beg for forgiveness on his knees. The same evening, I received a copious amount of insults, again from very young Malays, because I had let my glass on their table. This contrasted with the rest of the Malaysian population that I found really friendly in general.

Nightclubs in KL also have a disproportionate percentage of males and few unattached ladies. Malay girls are a rare sight: By law, they are not allowed to drink alcohol and they cannot sleep with a guy they are not married to. This means the girls you'll meet in KL are often Malaysian-Chinese, Indonesian, Thai, Vietnamese, Filipino or Indian. There are also quite many European, American and Australian girls, both tourists and expats.

If you are a single guy hoping to find a girl, Tinder is not working that well. I found Bumble had more interesting profiles, but nothing compared to nearby countries like Indonesia or Thailand. A friend of mine living in KL gave up on traditional dating sites and found his local girlfriend on Seeking Arrangement, a sugar baby website. It may be worth trying if you are feeling generous.

The price of alcoholic drinks is higher than in Bangkok, Saigon, Phnom Penh or Manila, but still cheaper than in Jakarta at around 7$-10$ for a cocktail and 3$-5$ for a beer. Bottle service is almost always the best option if you are a group of more than 4 people.

In most nightclubs, you need to be at least 21 to enter. They will check your ID if you look young. Many venues close at 3-4am, Zouk at 5am. 

Nightlife Areas in Kuala Lumpur

Many of the trendiest nightlife spots in KL are located in a new complex called TREC, just outside of the city. It is huge, drawing several thousand visitors on weekends, and consists of nightclubs, bars and restaurants. Each of them comes with a different stereotyped theme. You have a hipster bar, an Irish bar, a speakeasy, a small rooftop, a wine bar, a comedy club, a piano bar, an electro bar, an exotic bar, a shisha bar, and an artsy bar.

The whole place feels kind of fake, but it is efficient and practical. To go there, it's only a short taxi ride from the city center. You can then just move from one bar to the other very easily. Many clubbers in TREC are Malaysian-Chinese, and foreigners are still rare. You should dress up to avoid looking like a tourist: Shoes, pants, and shirts are a must.

The bars/clubs I recommend in Trek are:
Iron Fairies, The KL branch of the famous BKK bar, live music, hipster
Arte Bar: Non-commercial dance music and hip-hop, hot girls)
Reggae Bar: Self-explanatory
Supperclub: Trendy restaurant with live music
Le Noir: Great live music, older crowd
Donkey And Crow: Irish pub
Trak: Live music - Afrobeats, Hip Hop, RnB
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
The gorgeous Iron Fairies Bar in TREC
On a Saturday, almost all venues are crowded and happening actually. You can check TREC's Facebook for the complete list.

It is also in TREC that you have the city's largest and most famous nightclub, Zouk (see below), as well as smaller ones like Vibes or the boutique club Red Room.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Zouk
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
I don't really like Zouk but it is still a must-try if you go to TREC. It is the most crowded nightclub, the best designed and the one with the most happening events in KL. The sound and lighting system are also really impressive.

It is made of several rooms:
- The main one where guest DJs play, ACE (hip-hop and R&B)
- Phuture (EDM and Mash-Up)
- Velvet Underground (House)
- Apex Lounge (Retro)
- Imperial (VIP room).

Bottle service costs from 95$ up to 120$ depending on the time, the day, the event and the kind of entry you choose (premium or normal). A bottle gives free entry to 4-6 pax. Alternatively, a single entrance with 1 drink costs between 5$ and 10$. They enforce a strict dress code and strict age verification.

City Center
The city center of KL is not that big. I visited the whole area on foot and it didn't take so much time. If you need a nearby hotel you can check Hotels near City Center Nightlife in Kuala Lumpur.

If you need a 50$/night place to stay near the nightlife, I'd recommend you to try MOV Hotel. It is brand new, comfortable, and walking distance to at least 15 bars/clubs.

Jalan Changkat Bukit Bintang
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
This is a small and lively street in downtown KL with numerous bars and nightclubs. It is messier than TREC, with traffic jams, street sellers and a constant flow of people on the sidewalk. You'll find more foreigners, particularly backpackers. There are also many Middle-easterners due to the proximity of Arab Street (Bukit Bintang). It is not a very stylish area and you'll be fine wearing shorts and sandals.

Some of the most crowded bars are Havana (Latin music), Gypsy (retro) and Movida (for dancing). The nightclub Zion is not too bad as well and it features 3 rooms (Hip Hop, Dance Music, Reggae). Fire & Ice was empty when I visited.

In nearby streets, you can check Pisco bar (Peruvian restaurant with latin nights on Mondays), its rooftop Barrio by Pisco bar (live music, happening) and the jazz club No Black Tie.

Near Jalan P Ramlee
Though near to the Petronas Towers, this street is rather seedy with two famous freelance prostitute bars: The Beach Club and the Thai Club (it may be closed, I couldn't confirm). Both are institutions among foreigners looking to pay for sex. Girls are most often from Vietnam, Indonesian, Thailand or the Philippines.

The Thai Club is on the ground floor of Cabana Inn (which seems to act as a short-time hotel.) Nearby, there are a few other venues catering to an Indian/Arab crowd.

Pavillion Mall
This mall has a high-traffic F&B area with many popular venues, usually part of larger chains. These include La Bodega (Tapas Bar). Weissbrau (German Bistro), Malone's (Irish Pub) and Tom, Dick and Harry's Live (with live band). Even though alcohol runs free flow, it is a family and Muslim friendly area.

The Row
Formerly called Asian Heritage Row, this complex on Jalan Doraisamy is your typical hipster/hippy hangout. It has a few restaurants, cafés, coworking spaces, pubs and live music spots. Walking distance, you have the nightclub Noovo (local crowd, EDM and Hip Hop).

Other spots in the city center

Kyo
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Girls in Kyo Club
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Ren techno club in Kyo
This is probably the best club in KL at the moment. It comes from the same group as its Kyo Singapore (more information about it: Singapore Nightlife Guide).

Located in the Mandarin Hotel, it has a crystal clear Void sound system and a chic interior design (they label themselves as an "underground" club but I don't see how being in a 5-star hotel is underground). You have the main room with RnB/Hip-Hop DJs and a smaller one, called Ren, with House/Electronic/Techno. A famous foreign DJ will play there at least once a month. Entrance fee is around 60RMB. The crowd is quite mixed, including many expats.

Privi
This underground and secret club is located inside Drift Restaurant. It is members only so contact them in advance on Facebook to make sure you'll get in. Music is techno in an intimate atmosphere. It closes at 3AM on weekends.

Zeta is the bar of the Hilton Hotel. It is the only one with daily live imported bands. Quite a few freelancers inside (it was on my list of Prostitute Bars in Asian Hotels.

There are a few other recommended clubs, but most of them have a more local crowd and they tend to favor bottle service. In the city center, you can also check KX, Fuze (very popular) or  Envy.

Outside  KL Center

Bangsar
This is an area where many Western expats live. You have several pubs and bars in Jalan Telawi 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5. Popular nightclubs include Jiro (good DJs), Tipsy, BarAtas and Rock Bottom (Live Music). You also have a rooftop bar called Mantra.

T Club & Bar (Bhangra music) target mostly Arabic and South Asian customers.

Petaling Jaya
I haven't been to Petaling Jaya as it is a suburban town 15-20 kilometers away from KL. Some of the nightclubs are apparently worth the expedition like the flashy Play Club at the Roof complex (young and rich local crowd) or Soju in Sunway Resort.

Rooftop Bars with Views on Petronas Towers
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
One of the cool things to do in KL is to have a pre-party drink in a rooftop bar with a view on the Petronas towers. They are usually upmarket so you should wear nice clothes.

Perhaps the most famous is the very average Sky Bar inside the 4-star Shangri La Traders Hotel. It has indeed a great view (and an indoor swimming pool), but likes in sophistication.

The Heli Lounge Bar is more impressive as it offers a 360° view from a helipad and hosts regular live bands (the photo above was taken from there).

A great newcomer is Vertigo. It is the highest rooftop in KL at the moment, on the 59th floor of the Banyan Tree Hotel. Chic and expensive, it has a strict dress code (no shorts, no flip-flops).
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Vertigo has the best view of the Petronas in KL
Marini on 57 is a chic Italian lounge/restaurant very close to the towers. It is rather expensive but perfect for a date.

The trendy Elysium Bar + Terrace is my personal favorite. They have excellent guest DJs, friendly staff, reasonable prices (especially during happy hours from 5 to 9pm) and a rather eclectic crowd.

Prostitution in KL: Hostess Bars, Gogos, Karaoke, Spas
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Prostitution is rather common in Kuala Lumpur. Apart from the venues mentioned above such as Thai Club, Beach Club and Zeta, you'll be often offered "young girls" by taxis drivers around Jalan Changkat Bukit Bintang. In the area, some smaller bars have hostesses, just walk around and you'll spot them easily.

There is also a whole online prostitution scene that is very active. Cheaper girls will use WeChat, while the most desirable can be found on Seeking Arrangement or Smooci.

Many locals visit "Thai clubs" (not necessarily with Thai girls). These venues have either live music, a DJ or a live show (sexy dancers, fashion show, models, etc). There are always pretty hostesses to whom you can buy flower garlands or lady drinks in exchange for company (they might go home with you as well depending on your generosity). There are dozens of them in the city, especially outside KL city center (Mount Kiara, Hartamas, Petaling Jaya, Brickfields) and they target wealthy Malaysian-Chinese or other Asians. The famous ones are Paramount Club, De Vegas, Bintang Palace, D'Arc Club, Dynasty Lounge & KTV, Zeus, Kingsway and W Club. Most of these luxury karaokes/KTVs have prostitutes.

Finally, some of the famous massage parlours "plus plus" are Golden City Spa, Sky River Spa, Bond Spa (ex-Saboon Spa) and Genesis Spa (that also has a small lounge called Livello). The price is about 300RM for 1 hour (full service).

JJ Spas have several locations and they seem to provide extra service too.
----------------------
In case you heard about them, the nightclubs Providence, Como, Rootz, Modestos, Sultan Lounge and Gravity are closed.
----------------------
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
↧
↧

Cartagena Nightlife - Best Bars and Nightclubs

October 1, 2020, 5:38 am
$
0
0
Note: This Cartagena nightlife guide was written by my friend Sam who lived for several years in Colombia. I invite you to read his other guides Bogota Nightlife and Medellin nightlife. Thibaud.

Cartagena is a coastal Caribbean city, probably one of the most popular with foreigners in Colombia. You have a lot of backpackers, retirees, American cruise ship passengers, as well as local tourists.

The main attractions are the old town, with its Spanish colonial architecture, the beaches, and what will interest us here: the nightlife.

Nightlife in Cartagena has a fantastic Caribbean vibe, but there are a few things to pay attention to. Ripping off tourists is an art form in this city and all the unsavory characters come out at night here. You’ll need to be on the lookout for scammers, drug dealers, hookers masquerading as normal girls, and more. 

That’s where I come in! After spending 3 months in Cartagena, I know where to go and when. I hope my recommendations will help you enjoy some great parties in the city! Please don't hesitate to ask me questions in the comment section if something is not clear.


What to Expect at Night in Cartagena

Here are a few things to know when partying in Cartagena:

It’s Hot: This is a Caribbean beach city. It’s hot. Don’t bring your suits or even a blazer here. Cartagena is damn hot and you’ll be walking between venues. Dark jeans and a button-down shirt is all you need. 

Working Girls: There are more hookers in Cartagena than anywhere I’ve ever been to. Don’t be surprised if the girl you’re chatting to turns out to be working at night. That’s just how it goes in Cartagena. 

Not Cheap: This is a touristic city. Prices are going to be inflated. I didn’t find drinking in Cartagena to be cheap. In fact, the prices were higher than almost anywhere else in Colombia. The average price for drinks in bars is 8$, and there is often a cover charge to pay to get into clubs (between 4$ and 10$).

When to Party: Sunday, Monday, Tuesday are usually dead. Things get better on Wednesday and Thursday. Friday and Saturday are the busiest. Don't visit clubs before 1AM, unless you want to get in for free (usually before midnight). 

Lots of Tourists: You’re guaranteed to see other foreigners out in the bars and clubs in Cartagena, especially in the colonial city and Bocagrande.

No Great Venues: There are a lot of fun places to party in Cartagena, but there’s no perfect place. I didn’t find a single place that was good even on weekend nights. My favorite bars and clubs where always hit and miss.

Is it safe to party in Cartagena? You shouldn’t have many safety issues when going out at night in Cartagena. The Old Town, Getsemani and Bocagrande are generally safe to walk around - even when stumbling drunk late at night. The only problems you’ll have is overpaying for everything and trying to determine if that sexy girl is a hooker or not.

Meeting Normal Girls
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
As a tourist, your best chance of meeting a Colombian girl in Cartagena is to prepare your trip in advance. It is called "pipelining", meaning you start chatting and video calling with different girls a few weeks before actually coming to the country. This allows you to bond with a few of them, gain their trust, and make things much easier once in Colombia.

Colombian Cupid
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
The best website to meet Colombian girls
The most recommended website for finding a Colombian girlfriend is ColombianCupid. It has hundreds of girls online, most of whom do not mind a long-distance relationship with a foreign man. It also has some prostitutes, so make that clear from the beginning.

Seeking Arrangement
This famous sugar daddy/sugar baby website works very well in Colombia. I personally didn't try it, but my friends swear by it. According to them, you won't find prettier girls anywhere else online. It is also perfect for those who are just looking for a short-term companion during their trip. Be warned, though, as it can be quite expensive.

Tinder
Finally, Tinder is another option, but based on my experience, it only works if you are young, handsome and living in Cartagena.

Best Hotels Near Cartagena Nightlife
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
If you want to be walking distance from 90% of the best clubs and bars in Cartagena, I recommend you to stay near the Torre Del Reloj (Clock Tower). As it turns out, this is also the best location for exploring the city's colonial district.

These hotels are recommended:
- 80$ per night: Casa Cordoba Roman
- 50$ per night: Hotel San Felipe
- 30$ per night: Hotel Luna Nueva

Best Bars and Clubs in Cartagena

Trendy bar on 3 levels (bar, restaurant, rooftop), it serves some of the best cocktails in town, mostly Rum-based (around 8-10$ each). Fun atmosphere, it is usually crowded from Thursday to Saturday starting 11PM. Tourist and expat crowd. Good for meeting normal girls at the bar on the 1st floor. Music can be Latin or more electronic.

If you like this kind of places, you may also want to check the restaurant-bar El Baron, which is just a few minutes away, walking distance. It is a smaller venue, perfect for cocktails before starting your night out.

Another famous club in Getsamani,  Mister Babilla is housed in an old colonial building. Similar to Andres Carne de Rey in Bogota: It's a restaurant with various bars and dance floor areas, and a mix of Latin hits (Merengue, Reggaeton, Salsa). Reasonable prices, cover charge of less than 4$. The atmosphere gets very festive, kind of carnivalesque, with a mix of tourists and locals. Some prostitutes work there.

Along the beachfront street Calle 24 in Getsemani, next to Mr. Babilla, there are many other nightclubs lined up one after the other. They are usually less touristy and cheaper than elsewhere. Some of them are Mojitos Cocktail Bar, D8 Club (LGBT, Gay-Friendly), Borracha VIP, Taboo Disco Club, La Santa (Techno), and La Farra Club.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Located in the Getsemani neighborhood, it is a famous and touristy salsa club with a typically Latin atmosphere. Bill and Hillary Clinton went there a few years ago on a trip to Cartagena. 10$ cover charge to get in. Crowded inside so book a table ahead if possible. Cuban music (mostly covers) from a live band starts after 11PM. Rather upmarket, so try to dress up a bit. Small dancefloor, usually packed.

On the same street as Havana, there are two more authentic salsa bars that you can try: Vueltabajero and Casa Quiebra Canto. A bit further away, Salsa Donde Fidel, next to the Hard Rock Café, and Crazy Salsa are also recommended.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
One of the trendiest bars/clubs/restaurants in Cartagena, it is normally packed on weekends with a beautiful crowd. Dress up if you want to visit as it is not rare to be refused entry (unfortunately, blacks seems to have a harder time getting inside). Good for meeting girls. No prostitutes. Open from Wednesday to Saturday from 9PM. Latin house music. Serves Tapas.

Nearby, you can also visit Babar, which is similarly high end for Cartagena standards.

A high-end club owned by the same guy behind La Movida. The concept is similar: It is a multi-storied club with a rooftop and a central bar on the first floor. Different music on every level, from reggaeton to EDM. Chic crowd, mostly Colombian. Do not come wearing sandals or shorts. Prices are expensive (10-12$ for cocktails) and you may have to book a table to get in as a group.

This multi-storied rooftop bar is a large venue, filled with mostly tourists, both locals and foreigners. Nice views on the Torre del Reloj from there. You have to pay an entrance fee of 7$ to get in, and then the drinks are pretty expensive inside. On weekend nights, it can get annoyingly packed. Service was unfriendly. The music is different on both floors (Reggaeton in one, EDM in the other).

If you like Eivissa, you can also two more clubs nearby that are just 100 meters away: Tu Candela, a fun and colorful bar/restaurant, and VIP Club, a club with mostly Colombians.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Tucandela Bar
Also nearby, with the same view as Eivissa, you can find the Gastro Pub Mirador. It is more upmarket, perfect for having a few drinks before partying:
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
El Mirador Rooftop
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
This is the best club to hear Champeta music, a style specific to the area around Cartagena. They also play reggae and afro-beat music. Come after 11PM and you'll see a sweaty dancefloor with a mixed crowd of Colombians and tourists. The setting is not too sophisticated, but it looks authentic and colorful.

Misti-K Club
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
This is a relatively new nightclub, high-end, with a clean crowd of locals, expats and tourists. The music is a crossover of Latin, EDM, House and Reggaeton. Definitely, a place to watch!

Paraiso del Marino and Pley Club
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Inside Pley Club
These two clubs are considered the most high-end bordellos in the city. They are located outside the tourist area (10 minutes away for Pley Club, 15 minutes away for Paraiso). I personally haven't been there, but if you are looking for striptease, erotic shows, private lapdances, or spending the night with a prostitute, they are the places.

Amazing views and Caribbean views in the Old Town. This is a great spot to have a few drinks to start the night off right. The food is decent, too. Not for partying, but more of a pregame place.

Partying Outside the Tourist Area
To experience authentic Cartagena nightlife, where zero tourists go, you should get out of Getsemani and try different neighborhoods. I recommend going within the vicinity of the Paseo de la Castellana. There, you will find several fun clubs such as Green Moon VIP Club, Tu Yeré, Las Palmas, Jamaica, or Di Caché. The music in those places is almost always "crossover", meaning a selection of popular Latino, Carribean, and House hits.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
↧

Medellin Nightlife: Best Bars and Nightclubs (Updated)

October 4, 2020, 9:22 pm
$
0
0
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Note: I have never been to Medellin, but my friend Sam is familiar with the city and wrote this guide for me. He is also the author of Bogota Nightlife and Cartagena nightlife. Thibaud.

Medellin, Colombia, is a fantastic party city filled with some of the most beautiful women in the world. Trust me, they're damn sexy. I remember the first time I partied around Parque Lleras on a Saturday night. In every club I went into, I would snap my neck from looking back and forth at the stunning "Paisas" (Medellin girls) that moved all around me. 

Nightlife in Medellin is filled with stunners. There’s absolutely no doubt about that. 60% are above 6, 40% above 7, 20% above 8, 10% above 9. But beware, it is also filled with hookers, drug dealers, sex tourists, unsavory characters, and tables filled with big groups.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view. Seeking Arrangement is the #1 Sugar Baby Website in the World
SeekingArrangement is the #1 Sugar Baby Website in the World - You Can Join Free
If you don’t know how to navigate this city, you’ll get lost in a sea of "prepagos" (half-hookers), scopolamine (rape drug), and horny gringos. That’s not what you want, and that's where I come in. 

After spending some time in Medellin, I wanted to create this detailed Medellin nightlife guide that’s sure to show you how to make the most of the party in the City of Eternal Spring. 

What to Expect at Night in Medellin
Partying in Medellin has its own characteristics. Here are a few things you can expect on a big night out in town:

Big Groups: Latin people tend to go out in big groups of friends. They buy a bottle and stand around their table. Then they dance with each other. Not ideal for meeting new people. Some venues, called "bottle clubs" specialize in this and they should be avoided if you are hoping to meet girls.

Working Women: There are lots of "prepagos" in Medellin. Those girls make a living from sleeping with guys or from dating them. It's a form of prostitution, but it's sometimes just not as obvious as in Europe. If you’re in clubs where all other foreigners go, you can expect a lot of the pretty girls to be working.

Lately, the prepagos have been very active online, in particular on sugar baby websites like Seeking Arrangement. In Medellin only, there are over 6,000 profiles of beautiful girls who are just looking for a guy to take care of them financially.

Latin Music: Reggaeton, salsa, and merengue reign supreme in Medellin. If you don’t like Latin music, then you may not enjoy most of the discos here. 

Constant Threats: If you haven't visited the country yet, the question "Is Colombia dangerous?"  is probably your main concern.

There’s always the threat of getting drugged or robbed in Medellin. That’s just the way it goes. Guard your drink, take taxis, observe your surroundings and keep your wits about you. Don't get drunk to the point where you lose control. Personally, after 4-5 drinks, I always switch to water.

Lots of Foreigners: If you think you are the only white guy who had the idea to get laid in Medellin, you will be disappointed. Horny foreigners are found all over Medellin and they don't attract as much attention as they used to from normal girls (unless they are actually living there with an expat contract). If you want to be the only foreigner in the disco, don’t come here. 

Meeting Girls: I always say this, but the best way to meet girls (as a tourist) is to prepare your trip in advance. ColombianCupid is a great website for that. Colombian girls who use this website won't mind chatting with you even if you leave abroad. Therefore, you can set up several dates before arriving and, hopefully, get lucky before you leave.

If you do not prepare and hope to score using Tinder, you have a 90% chance of failing.

To summarize:
- If you live in Colombia or if you are very handsome: Use Tinder
- If you don't live in Colombia or if you are average looking: Use ColombianCupid (or SeekingArrangement if you don't mind paying for company)

Drugs
Drugs are rampant in Colombia. Why? Because they’re cheap. You’ll probably find a few people enjoying white powders while in the bathroom of a Medellin nightclub. It’s common here. In the techno clubs mentioned below, pills of ecstasy are also very easy to find.

Best Areas to Stay If Medellin Nightlife is a Priority

Medellin is a huge city of nearly 3.5 million people these days. As such, there are tons of places to party. That said, as a foreigner, most of the bars and nightclubs you'll go to will be located in the small neighborhood of Parque Lleras. I recommend you to stay there so you can be walking distance from all the action.

My most recommended hotels in terms of location and quality are located in Poblado, near Calle 10. This area is lively, touristy and rather safe. You’ll be walking distance to 70% of Medellin nightlife and have the ability to walk home, even if you are a bit wasted.

25$: Yolo Hostel (dorms, great for meeting people, perfect for first-timers but not girl-friendly)
50$: Hotel Florencia Plaza (very good value for money, close to bars, clean, friendly).
100$: Diez Hotel Categoria (brand-new, central, walking distance from nightlife)
150$: Dann Carlton (Good pool, gym, spa and breakfast)
300$: The Charlee (The best hotel in the area, great gym, great beds, great service)
For a bachelor party: Icon Suites (450$ for 8 people) or Poblado Sky Villa Penthouse (1500$ for 8 people).

If you want a more quiet neighborhood, you can also try to find a hotel in Laurales - Estadio (click to see a list of options).

Something funny in Medellin is that there are highly sophisticated short-time love hotels (called Moteles). Colombian guys use them to bring their girlfriend, their lovers, or prostitutes. They can be quite kinky, with erotic furniture and sex toys provided. If you are interested, you can check 3D Suites or Thematic Suites.

Is it Safe to Walk Around at Night?

Safety is a huge issue in Colombia. I won’t beat around the bush here. You need to keep your guard up, even in upscale areas like Parque Lleras. Criminals know where foreigners hang out in Medellin. They know the police will be around, but they also know where they can get away with a crime.

It is safe to walk around at night in places like Parque Lleras or the upscale areas of Laurales. However, as a general rule, you should never leave your hotel with more than you’re willing to lose.

Personally, this means I roll around with an old iPhone 5s and no more than $80 USD in Colombian Pesos when I go out to enjoy Medellin nightlife.

The one way to get stabbed, shot, and/or killed in Colombia is to resist a robbery. If someone wants to rob you, do not resist. Just hand over what they want and remain passive. Do not fight back.

Also, you must give your robbers something. You need to have a phone and cash on you. If you can’t give them a phone or cash, they may kill you for wasting their time. So, always have a cheap phone and a bit of money to give them.

10 Best Nightclubs and Bars in Medellin

Enough about the downsides of nightlife in Medellin. Let’s talk about the good stuff!

In such a big city, there’s bound to be a couple great spots to meet sexy Colombian girls and have a great time. The good news is there definitely is. Here are my favorite clubs and bars in Medellin (I added a link to their Facebook or Instagram, just click on the name):

This is the absolute best club to meet easy women in Medellin. Go here on a Thursday for ladies’ night. The quality won’t be super high and you might meet a few prepagos, but this is the spot Paisas go to when they want to meet foreigners. 

A somewhat high-end club that’s now in Poblado. If you’re looking to grab a bottle and party hard on a Saturday night, Luxury is a solid place to do so. 

One of the most popular spots in all of Parque Lleras. The Blue Bar gets a crowd almost every night. Go here to enjoy a crossover vibe and pretty low prices overall. 

Son Havana
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
A classic salsa bar in Medellin, Son Havana is the spot to be on Wednesday. All the salsa schools come here to practice. You can even get some lessons here. Later at night, things start to heat up as the drinks flow. 

Kukaramakara Club
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
High-end club in Rio Sur. Head here if you want to spend some money on a bottle or have a hot date. Sometimes live music, sometimes crossover music. 

Babylon
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Not sure what else to call this place, but a “shit show” on Thursday nights. You can definitely still have a good time here, but Babylon isn’t what it used to be. The crowd can be shady and there are usually too many gringos. 

Sixtinna Club
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Another high-end spot in Rio Sur. Sometimes they have big concerts here, other times they play electronic music. It’s right next to Kukaramakara Club. Lots of good-looking people who party in groups. Not recommended if you are alone.

Gusto
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Located in Parque Lleras, this disco is not very sophisticated but it's fun. Many (not all!) of the women inside are freelance prostitutes. Usual music mix from Latin vibes to international hits.

Mixology
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
A great place to take a date in Medellin. This is one of the best places to find a solid cocktail around Poblado. Highly recommended. 

Palmahia
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Late night club in Medellin. Come here if you want to party past 2-3 am. Can get filled with shady characters. 

Techno Clubs
If you are more a techno head than a salsa dancer, you will love Medellin. There are at least 5 good nightclubs with anything from minimal to tech-house: Mute, Mansion, Calle 9+1, Heard From and Salon Amador.

Check their Facebook pages to know which DJ is playing on the night of your visit.

Prostitution
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Striptease in Fase Dos
Prostitution is very common, and the city is home to a large contingent of sex tourists.

It may take many forms, from a freelancer working discreetly in a regular nightclub to a flashy bordello in the city's red-light district.

To be honest, I have never visited them, but I know you are curious so I'll drop a few names.

The most famous strip clubs, naughty spas and sex centers in Medellin are located in the Northern part of the city. In particular, the highest concentration can be found in the red-light area of La Candelaria/Villa Nueva (also called El Centro). Some of the places there are Conejitas, Maracaibo, Barra Ejecutiva (all 3 have striptease shows) or the cheap massage parlor New Life.

For high-end services, two places are recommended:

Luna Lunera: A huge, crazy bordello with strippers and escorts, open 24h. They have packages for bachelor parties.

Fase II (Fase Dos): A smaller place, with a very high concentration of outrageously siliconed ladies.

Because it may feel too dangerous to go out at night in Medellin's red-light districts, many foreigners choose to visit an escort website instead. A famous one is Geisha Academy (high-end). Smooci is another option.

Conclusion

The nightlife in Medellin can be fantastic. It can also be filled with a lot of unpleasant things. Depends on how you look at it.

If drugs and hookers make you uncomfortable, the nightlife throughout Colombia may be too much for you to handle. It’s not everywhere, but it’s always around. Something to think about before partying here.

With this in mind, just hit the spots I listed above and you’re sure to enjoy your time partying in the city of eternal spring!
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
↧
Search

Lima Nightlife: 20 Best Bars and Nightclubs (Updated)

November 1, 2020, 9:21 pm
$
0
0
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
The capital of Peru and the 3rd largest city in Latin America after Sao Paulo and Mexico, Lima has a huge nightlife scene. I was very surprised to discover that there is an endless number of bars and nightclubs, not only in the center, but in all the districts and suburbs of this sprawling megalopolis.

You will find a bit of everything: High-end nightclubs filled with socialites, retro 80s and 90s discos, cheap backpacker watering holes, swanky beach clubs, trendy rooftop bars, packed salsotecas, and even several red-light districts.

To help you make the most out of your nights out, you can read my Lima party tips below. If you still have questions/remarks, please write a comment.

Summary of Lima Nightlife
This is a long article. Here it is summarized:

- Where to stay near Lima nightlife: Parque Kennedy in Miraflores, for instance in Hotel Las Palmas (55$ per night, rated 8.5)
- Busiest party streets: Calle Berlin, Calle Manuel Bonilla, Calle Francisco de Paula Camino, and Calle de las Pizzas. All walking distance from each other in Miraflores.
- How to meet girls online: LatinAmerican Cupid, Bumble, Tinder
- Best nightclubs for tourists:Bizarro, El Dragon, Noise, La Noche
- Best high-end nightclubs:MIA, La Tribu, Resident
- Best bars: Open Tapas Bar, La Cachina
- LGBT nightlife:Lez4Lez and Capital G (Lesbian), Downtown ValeTodo (Gay)
- Red light areas: Calle de las Pizzas, Centro Historico, MegaPlaza Mall

Lima Nightlife Areas + Hotels
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Each icon represents a bar or a club
There are 2 safe areas that I advise in Lima if you want to be near the nightlife and in a strategic location to visit the city.

Miraflores:
If you are new to Lima, Miraflores is definitely the best area for you. It is an upscale neighborhood with tourist attractions, restaurants, bars, clubs and shops.

But beware, Miraflores is a large area. Most of the party happens near Calle Berlin, near Parque Kennedy and near the seedy Calle de Las Pizzas (I'll write about that street later). The hotels I recommend are Hotel Las Palmas (55$ per night, rated 8.5) or Hotel Estelar Miraflores (100$ per night, rated 8.5).

If you are a backpacker, you can stay in one of the party hostels nearby such as Loki, Kokopelli, and Pariwana. They all have fun rooftop bars with cheap drinks and a crowd of young travelers.

Barranco:
Barranco is less touristy, less expensive, with a more relaxed vibe. It is popular with young people, students, and some expats.

Again, not the whole Barranco neighborhood is interesting. To be close to the best nightclubs and bars, you should stay near the Parque Federico Villarreal or the pedestrian street Sanchez Carrión.

There aren't many hotels there so you can choose instead an apartment on Airbnb. Here are a few good ones: 80$/night, 60$/night, 45$/night, 40$/night, 35$/night, 34$/night, and 30$/night.

If you don't have an Airbnb account yet, register using this link Voucher Airbnb 35$ and you'll get a 35$ discount on your first booking.

Other Lima nightlife areas:
There are several other neighborhoods in Lima with bars and clubs. You can visit them for partying but I don't recommend to sleep there.

- Chacarilla: The mall Caminos del Inca has some exclusive nightclubs targeting upper-class Peruvians: MIA, La Tribu, Verâo (only during summer), Mute, La Basilica 640 and Rumba.

- Centro Historico, near Plaza San Martin: This is considered a sketchy and unsafe neighborhood with an underground nightlife. There are some stripclubs, brothels and hostess bars such as Lujuria or Totos Bar. You'll also find the largest nightclub in Lima (La Casona de Camanà) and the techno club El Centro.

- South of Lima (Boulevard de Asia Mall, Punta Negra and Punta Hermosa): The southern coast has some of the trendiest nightclubs in the city. This is where the local elite parties, but only during the summer months from early January to the end of March. Some of the popular venues in the south are Resident Club, Joia, Nikita, Mala Mia, CM, Floripa, Amadeus and Hacienda.

- The Independencia district in Lima Norte is also rich in bars and nightclubs, some of which are brothels. Most are located within a short distance of the MegaPlaza Mall such as Madame, Vintage Disco, Bellakeo, La Murga and Zum Club. Tourists are extremely rare in those venues.

Travel Tips for Lima
Weather
Don't assume that Lima is a tropical city with a year-round warm climate. This is only true in the summer months, from mid-December to mid-April. Then, the temperatures reach 28°C on average during the day (82°F) and 18°C at night (64°F). It is also less humid with few clouds and almost no rain.

Winters in Lima can be quite cold, with around 18°C during the day (64°F) and 10°C at night (50°F). It is humid, cloudy and foggy, which makes the city a bit depressing. You will certainly need a jacket during those months.

Lima nightlife is more interesting during the summer months as there are more nightclubs open, especially in the southern coastal areas.

Peruvian Sim Card
If you have an unlocked phone, you can buy a local Sim Card quite easily in the city center (it's more expensive at the airport). The top providers in Peru are Claro and Movistar. A cheaper alternative is Bitel (from what I heard, it works well in the major cities). Bring your passport with you for the registration. The cost is about 5$ for a Sim Card and 8$ for 1.5GB of data (valid 2 weeks).

Money
The local currency is the Sol (shortened as S/). As of the 22nd January 2019, 1 US$ = 3.34 sol and 10 sol = 3 US$.

Going Around
Taxis do not have a very good reputation in Lima, yet I never had any issue with them. I was only using the drivers with well-maintained, new cars, and I was always negotiating the price before hopping in. You can calculate that going 5 kilometers on a map will cost less than 15 sol, or 5 dollars. Add an extra 30% in the evening.

Uber is available as well and it is about 15% to 25% cheaper. I was using it at the beginning but I got annoyed by the waiting time and switched to normal taxis. It can be useful to evaluate the price of a taxi ride.

There are also many inexpensive buses going around the city. The price is 1.5 sol. Since it can be confusing to know which one goes where, you'd better ask around for locals to help you.

Overall, try to reduce your need for transportation by staying in a strategic location such as the ones I mentioned before (stay near Parque Kennedy).

Safety
The neighborhoods of Miraflores, San Isidro (business area) and Barranco are reasonably safe during the day and night. Crime might happen, but there are no reasons to worry more than you would at home. Just don't flash your jewelry, cellphones or money and you'll be fine.

For the other neighborhoods, for instance, the historic center, they are fine during the day as long as you're cautious. At night, avoid them or use a taxi to go from one place to the other. In any case, trust your instinct: If you feel uncomfortable somewhere, turn around.

What to Expect at Night in Lima
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
This is what you should know before heading out for partying in Lima:

Working Girls
Prostitutes are quite common in the bars of the Calle de las Pizzas or in the Centro Historico. They are sometimes called "bricheras", which are girls who make a living from dating or sleeping with foreigners. For most of them, the ultimate goal is to marry an American or a European and to improve their socioeconomic status. For a one night stand, they may charge 200$, 100$ or 0$: It all depends on their mood and on how much they like you.

Price of Clubbing
Naturally, there are big differences between the cheap backpacker bars and the high-end clubs in Boulevard de Asia.

Low-class venues will generally not charge an entrance fee. The 330ml can of beer costs around 8 sol (2.5$). A mixed drink will be slightly more expensive, 10-13 sol (3$-4$), and a cocktail will be 16 sol (5$).

Upmarket bars will often charge you 20-30 sol for entrance on weekends (6$-9$). In the top nightclubs, it can reach 50 sol (15$). Beers will cost 14-20 sol (4$-6$), mixed drinks 20-30 sol (6$-9$), and cocktails 23-40 sol (7$-12$). Talking about cocktails, the one you should try in Peru is Pisco Sour.

Overall, Lima is not dirt-cheap for partying but it is affordable. For a fun night out on a weekend, prepare to spend at least 50$.

When to Party:
Like many tourist cities, you can go out almost any night of the week in Lima except Sunday and Monday. A recommended schedule for weekdays is the following: On Tuesdays, go to Sargento Pimienta. On Wednesday, go to Bizarro. On Thursday, go to Help! or Eka Bar. On Fridays and Saturdays, go anywhere you want.

Music:
Most clubs will play either EDM or Latin beats (in particular reggaeton). There is not a strong techno scene in Lima, unlike in other cities in South America like Bogota (Read my guide Nightlife in Bogota) or Sao Paulo.

Door Policy:
You can usually avoid paying the entrance fee if you ask to be on the guest list prior to going to a club. Just send them a message on Facebook and it should be fine. You will probably need to arrive in advance, though, before midnight or 1AM. You can also use the website PassLine to register for free.

You should always bring your ID with you.

Wearing pants and proper shoes is mandatory in almost every club.

Meeting Normal Girls in Lima
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Dating girls in Lima can be more or less difficult depending on your expectations. If you target middle-class Peruvian girls, you should have no issues. They are friendly, reliable, fun and many want a foreign boyfriend. For these girls, I would recommend online dating to filter out the "bricheras" and semi-pros.

If you are targeting the rich Peruvian girls from European descent, it will be more difficult but not impossible. Being handsome, rich, expatriate, fluent in Spanish and a good dancer will help you tremendously. To meet this kind of girls, online dating will not work well. Instead, you should visit classy nightclubs like Lima Bar, MIA, Resident or Nikita.

For online dating, some apps that worked well are Bumble and Tinder. You'll probably get a fair amount of matches, but the interest of girls will decrease if you say you are a tourist or a short-time visitor.

I found that LatinAmerican Cupid was more effective. The girls on this website want to marry foreign guys, and they won't mind if you live abroad. You can use it to "pipeline" 5 or 6 girls, meaning you'll chat with them or make a few video calls before arriving in Lima. This way, when you meet them in real, you've already established a romantic connection and you won't waste your precious time on pointless dates.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
LatinAmerican Cupid was the most effective way for me to meet Peruvian girls
Finally, Lima also has many foreign girls, tourist or expats. The average-looking ones are quite easy to match with on Tinder/Bumble.

Best Nightclubs in Lima to Party

La Tribu (Chacarilla)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Currently the best techno/minimal/electro nightclub in Lima, it is 15 minutes away by cab from Miraflores (inside the mall Caminos del Inca). Recently, it has welcomed international DJs like Oliver Huntemann, Marc Romboy or Oliver Koletzki. Modern venue, rather large, with an upmarket foreign and Peruvian crowd. Much more guys than girls.

Popular, upmarket nightclub with a stylish crowd and plenty of hot girls. The music is crossover (Reggaeton, merengue, salsa, EDM, etc).

Same building as La Tribu. The owner is also behind Rumba and Verao (only during summer).

El Dragon is a versatile party venue that hosts all kinds of events, from live salsa music to house DJs. The atmosphere inside can change a lot from one day to another, depending on the type of music and/or the artists who are performing. Not really a pick-up place as you have much more guys than girls. Cheap prices. Entrance fee around 15-20 sol.

During the summer, the owners of El Dragon have opened a temporary club called DS (Dragon del Sur) in Punta Hermosa.

One of the busiest nightclubs in Miraflores. Large number of foreigners from all the hostels around, especially on Wednesdays. Many Peruvian girls, it's a bit of a hook-up place. It has two floors with two kinds of music (EDM/Latin). Overall, a bit low-class but fun if you want to get drunk with travelers. 50 sol entrance fee. Close at 3AM on weekends.

Hop Bar Mutante (Barranco)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
This is a once-a-week party that happens every Friday in an old theater. Alternative crowd. Music is old-school, hip-hop, R&B, latin beats. Relaxed and friendly.

On the same location, you also have the club Loola.

La Casona de Camana (Centro Historico)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
A huge club with 4 rooms: Reggaeton, techno, rock and 90s music. Rather affordable (15 sol entrance) but not very sophisticated. Beware of the surroundings. Closes at 6AM.
  
A bar that's more like a mini-concert venue. Different live bands and music styles every night of the week. It is worth going to their salsa parties every Tuesday. Hipster and student crowd. Affordable prices. Closes at 4AM.

3 bars in this classic venue of Lima nightlife. Live indie/rock/pop/latin/jazz bands every night (except Sunday). Student/intellectual/bohemian crowd. Check their Facebook for events. The entrance fee varies from 0 to 60 sol.

El Centro Bar (Centro Historico)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
On the second floor of Vichama Club (House), this is one of the few places in Lima with techno events. The surrounding area is not particularly safe so it's best to come in a taxi/Uber. 10 sol entrance fee for guys. Underground atmosphere.

Very crowded club with reggaeton. Upmarket crowd. You will normally need to be on the guest list to enter. You can contact them on Facebook in advance for that. No tourists.

Small minimalist club with Berlin-style techno and electronic music. Intimate/alternative vibe. LGBT friendly. Quite many foreigners. Drugs sold on the spot. No dress code.

This is a weekly party, every Friday, that usually gets pretty packed. The club is huge, probably the largest in Barranco. DJs and live bands play Latin hip-hop and reggaeton. Expect to queue before entering.

Kimbara VIP (Lince)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Popular local disco with live salsa music and dancers. No tourists. If you are a good dancer, it's extremely easy to meet Peruvianas there. About 10 minutes away from Miraflores, in Lince neighborhood.

This bar with live music is quite basic, with an elevated stage and a large dancefloor. Local bands play every night, usually rock/pop, followed by a DJ. You should go there on Thursdays after visiting Eka Bar.

Best Bars in Lima to Chill

Classy bar/restaurant, crowded on weekends with 30+ executive and expats. It's a good place to start your night out if you are part of a group.

Popular bar with an international crowd and reasonable prices.

In the same street, you can also try BarBarian and Eka Bar. Just 5 minutes further, Botika Bar is also recommended.

Lima Bar (Larcomar)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
A chic elite bar that replaces Gotica Club. The venue itself is clean, well-designed and expensive. Not that many customers. Opens on Friday and Saturday only until 6AM.

About 5 minutes by foot from Calle Berlin, this dark restaurant/lounge/bar is a copy of Buddha Bar. Nice design and atmosphere. Live music or DJ, usually slightly upbeat tunes. Good for bringing a date.

Very famous bar housed in an old mansion. There are many rooms and terraces, each with a different décor. Rather classy. Not really a party place but a must-see for tourists. You can drink a Pisco Sour there early in the night and then move to other venues in Barranco.

South Lima Nightlife (Asia, Punta Hermosa, Punta Negra)
South Lima, in particular in the suburbs of Punta Hermosa, Punta Negra and Asia has a crazy nightlife. However, the venues there are often only opened during the summer months (typically from December/January to March/April).

Boulevard de Asia (100 kilometers from Miraflores) has several nightclubs almost all next tot each other. This is a wealthy area where most residents are "white" Peruvians with European roots. You will see some amazingly pretty and sexy girls there, but they are not easy to approach if you are a tourist.

The popular venues in the South of Lima change every year so it can be hard to keep track. The event organizer Loop Superclub often throws the best parties. It's best to check their Facebook page before going South to make sure you choose the right spot.

Here are some recommended clubs as of today:

Only open on Saturdays until 7AM. Huge party full of trendy/beautiful people. It is located inside a fake castle. Ask in advance to be on the guest list and come early. It's best to book a sofa with a small group. Officially, you must be at least 25 to get in. Entrance fee is a whopping 250 sol (includes drinks).

Open on Friday and Saturday until 6AM. The most famous club in the Asia area (with CM-Cafe Del Mar). Expect to queue before entering. Music is EDM/Reggaeton.

Brand new club (opened 2019). Very large with a beautiful bar in the middle. Trendy.

This club is a bit cheaper. You can manage to get in for 50 sol (or even free if you are on the list). Young crowd. They have live music and/or the usual EDM/Reggaeton. If you go with a group of 10, you have sofa packages starting at 2500 sol with 4 bottles includes.

If you are over 40, you can try the nearby Amadeus Club instead.

Yakua Club (Punta Hermosa)
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Not the best club in the area, but it has pool parties on weekends that can be interesting before partying elsewhere.

Red Light Districts in Lima

Bars in Calle de las Pizzas
The street Calle de las Pizzas has more than just pizzerias. There, you'll also find several hostess bars and strip clubs where prostitutes and bricheras hang out.

The most famous one is Tequila Rock 80s:
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Strip Clubs and Brothels
While I haven't visited any, there are many strip clubs and brothels in Lima. Most are out of the city center, sometimes more than an hour away.

Here are some names:
La Cucardas
La Nene
El Templo

Massage Parlours with Plus Plus
Many erotic spas and massage parlours in Lima are located in the suburbs. The closest from the tourist area is Emporio Sauna in Miraflores. It is an upmarket venue where most girls are from Venezuela. It is opened until 2AM and it has complete facilities (jacuzzi, pool, sauna, hammam, theater, etc). Entrance fee is 50 sol and a 1-hour massage is 350 sol (250 sol for half hour).
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
↧

Semarang Nightlife: Bars and Clubs (Updated 2021)

February 9, 2021, 1:13 am
$
0
0
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.

Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
Updated in April 2021: I removed Babyface (+ several other venues) and I added Blackroom.

Semarang is the 5th largest city in Indonesia with almost 2 millions inhabitants. Yet, its nightlife is not very developed apart from a few male-oriented bars and clubs.

As a friend from Semarang told me, the problem is that most young people fall into one of these categories:
- They are single but they still live with parents
- They are conservative or not interested with clubbing
- They married young and already have kids
- They left Semarang for Jakarta, Surabaya or Bali
- They cannot afford partying

In the end, the few people you see in clubs are local businessmen/government employees, some Indonesians on business trips or traveling, very few expats and occasionally, students.

This does not mean that you cannot have fun, especially on weekends as you still have a few good venues for party. 

In this small guide I will give you a few tips to make sure you enjoy the best of Semarang nightlife.

Hotels near the Nightlife:
Hotels are cheap in Semarang. Even the best one in the city, the Crowne Plaza is around 60$-70$ a night. 

I recommend you to book one of these hotels because they are close to the tourist attractions and near the best nightclubs. They are also used to welcoming foreigners.

Cheap:

Mid-Range:

Expensive:
Crown Plaza Semarang: This is my most recommend hotel as it is within one of the best malls in Semarang (Paragon Mall).
Novotel Semarang: Second most recommended, with a live music bar inside (and some prostitutes as well)

Best Nightclubs and Bars in Semarang
Nightclubs in Semarang always work with a similar concept: They are small lounges with live music at the beginning of the evening, and then a DJ afterward. You rarely have a dancefloor, only people drinking and dancing around tables.

This is the best place to visit at the moment. Centrally located in the city and it is reasonably busy with a "normal" party crowd. It is a new venue that still looks trendy, with a good sound system and clean facilities. Music is the usual EDM or Rn'B.

Best Bars and Lounges in Semarang
If you are looking for a relaxed venue to have a few drinks in Semarang, I would advise one of the bars/lounges/restaurants below. Most of them are located in the southern hills, with good views of the city.

The favorite hang-out spot for students and younger expats. Good choice of beers.

The most modern bar in Semarang. Good crowd but a bit pricey.

Upmarket restaurant and lounge with a great view of Semarang.

The most famous expat bar in Semarang. Old-style and relaxed.

This bar is great for cocktails. It is within the old town in a Dutch heritage building. Popular with tourists.

Since I don't go to Semarang very often, I would greatly appreciate if you could leave a comment below to update me about the new nightlife spots in the city (or the ones who have closed). Thanks in advance!
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
↧
↧

Palembang Nightlife: Best Nightclubs and Bars (Updated 2021)

February 27, 2021, 3:39 am
$
0
0

Palembang is the second largest city in Sumatra after Medan. It does not receive a lot of foreign visitors apart from Malaysians and Singaporeans.

As with most provincial towns in Indonesia, its nightlife is limited. Most clubbers are guys, and the few girls who accompany them are often professional. There is usually no dancefloor: Customers book tables and they just stay within the same group, without trying to mingle with other people.

The DJs are pretty much always playing the same famous EDM or Rn'B tracks. Most often, they are women who are chosen mainly for their looks.


Hotels near the Nightlife
I found the nightclubs to be quite far from each other. For this reason, I strongly recommend you to book a hotel in the city center.

The best ones in terms of quality of service and location (near the nightlife/bars/clubs) are the following:

Budget Hotels (under $30): Amaris Palembang, Red Planet Palembang, Favehotel Palembang
Expensive Hotels ($50-$80): Aston Hotel and Conference Center, Novotel Palembang, The Arista Hotel 


Best Nightclubs in Palembang:

If you are traveling or working in Palembang, here are my nightclubs recommendations:

Arena 9
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
The bar in Arena 9 is just below the podium for live music
This is my favorite place to hangout in Palembang. It is a complex with a café, a restaurant, a beer house (Bierhaus), and a skygarden. The crowd is quite young and more trendy than elsewhere. It seems that this is where students go for partying in the city.

Instagram: Arena 9

Selebriti Entertainment Center
Probably the most famous nightlife spot in Palembang at the moment, this complex features a KTV and a bar (S' Lounge).

The space is medium-sized, with a slightly elevated podium for live performances (most songs in Indonesian with some international hits). During breaks, a DJ will mix very loud techno and house music.

Not so crowded unless they have a special event.

Open every day until 2am.

Address: Jalan Veteran No.1243, Palembang, South Sumatra
Phone number: +62 711 323 333

Mansion is a luxury night club, popular in the Indonesian-Chinese community. They have regular live bands followed by DJs. Most people go there with a group of friends before or after visiting their KTV. There are some girls around but they are almost all lady companions.

Address: Jalan Soekarno Hatta, Palembang, Ilir Barat I, Palembang
Phone number: +62 711 445557

Instagram: Mansion KTV and Club

Venus Bar, Club and KTV
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
This address is quite new and it is pretty much the same concept as the previous two.

Address: Jalan R. Sukamto No. 41, Palembang
Phone number: 07113 60014
Instagram: Venus Palembang
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
↧

Dragonfly Nightclub - Jakarta (Updated)

April 4, 2021, 12:21 am
$
0
0
15 years after it opened (and after several renovations), Dragonfly is still one of the top nightclubs in Jakarta. It is also one of the most exclusive, with a very strict door-policy: No torn jeans, no shorts, no t-shirt, no flat shoes for ladies, and you must be over 21 to enter. The entrance fee is also ridiculously high, up to IDR300K without any drink provided. 


The design of the club is really impressive as you can see from the photos. That said, the space for dancing is quite limited. For this reason, I really recommend booking a table or a sofa when clubbing in Dragonfly. If you don't, you might have an average experience since you will be crushed on the dancefloor, with barely any space to move around. It might be difficult also for you to get any drinks at the bar as the bartenders will focus on serving more important customers.

The crowd in Dragonfly is almost always trendy and fashionable, with plenty of handsome guys and sexy girls. It is not rare to see famous actors/actresses, models or celebrities. You will find lots of expats for whom Dragonfly is a sort of hunting ground for beautiful girls. Beware though as there are quite many sugar babies and escorts among them.

Finally, the music is rather mainstream. DJs will play the most popular tunes, either EDM or House depending on the night. You can check the schedule in their Instagram page below.

Dragonfly Jakarta
Graha BIP, Jl. Gatot Subroto no. 23
Phone: +62 21 520 6789
Email: info@ismayagroup.com

Website: Dragonfly Nightclub
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
↧

9 Best Things to Do at Night in Jakarta (2021)

December 6, 2020, 6:04 am
$
0
0
I recently wrote about the best things to do in Jakarta. In the following review, I will be more specific and focus on night-time activities.

A cliché used to describe Jakarta is that of "a city that never sleeps." While this could apply to any major capitals in the world, I think it is particularly accurate here. There is always some kind of life in Jakarta, whatever the time and whatever the location.

It is quite logical considering the city has one of the highest population densities in the world. Another reason is that there are a lot of Indonesians working long shifts or night shifts, especially small business owners and independent workers. As long as money can be made, they won't close shop or go home. This is why you can always get food, cigarettes, or a taxi ride at any time of the night.

For the traveler, the advantage of this situation is that there are a lot of things to do at night. Even better, if you go out after 9pm, you'll also enjoy less traffic, cooler temperatures, and less pollution. 

The following list will give you some ideas on how to spend time after the sun sets in Jakarta. If you feel I forgot something, please don't hesitate to leave a comment below the article.

Night-time is the best moment to go around and try some delicious Indonesian street food. Many of the small stalls on the sidewalk are actually only allowed to operate in the evening (to avoid disturbing pedestrians during the day).

My personal favorite location for street food in Jakarta is Jalan Mangga Besar, a red-light area busy with an eclectic mix of people. It's a great place to try some authentic Chinese food or some more unusual specialties like cobra and monkey.

If this is too far or too weird for you, Jalan Sabang and Jalan Wahid Hasyim in Central Jakarta are a good alternative. You'll also find many 24/7 restaurants in the area.

Jakarta is the 9th city with the most skyscrapers in the world and it is at night that the view is the most spectacular. The darkness hides all the city's flaws: The potholes, the dirt, the dust, and the rust disappear, replaced by millions of colorful lights.

The best rooftops to enjoy the view of the skyline are Cloud or Skye. I give more recommendations in my review Top 10 Rooftop Bars in Jakarta as well. I also enjoy watching the city from the Burgundy Bar in Grand Hyatt even though it is not a rooftop.

Live Music, Theater and Concerts
There are several great venues for listening to live music in Jakarta. Two of the most famous are B.A.T.S in Shangri-La and CJ's in Mulia. Both have a Western band playing Top 40 and pop/rock hits. They may not suit everyone's taste though as they attract a lot of working girls. Paulaner Brauhaus in Kempinski, Hard Rock Cafe in Pacific Place or Eastern Promise in Kemang are three more family-friendly options.

In Menteng, Taman Ismail Marzuki (TIM) is an art complex popular with Indonesians. There are daily cultural performances (concerts, theater, movies, etc).

Clubs are usually busy on Wednesday, Friday, and Saturday nights. You can read about my favorites here: Best Nightclubs in Jakarta.

Jakarta has excellent and modern cinemas that cost about half what you would pay in Europe. The CGV-Blitz chain in Grand Indonesia has movies until 10pm during the week and until midnight on weekends.


Some massage parlors and spas close rather late in Jakarta, especially those located in 5-star hotels: Bimasena (Dharmawangsa Hotel) and Willow Stream (Fairmont) close at 11pm, the spa at the Ritz-Carlton Mega Kuningan is open until 12am.


All the high-end shopping malls close at 10pm in Jakarta but there are some more traditional markets (pasar) that stay open 24 hours, for instance, the fish market of Angke Muara and the flower markets of Cikini and Rawa Belong. Closer to the city center, you also have Pasar Senen and Pasar Mampang Prapatan.

Update December 2017: I just passed in front of Pasar Minggu at 1 AM and the place was buzzing with life. The taxi driver told me it starts at midnight. Definitely a must-do!

Running/cycling at night or very early in the morning is very common among fitness enthusiasts in Jakarta. It is a way to escape from the heat, the traffic, and the pollution. Popular running spots include the Monas, the Senayan Stadium, and Ragunan Zoo.

A good way to meet Indonesians is to join a running club. Indorunners run every Thursday starting 7.30pm from FX Mall in Senayan. 

Amazingly, there are also some 24h gyms in Jakarta such as Rai Fitness in Senopati, Clark Hatch in Sari Pan Pacific Hotel, and Club Olympus in Grand Hyatt.

Many tourist sights in Jakarta can still be visited at night. Taman Fatahillah, the Monas, Ancol, or the Kota Intan Bridge remain crowded until very late. They attract middle-class Indonesians, especially tourists, and all kinds of street vendors. During Ramadhan, you can also visit the Istiqlal mosque all night long.

Young Indonesians also like to hang out in some public areas like the Taman Suropati and Taman Menteng parks or around the Bunderan HI fountain.
Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view.
↧
Viewing all 1118 articles
Browse latest View live
Search