Zona is one of the most famous nightclubs in Makassar. It is located on the seafront next to Swiss-Belhotel (Rp500,000/night) and walking distance from the city's top attractions like Fort Rotterdam and Losari Beach (and also the red-light district on Jalan Nusantara). Two more recommended guest-friendly hotels nearby are the Aston (Rp600,000/night) or Whiz Prime (Rp250,000/night).
Zona Café is surprisingly quite modern even though it was opened 7 years ago already. It features giant LCD screens, a laser show, a good sound system and even some pyro. It is not so big (maybe 400 people capacity) with 2 VIP sofa space at the entrance and on the side. I like that their bar is in the middle of the room so even if you are alone you can still chat with some other people.
Zona Makassar functions like 90% of the clubs in Indonesia: You have a live band and a DJ every night, some sexy dancers and several lady companions (called Guest Relation Officers or GRO here). On Saturday, there is generally either a famous band or a DJ from Jakarta. Visitors come with a group of friends and stay between themselves around a table. They order bottles or beer towers, not individual drinks. The staff is friendly and performs a show once a night, including the bartenders (bar flair).
It is busy on weekends (and to a lesser extent on Wednesdays) but the rest of the week is typically quiet.
Some of the bands may sing rather slow-paced love songs, especially the famous ones on Saturday. If that's not your thing, it is best to visit it after 2am.
There is a small café outside called Coffee Ping. It is a good place to chat with other party-goers.
Entrance fee:
Rp75,000 on weekends (FDC with 1 drink included) - Free for girls
Rp150,000 for special event (Ticket - no drinks included)
Zona Cafe & Nightclub
Jl. Ujung Pandang No. 2
Makassar, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
Phone number: +62 (0) 852 99 52 61 61 or +62 (0) 411 362 3451
Twitter: Zona Cafe MKS
Instagram: ZonaCafeMKS
Facebook: Zona Cafe Makassar
Website: Zona Cafe Makassar