Review: Malioboro in Jakarta, Indonesia

In the time that this website has been online I have covered the commercial sex scenes in numerous countries. Early on I posted a back log of posts I had written up over a period of time that allowed me to quickly build up a deep archive. All the while I kept updating as regularly as possible with new reviews and reports. Nearly two years on I’ve only begun to scratch the surface and report on some of the relevant information I have rattling around between my ears.

I’ve had plans to post on locations like Jakarta, Singapore and Athens for some time. The posts ended up being indefinitely delayed by various circumstances. While trying to write up reports on a whole list of venues I kept pushing other posts into the future. In some cases things apparently changed by the time I came around to writing a post, as was the case with a great go go bar in Pattaya that was closing as I was reviewing it. All the while I would get occasional comments or emails asking why I didn’t write about this or that city.

A few months ago a few readers and advertisers made comments about the focus of the site, which they thought was mainly Thailand and Japan. The comments were not necessarily negative but they got me thinking. While I intended to write reports in a certain order I realized that regular and new readers alike enjoyed variety. So now I’ve begun mixing in posts on places that I have not reported on in depth so far. I hope viewers will appreciate the expanded coverage.

Malioboro Executive Club

The Malioboro Executive Club and Spa in Jakarta, Indonesia, is one of the closest things to a Macau sauna that can be found outside of China. Unlike Macau, the sale of sexual services is officially illegal in Indonesia. One would never be able to tell that however when they see massive adult entertainment complexes on major throughways in the country’s capital (though those unfortunate enough to come across anti-prostitution campaigns would surely be aware).

Malioboro is so large in fact that it dwarfs the saunas of Macau. They are housed in large buildings that also contain hotels and casinos. Malioboro takes up the whole building.

Malioboro is easily found on Jalan Gajah Mada in Jakarta and even those incapable of reading a map would be able to find their way there by asking any taxi driver in the city for the place by name.

Although it welcomes people from around the world, the place is most commonly frequented by Indonesians with money to burn. Because of that and a lack of English speaking ability by many of the people on staff foreigners could potentially find Malioboro difficult to navigate. In reality things are very straight forward.

Customers enter Malioboro (which is not to be confused with the Malio Club which is exactly what it sounds like with the addition of some available pay for play action) through a set of glass doors manned by serious looking security guards. Customers have to empty their pockets and pass through a metal detector to get in. Once inside the large lobby they head over to the large front desk to get a numbered wrist band from the women working reception. As with the Macau saunas this number is used to track a punter’s purchases while he is in side. On the way out he returns to the front desk with his wrist band to settle up his tab.

A multi-level club

There are several levels in the Malioboro complex. Those looking for sauna services can find them at the back of the ground floor where they’ll be met by male attendants ready to help them prepare. As far as I know nothing sexual happens in the sauna area so those looking for adult fun simply move on. Guys who like a soak certainly enjoy the various implements though which are clean and well maintained.

There’s also a KTV available for those who like to sing and drink with a room full of women for a fee. Readers of this site will know that I’m not a big fan of this set up so I can’t speak much about it.

The most fun at Malioboro happens on the second floor which can be reached by elevator or stairs. Beyond the unattractive Chinese women who hang around in front of the elevators asking punters if they’d like a full body massage for 200,000 Rupiah ($17 US) is a set of doors that leads to a large lounge area.

Inside of this smoke filled lounge area punters will see several stages where very sexy Indonesian women dance in bikinis or nude surrounded by dozens of tables and chairs. This place opens around noon but the action doesn’t really start until at least 3 PM. New visitors will often be attacked by mamasans who want to show them their stable but more experienced customers will simply pick out a seat of their own choosing.

Lap dances and more

Reasonably priced drinks are available from the attentive staff of uniformed waitstaff that is made up of both men and women. Before a punter has a time to enjoy a beverage though he will likely be approached by one or two young Indonesian women wearing nothing more than panties and a bra. These women work the stages and the floors mainly in search of lady drinks. They will give punters an up close and personal lap dance in exchange for the purchase of a shot that sells for 50,000 Rupiah or roughly $4.25 US dollars. When I say up close and personal I mean it. They will take their bras off and push their tits and nipples into the guy’s face while grinding hard on his body.

Inexperienced guys can get swamped with drink request after drink request which makes the bill quickly stack up, especially when shots are being purchased for two or more women at once. I’ve heard reports of Western guys spending an hour on the floor only to find a bill of more than 100 US waiting for them downstairs. This is easy to avoid by guys who can keep their wits and its nothing like the scam shows of Patpong in Bangkok that hit people with charges of $100 for a single drink so I don’t think it’s a huge negative.

Done right the lap dance for lady drinks program can actually be a lot of fun. Guys in the know can lay back with a gal or two and get some great entertainment out of it. Some Asian guys with lots of cash to burn can be seen hanging around for hours drinking with nude nubile babes under each arm. The women are universally hot with some of the best bodies to be found in any similar place around the world. Unlike the go go bars of Thailand and the Philippines, dancers with a lot of sag or love handles are nowhere to be found dancing at Malioboro.

Some of the bikini clad bar babes can be taken upstairs for a romp but not all of them are interested in it. Some may only be interested at certain points or with certain people. If they do agree to it the cost is 1,500,000 Rupiah ($128 US) or more. Prices are given before hand and punters have to sign off on a piece of paper with their wrist band number before anything can happen.

Full service massage

Beyond the luscious lady drink lasses sit dozens of ladies from around the world who do nothing but wait for a punter to pick them out. These women who come from places like China, Thailand, Uzbekistan and Russia, along with local ladies from Indonesia, are mainly there for those looking for full service. They are separated into groups that are managed by different mamasans (or in some cases papasans). If a guy sees a gal he likes on the floor he can ask her to join him, otherwise he will have to ask each manager to see their lineup until he finds someone he is interested in. Once selected the gals will usually sit with the punter while the manager writes down the price on a piece of paper. Guys who agree with the price which ranges from 350,000 to 2 million Rupiah ($30-172 US) will sign off on the paper before being guided outside and up a floor or two to one of the large massage rooms. On the way a stop will be made at reception where the gal will get the room key and purchase a prophylactic.

The full service ladies at Malioboro range in looks but most are relatively attractive. Only a few look as good as the local dancers in my opinion but things change all the time and one guy’s trash is another man’s treasure. One thing is for sure, none of the women at Malioboro from the front desk reception on up could be called unattractive by anyone with functioning eyes.

The rooms are roomy and clean with separate shower areas and large beds but they are nothing spectacular. Since most guys could probably care less about the temporary quarters I won’t make any more mention of that. More interesting to many would be the male and female attendants that walk the halls between the room who seem to be quite eager to cheer on customers who pass by, sometimes even giving positive comments on their choice along with high fives.

Services and summary

The level of service varies with the service provider. That’s the case almost anywhere in the world, with the exception of establishments like the Macau saunas where the women seem to be given lessons in how to provide a great session. I doubt anyone would throw a lady out of bed at Malioboro but they shouldn’t expect a PSE from every women on staff either. That’s seems to be especially true of some of the local ladies who go for lower rates as they seem to be more modest than man-eater for the most part. There doesn’t seem to be any set policy on rubbers either. Some use them for everything from start to finish while others reserve them only for full service.

Sessions are supposed to be sold in 90 minute blocks but as with most places that’s rarely realized. Once a guy gets off the sessions usually draws to a close. There is no rush or clock watching but unless a lady especially likes a lad they don’t usually hang around for long periods after the fun has ended.

Once a session concludes the punter is led back to the second floor where they can chose between lounging around, trying out more services or heading out the door.

Settling the tab is as easy as heading back to the reception desk on the ground floor. There is an entrance fee of something like 150,000 Rupiah at Malioboro but it is usually waved for guys who partake in at least one full service sessions. A few hours of fun with a big bang to conclude usually ends up at 2 or 3 million Rupiah. This is pretty reasonable considering what’s on offer. Once payment is rendered the customer is given an article that proves they paid up. They hand this over to the security guards on the way out.

As a well maintained men’s entertainment establishment with a wide variety of women on staff ready to meet almost any need Malioboro stands out not only in Indonesia but in the world as a whole. It’s potentially possible for unwitting punters to run into more charges than they’d like or even to have trouble finding their way at all but this is more their fault than the venue’s. It’s a straight forward place. Locals with cash head to there for a reason. I think it’s fair to give the place a solid four stars. I would probably give it a half star or more if all of the ladies could be viewed in a single line up, and if those ladies were on average a little better looking. As it stands it’s still an amazing place.

Malioboro. Jalan Gadjah Madah No. 13, Jakarta, Indonesia. Click here for a map. Open every day from 11:00 AM until 3:00 AM.