Indonesia has the largest Muslim population of the world and hardliners and their strict interpretation of the Islam are gaining more influence by the year. So it will not come as a surprise that prostitution is considered a crime against morality in Indonesia. The authorities closed down numerous red light districts and want to legally punish infidelity. Even caught watching Pornhub can get you locked up for 4 years. I am not kidding. It goes without saying that conservatives had their impact on Jakarta’s sex scene. But as a consequence most of the action moved online and is thriving. Actually booking escorts in Jakarta is easier than buying pork meat. The history of the oldest profession in the world on these islands is chilling. Pre-colonial records tell stories of women spreading deadly venereal disease among Chinese sailors. It got more civilized when the Dutch arrived. They came to an agreement that sort of legalized prostitution in Jakarta (Batavia). Marriage between two races was frowned upon, so they found another way. They rented attractive young girls from their families as concubines. Sounds like a precursor to escort services in Jakarta to me. You have all the benefits of having a wife without any cons. Modern Indonesia is known for gigolos serving foreign women on Bali, but Jakarta is a booming sex destination on its own. If “Cat Bath” and “Karaoke Orgies” don’t pique your interest, I don’t know what possibly could.
Most escorts in Jakarta are lower- and middle-class women making a small fortune on the side. The problem is that the government is supposedly tracking down online advertisements. People say they’re even scouring Facebook for women potentially working as online escorts. You won’t find any agencies, or directories. Websites such as Jakarta Top Escorts (https://jakartatopescort.com/) and High Society Asia (http://highsocietyasia.com/) get shut down almost immediately. Escorts now advertise on classifieds like Locanto (https://jakarta.locanto.co.id/Escorts/). I’m not going to lie; those girls look much more attractive than I imagined. Those are the most expensive and can charge up to $150. For obvious reasons many girls hide the fact that they are working as an escort and advertise online as "masseuse". But don’t be misled by the label because many local girls are quite open-minded and offer a wide range of services, including a genuine GFE. Often they are also available for companionship during longer periods. Some will even offer to be our local guide and interpreter.
Kalijodo used to be the oldest and largest red-lights district in Jakarta. It’ been recently shut down spearheading the anti-prostitution wave, supposedly alongside 69 such areas in Indonesia. You can still find hidden brothels and the occasional streetwalker there. It’s a very unpleasant experience. It’s like buying drugs when you constantly have to look over shoulder. It feels like someone is sizing you up for how much your liver would sell. Sure, hooking up will cost you $5 but you’ll be browsing for your organs on the dark net the next day. It gets worse. There are tents around the train tracks close to the train station where you can get laid for $5 too. Calling them “tents” is an understatement; they’re more like plastic bags on sticks.
You can also go out and look for freelancers around central Jakarta. Clubs like Immigrant and Dragonfly attract many beautiful and open-minded local ladies who like to hang out with wealthy foreigners. Most bars and clubs in Jakarta with that sort of action go under the name “girly bars”. It’s a tag that leaves not a lot of room for interpretation and says all. Girly bars basically fall into three categories: beer bars, karaoke bars and striptease clubs. You can find girls in most upscale spots around town where they flock to expats. A freelance prostitute will cost you around $30. But it can get easily much higher in the more popular clubs and obviously also depending on the looks and experience of the lady.