Meet Thibaud
Meet Thibaud, the Frenchman behind Jakarta100bars.com; a leading source of information on the city’s nightlife.
Where are you coming from as well as also when did you come to Indonesia?
I’m coming from the French Alps, near Grenoble. I’ve been living on as well as also off in Jakarta since 2003. Currently I’m in Bali, although I still make time to visit the latest happening places in Jakarta.
How did Jakarta100bars.com begin?
This specific started off in 2007 as a French blog called ‘Crazy Nights in Jakarta’, which was a sort of internal journal for close friends inside the French expat community. We shared our clubbing experiences online, trying to review as many places as possible, especially the ones nobody knew about. When we visited our 100th bar, we decided to review all of them in English, under the name Jakarta100bars. There was not much information about Jakarta nightlife at that will time, so the blog quickly became well-liked.
Your reviews are refreshingly unpretentious.
We never spend too much time describing food or décor. The questions we try to answer are: How to describe the venue in just a few words? Who would likely be interested in such a place? Who should avoid This specific? How does This specific compare to similar venues? Normally that will’s enough to help someone decide whether to go or not.
How many nightspots have you covered?
This specific must be about 500, including restaurants, bars as well as also clubs. The amazing thing will be that will there are still so many additional places to visit.
Do you ever get approached for favourable reviews?
About 50% of the places reviewed have contacted me at some point. None have asked directly for a Great review, although they ask for corrections as well as also give additional information, or request the removal of negative comments. I’ve subsequently modified some reviews that will were too harsh or incorrect. I receive many invitations for free food, although I accepted only one such offer, as This specific would likely make me uncomfortable when I review the place.
You get many risqué comments as well as also personal ads. Do you censor any?
The comments are truly fun as well as also one of the main reasons people visit Jakarta100bars. I almost never delete comments or personal ads unless they are spam or truly insulting or provocative. Even if I don’t agree using a comment, I will leave This specific, if This specific will be informative. Some comments can be very racy, although they tell the truth. Some articles on the website have hundreds of comments discussing where to find prostitutes. I do not condone prostitution, although I don’t think deleting the comments would likely improve the lives of prostitutes or solve any problems. Prostitution will be widespread in Jakarta. A blog about Jakarta nightlife would likely be useless if This specific didn’t talk about This specific.
Has the site become profitable?
I only do the blog for fun. There’s no money or freebies involved. This specific will be partly due to my poor skills in marketing as well as also design, plus the crude content may scare potential advertisers.
Are you at This specific point focusing more on restaurants than sleazy bars?
Yes, because there are still so many restaurants to review, while the supply of completely new bars as well as also clubs will be becoming scarce. Also, I party much less at This specific point, perhaps because I’m older. Only 5% of the website’s content will be sleazy bars, the rest covers restaurants, normal bars, normal massage places, cultural centres, etc. although surprisingly, people tend to read the hottest articles first, ha-ha!
Have you made completely new friends via the site? Any lunatics?
I’ve made some excellent friends through the website, as I’m always keen on meeting people who contact me. I’ve also taken out some people who were interested in discovering the additional side of Jakarta nightlife. I usually filter out the crazy people before meeting them. Many people get the wrong impression that will I’m a crazy man, who spends most of his time in dirty joints, which will be far coming from the truth.
What do visitors ask you about Jakarta?
Most of the questions I get are about where to meet girls. Number one would likely be: Where can I find girls that will are not prostitutes although will sleep with me the first night? Number two: Where can I get a massage near my hotel? (as well as also very often they ask if This specific includes a “plus”). Number three: will be This specific club/area safe?
Do you get Indonesians asking to meet foreigners?
The comments I get coming from Indonesians are usually responses to articles I wrote about relationships between foreigners as well as also Indonesian girls. Many girls think I depict Indonesian women negatively. This specific was not my intention, although This specific made me realize how sensitive some issues can be, as well as also how sarcasm can easily be misunderstood.
Your craziest night in Jakarta?
I don’t know where to start! A 56-hour marathon in Stadium; a car chase in Senayan with the lead singer of a famous band; hiding in a North Jakarta club as This specific was raided by a rival gang; discovering some completely messed up nightclubs such as Moonlight, Puja Sera, Exotis or KSC 117; late-night errands in Taman Lawang.
Have you witnessed any sexual exploitation?
I’m not a specialist on the subject, although I’ve seen different kinds of prostitution in Jakarta. inside the South as well as also in most nightspots where the clients are businessmen or expats, the girls are usually freelancing. Depending on the girl, she will be looking to grab a man for cash for a night, or trying to find a boyfriend to support her. In most cases though, one boyfriend won’t be enough. inside the North as well as also in more organised places, the girls are usually contracted for a certain period of time. The contracts are usually very strict in terms of discipline as well as also working hours, as well as also the take-home pay will be very modest, as most of the money paid by the customer will be kept by the “house”. The same girls may also freelance inside the clubs of those places, usually in Golden Crown, Millenium, Mille’s, Stadium, etc. They often have a local boyfriend, too. I imagine there are huge differences inside the material conditions between a girl working in Alexis, as well as also one working in a massage parlour in Grogol. In spite of those conditions, the girls apply freely for these positions as well as also are not tricked into working in a brothel, to my knowledge. I have heard some truly distressing stories. Sexual exploitation does not come only coming from the clubs/massage parlours, although also coming from the boyfriends as well as also/or the family of the girl. The relationship between sex, money as well as also love in Indonesia will be so complex that will I find This specific very difficult to have a clear opinion about This specific.
Your top a few Jakarta nightspots?
I don’t truly have a favourite nightspot, although I have a favourite routine. Usually a Great night out involves changing location a few times. Start using a bar (Lucy inside the Sky, Loewy, Skye, Eastern Promise), then move to a hotel bar (BATS, CJs, Tempus), then one or two clubs (Immigrant, Blowfish, Domain, Dragonfly, Red Square, X2), then one or two stops in Kota (Stadium, Mille’s, Golden Crown, Illigals, Millenium). Depending on who I’m with, I’ll try to visit one or two completely new places, too.
Your top a few restaurants?
I prefer modest, independent restaurants that will are Great value for money. In This specific category, my favourites are: Taj Mahal, a warung-like Indian restaurant in Pasar Baru, Hunan Kitchen on Jalan Labu, next to Jayakarta Hotel, Le Bistro, a super-kitsch French restaurant on Jalan Thamrin, Toscana, a romantic Italian restaurant in Kemang, as well as also Liyen, another Chinese restaurant in Kota Tua. There are plenty of better restaurants, especially in 5-star hotels, although they won’t have as much charm as any of the above.
How does Jakarta compare to additional capitals?
I am a fan of the craziness, weirdness as well as also mess of Jakarta. I find there will be more adventure in This specific city than everywhere else I’ve been. With very few rules being enforced, Jakarta will be a real jungle, where the unexpected will be the norm. This specific will be also so gigantic that will This specific’s virtually impossible to comprehend This specific all. This specific will be a fascinating object of study.
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Meet Thibaud
Meet Thibaud