Jakarta

Hey folks, time for another in depth report on beautiful Jakarta. Just keep in mind- get up late in the afternoon to explore what Jakarta has on offer as traffic get worse and worse. Lately it took me about two hours by car from Menteng to Kemang on a friday night. So be prepared and plan carefully where you go. Dinner options are plentiful but if you are looking for a decent pizza, pasta or even a steak the all time favorites Pepenero and Trattoria are the place to go. Booth have branches in Kuningan area. Not new to the club scene, but popular nowadays is Immigrant in famous Plaza Indonesia. New to me was a visit to Domain club and bar in Senayan City. This seems to be a rustic alpine style venue. Its more a bar than a club. A little boring music wise and no real dance floor available. One of my new favorites is 365 This is also more like a bar, but offers very good music and people are dancing.
If you are seeking some up to date party information and pictures about Jakarta nightlife, check out ILOVEGLAM
Jakarta is the upcoming New York!

Yangon

Yangon is on the the most interesting cities I had been to recently. The burmese junta is asking for a visa, so keep in mind that you apply for one before you take a very cheap Air Asia flight bound for RGN airport. Flight time from Bangkok is about one hour, but hurry up when leaving the aircraft as passport control takes ages. As there are no ATMs available in whole Myanmar, you have to carry all the money you need in USD with you. Credit cards are not accepted or just at a very few places. People tend to be very fuzzy about the bank notes- so just carry sparkling clean and new ones, as they might not accept older ones. I stayed at very popular Traders Hotel downtown. Its a little old but it is indeed a good choice to explore the city. Besides the very famous pagodas you should think about a train ride with the circle line. The round trip takes about 2 hours from the main train station, which is within walking distance to the Traders hotel. Foreigners have to buy a ticket at a special desk and have to register with their passport. The ride is simply amazing as you see a different side of the city and many beautiful smiling faces. Be prepared to be the only western guy!
If you wanna relax in style, go for the tea time at very famous Strand Hotel
Night life is limited but there are some local beer bars with entertainment. Just stroll around the streets in little india or china town.

Bangkok

Besides Jakarta, Bangkok is one of my favorite places world wide. Like in most asian mega cities you will enjoy the lifestyle most likely at night. If you are one of the lucky ones and able to stay longer you should think about one of the many serviced apartments. I had recently stayed in Somerset Suanplu
for a couple of times and admit that this is a very good alternative to a boxed hotel room. For sure its not luxurious as most of the five star hotels available in Bangkok, but offers a comfortable place to stay indeed. For "ONE NIGHT" in Bangkok or if you need just a shower before leaving back to the airport, there is a pretty decent Four Points by Sheraton.
Don't be late for the night out in BKK as many clubs will close quiet early. My favorite place to go out is still famous RCA area. Thats an entertainment area with lots of bars and clubs. Check out 808

Even if the webpage looks a little boring you should give Tapas a try. Thats a multi storey bar/ club within the gay area next to Sala Daeng station.
If you are looking for a decent place for lunch or dinner you should look out for Secret Garden restaurant on sathorn road. They do offer delicious thai food and yummy cakes from their bakery!
When you missed you breakfast or you are looking for a very special place to go, you should consider the diner @ THE ATLANTA - eggs and bacon served with style!

Bandung

Paris van Java- or even the City of Love. Bandung is not Paris for sure and Paris is not the city of Love for me, but Bandung is! Sometimes it is complicated, but thats how it is. For me is Bandung very special because of a very special person, so I am not really sure if Bandung is the place to be or not. Compared to Jakarta, Bandung is like a small village, but indeed its worth a visit. I would suggest to go there during week days as on weekends it gets crowded by many visitors from Jakarta. Most convenient way to reach Bandung from Jakarta is to take a plane. Susi Air offers a daily service from Jakarta Halim. If you are not fuzzy about flying you could easily take a minibus service. I can recommend Cipaganti which offers multiple departures daily with quiet comfortable mini vans. Depend on traffic, it takes about 3 hours including one stop on route. Once I took the train, but to be honest I am not a fan. The service from Gambir station should last about 3 hours as well, but delays are "daily business" if you take "kereta api".
My favorite place to stay is the Hilton Bandung. The Hotel is very new, modern and comfortable- located in the city center near the train station. Try to get an executive room on top floor for an amazing view over the city. The staff in the lounge is simply outstanding and the service received is top notch. What I really like is the pool- big enough for some laps.
If you don't have somebody to show you around, ask the concierge for one of the many restaurants in the hills around the city for a dinner with a view.
If you wanna go around I would recommend to rent a motor bike. The concierge now knows where to get one, as this is not common in the Hilton Bandung. There are some hot spring resorts about 20 kilometers outside of Bandung. Its a scenic ride, but the public hot spring pool is pretty basic!

Even if you don't fell in Love you might enjoy your trip to Bandung!

SUSI AIR

Air traffic in Indonesia is often an adventure or even dangerous. I never had flown with the cheap ones like Batavia Air, Adam Air or Lion as they seem all not safe compared to international standards. So the only option used to be Garuda Indonesia. During my recent trip my friend from Bandung told me that there is an alternative to the time wasting train or car service from Jakarta. Susiair offers charter or private Jet service on this route, so no doubt I had to get a ticket with them. Booking is not easy as I had to call them several times to confirm our flight, but finally we made it and got a private jet up in the air on route to Jakarta Halim Airport- thats more or less like Tempelhof in Berlin. Flight time is less than 30 minutes but the view over Java and later the skyline of Jakarta is worth every Rupiah you paid.

Stay tuned for more in depth reports on traveling Asia!

Citadines Quartier Jakarta

Jakarta is always good for a surprise as it is my place to stay during this time.
I do have a nice studio @ Citadines located right in the heart of the city in Menteng neighbourhood. This serviced apartment Hotel is pretty new and kind of stylish which give you the feeling to be in NYC rather than in Indonesia.
Its not a posh place to stay but it offers the basic services you might need. The roof top pool is big enough for some laps and the view is simply amazing. Lobby level has a cafe and snack bar where breakfast is served. To be honest you can skip that, but its a nice touch! Internet access is free and works well, even by the pool.
Stay tuned for more in depth reports on Jakarta!

Barber brothel

The day I arrived I was in urgent need of a manicure. As I had a motorbike already I simply drove onwards to Monivong, finding a barber shop/ beauty salon. I went in and was received a warm welcome and a women took my hand taking me into the back part upstairs. There I told here, that I am just looking for a simple manicue- nothing more. She was kind of confused, but took me down again into a private room with two girl on each side doing my nails. The worked really hard but I run out of time, so I left them without the intended extra service by the mama San...Welcome to Phnom Penh!