Palembang Nightlife: Best Nightclubs and Bars (Updated 2021)
By
Tibs
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Updated in April 2021. Palembang is the second largest city in Sumatra after Medan . It does not receive a lot of foreign visitors apart from Malaysians and Singaporeans. As with most provincial towns in Indonesia, its nightlife is limited. Most clubbers are guys, and the few girls who accompany them are often professional. There is usually no dance floor: Customers book tables and they just stay within the same group, without trying to mingle with other people. The DJs are pretty much always playing the same famous EDM or Rn'B tracks. Most often, they are women who are chosen mainly for their looks.
Note: I updated this review in April 2021 (I removed Entrance nightclub). I spent a few nights in Medan, on weekdays. I had the opportunity to try a few clubs there. Most weren't too busy but I imagine it is more lively on weekends. If you need to book a hotel in Medan, I recommend Grand Delta Hotel , which belongs to the Delta Spa group. As you would expect, Medan is far from being a party town. It is more conservative than many other Indonesian cities and there are also very few tourists. Most foreigners living there are Singaporean and Malaysian businessmen with a small community of English teachers. The police is active in controlling nightlife activities, in particular when it comes to drugs or spas. Last February, the Lee Garden club was shut down after ecstasy pills were found. In spite of this, recreative drugs seemed to be common in clubs such as Tobasa, XXX3 or Retrospective. I strongly recommend you not to take anything illegal as you have no idea
Nightlife in Batam - Overview: Batam is a small island in the Free Trade Zone (FTZ) located about 45 minutes from Singapore by ferry. With a population of 800,000 souls, it is the home to a small community of expatriates , most of them working in the Oil & Gas or in the High Tech manufacturing. Unlike in other parts of Indonesia, you'll find that Batam is rather well organized and clean. Close to Singapore and very little traffic. NEW REVIEW October 2016: 18 Best Hotels Near Batam Nightlife and Spas The Indonesian island of Batam has long been one the best kept secrets as a low cost getaway for Singaporean local and expats. The island has seven golf courses, several resorts and the costs are a fraction compared to Singapore and Bali. There is also an expat entertainment area like Blok M / Kemang.
Since Bintan nightlife is limited, this review will focus mostly on Dope nightclub in Tanjung Pinang. I will give you a few other clubbing options as well, notably in Lagoi in the north of the island. Dope Nightclub Open since 2012, Dope is the only proper nightclub in Bintan at the time of writing. If you are staying in a resort in the north, don't get happy too quickly as it is located in the provincial capital Tanjung Pinang, which is at least 2 hours away by car.
As you can imagine, Bengkulu nightlife is not the most glamorous in Indonesia. This coastal town is quite small, with only around 300,000 inhabitants and very few foreign tourists visiting it apart from surfers/backpackers. It does have an interesting history as it used to be a British possession from 1685 until 1824. Once called Bencoolen, it was given to the Dutch who, in return, agreed not to oppose British settlements in Singapore (among other things). The options for sleeping in Bengkulu are limited but they are all rather cheap. I stayed in Tanjung Karang Hotel , which is clean, comfortable enough and costs only Rp300,000. You also have hotel chains like Santika or Amaris (closer from the nightlife). If you are on a budget, the cheapest option is Xtra Hotel . What to do at night in Bengkulu? I don't think you can have a real party during weekdays and the best thing you can do is simply eat in a seafood restaurant by the beach. On weekends, you may want to try one of
Since there isn't much nightlife in Jambi, I thought I would write mostly about Golden Palace, its most famous nightclub, and just mention a few other options for the adventurous party-goers. Golden Palace is the only proper clubbing option I found in Jambi, though I guess it is not very interesting for foreigners. It is your typical Indonesian live music venue, rectangle-shaped, with high tables on the dance floor and a mezzanine. The band finishes at midnight and it is then replaced by a DJ playing funky house techno. If you are lucky, you might be in Jambi during a special event (check Golden Palace's social media accounts below). In that case, though the entrance fee may increase to Rp100,000, you will have a full house and possibly more Western music.
Golden Dragon is a one stop entertainment center in Batam with a Chinese restaurant, a pub, a karaoke (KTV), a nightclub, a spa and a function hall for events. It is located near the seafront, about 2 kilometers from the city center (a nearby hotel is Aston ). Considering Lampung nightlife is limited to mostly dangdut cafés, it is one of the most recommended venues in the city (the other one to try is Centerstage in Novotel Hotel ). The club is very quiet during the week, unless they have a special event (sometimes on Wednesdays). Typically, they will have a live band playing Indonesian love songs, then a DJ playing more aggressive electronic music. On the weekend, they like to bring a hot female DJ from Jakarta and sometimes a few sexy dancers. The entrance fee (first drink charge) is Rp50,000 on Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday, Rp100,000 on Wednesday and Friday, Rp150,000 on Saturday. Girls get in for free before midnight.