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Guest aleksander

Bali scene?

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There are a lot of guys on the apps advertising massages etc who are escorts.

If you go to Mixwell or Bali joes in seminyak you will probably find company for free or a few drinks if you like. These bars have dancers and often the dancers will go home with you / escorts (you can subtly ask the bar staff for an introduction).

There are also quite a few all male massage places and most will provide a happy ending or more (I was unexpectedly fucked on the massage table Paul’s place). m2 spa and antique are my favorite places for male massage (great quality massage). The place where massage is secondary and more sex oriented is banana spa. The typcically have a bunch of guys and then stand in front on you and you choose.

On the non sex front I would recommended Sunday’s beach club for a day trip and dinner st el Kabron.

have a great time. ! 

Oh in terms of costs a massage will costs you ewuavialet to us$15 - us$30 at the place I mentioned (more st banana) and if you get a happy ending a tip around $20 would be expected 

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When I was there I went to some gay friendly dance clubs and had a look for hot guys. The hottest guy I saw turned out to be a money boy. The meetings were kinda casual as i spent the night with him and he said i could pay him whay i thlught he was worth. He was so good, so he was worth every penny. 

When I was speaking to him he said that he needs guys at the gay bars and clubs and through conversation and one thing leading to another he will arrange to spend a night or a few hours with someone. I think these sorts of encounters with "escorts" are probably most common in Bali..

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Thank you @dscrtsldnbi. I was just wondering whether I should plan for Bali in the first quarter of next year. It's good the hear that the massage places are alive and well and you've certainly made it sound a more desirable choice than a few other destinations I was mulling over. I have only been there twice, with the last visit more about 6 to 8 years ago (I'm not even sure how many years anymore). I too remember happy endings at massage places. That said, I don't recall full-on body contact a la Thailand, but merely handjobs with the guy standing beside the massage table -- too mechanical for me. Which was why I had no urge to go back. 

Perhaps you could share your experience or thoughts whether the masseur would himself be naked while performing the massage and whether he would climb onto the table for the afters?

I also remember bad traffic and having to spend much time and energy getting to wherever I wanted. In this regard, are there any recommendations where one should stay to reduce travelling time to the massage places and the bars? I am usually a 3-star hotel type of guy. 

 If I do get there in 2023, naturally, I shall be writing a trip report.

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Thank you, dscrtsldnbi, for the excellent posts!  Are you familiar with the gay scene in Ubud, especially the massage scene?  On my one short visit to Bali, years ago, I thought that Seminyak was OK,  but I really preferred the atmosphere in Ubud.

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You are most welcome, @tm_nyc, and thank you.

As for Ubud, I won't be of much help: I've visited pretty much every corner of Bali over the years, but all these were day trips. I've been to Ubud several times but I've never stayed there / had the chance to sample the local goods: I strongly prefer the beach, so I always stay in Seminyak. I doubt the scene there is any different from that of Kuta/Seminyak but unfortunately, I can't give you any practical pointers.

Apps could be of help, I think. Obviously, they work only via VPN but they do work. Some prior online research should also help, of course.

I should probably mention that, in my experience, finding some good options at the hotel you are staying is also always on the books. It doesn't work all the time but I've had pleasant surprises there - and I am talking about the staff, not the guests. Regular staff may not be alowed into the guests' rooms (but even that could be resolved if there is enough incentive and will from both sides) but the management is free to roam everywhere and, as I have said, I've had most pleasant surprises. It works especially well if you are a return guest and well-known at the hotel.

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1 hour ago, tm_nyc said:

Are you familiar with the gay scene in Ubud, especially the massage scene? 

I hesitate to reply to this because my visit was 10 years ago (sorry, I thought it was 6 - 8 years ago in my earlier message, but on checking my notes, it's evidently even earlier). My recollection from a one-week stay in Ubud was that there weren't many massage places obviously visible along the streets (almost surely many more tucked within resorts), and what there were had female staff - with one exception.

The one exception was a place called Nur Salon, a property that comprised about 3 or 4 houses in a (cramped) garden setting. It catered to both genders and there were male and female staff. Naturally, I  asked for a male masseur. A 90-minute body scrub and massage cost about 250,000 rupiah.  What was memorable about it was the setting and the tub.  The massage room was open to the sky, with privacy provided by 2-metre high walls. So, I was in a little private garden. One one side was the massage table, on the other side was a tiled pool, just big enough for one. It was just a little bigger than a bathtub. After the body scrub, the masseur led me to the tub/pool in which rose petals had been added to the water. I don't remember whether it had water jets, but I think it did (gentle ones). After a soak of about 15 minutes, the masseur came back to the room/private courtyard, helped me out of the tub/pool and led me to the massage table.

But there was absolutely no extra service. 

A quick google search shows they're still in business. Although there's no website and their Facebook page has not been updated since 2012, Tripadvisor has reviews dating from as recently as August 2022. 

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In olden times, some (but not all) of Kuta/Seminyak massage parlours were also offering outcalls to Ubud, as far as I know. Obviously, they were expensive and had to be pre-booked in advance as it could easily take 3-4h to get from Seminyak to Ubud (and that was reflected in the price for the delivery service). I know of this service but have never used it (as I have never stayed in Ubud). Maybe, the same arrangement still works now. It is worth checking on particular massage salons' websites.

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P.S. I found this: https://cocograndespa.com/price-list/

I've never used Coco Grande, so can't comment on their quality. The overal review rating is rather low though (just 3.1). They do explicitly offer delivery to Ubud but note the charge (IDR 500k).  The reviews are here: https://www.travelgay.com/venue/coco-grande-spa-seminyak/#reviewtop Note 'they are constantly asking for extra tips' and 'prices are higher than in other places' bits though. I'd be cautious.

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It's 8 or 9 years since I was in Bali as well. I liked Ubud quite a lot but don't recall any hanky panky. In Seminyak I did meet a guy on one of the apps who didn't indicate he was a mb until it was time to say goodbye. It was quite awkward. I recall visiting a little massage place called Banana something or other. But either I didn't know where to go or there just weren't as many massage places there at the time.

It's a beautiful island though. I also went to Yogya on that trip. Lots of amazing sights there. I wonder if the apps are useful there with all of those horny university students around...

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7 hours ago, fedssocr said:

It's 8 or 9 years since I was in Bali as well. I liked Ubud quite a lot but don't recall any hanky panky. In Seminyak I did meet a guy on one of the apps who didn't indicate he was a mb until it was time to say goodbye. It was quite awkward. I recall visiting a little massage place called Banana something or other. But either I didn't know where to go or there just weren't as many massage places there at the time.

It's a beautiful island though. I also went to Yogya on that trip. Lots of amazing sights there. I wonder if the apps are useful there with all of those horny university students around...

There were plenty of massage places then, @fedssocr. You went to Banana Spa, by the look of things, and I am not surprised the visit wasn't that memorable. Apps do work there very well - provided you use VPN (most of them won't work without VPN) and could be very useful. Actually, if one stays in Ubud, resorting to apps might be a better option than relying on delivery services from Kuta.

As for MBs...  My assumption has always been that pretty much anyone and everyone who is online there and isn't a Westerner, is a MB and I've never been proven wrong.

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12 hours ago, fedssocr said:

I also went to Yogya on that trip.

Yes!  I visited Yogya right after Bali & I liked it a lot.  Not a gay destination (as far I could tell) but really an interesting place with nice people & lots to see.  The highlight was visiting Borobudur.  To get there, I rode on the back of a motorcycle, driven by a sweet but (alas) straight tour guide.

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I did the sunrise Borobudur visit. It was pretty awesome. Prambanan was also quite impressive as is the adjacent Buddhist complex that I had all to myself.

I had a very sweet tour guide as well! Was yours named Rocky? He was just finishing university and apparently his family were friends with the travel agent who arranged my trip and she recruited him to be my driver. I guess now that I think about it he wasn't a guide, just a driver. I had other people who were guides, but enjoyed the time I spent with him one on one. I really loved the area around Yogya. 

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On 10/18/2022 at 6:39 PM, dscrtsldnbi said:

Apps do work there very well - provided you use VPN (most of them won't work without VPN) and could be very useful.

Could you elaborate on the app situation? I just tried to look at Kuta using the explore option on Grindr and it shows no profiles at all. Are people in Bali visible when you’re there if you use a vpn?

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17 hours ago, Wynter11 said:

Could you elaborate on the app situation? I just tried to look at Kuta using the explore option on Grindr and it shows no profiles at all. Are people in Bali visible when you’re there if you use a vpn?

Those apps that are blocked in Indonesia (i.e. most gay dating apps) won't display any Indonesian profiles when you use their explore option from outside Indonesia. This is done for local people's safety: the fact that apps are banned/heavily restricted there is a sign of persecution, and showing local profiles even in explorer mode exposes the locals to extra risk. When you are over there physically, the local profiles will be displayed but most likely, you won't be able to take any screenshots and distance won't be showing either (other than that, the apps will work normally). Again, it is done to ensure safety of the locals who are online. For the apps to work normally, all you need to do is to install a VPN app on your phone. Locals @ Bali prefer Betternet (or, at least, they used to 3-4 years ago) but there are many other apps of a similar nature. You don't need to have a paid version of a VPN app either - just a bog-standard free version will suffice. You need to install a VPN app, activate it and only after that open Grindr or any dating app - and it will work normally (regardless of whether you are using WiFi or mobile signal) apart from, most probably, not displaying the distance to the profile.

Hope it helps!

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On 11/14/2022 at 3:15 AM, dscrtsldnbi said:

Those apps that are blocked in Indonesia (i.e. most gay dating apps) won't display any Indonesian profiles when you use their explore option from outside Indonesia. This is done for local people's safety: the fact that apps are banned/heavily restricted there is a sign of persecution, and showing local profiles even in explorer mode exposes the locals to extra risk. When you are over there physically, the local profiles will be displayed but most likely, you won't be able to take any screenshots and distance won't be showing either (other than that, the apps will work normally). Again, it is done to ensure safety of the locals who are online. For the apps to work normally, all you need to do is to install a VPN app on your phone. Locals @ Bali prefer Betternet (or, at least, they used to 3-4 years ago) but there are many other apps of a similar nature. You don't need to have a paid version of a VPN app either - just a bog-standard free version will suffice. You need to install a VPN app, activate it and only after that open Grindr or any dating app - and it will work normally (regardless of whether you are using WiFi or mobile signal) apart from, most probably, not displaying the distance to the profile.

Hope it helps!

Perfect summary, thanks. I had no idea things were like that in Bali. Sounds easy enough to get around, just means I can’t snoop at a distance to check out the talent 

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Terima kasi banyak!

Now that it seems that also for Indo entry rules/covid have fallen-but there is still the 5k entry-visa to pay for. Again for me last visit also quite some yrs ago-thought of it by then as farewell tour, as I like Indo very much-have been on some 6 islands, incl. Bali and speak the lingo-though probably this has to get some retraining. Now considering a new visit when the rainy season there has finished=summer in EUR. And if airfares are not so extreme high anymore.

As for Bali-my impression was still that really aimed at the gay market places were really only in that area of Seminyak/Kuta. Do not expect to find guys from Bali itself there )they tend to have a different fysique, quite attractive to me), but for Indo´s it is also a kind of heaven/discreet place to go to out of sight of the always pressing pha-mi-ly and let the beast hang out. That man yrs ago-and of course myself also being that many yrs younger then as now- was before the smartfone hit and most was done hby old style crusing-without much effort from you-they would find you instead of the other way. Malang- Yogya - Solo etc. Or after dusk beachside of Kuta too- I guess that has all gone with the fones and apps.

Indo has rampant inflation and this is also reflected in ever falling exchange rates-translated into a stable currency like US$ or AU$ prices are fairly stable though.

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14 hours ago, Wynter11 said:

Perfect summary, thanks. I had no idea things were like that in Bali. Sounds easy enough to get around, just means I can’t snoop at a distance to check out the talent 

Hi, you could also try an app like Scruff - I've got a 2 week trip to Bali booked for June and have already been browsing on Scruff to see who is around locally - and Scruff's location search of Bali seems to work fine for me in Sydnet without a vpn.

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On 11/16/2022 at 9:50 PM, MikeSyd said:

Hi, you could also try an app like Scruff - I've got a 2 week trip to Bali booked for June and have already been browsing on Scruff to see who is around locally - and Scruff's location search of Bali seems to work fine for me in Sydnet without a vpn.

Indeed, as I recall, Scruff, Romeo and Growlr were NOT blocking distance search from outside Indonesia while Grindr and Hornet were. (Cannot say anything about Jackd as I don't use it much and can't remember if they were blocking their distance search.) Their policies might have changed over the last 3 years though. Grindr is still definitely blocking distance search in Indonesia and many other countries.

And of course, while in Indonesia, without a VPN, pretty much all dating apps won't be available - or at best, they will be coming and going all the time (and mostly, going).

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UPDATE

Out of interest, I tried distance search in Indonesia (Bali) on all dating apps that I have. The search was done from London (UK). It appears that neither Hornet nor Jack'd are blocking distance search in Indonesia. Romeo, Growlr and Scruff have never blocked their distance search and it is still working fine. So, it is, basically, only Grindr who block their distance search in Indonesia now.

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