dscrtsldnbi

Some current examples (all these are well-established reputable businesses that have been operating for several years): https://www.romeo.com/hunq/Mehdi_THICK_XXL https://www.romeo.com/hunq/BlackTop https://www.romeo.com/hunq/Dom_Top_XXX

I'd say that the current average price in London will be £200-250/h. Obviously, there are providers who charge (significantly) more - just as there are some who charge (significantly) less. I am always highly suspicious of these statistical outliers. And yes, an hour means an hour.

First reports show pictures of a so-called 'ping-pong bomb' inside a traffic cone. Allegedly, they are widely used by teenage gangs to settle scores.

I've stayed at this JW Marriott several times, and it is a very good and extremely well-run property. Interestingly, there is an Anantara just - literally - next door to it, but it is not the one that came second in this "competition".

Likewise (online offers beat any institutional arrangements fairly and squarely these days, as far as I am concerned). I've been there once many years ago. This time, I passed by only once and the place looked empty from the outside.

In the end, I didn't. As I have said, I didn't visit any of the spas: plenty of choice online plus what I saw when I was passing by didn't inspire anything positive.

P.S. If anyone has any specific practical questions, I'll do my best to answer them.

After a rather long pandemic-related break, I visited Bali again in December 2023 - January 2024. Here are my findings - I'll try to keep them factual, succinct, and to the point. A. General picture of how Bali looks like now. The pandemic has had a devastating effect on them. Pretty much every single restaurant and place of business I remember from before the pandemic is not there anymore. Up-market places (e.g. Bambu, Mauri - these are restaurants if you wonder) are still going strong but they are more an exception to the rule than the rule. December and January are supposed to be high season there (well, not exactly because of the rain season, but still, this is one of the busiest periods there, normally). This year, the average occupancy in Seminyak in December was 37% only. It went up to about 75% around Christmas and New Year but went back to well below 40% immediately after. The locals are worried: they claim they'd had an amazing summer with tourist numbers being much higher than normal but from October onwards, it suddenly went all quiet yet again. To give you a practical example: normally, it takes about an hour to get to/from the airport to/from my hotel in Seminyak. This time, the drive was only 30 minutes. The absence of the usual tourists is very much palpable: the usual Australians are not there anymore and the influx of the Russians and the Chinese still cannot compensate for it. B. The scene and the entertainment sector. Apparently, Seminyak is not the centre of nightlife and entertainment anymore. For some inexplicable reason, it all has moved up to Canggu. Nobody understands why. I've never seen Potato Head and Ku De Ta half-empty - they are now. Even Finns (a beach club 'up north' from Seminyak) is going out of fashion now. I am not a party person and I strongly dislike clubs. I can only report that the good old Seminyak places are still there (MixWell, BaliJoe, etc) but they are less crowded than before. To be fair, I've NEVER been inside any of them, so I can judge only by the look from the outside. The good old 'spas' are still there as well - the Banana Spa, Elegantz, Adam's Apple etc - but they look very sad these days: I had to pass by the Banana Spa entrance several times over 3-4 weeks, and I've never seen any sign of activity at all. I wasn't tempted to sample the offers in any of the usual places (see the list above): they all have the look of abandonment and desperation. Connoisseurs of Bali (or just the readers of my earlier reviews) might remember the reports about M Spa at the heart of Seminyak, just next to Ku De Ta, The Seminyak hotel and the flea market, that was closed for good in 2019. It had been an iconic establishment there for many decades but, as I've been told this time, everything had changed when the owner of the premises Paul (some might still remember that the building M Spa was based at was called The Paul's Place) died in late 2018 - early 2019. The heirs had no interest in retaining his property business and all his properties were put on sale immediately. Sadly, M Spa couldn't secure the necessary funds to keep The Paul's Place to themselves and they had to vacate the premises. They have been refurbished and yet another faceless and completely empty (I've passed by them daily and have never seen a single pundit there) generic massage parlour is operating there now (girls offering foot massage). I don't think it will survive. C. The business. I relied solely on the apps, this time. Interestingly, the most popular app over there is still Grindr. Hornet is almost unheard of. Scruff is still reasonably popular but Growlr, which used to be used quite extensively, isn't anymore. Jack'd is a waste of space. All of the apps work perfectly well via a VPN and, bizarrely, for days in a row without any VPN whatsoever. Here is what the menu in December 2023 - January 2024 looked like. A massage (we are talking massage, not 'massage') might have cost you as little as IDR 85k and up to IDR 200k (at the time, US$1 = IDR 15k approx). As usual, there was no correlation (either direct or reverse) between the cost of the service and its quality. A massage session with extras would be IDR 400k - IDR 750k. Again, there was no correlation (either direct or reverse) between the price and the quality of the service. To be clear - we are talking outcalls here (i.e. the 'masseur' will visit you at your hotel). - service providers. Before the pandemic, almost all service providers were either Balinese or Javanese. It's not like that anymore: during my 3 and a-half week stay there, I encountered this time a much wider range of service providers: Sulawesi, West New Guinea, Borneo, Bali, Java. Many of those were employees at Adam's Apple, Elegantz, Banana Spa before but decided to go freelance. - massage. Generally, the quality has deteriorated (we are talking massage rather than 'massage' here). These days, even if you request a Swedish or a deep tissue session, it will inevitably transform into a Balinese massage session when you are massaged by an elbow and a forearm, mostly. Before the pandemic, if I asked for a deep tissue, I'd get it (not necessarily of a good quality). These days, it is Balinese only, even if you ask for something else. This was my major disappointment. Even in (expensive) hotels, you ask for a deep tissue massage and end up with 'forearm and elbow' in the end. - service quality, customer service and product stewardship. Generally, it still remains high. Unfortunately, the hard times do influence the quality though. Before the pandemic, I couldn't have imagined a conversation like that: "Sir, could you give me IDR 800k now and I promise I'll give you a free massage tomorrow?" Bali used to be one of the very few places where conversations like that had been unthinkable - sadly, not anymore. - individual reviews. = A Sulawesi guy, early 30s, former employee of Adam's Apple, Elegantz and Banana Spa. IDR 400k for the job (massage + extras). Massage was very mediocre: not enough pressure, poor technique, slipped into 'forearm and elbow' almost immediately. The endowment was small, didn't perform well, asked for IDR 800k as an advance payment for a free massage afterwards (obviously, he didn't get the money). I didn't contact him again. = A Balinese guy, mid-30s, a spa worker (a regular hotel spa, not a gay spa). IDR 750k for the job. Exceedingly good massage but did slip into 'forearm and elbow', eventually. The endowment was average but very good fucking technique, genuine passion. Met twice. = A Balinese gay, early 40s, IDR 700k for the job. Very good massage, didn't slip into 'forearm and elbow'. The endowment was huge by local standards (i.e. average European), outstanding fucking technique and genuine passion (I came hands-free). Met him 4 times. = A West New Guinea guy, late 20s. Free service (see below). Average massage, a rather small endowment but great genuine passion and very good technique. Met him 3 times. = A Javanese guy, late 30s. Free service (see below). No massage, average endowment but great genuine passion and very good technique. Met him once. = A Borneo guy, mid-40s. IDR 600k. Very good massage, didn't slip into 'forearm and elbow'. The endowment was small, but he was a very good bottom. Met him once. = A Javanese guy, early 40s. Free service (see below). No massage, very small endowment but he was an outstanding and passionate bottom. Met him once. D. Free services. I've been visiting Bali for many MANY years, and it was the first time that anyone - moreover, several people - explicitly told me they wanted a free session with me. These are mostly local professionals ('local' doesn't mean Balinese - it means someone who lives there now; 'professional' means a person of independent means who isn't a spa worker/masseur/etc) and could be as young as 25 and as old as 50. Judging by the pre- and postcoital conversations with the locals, the main reason for it is the lack of foreigners: while they are still used to the earlier abundance of choice, the choice isn't there anymore, and they are getting desperate.

First of all, many thanks for the useful hint. I might have got it wrong but the Amazon link in @PeterRS original post leads to AirTags' (waterproof) CASES, not AirTags themselves. So, if you buy the cases (and they look very well-made and are certainly worth buying, in my opinion), you'll still need to buy AirTags separately to put into them.

My thoughts exactly! 😂🤣

Many thanks for your guidance. I don't plan anything special but, given a 2 weeks stay, I thought I might yet sample what the local market offers. I did some preliminary research and was surprised at the prices their professionals charge: the average seems to be AED 2,000 (about £435 at the current FX rate) while the minimum is AED 1,500 (£326). Some providers quote AED 2,500 (£544) and up to AED 3,000 (£652) even. It is significantly higher than I expected and is likely to prevent any purchases on my side.

Any helpful tips regarding Dubai? I shall be travelling there for business in about a month. I've never been there before and wonder if there is anything to enjoy there besides expats.

Shame he isn't in Hurghada.

Apparently, the risks are relatively slim: for an investigation, an official complaint must be made, and it is only the parents and the spouses that are allowed to make these complaints. The risk is still there, of course, and the general direction of these developments is deeply worrying: https://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/warnings/what-bali-sex-ban-means-for-aussies/news-story/c333fa91d211aac056ce69e2889253c0

Most interesting, Cooan. Thank you.

Interesting. That sounds very much like Bali: that's the way they do massage there, in my experience (much better trained than in Thailand and always start from the upper back and remain fully dressed for the duration). They also tend to apply light pressure first (saving the energy for the day, I presume) but if and when asked (i.e. always - as I do like my massage to be very strong) they oblige.

I'm another shy introvert here who rarely sits at bars but if and when I do, I am not necessarily the one who sits in the corner. I like watching people and for me, it is like good old-fashioned theatre: I sit comfortably and I watch - which is very different from the modern 'immersive' theatre when, while being in the audience, you may suddenly find yourself becoming a member of the cast as well (I absolutely hate that). So, I am very unlikely to approah other farangs and most certainly, I am not the one who strikes a conversation with strangers first. Those who do strike a conversation with me first often tell me afterwards that I have rather intimidating looks (I could never understand what they mean by that, by the way; ugliness does intimitade some people though, that's true). I won't classify myself and sociable. A sociopath who is well-trained in tolerance, maybe.

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.

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).

I most certainly second that!

I can only second Slvkguy's excellent summary. I've been using RM (and Renboy while it was still alive) for many years and exactly as @Slvkguy describes, had dozens (hundreds?) of hires and - mercifully - have never had a (major) disappointment. Romeo could also be a very useful resource though their reviews are much less robust and are open to abuse by both sides (i.e. fake positive reviews, even from blue-ticked profiles, orchestrated by a particular provider or a targeted discreditation campaign against a particular provider organised by some unscrupulous competitor of his or an unstable client with a grievance). With enough experience of reading reviews, one does read between the lines though and normally can distinguish genuine ones. And indeed, there always tend to be a pattern, as far as reviews are concerned. I'll never engage a provider whose profile is recent, who has few reviews or whose reviews seem to be scarce in detail, poorly articulated and copy-pasted.

In my experience, London, Paris, Brussels are at about £200 (€200-250)/job level now. Sessions are not expected to be less than 1 - 1 1/2 h long and more than 2 - 2 1/2 h long, standard services. Some providers do give discounts to regular clients but even then the prices are never less than €180/job. Personally, if anyone in London, Paris or Brussles offers me his services for less than €180 and I am not his regular, I'd be very wary: it could be a sign of desperation, which could be drug-addiction-related. Presumably, quicker services are priced differently (i.e. brief encounters of less than 1h) but I have never partaken so I cannot possibly comment.

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!

While US$8/night extra might not seem too taxing for a lot of tourists, there are two issues with this. Firstly, there is no guarantee that the monies collected will indeed go to the industry. Secondly, many tourists will say that taxes of this nature look, feel and actually are rather petty and mean, leaving some unpleasant aftertaste in their mouth. So, instead of helping the industry, the tax will actually achieve exactly the opposite.

I can't agree more! I've had the full gamut of massage experiences in Bali (from really bad ones to truly outstanding ones) and my practice has always been as follows. The price of extras is always clearly established and agreed on before the massage session, as well as what particular extras I am looking for on this particular occasion. If I am unhappy about something, I indicate so to the masseur (if he speaks reasonable English, I say so, and if he doesn't, I resort to sign directions). Even if I am completely dissatisfied with the results, which happens rarely, I still honour my side of the deal and pay the pre-agreed fee but, while doing so, I calmly and briefly explain what went wrong - first to the boy, then to the manager. As I am a regular client, it is always taken seriously and they don't repeat the same mistakes. If and when I am happy with the session, I add another (second) tip on top of the pre-agreed fees (first tip) for the extras. It won't be much, just about IDR 100-200k (about £10 maximum). This is always very much and very genuinely appreciated and when I come next as a regular client, it sets the right tone: I am usually choosing between two (at least) masseurs who are both equally eager to provide their services and aim to please me even more this time. Overall, this small tip goes a long way. I wouldn't even think about not paying for the extras even if something went wrong: it is as much my fault that it did as it is the fault of the masseur - I could have stopped the massage at the early stages and asked for a replacement, I should have negotiated the extras better (making sure he fully understands what my expectations are), I should have talked to the manager and explained what I was looking for on this particular evening so that he could guide my choice of a masseur better, etc. Even if I am unhappy with the services rendered, the point is that the services have been rendered - so, they must be paid for.