Gyms in Indonesia
Facilities
Gyms in Indonesia vary considerably in terms of their quality of facilities. I did not come across any Western gym chains on the islands I went to and gyms varied in size from small to medium-large.
The majority of gyms I found were local ones with very old equipment that was not well-maintained. The focus here was mostly on weight training, with little to no cardio equipment. This was probably a good thing since these gyms were not air-conditioned and many didn’t have fans either. It was normal to find most of the weights in disarray on the (seemingly dog-chewed) carpets. However, there was usually a good range of weight-training equipment and sometimes a separate room for floor work / classes. Facilities were basic – think squat toilets, and there were not necessarily facilities for washing hands either, let alone soap!
In more touristy towns, I often found gyms aimed at tourists, with price tags to match. The facilities here were considerably better – they’d usually have aircon, which makes a huge difference to comfort and motivation levels when you’re based in a hot country like Indonesia. Well worth the extra money in my opinion. You’re far more likely to find cardio equipment in these gyms, sometimes along with functional equipment.
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Opening Hours
On average, gyms opened around 7:00 and closed between 20:00 – 22:00. They’re usually open every day, though some would have reduced hours on Sundays, others on Fridays (Islamic religious day).
Unisex Gyms
Be aware that some gyms are female only, for example Hawa Gym, which I found in both Lombok and Bali. Being a tall female, I found that some equipment was too small for me(!) and if you are strong, the weights may not be heavy enough either. Don’t expect to find pull up bars here either!
Levels of English varied from very good to hardly any, and were naturally much better in touristy towns.
Cost
The currency in Indonesia is Indonesian Rupiah.
Currency approximation: US$1 = IDR 14k, €1 = IDR 15.5k, £1 = IDR 18k, AU$1 = IDR 9.6k at the time of writing.
The plus point of going to local gyms was the price, which was frequently only IDR 20 – 30 per session.
More upmarket / tourist gyms were usually around 50k – 100k per session, which is still pretty reasonable, although some would charge more. As usual, prices were better for longer term memberships.
Regions
Please select a region or scroll down for complete list:
Bali
Gili Islands
Lombok
Flores
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