Bandung & Jakarta

This was my second trip with my friends. It was in 2010. We landed in Jakarta (Soekarno-Hatta) International Airport. Then we went to the railway station, Gambir, bought the tickets to Bandung, and head straight to Bandung. I think we took the Agrogede (executive class) to Bandung and the ticket costs about Rp. 40000, quite reasonable actually.

The train ride took about 4 hours. The view was breathtaking, sometimes you'll get to spot a steep cliff or two.

Bandung is a city located southeast of Jakarta and is 768 meters above sea level. And because it is elevated, the climate is a bit cooler compared to Jakarta, and there are a lot of Dutch colonial buildings.

Exciting things to do in Bandung :

1. Mayang Sari Hot Springs

We went here at night, as the day would be a bit too hot for dipping in the hot spring. I think it was a relaxing moment having to take a bath in a local hot springs. The temperature of the water is kinda hot, but manageable.

Background is the hot springs

2. Tangkuban Parahu

This is my first experience being on top of a volcano. Tangkuban Parahu is a dormant volcano, means it is not erupting but will release sulfur gases. There is an entrance fee of Rp. 50000 per pax. When we reached the top of Tangkuban Parahu, the smell of the sulfur was intense. But the view was worth it. And it was very cold, so if you plan to go here, please bring along your sweaters.

View on the side of Tangkuban Parahu where the car stops

Tangkuban Parahu (spot the yellow stuff, it is Sulphur)

3. Pasar Baru Bandung

A place to shop souvenirs and cloth. There were lot of variety and patterns of batik, embroidery, and also different types of fabrics. The choices were just overwhelming. This is a great place to shop for your raya fabric. You can also find the embroidery 'kebaya' here, but the size is quite limited. Bigger sizes are usually not available.

4. Jalan Dago - Shopping

This stretch of road is the factory outlet for a lot of brands. There were about 100 factory outlets here (or maybe even more, well I didn't count). There were brands such as Esprit, Bally, Zara, Burberry, GAP, Teva and many more. What's more interesting, is that, they had got my size. Some of the famous outlets were Secret, Rumah Mode and Heritage. How cheap are the clothes in these factory outlets, I must say they are quite cheap, say a knee length Esprit dress, costed me about Rp 75000, which is about Rm 27. Quite cheap huh.

5. Taking the angkut

Angkuts are small vans that actually functions like a bus. They will take passengers from the side of the roads and when the passengers wanted to alight, they will have to say 'kiri-kiri' which literally translate to 'left'. The angkut will then move to the left of the road to let the passenger alight. I think by taking the angkut you'll get the feeling of being a Bandung person. however, you must get the number of the angkut correct, or you'll end up at the wrong place.

Inside the angkut

After three days in Bandung, we went back to Jakarta, by the train. It was raining when we board the train, and I slept most of the journey there.

In Jakarta, we decided to stay in Jalan Jaksa. Jalan Jaksa is actually the back-packing area of Jakarta, so you'll get a lot of hostels and back-packers guesthouse there. And there's a restaurant that sells Malaysian food there! KL Village Kopitiam. So after 3 days of travelling, we settled on some Teh Tarik, Nasi Lemak and Roti Canai.

Exciting things to do in Jakata :

1. Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII)

This is a recommended place to go if you are on a social visit to Jakarta. We went here mainly because a few of my friends received an invitation to go to Pusat Peragaan Ilmu Pengetahuan dan Teknologi (PP-IPTEK) which is the science centre in Jakarta. So we got a kinda guided tour to the science centre and also to TTMI. TTMI has all of the replica houses in Indonesia. One house of every state. And my personal favourite, the Bali house. So, by being in TTMI, you are actually visiting the whole of Indonesia. More details on TTMI can be found here.

Us somewhere outside of PP-IPTEK

Us in front of the Bali house

2. Monumen Nasional (Monas)

This is the National Monument of Indonesia. The monument design is actually is like a mortar and pestle, and there is a flame of fire on top of the monument made out of gold. Underneath the Monas is a museum that portrayed the history of Indonesia. There was a fee for entering the museum and also for going to the top. We didn't go to the top but instead just entered the historical museum. A worthwhile visit if you wanna know the history of Indonesia. More info on Monas can be found here.

Monas

3. Pasar Tanah Abang

This is a market in a tall building (I think about 19 storeys high), and consists of two blocks, Blok A and Blok B. This place is cramped with goods and you can easily get lost inside. But the choices were great. I got my 'kebaya' here because they have my size here, and they even have bigger sizes. If you wanna go for a cheap, good quality and satisfied place to shop for fabric especially, this is the place.

Entrance Pasar Tanah Abang

A few tips if you're in Jakarta, please take the Blue Bird Taxis, as they are the only ones that are metered. Well I must say, I didn't have much time to spend in both of this cities, especially in Jakarta. Definitely coming again. :D