Blogs from Bandung, Java, Indonesia, Asia

I had been looking for suitable camping options and found my dream camp van at last! It’s a yellow 4WD jeep with rooftop tent. Perfect. The prolonged stay home had forced me to explore outdoor activities, reachable by road from Jakarta. My pick was Pangalengan and Ciwidey, 4 hours drive from Jakarta, both of which were well known for its tea industry. Along with my three other friends, we drove from Jakarta on Friday afternoon and reached Pangalengan in the evening. The drive was painless as the new toll road, Seroja, saved us an hour. Not ready to stay over-night in a tent, we decided to stay in a wooden bungalow by the lake and were relieved to find out we were the only guests. The next morning, we left before sunrise towards Situ Cileunca, a ... read more

Este trochu k vcerajsku co som zachytil od vedlajsieho stola. Svajciar vravel dost o barme (bud pracuje tam alebo v thajsku, nieco v oblasti vlakov, takze fajn job). Jedna baba cestuje tez po azii, toto je jej druhy mesiac a chce kuknut aj barmu. Nocne busy tam neexistuju, pesi prechod zo severa thajska sa neoplati (okolie chang …), bo pre turistov je tam spristupnene len male uzemie, bez moznosti pokracovat dalej po krajine (to som vedel), niekedy moze byt problem s ubytkom, v krajine clovek stretava stale rovnakych turistov, bo vsetci maju rovnaku trasu, dost uzemia je zakazane navstivit. Problem kupit miestnu simku (to riesit nebudem, nemusim byt furt online aj ked to totalne zlahcuje cestovanie). Na ranajky davam opat palacinku. Po jedle len suchy pozdrav od majitelky aj fakt krasnej dcery. Mozno boli trochu nasrane, ... read more

A short weekend respite to Bandung, a short 2-hour bus ride away, ended up a mini adventure. The bus trip from Cikarang to Bandung was fuss free… till the end of the journey, where I was dropped some 7km off at the outskirts of the main city. Santai! (No worries in Bahasa). I will get it figured out, soon… Angkot Dropping off from the terminal, I walked in the general direction of the city. And before long, I trusted my instincts and got on an Angkot, a mini van that is their main form of transportation. Tried to ask the driver with my limited Bahasa if it heads to the city centre with no avail, so I relied on Google Maps instead. Thankfully, after simple navigation and changing into another Angkot, I reached the ... read more

After spending a couple of hours relaxing in front of the tv watching storage hunters last night ( we all have a weakness!) I was quite happy to do a spot of walking and exploring today. So catching a bus to the train station - which also happens to be the location of the tourist information I gathered some very helpful advice ( mainly consisting of a list of prices buses, taxis etc should charge - not what they try and charge - a term ive heard referred to as skin tax!) So, heading off to find the bus station - if you actually look for a station with buses in it - its not the bus station! A bus station in Indonesia is a congregation of anything between 10 - 20 very old vans stopping ... read more

Bandung is more than just a tourist attraction; it is a destination of choice for those seeking a tranquil setting with stunning panoramas. Nicknamed "Parijs van Java" (Paris of Java) by the Dutch for its resemblance to Paris and the European atmosphere of colonial times, this capital city of West Java and third largest city in Indonesia has long been a haven for expatriates. Bandung is renowned as a shopping paradise, and it's easy to spot foreign tourists around Jalan Dago, which is a shopper's heaven, especially on Juanda Street where a row of Factory Outlets stretch for miles. Jalan Riau, Jalan RE Martadinata, and Jalan Cihampelas are also popular shopping destinations, with the latter being a must-visit for fashion lovers. Cibaduyut is known for its handmade shoemaking industry, and foodies should not miss the Bandung ... read more