Memorable Bandung trip
Sunday March 7th, 2010 at 2:42 amIf you have a long weekend and want a refreshing new way to spend it, fly to Bandung, Indonesia. It makes for a great getaway!

Horse carriage is common at outskirt of Bandung city
Our first stop was Kampung Daun restaurant for lunch. The restaurant reminded me of traditional village settings that created a soothing ambiance. We had a fantastic view of flowing stream from where we sat. The air was most refreshing indeed.
Next up was a spot of shopping so we made our way back to the Bandung outlet malls. A trip to Bandung wouldn’t be complete, like nasi lemak without sambal belacan, if we didn’t spend a few hours at the malls on Jalan Dago and Jalan Riau. My favourites were Rumah Mode, Heritage and Cascade – there were many smaller ones but I felt these offered a good selection of discounted branded clothes, shoes and bags.
Several hours later, several shopping bags heavier, and several hundred ringgit poorer – we emerged from the shops smiling. Satisfied with our purchases, we checked into the hotel for much-needed rest!

The breathtaking view of Tangkuban Parahu
The next day we embarked on a journey to see the active volcano Tangkuban Parahu. The name in Sundanese means “upturned boat” and it comes from a local legend of an unfortunate woman and her son. In the legend, the sun apparently kicked the unfinished boat and this resulted in severe flooding and the upturned boat transformed into a mountain.
It was my first time near a live volcano and I could almost feel the heat emitting from it. I had been curious about live volcanoes since learning about them in geography classes years ago and looking into the huge crater now was an amazing experience – so beautiful, yet so dangerous. This place was also great for souvenirs and so-called volcanic rock bracelets that were quite a bargain! We grabbed a couple of key-chains and local crafts to take back for friends. On the way back, we stopped by a hot spring for relaxing dip.
Bandung is great not just for the shopping, but it’s also a fabulous way to take time out to taste the strawberry, fresh from the farm! And we certainly did that during our getaway.






