Wait what, we are travelling to Bandung?!
Bandung is a place?
Bandung not drink meh?
Yes we are! Yet another impromptu trip decided and planned in a week's time immediately after Glenn's exams ended. I needed a respite from work too. I was actually quite excited cos I have no idea what to expect of Bandung.
Flight
We flew with AirAsia and paid about S$270 in total for a round trip. Their airport is really tiny, with only 3 counters and 1 baggage belt. You might want to think twice if you intend to check in your luggage.
If you forgot to add on in-flight meal at additional S$5, don't worry! You can grab a quick lunch at a lesser cost at any of the eateries just opposite the airport! Just choose the eatery with more customers and you would be guaranteed a good lunch. Be sure to try their national drink - Teh Botol as well!
Accommodation
Pictures credits to Airbnb
The house we were putting up at was amazingly huge and even had a pool. We had time to explore the house when we reached cos the hosts were out. This was our first time staying with the host! They had a pet cat as well so we were living our dream of having a cat at home, hehe. Location wise, it was accessible by vehicle, but in Bandung, most places are best accessible by vehicle, so not complaining there. Plus, it was only about S$37 per night, which makes it S$150 in total after card discount! #budgetglennychuf
Transport
The traffic there everyday guys ~
Waiting for our Uber driver outside our apartment
Other than taking the Blue Bird metered taxi, our best advice is to actually use Uber! It is super convenient and cheap to use Uber in Bandung. Our rides cost between Rp18,500 to Rp49,000 (about S$2 to S$5) for a 4km and 8km ride respectively. Seriously, just use Uber there and you'd thank us for saving you the hassle of finding small change for your taxi driver. Or worse, taxi drivers who shortchange you. #WeLoveUber
On one occasion when we ended up at some god forsaken place, we hopped on to their Angkot, which is their public bus (about 20 cents per ride), to catch a ride into civilization. It would be good if you are able to speak some Malay, so that it is easier to communicate with them. If not, don't fret. Obviously we are not fluent in Malay but we still managed to get to our destination!
We were also very lucky to have helpful hosts who arranged a driver to bring us around on one of the days when we visited Ciwidey, at a reasonable price of Rp500,000 (S$50 for 12 hours) too.
Located in higher grounds, we visited the Sunday market in Punclut recommended by our friend, Esther, and it was most interesting! The market was probably the best way to have a deeper insight on their way of life. We could not resist buying this rice flour pancake thing which I later found out it was called Serapi. Not sure if it was the Serapi itself or the banana toppings, but they were very delicious! Other than selling yummy and inexpensive food, there were people selling live animals as well.
We were also very lucky to have helpful hosts who arranged a driver to bring us around on one of the days when we visited Ciwidey, at a reasonable price of Rp500,000 (S$50 for 12 hours) too.
Punclut Sunday Market
One of the many horses we saw along the way
This was really yummy!
This was how the Serapi was made ~
Genius way of making a cage
Located in higher grounds, we visited the Sunday market in Punclut recommended by our friend, Esther, and it was most interesting! The market was probably the best way to have a deeper insight on their way of life. We could not resist buying this rice flour pancake thing which I later found out it was called Serapi. Not sure if it was the Serapi itself or the banana toppings, but they were very delicious! Other than selling yummy and inexpensive food, there were people selling live animals as well.
Rumah Mode
A simple bowl of noodles could taste so good.
Rumah Mode was strongly recommended for shopping, but sadly, both of us did not managed to get anything except for a polo tee for my brother. Luckily, the food and drinks there made up for the disappointment. Not saying that their selection of clothes was not good, it was probably us being picky. Heh. They have a rather wide selection for kids clothes and sizes in the men section runs big, so guys who wear size L and above might want to check out this place.
Saka Bistro & Bar
Not far from Rumah Mode, we dropped by Saka Bistro & Bar to chill. Initially, we only ordered drinks. But, the aroma of the Jyu Jyu Steak (Rp128,500) which came from other tables was too good for Glenn not to order and try!
Ranca Upas
Glenn says these pictures look like gaming graphics haha.
Although the journey to Ciwidey where the deer park was located, was about 2 hours, it was most worth it! The entrance fee was Rp10,000 per pax and additional Rp5,000 for your private vehicle. So all in all, we paid S$2.50 for an experience I'd never forget. It was so surreal being surrounded by mountains and greenery and deers and cool weather, all packed into one place.
Kawah Putih
Fresh (and free!!) strawberry drink included in your entrance fee!
Strawberry Farm
I have always wanted to pick strawberries and yayyy I was so happy I could finally tick this off my bucket list! Strawberry farms are littered along the way when you drive down from Kawah Putih, so you can easily choose your own strawberry garden and pick some strawberries! They would usually charge by weight, and ours was Rp60,000 (S$6) per kilo. Glenn and I combined our harvest and only managed a 0.5kg of quality (in other words, big) strawberries, haha!
Saung Gawir Restaurant
Our driver brought us here to try Sundanese cuisine for lunch and recommended their Ikan Gurame (grilled fish). We could choose between sitting at the dining table or in the gazebo overlooking strawberry farms and tea plantations. We picked the latter of course. The restaurant does not have English menu so we had to pick out Malay words that we can recognize and hope we did not order something exotic. :p
The food was absolutely delicious and surprisingly inexpensive! The bill came up to be only S$13 for a gurame fish, satay, grilled chicken, rice rolls and drinks. Like wow. However, be prepared to battle the flies. They just suddenly appear out of nowhere when the food came! That was the most annoying part actually. Glenn also seemed to enjoy sharing his food with two stray cats who came meowing and made themselves comfortable in our gazebo.
Hummingbird Eatery
Full Monty (Rp69,500)
Deconstructed Salmon Bagel (Rp54,500)
Blushing Pink (Rp35,000)
Bailey's Milkshake (Rp45,000)
Rocky Road Milkshake (Rp39,500)
Chocolate Mud Cake (Rp32,500)
First of all, where can you find drinks in Singapore's cafes for less than S$5?! And you did not read wrong, yes we did order another milkshake. It was Glenn's idea cos he is such a water tank. The food and drinks was not that bad, but nothing to rave about as well. But this eatery seems quite popular with the locals as it was already teeming with people at 10am on a weekday.
Paris Van Java
It's actually quite pretty at night!
Paris Van Java is more like your usual shopping mall with shops like Topshop, Marks&Spencer, Forever21, H&M and etc. There is just so much to do and see at Paris Van Java we actually went there thrice, haha!
The best thing, and the one and only activity we look forward to doing at Paris Van Java is to catch a movie at their Blitzmegaplex cinema! Make sure you select to watch in Velvet Class, which is Gold Class standard but cheaper version, in our opinion. So shiok that we watched two movies, Bridge of Spies and Goosebumps while we were there! It only cost S$7 on weekdays and S$10 on weekends!
Lactarsari Farm
On our way to the rooftop farm ~
This is what you'll get for S$6 entrance fee.
Ahhh so cute!!!
Heard about the rooftop farm and decided to visit. We were hesitant to enter at first as we were already able to see the goats and sheep from outside. Seeing someone else enter gave us the push we needed, and we decided to go in as well.
The animals were irresistibly cute, and we were able to feed them carrots, vegetables and milk. However, that got us wondering if the animals were fed by the staff when visitor rates were low. We were captivated by those furry little animals so much, that we missed out on the bird farm and flower garden nearby as it was starting to rain.
Pancious
Don't be fooled by the lack of customers in the restaurant, their food was not bad!
Glenn's attempt of drawing a heart shape turned into a face. Okay Glenn ...
//
They say Bandung is the Paris of the East and well known for its factory outlet shopping. Well, maybe not for us. We did not managed to buy any clothes at all! Clothes that looked decent were too big (like L and above), and clothes with our sizes were just too ugly. But we certainly did enjoy our time there nevertheless. Cooling weather, cheap but good food and massage, what is not to love about Bandung? Okay maybe just the traffic, haha!
Exchange rate was SGD1 = Rp9650
