:: Bandung and Vicinity | West Java Travel Guides ::
BANDUNG INTRODUCTION
Bandung is the
capital of West Java in Indonesia. Bandung is 180
kilometres south-east from
Jakarta
Today Bandung has a population of 2 million people, the
Bandung area an extimated 4 million. Bandung is situated
on a plateau 768 meters above sea level with a cool
climate throughout the year. Bandung is the most
European city of Java. The raining season starts in
Bandung a little bit earlier, then the rest of
Indonesia. Normally the raining season in Indonesia is
from October till May, the peak of the raining season is
in January. The dry season is from June until August,
temperature is then 25-30 degrees Celsius during the
day. In the morning the sun is almost shining every day,
but in the afternoon many times it gets cloudy, for
sunbathing you have to wake up early from 6.30 the sun
is already there! In the evening when the sun is down
the temperature drops.The average temperature in Bandung
is 22 degrees Celsius, the weather is pleasant all year
round.
HOW TO GET TO BANDUNG
Bandung is 180 kilometres south-east from Jakarta, about
2 hours driving by car. It is better to take the train
from Gambir station in Jakarta to Bandung, because this
is a great experience. For a comfortable trip take the "Eksekutif"
class. A pleasant 3 hour journey through mountains,
paddy fields, tea plantations and a beautiful panorama.
From Halim Airport in Jakarta there are several daily
flights with Deraya and Merpati to Bandung and vise
versa, a flight Jakarta - Bandung takes only 30 minutes.
HISTORY
The
city history dates from 1488 when the first reference to
Bandung exists. But from ancient archaeological finds,
we know the city was home to Australopithecus, Java Man.
These people lived on the banks of the Cikapundung in
north Bandung, and on the shores of the Great Lake of
Bandung. Flint artefacts can still be found in the Upper
Dago area and the Geological Museum has displays and
fragments of skeletal remains and artefacts.
The Sundanese were a pastoral people farming the fertile
regions of Bandung. They developed a
lively
oral tradition, which includes the still practised
Wayang Golek puppet theatre, and many musical forms.
"There is a city called Bandung, comprising 25 to 30
houses," wrote Juliaen de Silva in 1614.
The achievements of European adventurers to try their
luck in the fertile and prosperous Bandung area, led
eventually to 1786 when a road was built connecting
Jakarta, Bogor, Cianjur and Bandung. This flow was
increased when in 1809 Louis Napoleon, the ruler of the
Netherlands, ordered Governor General H.W. Daendels, to
increase defences in Java against English. The vision
was a chain of military defence units and a supply road
between Batavia and Cirebon. But this coastal area was
marsh and swamp, and it was easier to construct the road
further south, across the Priangan highlands.
The Groote Postweg (Great Post Road) was built 11 miles
north of the capital of Bandung. With his usual
terseness, Daendels ordered the capital to be relocated
to the road. Bupati Wiranatakusumah II chose a site
south of the road on the western bank of the Cikapundung,
near a pair of holy wells, Sumur Bandung, supposedly
protected by the ancient goddess Nyi Kentring Manik. On
this site he built h
is
dalem (palace) and the alun-alun (city square).
Following traditional orientations, Mesjid Agung (The
Grand Mosque) was placed on the western side, and the
public market on the east. His residence and Pendopo
(meeting place) was on the south facing the mystical
mountain of Tangkuban Perahu. Thus was The Flower City
born. In the beginning of the 19th century, the Dutch
established Bandung. The area was full of woods and only
a few people lived in the area. The area of Bandung was
difficult to reach and Bandung was only a spot on the
map.
Around the middle of the l9th Century, South American
cinchona (quinine), Assam tea, and coffee was introduced
to the highlands. By the end of the century Priangan was
registered as the most prosperous plantation area of the
province. In 1886 the rail line connecting Batavia
(Jakarta) and Bandung was completed, and promised a 2
1/2 hour trip from the blistering capital in Jakarta to
Bandung. Bandung still was a small village (population
in 1896 was 29.386).
With the rail way life changed in Bandung, hotels,
cafes, shops sprouted up to serve the planters
who
either came down from their highland plantations or up
from the capital to frolic in Bandung. The Concordia
Society was formed and with its large ballroom was the
social magnet for weekend activities in the city. The
Preanger Hotel and the Savoy Homann were the hotels of
choice. The Braga became the promenade, lined with
exclusive Europeans shops.
With the railroad, light industry flourished. Once raw
plantation crops were sent directly to Jakarta for
shipment to Europe, now primary processing could be done
efficiently in Bandung. The Chinese who had never lived
in Bandung in any number came to help run the facilities
and vendor machines and services to the new industries.
Chinatown dates from this period.
In the first years of the 20th century, Pax Neerlandica
was proclaimed, resulting in the passing of military
government to a civilian one. With this came the policy
of decentralisation to lighten the administrative burden
of the central government. And so Bandung became a
municipality in 1906.
This turn of events left a great impact on the city.
City Hall was built at the north end of Braga to
accommodate the new government, separate from the
original native system. This was soon followed by a
larger scale development when the military headquarters
was moved from Batavia to Bandung around 1920. The
chosen site was east of City Hall, and consisted of a
residence for the Commander in Chief, offices, barracks
and military housing.
By the early 20's the need for skilled professionals
drove the establish
ment
of the technical high school that was sponsored by the
citizens of Bandung. At the same time the plan to move
the capital of the Netherlands Indies from Batavia
(Jakarta) to Bandung was already mature, the city was to
be extended to the north. Bandung underwent a sudden
boom and the population increased rapidly, this was the
"Golden Century" of Bandung. The capital district was
placed in the northeast, an area that had formerly been
rice fields, and a grand avenue was planned to run for
about 2.5 kilometres facing the fabled Tangkuban Perahu
volcano with Gedung Sate at the south end, and a
colossal monument at the other. On both sides of this
grand boulevard buildings would house the various
offices of the massive colonial government.
Along
the
east bank of the Cikapundung River amidst natural
scenery was the campus of the Technische Hoogeschool,
dormitories and staff housing. The old campus buildings
and its original landscaping reflect the genius of its
architect Henri Maclain Pont. The southwestern section
was reserved for the municipal hospital and the Pasteur
Institute, in the neighbourhood of the old quinine
factory. These developments were carefully planned down
to the architectural and maintenance details. These
years shortly before World War II were the golden ones
in Bandung and those alluded to today as Bandung Tempoe
Doeloe.
Considering themselves as an upper class society, the
Europeans community insisted on keeping themselves
up-to-date with European lifestyles. To support this
high fashion standard it was necessary to have some kind
of "Champs de Ellyses", and Jl. Braga was the result. It
turned into a shopping lane complete with theatre with
the latest movies. Bandung then became famous as "Paris
of Java". The city parks and gardens with the blooming
flowers and the beautiful women, with a light braun and
soft skin made Bandung also famous as the "City of
flowers" or "Kota Kembang".
The
war years did little to change the city of Bandung, but
in 1946, facing the return of the Colonial Dutch to
Indonesia, citizens chose to burn down their beloved
Bandung in what has become known as Bandung Lautan Api,
Bandung Ocean of Fire. Citizens fled to the southern
hills and overlooking the "ocean of flames" penned "Halo
Halo Bandung," the anthem promising their return.
Political unrest coloured the early years of
Independence and consequently people flocked to Bandung
where safety was. The population skyrocketed from
230,000 in 1940 to 1 million by 1961. Economic
prosperity following the oil boom in the 70's pushed
this further so that by 1990 there were 2 million
inhabitants. After World War II, Bandung became in the
shadow from Jakarta.
Present day Bandung is thriving. As home to more than 25
schools of higher education, there is a vibrant
collegiate atmosphere. The ITB still reigns supreme in
Indonesian education. The ITB (Institute Teknologi
Bandung) located right in the center of the elite area
of Bandung. Today ITB produces qualified engineers and
several graduates of the Arts faculty are acknowledged
as famous commercial artists. The Universities of
Padjadjaran and Parahyangan receive students from all
over the country. The National Hotel Institute, the
National Railway Institute, the Senior Officers Military
Institute, the Women's Police Academy, grace the city.
The excellent fine arts offerings have produced an
artist colony of great repute and excitement. The
textile industry is the largest in the country and
contributes to a vigorous business climate.
In
1987
the city extended its administrative boundaries toward a
Greater Bandung Plan (Bandung Raya) Plans for the city
include higher concentrations of development outside the
current city centre, in an attempt to dilute some of the
population density in the old core. These days Bandung
Raya is still years ahead, yet the land has suffered
deeply. Commercial activities run amok, God only knows
who can take control. The city core is practically
uprooted, old faces are torn down, lot sizes regrouped,
and what was idyllic residence is now bustling chain
supermarkets and rich banks.
Bandung is also a place with a lot of industries, mostly
in textile. The Indonesia aircraft factory of IPTN is
also based in Bandung and has sold a number of
aircraft's overseas. Bosscha Astronomical Observatory in
Lembang installed in 1923 and still functioning as
Astronomy research center. Technology is not the only
science that Bandung can boast, Lembaga Pasteur, or
Pasteur's institute, where the rabies serum and smallpox
vaccine were researched and developed, is also located
in Bandung. Present population of Bandung is extimated 2
million, with the surrounding cities the Bandung area
houses an extimated 4 million people.
Getting around
The taxi service
in Bandung is not so good as in Jakarta. Most taxi
drivers don't drive on the meter/ argo and before
entering a taxi you must negotiate about the price, ask
your hotel or guide for an indication of the price. The
taxi drivers almost never have change, so take small
banknotes with you (500, 1000, 5000 and 10.000 rupiah).
Some good taxi companies are Blue Bird and Gemari Pahah
taxi (blue/ green taxi's), Blue Bird & GR taxi's always
drives on the meter/ argo and our choice if we need a
taxi. For more information about transportation, see the
website Bandung Expat. It is also possible to rent a car
with a driver for some hours or a day, this is an easier
way to get around the city and visit the tourist
attractions around Bandung. On sunday and public
holidays it is always very busy on the road in and
around Bandung, so better make your travel plans on
other days.
On the first 1 or 2 letters you can find out from which
area a car comes from, in the weekend Bandung is floaded
with cars with number plate starting with B (Jakarta).
The licence plate of Bandung starts with a D. An
overview of the number plate system of cars in
Indonesia, click here.
The
Jl. Braga still serves as a shopping lane, here you can
find a couple of antique shops, some shops from the
colonial days are still there. For batik, souvenirs and
handicraft there is Sarinah Department store on Jl.
Braga a bigger selection can be found in Sarinah
Department store in Jakarta. Another shopping street is
along Jl. A. Yani. A modern shopping center is Bandung
Indah Plaza (BIP), at Jl. Merdeka, Bandung Super Mall at
Jl. Gatot Subroto and Istana Plaza. For jeans and
T-shirts is Jl. Cihampelas "Jeans Street" the place to
be. The Jeans street is a must when you go shopping in
Bandung. There are many malls, stores and supermarkets
in Bandung some of our favorites are Instana Parijs Van
Java Mall, Plaza, Borma at the Jl. Setia Budi,
Cihampelas Walk (CI Walk) the Jl. Cihampelas. The best
supermarket in Bandung is Setia Budhi supermarket at the
Jl. Setia Budhi. The are also some hypermarkets in
Bandung such as Carrefour & Giant.
Money matters
There
a plenty of banks in Bandung local banks and also
foreign banks, so plenty of ATM's to choose from. If you
want to change money Golden Money Changer in Jl. Juanda
and in Otto Iskandardinata are recommended.
Going out
Some of our favorites are Gambrinus (German pub &
restaurant) at Jl. Prof. Drg. Surya Sumantri No 59.
Another must see are the restaurants Kampung Daun, Sapu
Lidi and the Peak, all 3 in the north of Bandung,
direction of Lembang. If you like pizza our favourite
place in ? at Cihampelas Walk (CI walk) and many nice
restaurants at Parijs van Java Mall.
Tourist attractions in the
Bandung area
Bandung
has many tourist attractions, some are described on this
page. For more information the book "All around Bandung"
ISBN 962-593-030-2 is a good guide where you can find
more information about below mentioned attractions. The travelling time mentioned on this page is the minimum
travel time needed, on a Sunday or public holiday the
travelling time can be much longer or even double! Our
advice is stay at home during a Sunday or a public
holiday.
Kebun Binatang/
Bandung Zoo
This is a zoo in
the centre of Bandung, near ITB Bandung. It is a nice
place to visit, the zoo has varity of animals and birds
most from Indonesia. Some species which can be seen
komodo, tigers from Java and Sumatra, monkeys and orang
utans and many kind of birds.
Tangkuban Perahu crater
Tangkuban perahu is a vulcano, 25 kilometre north of
Bandung direction of Lembang. The name means hulk of
overturned boat, the only crater in Java accessible all
the way by car as far as its rim. This is Bandung's most
famous natural attraction. You can see a breathtaking
view by standing on the rim of far from active and its
smouldering crater. Also take a walk with a local guide
to the hot spring of the vulcano. This walk takes you
about 30 minutes down hill through the forest from the
rim of the vulcano to the hot spring. Indonesia has
about 400 vulcanos, from which 350 still active.
Ciater Hot Spring
In the Hot Spring Ciater Resort you can enjoy swimming
in warm sulphurized water pools, good for healing
rheumatism and skin problems. It is a nice park with
small pools in which you can sit or swim. About 30
minutes from Tangkuhan perahu crate.
Mt
Ratuha and Kawah Putih
Mt Patuhu is
located southwest of Bandung, Kawah Putih is a lake on
this mountains is sometimes pale turquoise, or as it's
name says white. The direction is drive to Ciwidey.
Kawah Putih can easy be reached by car all the way to
the rim and then it is a 100 metre walk to the lake it
self. It is a very nice colourfull lake.
Cimanggu Hot Springs
The Cimanggu Hot
Springs are some swimming pools full of hot water from
the mountain. The water is much hotter then in the Hot
Spring Ciater Resort, the area of this hot spring is
very nice and a good place to relax. This hot spring is
not so crowded as the Ciater Hot Spring. The drive from
Bandung takes about 2 hours.
Lake Patengan or Situ
Patengan
From the Cimanggu Hot Spring it is just a 30 minute
drive through tea plantations. This is a lovely site for
boating, the lake looks a a green carpet, the lake is
surrounded by tea plantations. The Lake Patengan is a
very popular spot for Indonesians on a Sunday and public
holiday, but this can be said from all tourist
attractions mentioned on this page.
Sindang Reret Hotel & Restoran at the Jl Raya Propinsi
Ciwidey, is a good place for eating on your way or the
way back to Bandung. From Bandung you will find the
restaurant on the left side of the road. It serve good
food and the asmosphere is great, nice location and many
beautiful, big fish to watch.
Puncak
Pass
Between Bandung and Bogor in the mountains lays Puncak.
A cool area which is very popular, specially by people
from Jakarta. People from Jakarta escape in the weekend
and on public holidays from the heat and busy streets of
the capital of Indonesia to Puncak. Bandung to Puncak
takes about 3 hours drive.
Bogor
A bit futher away from Bandung about 4,5 hours drive is
Bogor, also called the city of rain. In Bogor you must
visit the botanical garden. This botanical garden and in
the garden is the palace "Buitenzorg" On a not so busy
day on the road a visit to Bogor and Taman Safari can be
done on the same day.
Taman Safari/
Safari Park
Taman safari is a
drive through zoo and amusement park and is open every
day. On the way from Bandung to Taman Safari you have to
pass Puncak, do not try to do this on Sunday or public
holiday because you can end up in a big traffic jam.
Because Puncak is a very popular spot for people from
Jakarta. Normaly it take 3,5 hours from Bandung to get
to Taman Safari
Come and Discover Indonesia Islands with us!
