I just got back from Bandung and this trip came at the right time because I really needed the break.
I still owe a post on my Korea trip but that can wait. I mean everyone's going to Korea now. So if i miss Korea, I can either watch some dramas or just scroll my Instagram timeline.
I skipped school for a week just for this trip.
Took Air Asia this time round. The flight was slightly delayed because it was raining. My whole journey was just... emotional. There was a couple beside me and they couldn't stop being all mushy and clingy. And then there was me who's listening to Zion T's Yanghwa Bridge. On my right, there was that overly attached couple. And on my left, my dad who's snoring away despite the 1 hour 45 mins flight.
We stayed at Chara Hotel.
The hotel is pretty new so in terms of cleanliness, I'll give it a thumbs up. One thing I like about this hotel is that they provide new towels for us every single day. They would change the towels when they're making up the room. Not all hotels do that. Some 5 star hotels don't even do that.
My dad booked this hotel because of the whole container architecture. The architecture isn't that much wow honestly. But my dad and brothers were crazy about it. Must be a male kinda thing, definitely. Sheesh.
I ordered in-room dining during my short 5 days 4 nights there. No idea why my appetite was really huge there. The chocolate milkshake was good. The food was meh. Even for breakfast, kinda disappointed. They really should improve on that.
I went to the spa at the hotel. Took the most expensive package there because when else can I feel like a rich woman HAHA love the massage and the ear candling! The bath was a lil disappointing because the water heater just had to spoil when it was my turn to take a long warm bath.
There are too many places that I went in Bandung but I just didn't bother to take a lot of photos because... I'm not in my best shape right now so I'm not in the mood for photos lately.
Here are some of the places I went to when I was in Bandung.
Kedai Belacan
The moment I stepped into this restaurant, I fell in love with the greenery in the restaurant. The food here was a lil pricey. We ordered a lot so it's pretty understanding. The must-try here, I must say, is the Gurame Goreng Terbang. I am not a fish person. I am more of a chicken person. But after tasting the Gurame Goreng Terbang, my dad had to buy two fishes to feed all 7 of us. Mind you, the fishes were pretty big.
But, this restaurant had a cat. So minus a million points for that. The cat just had to come to me out of all the visitors there. Like why?! To all the cats in the world, and all you cats who know how to use the internet and probably reading this, please don't get near me if you see me. I know you guys are fans of yours truly but I'm scared of you guys. So please bear with me.
The Stone Cafe
I ordered steak and honestly it wasn't that great. But I tasted my parents' and my grandmother's food (they had some of their local food) and they tasted great! Kinda regret. I became a big fan of Sundanese food (more of just their soups) after this trip. Sup Iga for the win!
But the view and the atmosphere made up for it. I actually forced Syakir to help me take Instagram-worthy photos and that boy obviously has a lot to learn.
Best time to come is actually at night. There will be some band playing and Indo bands are no joke good but just underrated because the competition there is too damn high. Everyone seems so talented honestly.
Tangkuban Perahu
It was pretty cold up at the peak. Reminded me of Kyoto at night when Daya and I went out in our PJs in 5 degrees chilly night to get some food at their Family Mart.
Things you should bring if you're planning to come here are a mask and a cardigan.
Actually I got annoyed by those people who "offered" us to help photos.
They are obviously just trying to take advantage of tourists but thank God I didn't succumb to them because their photography skills... I'm sorry but not insta-worthy. I mean if I'm paying you to take photos of me, it better be good HAHA not worse than me Daya knows how bad my photography skills are so let's keep it just there.
If you're up here, it's worth going for a super short ride with a pretty horse like this. This horse right here is called Mojang. What a name! The ride is only IDR 50 000. Cheap and hey the horse has pink hair... close enough to a unicorn!
As much as I love my trip to Bandung, of course there are some things that kinda turned me off while I was there.
So my family was lucky enough to have a driver by our side most of the time. This meant that most of the times we travelled by car which is actually ideal if you're travelling as a group like us. I wouldn't say the more the merrier because the traffic jam in Indonesia is no joke.
Your journey can be approximately about 20 minutes but because of the jam, it can be as long as 1 hour. Trust me, I'm not someone who can stay still in a confined area. At most, I'll sleep. Travelling by bus can be a hassle if you're planning to go on some roads or places. To get away from the jam, it's ideal to travel via the alleys and of course, buses are not able to get on those roads. And if you're planning to go to Pasar Baru (a shopping paradise for aunties honestly!) then it'll be hard to park even the 21 seater mini bus.
On another hand, thanks to traffic jam, I was able to get to know my driver and look around the streets of Bandung even better.
Ariel's House
My driver turned out to be Ariel's ex-driver before Ariel moved to Jakarta. So he actually drove passed his house just for me when I jokingly said I wanted to go to Ariel's house. In case you're wondering which Ariel I'm referring to, it's the Ariel from Peterpan or now known as Noah. I also found out that a lot of Indonesian celebrities are actually from Bandung.
Well, I've always known that Indonesia is filled with so many talented people. Sometimes you just have to stop and listen to those less fortunate street performers in Indonesia. They're hella talented. I wish I can do something so that their skills are being recognized and they can get out of their poverty situation. But here I am, I'm still trying to figure my life out.