Bandung General Information
Bandung is also accessible by flights from Malaysia and Singapore and is truly a shopaholics nightmare come true. This article will cover some general information on Bandung for first-timers.
Bandung General Information
Currently, the in-trend for Malaysians, Singaporeans and even people from around the region, more tourists are heading to Bandung for a shopping spree. Forget Hong Kong, here at Bandung, it is so much cheaper.
Here’s the bonus for families planning a Bandung Holiday – There are golf courses around Bandung so the men play golf while the women and children go to factory outlet shopping and sightseeing.
Money Exchange Tips for Bandung:
Arriving at Bandung Airport
It takes only about 5 to 10 minutes to town by cab. Well, please be prepared for a wait when you depart from the plane as it may take a while to clear immigration.
They only have about 2 counters for immigration. After you pass, you need to u-turn and get your bags scanned.
From there, the same scanner used for your hand luggage is used for your check-in luggage. Only one miserable conveyor belt which ends in a small little cramped place.
So if you dilly dally around all excited about Bandung and stand far back, you will have to make your way through people standing around and dig through piles of bags.
Update: 2018 – The Bandung Airport has been since renovated on my last trip here in 2017.
Airport Tip: After passport check and scanning your hand luggage, go wait at the end of the conveyor for your bag to come.
Also, a good trick is to check in your luggage in LCCT and ask them to label your bags ‘Fragile’ so it comes out first.
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| Bandung airport taxi |
Bandung Taxi and Van Hire Tips;
So, right after you get your luggage, you will be greeted by the taxi table guy which would probably be Pak Rudy.
He will sell you taxi tickets to your hotel and it is usually priced about Rp35,000 (RM11.20), but this was the 2009 price, and now, it should have increased.
He will also ask you if you want to hire a van for daily use and will probably give you his number. His price is Rp.350,000 for a sedan (4 pax) 9.00 am – 9.00 pm and Rp.450,000 for a mini MPV (4-6 pax) per day.
Just so you know, the van drivers are also called supir in Bandung.
Minivan for hire throughout BandungHe drives a taxi full time when he is not driving for tourists, so he generally knows the places around Bandung pretty well. He is also super polite and soft-spoken.
Pak Harun is always 30 minutes early for pick up from your hotel, and he will send you to your desired destination and wait for you while you shop.
When you are done, he will take you to your next destination. I really admire their waiting spirit in Pak Harun, but it’s a hard life in Bandung.
Van Rental/Pak Supir in Bandung:
- Pak Rudy (+62 085 6215 1705) – Boss
- Pak Harun (+62 813 2224 2435) – Driver
- List of Taxi/Van Services in my Bandung Hotel and Tour Information
Taxi Tips in Bandung:
If you choose to move around by Taxi, I would recommend you take only the registered taxi companies. Bluebird or GR as these taxis use meters.
Other taxis do not use meters so prices may vary from the initial price offered and you may end up paying a little more than the actual rate.
A local Angkut Kota van or minibus  |
| Angkut Bandung |
When you are in the Bandung city area, you will definitely see thousands of the Angkuts running around town.
Indonesian lady begging to a car in the streets of Pasar BaruThe good news is that they do not harass you like they do here in Malaysia or in some other countries.
Two locals having a snooze on their trishaws while waiting for customersYou will be waking up at 8.00 am and rushing for breakfast and next thing you know, you woke up too early which is actually a good start.
Shopping closes at 9.00 pm throughout Bandung and this includes all the factory outlets around Bandung. Some of the outlets may close at 10.00 pm, especially on weekends.
Traffic downtown at the Pasar Baru areaBandung is also relatively a safe area and the people are very nice and polite. Traffic is utter madness there on the weekends and if you are faint-hearted, just keep your eyes off the traffic while being driven around.
They literally inch their way next to your van. I personally think the traffic there is so much worst compared to us here to be thankful for our traffic and system.
Oh, they just love tooting their horns every now and then, so be prepared.
A hotel banner offering added services in Bandung townHotels in Bandung are abundant there and some even offer extra services too. We just booked the AirAsiaGo Holiday Package and stayed at the Arion Swiss-BelHotel in town.
Overall, it is a very nice 3-Star hotel with decently large rooms and excellent service, and the hotel is located in the center of Bandung town.
Another plus point is that many of the popular factory outlets are located just about 10 to 15 minutes away from the Arion Swiss-BelHotel.
Bandung Arion Swiss-BelHotel entrance
Bandung Arion Swiss-BelHotel lobby area
Bandung Arion Swiss-BelHotel friendly staff
I just gave the bell boy for carrying the bags up to the room. Rp.1,000 or Rp.2,000. Anyway, Rp.1,000 = RM0.35 cents. So, it was not a big deal. But today, I assume the tips have gone up to about Rp. 5000?
Bandung Arion Swiss-BelHotel rooms, spacious and cleanA local spa is available in the hotel with excellent service (no, not that type!), and you need to book from the hotel reception.
The spa also offers room visits for massages, but you need to pre-book in advance. We tried the 3-hour full package at the spa.
Priced at Rp.800,000 for two, it was a traditional Indonesian massage, scrub, and sauna. Absolutely fantastic!
Some old colonial buildings in Bandung townThe weather in Bandung is pretty cooling compared to Malaysia but don’t go bringing your winter jackets as the weather in the city is just nice, like in spring.
Because Bandung is located on a higher elevation, the temperature averages around 27 Celsius to 31 Celsius, it is such a nice feeling compared to back home in Malaysia. A good pair of walking shoes as you will be walking a lot.
Don’t try too hard to be trendy and fashionable in your MNG and high heels. No one is going to look at you as everyone is too busy shopping here.
Indonesian Language in Bandung
The locals there can understand our basic Malay but pay attention to the Indonesian Malay as it differs quite a bit. An example would be;
Ibu = Maam and Pak = Mr/Sir
In general, most of the common words are similar, like numbers, eating, and so on, but many are different, so do ask if you are unsure.
When is a Good Time to Visit Bandung?
Finally, I would advise traveling just before the weekend. The reason being, it gets so major jammed up on weekends everywhere especially in the main city and at the factory outlets.
Money changers are not open as well and they are hard to find. Also, tons of local tourists from Jakarta will make their way there for the factory outlet shopping and layer cakes.
A good time would be from Wednesday to Saturday. Yes, you need about 3 to 4 nights minimum if you plan to do factory outlet shopping in Bandung. This excludes any other sightseeing out of Bandung.
Places include the Tangkuban Perahu Volcano, Dusun Bambu, Tea Plantation and other places of interest. I did not bother to go for those as it would take up half the day or one full day for this.
David calling Pak Harun the driver
Sunset at LCCT, SepangFinally, after a crazy factory outlet shopping spree in Bandung, we headed back to LCCT in Sepang with our bags filled. The flight back was decent and on arrival, the evening sunset was lovely so I just had to take this shot.
For anyone visiting Bandung, this information may be a little outdated but overall, it is still relevant if you need Bandung general information. Have a great time if you visit here.
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