Hi, dreamers! It's another long holiday in Indonesia, or the so called Idul Fitri/Lebaran. Apparently we have 7-10 days off to mudik (going back to hometown) or traveling or doing anything we want. Some places near Jakarta have always been the favorite destination such as Bogor, Puncak, or Bandung. I also plan to go to Bandung this holiday (don't know can make it or not because of the traffic but let's pray we can) and here are some things to do in Bandung based on my last trip. I hope this can help you to decide what to do there ;)
My friend Andyna and I were trapped in the bad traffic so it's pretty late when we arrived at Bandung. We had lunch at Pasteur Hyperpoint (nothing special and I didn't take any photos) and rushed to The Lodge Maribaya.
It's located around 45 minutes from the city- without the traffic jam. We went there by motorcycle and I can say it's not a good idea, hahaha. The first 30 minutes might be enjoyable but after that, hell no I just kept wondering when we would arrive.
The Lodge Maribaya is one of the "it" destination in Lembang, Bandung because of its unique photo spots. Swing with the background of pine trees, cycling on a string, or just sitting there with a green scenery it is. Entrance ticket was IDR 25.000 and to take photos at the attractions, you need to pay again.
Guess what, after all those long rides from Jakarta to Bandung (5 or 6 hours) and Bandung to Lembang, we ended up with nothing because we no longer could buy the tickets for those photos spots. SERIOUSLY?!! Ticket box will be closed after 3 PM so make sure you go there earlier to grab the chance to have instagrammable pics ;) Oh, not to forget you can also rent the tent to stay a night there. It's fun to chill with the bean bags and green scenery with friends or family!
We were super hungry (+tired) after the long journey and decided to walk around Dago to have dinner. Dago is a popular location to enjoy a lot of food and after a while we decided to eat at a fusion Japanese Restaurant called Sushi Den. There's also cafe beside it where you can order coffee and snacks.
I had omelette + katsu and once again I didn't take many photos because the lighting was quite dark and I was too hungry. To be honest, the food were just so-so, nothing special nor impressive, just enough to fill my hungry tummy. If I must mention one thing I love about it, it's definitely the Japanese corner!
One of the fun things to do in a 1 night 2 days trip is strolling around the hotel/guest house you're staying, isn't it? I stayed at a 8-beds room which was my first time (it's before my Japan trip) and loving it. It's only around IDR 125.000 one night and we also got free breakfast.
The hotel has traditional vibe (I think it's Balinese) and a lot of plants which made it so interesting to walk around in the morning. Oh, it also has swimming pool but I didn't swim tho. We can eat breakfast at the living room or at the outdoor tables around the pool while sun-bathing (I wouldn't do that because it'd be freakin' hot hahaha).
The next day we decided to enjoy Bandung like a local, we went to Balai Kota Bandung. The main reason we went there is the Taman Labirin which has become one of the "hits" place to visit after Ridwan Kamil (the mayor of Bandung) posted it on his Instagram.
Taman Labirin is a revitalization of Taman Merpati, shape like a circle labyrinth with 4 entrance/exit based on the cardinal direction.
Beside the Taman Labirin, there are another activities there such as animal lover communities, kids playing soccer or rolling-skate, or just sitting around to enjoy the weekend. Plus, it's free!
Braga street is near the Balai Kota, and it has unique vibe which I love. You can find a lot of restaurants here. The street itself is really instagrammable and make you feel like you're not in a foreign country. You can easily find people having photoshoots here.
We had lunch at The Suga Rush which is also a fusion restaurant. It has cute and fun interior with murals and they also sell cakes! I had pasta and again, it's good but not impressive just your standard creamy pasta. Price was affordable and not overprice for the food quality ;)
We always have room for desserts, don't we? Tried this mango ice cream for just IDR 12.000...? I forgot, but it's super cheap for sure! It's super nice despite of the cheap price, now I'm craving for it T.T
There are a lot of tourist attractions along the street to Lembang such as Dusun Bambu, The Ranch, Floating Market, Farm House, etc. You can also check my #BandungDiary series to know more about what to do in Bandung. Hope this post can help you! Happy holiday xx
