How to Get Cheap Holiday in Bandung (The Central of West Java)

Bandung is the central city of West Java Province. This town is the the full package of food, shop and nature. We can try many kinds of food from Indonesia traditional food especially Sundanese until steak and sushi. If you think that you also can get these in Jakarta or other capital cities too, you may tell me the place where you can enjoy your food between two mountain or on the peak of mountain or rounded by farm field. In Bandung, you can enjoy many places which display unique panorama while you're eating. Not only food and nature, Bandung also the place for shopaholic. Many woman come to Bandung just for getting a shirt in low price. Bandung is one of Indonesia textile city, many textile company build it factory here. Many products which not pass international quality standard in this factory which sold in many factory outlet in Bandung. This is the reason why you can get many branded clothes in low price.

And the question now is "how do we go to there?"

You can reach this city by using car (own car or travel car), train or plane. If you use car, you will spent 2 until 3 hours from Jakarta to Bandung. If you go alone, it's better for you to just take a car travel such as cipaganti, xtrans, citytrans. You only pay 60.000-70.000 or you can take baraya travel for only 35.000rph. This way may be will take your time any longer if you go to Bandung on weekend. You'll meet many traffic until you arrive in Bandung. If your focus is traffic, i suggest you to take train then pay 45.000idr for a ticket.

Moreover, if you take a vacation with at least 5 others, i suggest you to rent a avanza car in rental car for min price 350.000rph/day. You only have to fill your engine fuel tank 100.000-150.000idr for 1 day trip Jakarta-Bandung-Jakarta. Not only that, if you use free way to getting Bandung. You have to pay 50.000 for fee. Finally you have to pay 95.000-100.000rph/person for accommodation fee to go to Bandung. May be you think that it's more expensive because you've to pay more than 70.000idr. In Bandung, not all taxis use distance meter to calculate the tariff. Most of driver prefer to decide higher cost in the beginning. You still can dealing with them, but it take your time and the result is still more expensive than it should be. Besides that, you may wait little longer for Blue bird taxi which always use machine to calculate your taxi fee.

I'm not suggest you to take a plane because you have to pay 200.000-300.000 idr for 45 minutes flight (only half time if you use car). Not only that, you also spent at least 60.000idr for taxi to go to airport. It's so costly.


Next question is "Where is the good place to sleep?"

You don't have to worry about this because you can find hostel, hotel, villa or wisma easily. Base on my experience, the cheapest place for staying in Bandung is PLN wisma on Riau street. You just have to pay 120.000idr/ night. The facilites which you can take is private bathroom and four separated bed. This room also has good air circulation because the large size and enough sun light. For this facilities, you only pay 30.000idr/night/ person.

Besides that, if you take this vacation with more than 6-10 person. Lucky you! there are many villas owner in central Bandung or Setiabudi which offer you one house with 2-4 rooms and full facilities (tv, kitchen, etc). Don't imagine expensive rent because you can get 600.000-1.000.000idr for these villas. You may check www.villabandung.multiply.com. I already use one of villas in this website.

To be honest i'm not recommend you to use hotel. But if you still want to get hotel comfortable with cheap price. You can try casa de ladera by paying 180.000-240.000idr/night for two people.

The main question now is "where will we go?"
because i've visit Bandung many times in the last 5 years and tried many things there...i'll explain it base on the my visiting time in the next story :D