║ BaNdUnG tRiP : TiPs & TrIcKs ║

Hye guys, some trips & tricks to be share together....even our trip this time have our own travel guide..we have to know little bit supaya xtertipu oleh mereka² yg suke menipu....enjoy reading yeah!

Bandung is a place for some shopping therapy.(i loikeee it bebeh!) It is well documented that Bandung is a shopping haven for shopaholics. Everything is cheap there, and since our Malaysian Ringgit (RM) is on an all-time high, the Indonesian Rupiah (IDR) can made you an instant millionaire. The currency is IDR1 million= RM363.

PLANNING

• Bring along your money in both currencies (IDR & RM). Some shops accept both currencies. Cash is king. Credit cards are only accepted in larger shops, and some shops have different kind of card readers which unable to read Malaysian credit cards. Tipping is a commodity everywhere in Bandung. So best to keep some IDR1,000 notes with you.
• You will do a lot of walking (I mean a lot!) at the factory outlets. So bring on your most comfortable walking shoes. High heels? That’s spell trouble.
• Bandung can get a bit chilly after 6pm (as low as 19 Celsius). A jacket or sweater is probably a good idea.

 ARRIVAL

• Seeing how they drive in Bandung might be a culture shock to you as everybody drive their own way in the traffic. It is definitely a good idea to leave the drivings to the driver (supir).

• At the airport, you will have your first taste of the road peddlers, selling everything from key-chains, souvenir pens, beads, t-shirts and other stuff. If you’re not buying (yet), just ignore them and avoid any eye contact.

ACCOMMODATION

• Since there’s a probability that you’ll do you shopping from early morning until night, hotel rooms would be used only for bathing and sleeping. So go for cheaper rooms.
•  The best should be within the Factory Outlets (FO).

TRAVELING 

• The FOs are everywhere in Bandung, so a proper transportation and tour guide definitely a must. 

• The drivers can act as your local tour guide, as they are well-versed around Bandung, and all of them can speak and understand Bahasa Malaysia. You don’t have to converse in Bahasa Indonesia to them, as sometimes it sounds funny.

SHOPPING (originals unless stated)

• Toko Tiga (jeans (all brands), Nike and Manchester United clothing line)).
• Rumah Mode (fashionable FO at Jalan Setiabudi). Probably the largest Factory Outlet in Bandung. They have the so-called “Modern Bali Ethnic” interior and exterior, with restaurants like Cafe Bali, Java Bean Coffee and Rumah Makan Bumbu Desa.
• The Heritage &; Summit (Jalan Riau). Assortment of clothes.
• Terminal Tas (lots of wallets and handbags). Definitely not original stuff.
• Donatello and others (Jalan Dago). They sell almost the same stuff. Original.
  
• Paris van Java shopping centre. Very modern, airy (try and shop there at night), lots of shops, Carrefour, Sogo, Nike shop (IDR599,000 or RM183 for original Manchester United current jersey), Manchester United Restaurant & Bar (I watched Fulham beat ManU 2-0 there) where they have lots of ManU official merchandise (but don’t buy the jersey ’cause for IDR800,000, it’s expensive). 
• Pasar Baru (a lot of choices for textiles and cheap too). 

SIGHTSEEING

• The weather is cooler the higher you go up the mountain. But once you go near the craters, it’s hot as hell. Entering the volcanic park will cost you IDR35,000 per person.

• The guide will bring along a few street peddlers (disguised as tour guides). They will talk and laugh with you en route to the craters. They even massage your feet in the hot spring pond (no obligation according to my guide…which translates as free massage) with volcanic mud. Once completed, they will open their bags and peddled their wares, which may consists of metal tasbih (IDR400,000!), a set of wooden pens (IDR150,000!) and/or key-chains (IDR200,000!). Definitely much more expensive than in Bandung town. Try you best to say no to them, or you may lose more than IDR500,000 to them .

SOCIAL

• Bandung is full of social people. Music scenes are aplenty. It seems that everybody in Bandung can sing (even it’s an old Javanese song).
• Karaoke outlets, dangdut clubs and bars are everywhere.
• People in Bandung is very service-oriented, especially the hotels and restaurants.
• Try to have a ride around Bandung at night and you’ll noticed the same familiarity with KL (except KL is hot at night).

  FOOD

• Kentucky Fried Chicken (KFC) is everywhere but no McDs

 GOING HOME

• Make sure you have enough bags to carry all your stuff.
• Be ready to pay for excess baggage.
• Don’t buy cigarettes at the airport, as it is expensive! Buy it earlier at Circle K convenient store (like our 7-11 over here), which is way cheaper than the roadside cigarette peddlers. Moreover, stocks at the airport might be limited.
• If you are being approached by a kebaya clad lady at the airport offering a place to relax, best is to ignore her. She may be part of the airport staff, but she is selling a service where you have to pay IDR35,000 per person for a nice place to rest and plenty of drinks and food. She didn’t tell us beforehand, and we only knew that we had to pay when we try to leave the room. But if you don’t mind paying for a comfortable aircond resting lounge, unlimited drinks and food, then look out for the ladies in kebaya. They are normally the pretty ones and very, very friendly.
  
• Airport tax is an automatic IDR75,000 per person (except infants). So, don’t throw away your excess Rupiah yet.

OTHERS

• If you want to buy some souvenirs to bring home, the street peddlers have a lot to offer. Things like wooden pencils with Bandung inscriptions, home-made keychains, fridge magnets, metal praying beads (aka tasbih), Bandung t-shirts (be aware of dual qualities of t-shirts they’re selling). You can bargain with them until the cows come home, but don’t put a price on any item. Ask them first to name the lowest price. If you think it’s low enough, then name the price you’re willing to pay.
• Don’t promise any street peddler that you will buy things from him, as he will follow you everywhere you go until you buy something from you.
• Your driver will follow you to every FO you go and they will wait outside. You can pass your shopping bags to them for storage inside the van.
• Enjoy the night weather in Bandung. It’s nothing like Genting Highland or Fraser Hills.
• Make sure you drink plenty of water, as the weather could get a bit dry during daytime. Almost all of my entourage suffer from sore throats, fever and foot pains back home, but that maybe from inhaling the volcano’s sulphur smell, hiking the hills and FOs. Just don’t forget your supply of “minyak angin”, tiger balms, panadols, uphamols and whatever your fancy.

Sorry if u get bored when reading...ini adalah entry terpanjang since i'm started in blogging arena....just for info to those yg memerlukan...Happy travelling!