Bandung, INDONESIA

October 15 – 17, 2008

John, a close friend wanted to take a break from his busy schedule. He suggested that we visited Bandung. I was reluctant as I had been to Bandung 4 times. It is a nice place to visit but even a nice destination also has its limit. Anyway, John really insisted on going to Bandung. I obliged. We managed to rope in another friend, Elvis, to come along.


We caught this sunrise on the way to the airport

The Air Asia flight was full despite the fact that it was mid week. Upon arrival, Bandung airport officials began to show their true colors. They asked for money from Elvis. I had always had high regard for the officials in Bali and Bandung for not being corrupt like other Indonesian airports. This trip changed my perception.

Nasi Padang Lunch (John & Elvis)

We were met on arrival by a driver assigned by an agent. Din Din would be our driver and guide for the duration of our stay. He was quiet and a bit reserved.

Rumah Mode

We checked into our hotel, Grand Aquila, advertised as the hotel for entertainment lovers. It was our first mistake. This 4-star hotel looked quiet and it was far from being the entertainment center. After dropping our bags, we went to have lunch. It was nasi padang. After lunch, we went to Rumah Mode, Bandung’s most famous factory outlet. There was nothing much for guys like us. We visited a few other outlets. They failed to impress Bandung first time visitors. We decided to go to a spa and spent 3 hours getting our bodies massaged, scrubbed and cleansed. For dinner, it was Sundanese affair.

The next day we dropped by Mountain View Golf Club for me to get logo golf ball for my collection. The course is relatively the latest addition to Bandung’s golf courses. Then we proceeded to Bukit Dago Golf Club for the same reason. We stopped for a drink at the club house.

View from the top

We had enough disappointment with factory outlets; we decided to go to Bandung’s biggest shopping mall. We were not much of shoppers and spent most time browsing and window shopping. Then, it was Sundanese lunch again. After lunch, it was factory outlets again to look for my wife’s headscarf and Zaki’s handphone pouch. After a few places, we gave up.
We took a rest at the hotel before having a late dinner, Sundanese again.

We did not bring our clubs.... Just look only