Bandung

No reviews yetCity West Java, Indonesia

Gedung Sate, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia

Museum of the Asian-African Conference, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia

Jalan Braga, Bandung, West Java, Indonesia

About Bandung

Cool air at 700 metres, a ring of volcanoes and a wealth of Art Deco buildings earned Bandung the old nickname Paris van Java. The Dutch planned to move the colonial capital here in the 1920s, and the legacy is everywhere: the elegant Gedung Sate government office, the shopfronts of Jalan Braga and villas shaded by tall trees in the northern suburbs.

Bandung also has a place in world history. In 1955 it hosted the Asian-African Conference, where leaders of newly independent nations met in Gedung Merdeka, now a museum. Today it is the lively capital of West Java and the heartland of Sundanese culture, a university city famed for its creative scene, factory outlet shopping and endless street food such as batagor, surabi pancakes and seblak.

The real magic lies in the highlands around the city. Tangkuban Perahu volcano steams to the north beyond Lembang, while to the south the road to Ciwidey climbs through tea plantations to the milky turquoise crater lake of Kawah Putih and the calm waters of Situ Patenggang. Traffic is heavy at weekends, so leave early for any day trip.

Best seasonJune-September, the drier months; mornings are clearest year-round

Ideal stay3-4 days, including day trips north to Tangkuban Perahu and south to Ciwidey

ArrivingWhoosh high-speed train from Jakarta to Tegalluar or Padalarang; regular trains to Bandung Station; flights to Husein Sastranegara or Kertajati airports

12 Places Locals Love in Bandung

Landmarks 2

Gedung Sate

Completed in the 1920s for the departments of the Dutch colonial government, this elegant building blends European and Indonesian...

Bandung Grand Mosque

Facing the alun-alun, the city's main square, the Grand Mosque of Bandung is recognisable by its two tall minarets, one of which h...

Museums 2

Museum of the Asian-African Conference

In April 1955 leaders from 29 Asian and African countries met in the Gedung Merdeka building on Jalan Asia-Afrika to promote coope...

Geological Museum Bandung

In a 1920s colonial building, this museum explains how Indonesia's islands and volcanoes formed, with collections of rocks, minera...

Neighborhoods 1

Jalan Braga

In colonial times this was one of the most fashionable streets in the Dutch East Indies, lined with cafes and boutiques for plante...

Arts 1

Saung Angklung Udjo

Founded in 1966 by the musician Udjo Ngalagena and his wife, this cultural centre in eastern Bandung keeps alive the angklung, a S...

Nature 3

Tangkuban Perahu

North of Lembang, this active volcano gets its name, meaning upturned boat, from its long flat profile and the Sundanese legend of...

Kawah Putih

High on Mount Patuha near Ciwidey, two hours south of the city, this volcanic crater holds a lake whose colour shifts between pale...

Situ Patenggang

Surrounded by rolling tea plantations in the Ciwidey highlands, Situ Patenggang is a tranquil lake where boatmen paddle visitors t...

Parks 1

Taman Hutan Raya Ir. H. Djuanda

At the top of Dago in northern Bandung, this forest park follows the river valley along shady trails through tall pines and tropic...

Viewpoints 1

Tebing Keraton

This rocky cliff edge in the hills above Dago overlooks a deep forested valley that often fills with mist at dawn, creating one of...

Shopping 1

Jalan Cihampelas

Long known as the city's jeans street, Cihampelas is lined with shops selling denim, T-shirts and souvenirs, many with eye-catchin...

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