Bandung

Bandung is the capital city of West Java province, and the third largest city in Indonesia after Jakarta and Surabaya. Nicknamed Parijs van Java (Paris of Java) by the Dutch for its resemblance to Paris and European atmosphere back at the colonial times, it is locally called as Kota Kembang, literally meaning the Flowery City because Bandung had a lot of flowers in the colonial era and republic era up to the early 1960s.

A city sitting in a former lake with an altitude of 768 m above sea level, the surroundings of lush and beautiful Parahyangan mountains makes the climate cooler than most major cities in Indonesia. If you are into the city situation, look for its universities to study, apparel products to try on and wonderful places for gastronomic adventure. Nowadays, Bandung has become a very popular weekend escape for Jakartans because of its close proximity, During holiday periods it gets heavy traffic jams (need at least a half hour to travel 3 km).

Administratively, the city of Bandung (Kota Bandung) is divided in 30 districts (kecamatan). However, for this travel guide the city has been divided in the following five districts, that are more useful for travellers.The Greater Bandung Metropolitan Area (Bandung Raya) has a population of more than 8 million, and extends well beyond the city of Bandung. The city of Cimahi in the west is Bandung's largest suburb. For travellers, the surroundings of Lembang in the north and Ciwidey in the south are among the highlights of Greater Bandung.

Although the oldest written reference to the city dates back to 1488, there were numerous archaeological finds of "Java Man" that lived on the banks of Cikapundung river and the shores of Bandung's Great Lake.

In the 17th-18th century, the Dutch East Indies Company (VOC) created small plantations in Bandung, with a road to Batavia (today's Jakarta) completed in 1786. In 1809, Louis Bonaparte, the ruler of the Netherlands and its colonies, ordered the Dutch Indies Governor H.W. Daendels to improve Java's defenses against the threat of the English, who occupied the nearby Malay peninsula. Daendels responded by building the Great Post Road (De Groote Postweg) that stretched about 1000 km between the west and the east coasts of Java. Because north coast was in the form of impassable swamps and marshes at the time, the road was diverted through Bandung along what is now Jalan Asia-Afrika.

Daendels liked Bandung's strategic location so much that he ordered the capital to be moved there. Military barracks were built and Bupati Wiranatakusumah II, the chief administrator of that area, built his dalem (palace), Masjid Agung (The Grand Mosque) and pendopo (meeting place) in the classical Javan alun-alun (city square) near a pair of holy city wells (Sumur Bandung) and facing the mystical mountain of Tangkuban Perahu (near Lembang).

Powered by its cinchona (for malaria drug quinine), tea, and coffee plantations, Bandung prospered and developed into an exclusive European style resort with hotels, cafes, and shops. Many of Bandung landmarks, including the Preanger and Savoy Homann hotels, as well as the shopping street of Jalan Braga, are still available today. The Concordia Society building, now Gedung Merdeka, was built with a large ball room as a club for rich Europeans to spend their weekends.

In 1880, the first major railroad between Jakarta to Bandung opened, boosting small industries and bringing in Chinese workers. The first of Bandung universities, the Technische Hogeschool (TH) was established on July 3, 1920. One of the its alumni members is President Soekarno himself. That university is now known as the Institut Teknologi Bandung (ITB)

In 1942, after Japanese soldiers landed in coastal areas of Java, the Dutch retreated from Jakarta to Bandung, but were driven out from there as well and surrendered soon after. After the end of the war, first the British and later the Dutch came back trying to reestablish the pre-war colonial situation, but in 1946, during the struggle for Indonesian independence, the city of Bandung was burned down by retreating forces of the TRI, because they would not comply with the order given by the British forces to move out of Bandung to the south (Bandung Sea of Fire/Bandung Lautan Api). For the TRI this act was a sign of refusal to surrender. Over 200,000 people fled the city during the incident.

In 1955, the Asia Africa Conference (Konferensi Asia Afrika) was held in Bandung, paving the way for the creation of the Non-Aligned Movement in 1961. The Indonesian parliament was located in Bandung from 1955 to 1966, but was moved back to Jakarta in 1966.

Today's Bandung is a sprawling city of 2.7 million people and suffers from many of the same problems as other Indonesian cities. Traffic is congested, old buildings have been torn down, and once idyllic residences have turned into business premises, fortunately the facades are still same.

There are main roads that roughly split the city into three parts, the north, the central, and the south. The Pasupati overpass splits the north and the central. Dago or H Juanda and Merdeka are the main roads from north to south. The Jenderal Sudirman, Asia Afrika, Kosambi and Jenderal Ahmad Yani cuts the central and the south. If you enter using the toll road, you will start from the outskirts first and then make your way into the city center.

Road in bahasa Indonesia is translated into Jalan and abbreviated into Jl.; this applies to all kind of road from small road to major road. You will see a lot of Jl. in front of the road name in this guide. Very small road that cannot by passed by car is called Gang and abbreviated into Gg.

• Bandung Tourism office, Jl. Ahmad Yani No. 227, +62 22 727 1724. M-F 07:30-15:30.

Bandung Tourism office, Jl. Ahmad Yani No. 227, +62 22 727 1724. M-F 07:30-15:30.

With Bandung being one of the main cities of the Dutch East Indies, many colonial buildings were built in the city in the second half of the 19th century, and especially the first half of the 20th century. Most of the colonial buildings can be found in the city centre, as well as in the Dago area where extensive expansions of the city took place in the early 20th century.

A key architectural style used in the Dutch East Indies in the 19th century was the Indies Empire style. A key example of this style in Bandung is Gedung Pakuan in Central Bandung, built in the 1860s as the new residence of the resident of the residency of Parahyangan, as its capital was moved from Cianjur to Bandung. The most famous colonial buildings of Bandung are however not those with classical styles, but those with modernist architecture. The city has one of the world's largest number of buildings in Art Deco style. The key architects of this period (mainly 1920-1940) include C.P.W. (Wolff) Schoemaker, A.F. (Albert) Aalbers, and Henri Maclaine Pont. All of them were known for combining modernist European architecture (including Art Deco) with style elements from Indonesian cultures. Born in Central Java in 1882 and educated in the Netherlands, Wolff Schoemaker has been renowned as the father of Bandung Art Deco architectural style. He is famous for adapting modern European architecture to the tropical surroundings. This blending of ancient decorative elements and modern architectural features has made him the best Indonesian architect of his time. He later became a professor at the Bandung Institute of Technology in North Bandung. Among his students was Soekarno, the first president of the Republic of Indonesia. Schoemaker was a very productive architect, with dozens of buildings in Bandung being designed by him. Some of his most famous buildings include the Gedung Merdeka, Grand Hotel Preanger, the Bandung Cathedral, New Majestic cinema building (all in Central Bandung), Villa Isola, the Pasteur Institute (both in Northwest Bandung) and the Kologdam Building (East Bandung).

Albert Aalbers's main claim to fame was the DENIS Bank building, based on which he also received the contract to design the new building of Bandung's grand old hotel, the Savoy Homann. Shortly thereafter, he designed the renovation of one of Schoemaker's works, the Gedung Merdeka. These three buldings are all in Central Bandung. The most famous buildings designed by Henri Maclaine Pont are the main buildings of the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB) in North Bandung.The most well-known colonial buildings that were not designed by these three architects are government buildings of the Dutch East Indies, which were designed by the Government Buildings Service (Landsgebouwendienst). The main example of this is the Gedung Sate in North Bandung, built in the 1920s for Department of Public Works of the Dutch East Indies and now used by West Java's provincial government.

There are various museums in the city. Right in the city centre, there is the Museum of the Asian-African Conference in the Gedung Merdeka. The building was the location of the 1955 Bandung Conference (the first meeting of the Non-Aligned Movement), and the museum tells the history of this conference, that was attended by among others presidents Soekarno (Indonesia), Gamal Abdel Nasser (Egypt), and Tito (Yugoslavia), and prime minister Ho Chi Minh (Vietnam).

Other well-known museums in Bandung include the Geological Museum (with 250,000 rocks, a mineral collection, and 60,000 fossils) and the Postal Museum (covering the postal history of Indonesia and the Dutch East Indies), both in North Bandung. Lesser-known museums include Museum Barli (paintings and vintage toys) in Northwest Bandung, Museum Mandala Wangsit Siliwangi (weapons, and the history of Bandung in the War of Independence) in Central Bandung, and the Sri Baduga Museum (archeological and geological exhibitions on West Java province) in South Bandung.

Apart from the colonial buildings and museums, the key sights of Bandung's city centre are the Alun-alun central lawn square, and the adjoining Grand Mosque. The provincial mosque was initially built in the 19th century, but it has been renovated and expanded many times, so most original elements are no longer visible. The latest major renovation took place in 2003, when also the two iconic minarets (81 metres high each) were added. During weekends, one of the minarets is open to visitors, and from the top you will have a great view across the city. Nearby is also the Kilometre Zero monument, which indicates the location of Bandung's establishment (at the location where the Great Post Road crosses the Cikapundung river).

In the Dago area in the North of the city, there are various natural sights, of which the main one is the Djuanda Forest Park, a conservation area and botanical garden in the mountains. Within the park there are also two man-made caves that were important locations during the Second World War and Indonesian War of Independence (among others for shelter and ammunition storage).

There are many activities that you can do in the city or outside the city. As Bandung highland is surrounded by a string of mountains, activities in the outskirts of the city are centred about the mountain resorts, adventure activities and outdoor sports. In the city, you can have savor the culinary diversity (see the Eat section), shop at the cheap outlets and distros (see the Buy section) or just hang around.

Every Sunday is Car-Free Day in Dago street from Cikapayang to the north to Simpang-Siliwangi 06:00-10:00. Come as early as possible, because it can become hectic, as it is only a small street.

Every Sunday you can find a Sunday Market in Gasibu, which is located to the north of Gedung Sate. You can find a variety of food and handicrafts for an affordable price.

• Ram Fighting. Villages around Bandung host ram fights on alternate Sundays. It's a big event for locals who turn out in their hundreds to watch 5-minute bouts between prize fighter male sheep. Tournaments are held in purpose-built rings in outlying villages. Best to hire a motorbike/guide in Bandung who knows when and where the next tournament is on. Ram fighting is not a blood sport but animal lovers may be upset at the sight of the fights, which are organized and refereed rather like boxing matches.

• Puncrut-Lembang walking trail. Begins at Puncrut, Jl. Kiputih, North Bandung. For beginners or who save the stamina, it is better to go to Ledeng first and continue to Lembang by angkot and ask people to go down to Puncrut.
• The Tangkuban Perahu volcano is about 20 km north of Bandung, near Lembang.
• The Kawah Putih (White Crater) lake is about 40 km south of Bandung, near Ciwidey.
• Ranca upas is a camping ground in a protected area where campers can interact with and observe deer from up close

Puncrut-Lembang walking trail. Begins at Puncrut, Jl. Kiputih, North Bandung. For beginners or who save the stamina, it is better to go to Ledeng first and continue to Lembang by angkot and ask people to go down to Puncrut.

Ram Fighting. Villages around Bandung host ram fights on alternate Sundays. It's a big event for locals who turn out in their hundreds to watch 5-minute bouts between prize fighter male sheep. Tournaments are held in purpose-built rings in outlying villages. Best to hire a motorbike/guide in Bandung who knows when and where the next tournament is on. Ram fighting is not a blood sport but animal lovers may be upset at the sight of the fights, which are organized and refereed rather like boxing matches.

Shopping for clothing and accessories is one of the main reasons that, every weekend, many people from Greater Jakarta visit Bandung. Many items are less expensive than in Jakarta. There are shopping malls scattered across the city. Many of them have a combination of Indonesian and international shops, cafés, and restaurants, and most of them also have a family karaoke venue (KTV) and a cinema. The largest and most modern shopping malls in Bandung are the Trans Studio Mall (South Bandung) and Paris Van Java (Northwest Bandung). A few malls are known for their cheap clothing, including the BTC Fashion Mall in Northwest Bandung, and the Pasar Baru Trade Centre in the city centre (which is a favourite for Malaysian tourists).

Denim (jeans) stores can be found along Jalan Cihampelas in Northwest Bandung. These became very popular in the 1990s with unique facades built to attract people. Some of the stores also sell factory outlet garments, but the quality is rather inferior to factory outlets in Jl Setiabudhi, Jl Dago and Jl Riau. The new skywalk over the north part of Jl Cihampelas offers good views of the surrounding area. It has an elevator and small booths that sell food and accessories.

On the other side of the city, in Cibaduyut (South Bandung), leather shoes and other leather products are produced and sold in numerous stores. It is paradise for those who like long boots, which can be made to order at relatively cheap prices. They take between three and seven days to be ready.

Angklung is a Sundanese musical instrument. They are sold in handicraft shops in shopping malls, souvenir shops, and the dedicated Saung Angklung Udjo angklung centre in East Bandung. Wayang golek are Sundanese puppets. Unlike the Javanese wayang puppets, the Sundanese wayang golek are made from wood. There are various shops that sell them across the city, of which the main is the Cupumanik centre in Central Bandung.

Fashion items for some of the world's top brands are made in Indonesia. Even slight defects such as a missing or incorrectly-inserted button are enough for the item to be rejected, or there might have production overruns that need to be discarded. These unwanted items are sold with sisa export tags, because they were made for export. Some of are Grade A (best quality, overrun product) or Grade B (export quality, slight defect) quality. Don't be surprised to see Made in Korea or Made in Singapore on the tags! While you will still see a bag priced at $65 for sale at New York City, they will sell for only Rp45,000 ($5), a dramatically small fraction of the listed price in the destination market! Enjoy bargain hunting but make a careful inspection yourself. Check for below-standard or damaged items and counterfeit branded products. The shops often have a wide range of modern contemporary styles and accessories.

Most factory outlet stores are concentrated in North Bandung (specifically Jl Riau and Jl Dago) and Northwest Bandung (Jl Cihampelas and Jl Setiabudhi). Bandung's most well-known factory outlet store, Rumah Mode, can be found in Jl Setiabudhi in the Northwest.

The phenomenon of distros ('distribution outlets') began in Bandung in the 1990s. Originally, indie bands and record labels started selling their merchandising (CDs but also clothing, stickers, etc.) in their own shops. Nowadays, there are more than 300 distros in Bandung that sell stylish products that were made by local designers, and the phenomenon extends well beyond the original indie music scene. One thing that makes distros stand out from the factory outlet stores is that distros sell products from individual designers and young entrepreneurs, while factory outlet products come from a garment factory. Many of the designers that started distros have become famous, launching country-wide clothing brands, and therefore price levels have increased. Distros can be found throughout the city, but many of the most famous among them are concentrated in and around Jl Trunojoyo in North Bandung.

• Dago 34, Jl Dago no.34. Located in the heart of Dago.
• Warung Internasional, Jl Dago, near Dago 34.
• Taurus, located near the alun-alun, it's easy to find.

Dago 34, Jl Dago no.34. Located in the heart of Dago.

Warung Internasional, Jl Dago, near Dago 34.

Taurus, located near the alun-alun, it's easy to find.

Bandung is a heaven for food lovers who enjoy new experiences. There is a huge variety of places to eat, ranging from thousands of travelling hawkers and warung food stalls to high-end restaurants. Prices vary equally, but are generally lower than in Jakarta. A good meal from a warung or simple restaurant is likely to cost less than Rp30,000, but in high-end restaurants and in luxurious hotels you can easily spend 10 times this.

Budget eateries, including street food, are abundant throughout the city. Most of the higher-end restaurants can be found in the city centre and towards the north of the city, mainly in the Dago area. In addition, there is a huge range of restaurants (from cheap fastfood to high-end international cuisine) in the shopping malls, with the Paris Van Java mall in Northwest Bandung and the Trans Studio Mall in South Bandung standing out.

Although vegetarian restaurants are not common, many Indonesian (and Sundanese) dishes are vegetarian. It is therefore relatively easy to find vegetarian food, such as lotek (spicy vegetable salad) and dishes with tahu (tofu) and tempe. Be aware, however, that many dishes are served with sambal (chili sauce) that may contain terasi (shrimp paste), or with krupuk udang (shrimp crackers).

Your culinary tour in Bandung does not end at the restaurants and cafés. There are plenty of bakeries in the city where exotic pastries entices you to bring one home — a legacy of the Dutch colonial time. Some of them have a high popularity, that you may have to be in a queue even before the shop opens!

Street food in Bandung can be found everywhere throughout the city. Travelling vendors carrying a basket roam through the neighbourhoods selling pre-prepared food. Kaki lima food stalls (mobile kitchens) may also travel around, or stand on the same street corner every day. The same applies to warung, which are slightly less mobile stalls that often have some shelter and a few tables and plastic stools. Some of the warung, that are being rebuilt at the same location every day, have grown to become very popular establishments with hundreds of guests per day (for example, the Bebek Ali Borromeus food stall in North Bandung). In general, the number of customers is a good indication of the level of hygiene of the place, with busy warung being probably safe.

Popular street food options include Sate (satay skewers), Nasi Goreng and Mie Goreng (fried rice and fried noodles), and Ayam Goreng (fried chicken, served with chilli sauce and rice). Specifically for breakfast, popular options are bubur ayam (chicken porridge), kupat tahu (rice dumplings, tofu, and bean sprouts with peanut sauce) and Lotek (vegetable salad with peanut sauce).

Many temporary food stalls can be found along Jalan Cisangkuy from Diponegoro intersection down to Jalan Citarum. Every Sunday morning till noon the street food stalls can also be found behind of Gedung Sate.

The local cuisine is Sundanese food, as covered in the guide on the wider Parahyangan region. An example of a local delicacy is bakso tahu (also known as siomay), a steamed meat with or without tofu. It is served with peanut paste, sweet soy sauce and a lime. It is suitable for a snack to eat at anytime. In almost all streets you can find somebody selling this food with a wheeled stall (gerobak). Batagor is similar to bakso tahu/siomay but it is fried instead of being steamed. Basreng is a spicy snack made ​​from fried meatballs, with the addition of the spicy and savory seasonings suitable for you. Soto Bandung is a soup with beef meat, soy beans and some vegetables. Lotek is a mixed boiled vegetables, served with peanut paste and some chillies, similar to gado gado. The hotter the better. Laksa Bandung is the famous old traditional dish. This dish is kind of chicken soup using coconut milk with turmeric for the stock, and in side it contains sliced rice cake (cooked inside a banana leaf), bean sprout, vermicelli, shredded chicken and for the finishing is garnished with holly basil and Oncom Bandung the traditional fermented soy bean cake.

Throughout the city, cuisines from other regions of Indonesia can be found, with Padang restaurants from West Sumatra especially ubiquitous, as well as local food from Jakarta and Central Java. The Chinese Indonesian minority operates a large number of Chinese restaurants, and also Japanese food (mainly sushi and ramen) is common. Western-style restaurants (such as steak houses and pancake places) are also common, although the quality varies. The better Western restaurants can be found in the major shopping malls and in the Dago area.

Alcohol is usually not served in most restaurants and cafés. However, there are many upscale bars and restaurants that serve alcohol, as well as various nightclubs. Many bars also serve imported beers and spirits, but prices are high. The most popular nightlife areas among expats and tourists is the Dago area in North Bandung, but there are also various bars and lounge clubs in the city centre. Among the most popular nightlife venues are the Amnesia and Southbank clubs in Central Bandung, Golden Monkey in North Bandung, and Sobber's Bar in Northwest Bandung. Karaoke (KTV) venues are ubiquitous. Note that some karaoke bars (mainly in a few streets and alleys near the central Alun-alun square, and along Jalan Setiabudhi towards Lembang) are in fact brothels. Regular KTV venues can be recognised by being branded 'family karaoke'. The most well-known chains include NAV, Inul Vizta, and Happy Puppy.

Similar in other big cities like Jakarta and Surabaya, nowadays, coffee houses are a popular place to hang out and also are always packed after working hours or on the weekends. Most coffee places in Bandung are amping up their appearances as well to attract many more customers.

• Kopi Aroma Bandung, Banceuy street (Near the intersection with Pecinan Lama street. This traditional coffee factory uses a rubber wood fire to dry the coffee beans. Their warehouse has been in use since the 1930s. They offer group tours of both, and individuals who buy a lot might also ask for a tour. The barrista can mix coffee blends to your preference.
• Kopi Ireng, Jalan Bukit Pakar Timur No.1, Cimenyana 40198, +62 22 2531074. 1PM-2AM. A Joglo-styled coffee house to see Bandung from above with great city view. Their signature drink is a "Zigzag Cappucino"
• Kudu Ngopi, Jalan Aceh No.66, 40117 (At the same place as Siliwangi Bowling Centre, +62 816-4864-009. 11AM-11PM.
• Lacamera Coffee, Jalan Naripan No. 79, Asia Afrika 40112, +62 22 4210200. 7.30AM-11PM.
• Noah's Barn, Jalan Dayang Sumbi No. 2, Coblong, Bandung, West Java 40132. 8AM-11PM. Specialised in local variety of coffees such as Java, Bali, Toraja, and Papua. Starts at Rp15,000 - Rp 135,000.
• Two Cents - Brew Believer, Jl. Cimanuk No.2 40115 (Located on Jalan Riau (or Jalan L.L.R.E. Martadinata), well known for some top factory outlets. 7AM-11PM. Specialised in coffees from Bali, Dampit, Bajawa Flores, and Malabar. They also have their house blends such as Bewitched Blend and Awakening Blend.
• Two Hands Full, Jalan Sukajadi No. 198A, Sukajadi, 40162 (Near Paris Van Java (PVJ) Mall. Quite hard to find, look for "Ray White", +62 878-8022-8222. 8AM-9PM. Try the "Eggs in Hell" with chorizo, or a smoothie bowl. Some customers found the WiFi hard to connect or the signal quality is mediocre.
• Wiki Koffie, Jalan Braga No. 90, Braga, 40111, +62 821-2657-8881. 9AM-12AM. Probably the most crowded, jam-packed and the most popular coffee house in Braga vicinity. It is advisable to come as early as possible. Starts from as low as Rp12,000.
• One Eighty Coffee and Music, Jl. Ganesha No. 3 (West of Borromeus Hospital, South of ITB, in Dago., +62 822-1800-0155. Spacious café on two floors. Shallow pool you can cool your feet in. Regular live music. Western and Asian brunch items.

Kopi Aroma Bandung, Banceuy street (Near the intersection with Pecinan Lama street. This traditional coffee factory uses a rubber wood fire to dry the coffee beans. Their warehouse has been in use since the 1930s. They offer group tours of both, and individuals who buy a lot might also ask for a tour. The barrista can mix coffee blends to your preference.

Kopi Ireng, Jalan Bukit Pakar Timur No.1, Cimenyana 40198, +62 22 2531074. 1PM-2AM. A Joglo-styled coffee house to see Bandung from above with great city view. Their signature drink is a "Zigzag Cappucino"

Kudu Ngopi, Jalan Aceh No.66, 40117 (At the same place as Siliwangi Bowling Centre, +62 816-4864-009. 11AM-11PM.

Lacamera Coffee, Jalan Naripan No. 79, Asia Afrika 40112, +62 22 4210200. 7.30AM-11PM.

Noah's Barn, Jalan Dayang Sumbi No. 2, Coblong, Bandung, West Java 40132. 8AM-11PM. Specialised in local variety of coffees such as Java, Bali, Toraja, and Papua. Starts at Rp15,000 - Rp 135,000.

Two Cents - Brew Believer, Jl. Cimanuk No.2 40115 (Located on Jalan Riau (or Jalan L.L.R.E. Martadinata), well known for some top factory outlets. 7AM-11PM. Specialised in coffees from Bali, Dampit, Bajawa Flores, and Malabar. They also have their house blends such as Bewitched Blend and Awakening Blend.

Two Hands Full, Jalan Sukajadi No. 198A, Sukajadi, 40162 (Near Paris Van Java (PVJ) Mall. Quite hard to find, look for "Ray White", +62 878-8022-8222. 8AM-9PM. Try the "Eggs in Hell" with chorizo, or a smoothie bowl. Some customers found the WiFi hard to connect or the signal quality is mediocre.

Wiki Koffie, Jalan Braga No. 90, Braga, 40111, +62 821-2657-8881. 9AM-12AM. Probably the most crowded, jam-packed and the most popular coffee house in Braga vicinity. It is advisable to come as early as possible. Starts from as low as Rp12,000.

One Eighty Coffee and Music, Jl. Ganesha No. 3 (West of Borromeus Hospital, South of ITB, in Dago., +62 822-1800-0155. Spacious café on two floors. Shallow pool you can cool your feet in. Regular live music. Western and Asian brunch items.

The emergency phone number for police is 110, while the fire brigade can be reached via (022)113. There are numerous police stations in the city, with the largest ones being the provincial police headquarters (Polda) in East Bandung, and the city police headquarters (Polrestabes) in Central Bandung. There are 28 local police stations (Polsek) scattered throughout the city.

Tap water in Bandung is not potable, although it is generally fine for a bath or a toothbrush session. Bottled water (generally known as aqua' after the most common brand) is cheap. Check if the tamper proof seal is intact.

There are numerous hospitals and health clinics in Bandung. Although the standards of healthcare remain below what most visitors would be accustomed to in their home country, some of Bandung's major hospitals have among the highest standards of the country. Hospitals with 24-hour emergency units can be found throughout the city (see the district articles for listings of the major hospitals). In any case, it is advisable to have insurance coverage for emergency medical evacuation as a precaution. If a medical evacuation is required then patients are normally moved to Singapore.

The emergency phone number for ambulances is (022)118. However, the service level of both the phone number and the ambulance services is highly variable. Rather than waiting for an ambulance to come, it is usually quicker to hail a taxi to bring you to the nearest hospital.

• Austria Austrian Honorary Consulate, Jalan Padasaluyu Utara II, No. 3, +62 22 201 1632.
• Netherlands Royal Netherlands Honorary Consulate, Jl. Dayang Sumbi No. 3, +62 22 250 6195.
• France France Consular Agency, Jl. Purnawarman No. 32, +62 22 4212417.
• Hungary Hungary Honorary Consulate, Jl. Padasaluyu Utara II No. 3, +62 22 2010354.
• Poland Poland Honorary Consulate, Jl. Bukit Pakar Utara No. 75, +62 22 2503765.

Austria Austrian Honorary Consulate, Jalan Padasaluyu Utara II, No. 3, +62 22 201 1632.

Netherlands Royal Netherlands Honorary Consulate, Jl. Dayang Sumbi No. 3, +62 22 250 6195.

France France Consular Agency, Jl. Purnawarman No. 32, +62 22 4212417.

Hungary Hungary Honorary Consulate, Jl. Padasaluyu Utara II No. 3, +62 22 2010354.

Poland Poland Honorary Consulate, Jl. Bukit Pakar Utara No. 75, +62 22 2503765.

There are various cities, towns, and mountainous areas surrounding Bandung, that are suitable for day trips.

• Cimahi — Bandung's largest suburb, known as the 'city of soldiers' for its many military institutions, as well as a large Dutch war cemetery.
• Lembang — mountain town just north of Bandung, at the base of the Tangkuban Perahu volcano, and home to Indonesia's only observatory.
• Ciater — at the other side of the Tangkuban Perahu volcano, a small town known for its volcanic hot spring resorts.
• Ciwidey — an area of tea and strawberry plantations south of Bandung, with the Kawah Putih crater lake as its highlight. Via the Soroja (Soreang Pasirkoja) Toll Road, the drive to Kawah Putih lasts about one and half hours.
• Garut — about one and half hours from Bandung to the southeast, resort town surrounded by several volcanoes.

• Bogor Raya — mountainous area west of Bandung, with among others the Mount Gede Pangrango National Park and the city of Bogor.
• East Parahyangan — the southeast of the province, about 4-6 hours from Bandung, including Pangandaran beach at the Indian Ocean coast.
• North Coast of West Java — the northern plains of the province, including the port city of Cirebon at the Java Sea coast, about 2-3 hours from Bandung.