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 in colonial times, it is locally called 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 mount…
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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.
On the banks of Cikapundung River and the shores of Bandung's Great Lake, there were numerous archeological early human remains found, including of "Java Man", estimated to be about a million years old. The first written reference to the city of Bandung is from 1488, when it was established as part of the Sunda Kingdom. In the 17th to 18th centuries, 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.
Travelling around in Bandung can be quite complex and frustrating, especially to newcomers, because there is no mass rapid transit system. Locals travel using small public minibuses, known as angkot from angkutan = transport and kota = city. Private vehicle ownership, whether cars or motorbikes/mopeds, is also very widespread; expect high traffic. This option has only origin and destination names on top, sometimes with a description of which street they pass if there is more than one angkot route for a certain origin-destination route. Although there is an official price for angkot from Organda (the local regulator of these private city transport), it is usually based on how far you trave…
Individual listings can be found in Bandung's district articles 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.
Individual listings can be found in Bandung's district articles 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 along Jalan Dago from Cikapayang to the north to Simpang-Siliwangi 06:00-10:00.
Individual listings can be found in Bandung's district articles 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.
Individual listings can be found in Bandung's district articles 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.
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.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Aug, Bandung typically sees ~28°C daytime highs and 20 rainy days.
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