Bandung — Java's Cool Creative City
Bandung, Indonesia's third-largest city, is located at an altitude of 768 meters in a volcanic valley — offering something rare in Java: pleasantly cool temperatures. The Dutch called it "Paris van Java" because of its Art Deco architecture and European flair.
Today, Bandung is known for three things: coffee (Java coffee comes from the surrounding plantations), fashion (factory outlets and local designer labels along Jalan Riau), and street food (the best Sundanese food in Indonesia). The Tangkuban Perahu volcano, whose crater you can reach by car, is only 30 minutes north.
The Gedung Sate (Satay Building) is Bandung's landmark — an Art Deco masterpiece that resembles a satay skewer with its tower. The Asia-Africa Museum commemorates the historic Bandung Conference of 1955, where 29 Asian and African states laid the foundations of the Non-Aligned Movement — a key moment in decolonization.
For tea lovers: The tea plantations of Ciwidey south of Bandung, combined with the crater lake Kawah Putih (White Crater), make for a perfect day trip. The lake glows in milky turquoise, framed by white crater walls — a surreal sight.
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Bandung is a weekend getaway for Jakartans — on weekends, the streets are clogged and the factory outlets crowded. It is much more relaxed during the week. The train connection Jakarta → Bandung (3 hours, from 80,000 IDR / €4.80) passes through spectacular mountain landscapes.
