I was in Bandung, Indonesia last month together with my second sister for holidays in West Java. Bandung is also known as 'Paris Van Java' in Dutch, or simply 'Paris of Java' for its fashion and factory outlets. We took Malaysian Airlines which was more comfortable compared to Air Asia, but also a bit pricier.
See the very colourful seats of MAS as seen from behind as I went to the loo. There was also on free board meals with Ferrero chocolates for each passenger.
While waiting and transiting in Kuala Lumpur International Airport, I came across this banner for Citibank Platinum credit card holders. Free entrance to Plaza Premium Lounge that is open 24 hours with free internet access, free flow of food and beverages including beer, free massage on the massage chair with HDTV to watch the latest news and magazines to browse. There is also a mini golf putting area for the avid golfers.
We also visited Mt. Tangkuban Perahu - Bandung's most famous tourist volcano just 28 km north of the city. This volcano offers many places to see and explore. Whether you look into the huge crater or hike down into it, stroll through the forest on its slopes, or simply enjoy the splendid panoramic view, Mt. Tangkuban Perahu is an interesting destination that everyone in the Bandung area is fond of visiting. When seen from Bandung, Mt. Tangkuban Perahu has a distinctive shape, like an upside down boat. Tangkuban Perahu means, in fact, "up-turned boat" This peculiar shape has stimulated the fantasy of the Sundanese people from early times as expressed in the Legend of Sangkuriang.
Though the mountain appears peaceful, mild eruptions occurred in 1969, when Kawah Ratu spewed ash and barrages 500 m high. As recently as September 1992 it was closed to the public for a few days because unusually high seismic activity lead volcanologists to fear a new eruption. On the mountain's northern flank is an area called Death Valley, so named for its frequent accumulation of poisonous gases. On a reasonably clear day, from Kawah Ratu, the main crater, you can see not only the mountain range to the east, with Mt. Bukittunggul as its highest peak (2,209 m), but also two other in a northeasterly direction.
We did lots of shopping as the clothes there are direct from factory outlets carrying many branded names like MNG, Liz Clairborne, etc at only a fraction of the price. Here in Malaysia, brands like that cost easily RM70 but we could get them for only RM24 each and they are genuine but rejects due to overshipment or overdue date of arrival. Above are my second sister's working and casual clothes. The black dress with lots of colourful embroidery was a bargain! You could never get it at such bargain prices in Penang; in fact I could not find any similar one in Penang with such intricate embroidery on a large scale.
Me posing with our clothes combined together as spread out on our beds in the hotel at Aston Braga, a four-star hotel in Bandung. I am very pleased with the shopping and the trip which lasted 4 days and 3 nights from 27th July to 30th July 2010. We went shopping at Rumah Mode, an upscale shopping centre for tourists, Grande, Glamour, The Heritage, etc.
Very soon, after much shopping and walkig, it was time to go home and we boarded this plane. My sister took the opportunity to snap this photo as we were boarding the plane. Time to say goodbye to Bandung!
