Monday, September 7, 2015

Bandung Overview

The capital of the West Java Province of Indonesia, Bandung is the third largest city and the second largest metropolitan of the country. Known for its beautiful Dutch architecture, Bandung was nicknamed as the Paris of Java by the Dutch because of its resemblance to Paris during the colonial times Bandung has several Masaajid; the main Masjid is the Masjid
Raya Bandung, which was formerly known as the Grand Mosque. It is located in the center of the city and has prayer facilities for women too. The Jumu'ah Salaath is held around 12:15PM and the sermon is delivered in the local dialect. There are some Halal restaurants which are certified, however most restaurants do not carry the certification but claim to serve Halal food. It is better to ask the staff before dining if travelers have any doubts. Some of the Halal restaurants include Pagoda Restaurant, 499 Restaurant, Ma Uneh Restaurant and the Raja Melayu Restaurant.
It is better for travelers to hire a taxi or take a car rental to go around the city. Bandung is an architectural marvel; there are several buildings built in the late 18th and early 19th century in the art-deco style. Some of these historic buildings that travelers can visit include Villa Isola, Gedung Merdeka, Gedung Sate, ITB West and East Hall, Cipaganti Masjid, Grand Hotel Preanger and the Savoy Homann Hotel.
The Bosscha Observatorium, which is the only observatory in Indonesia, is an interesting place to visit. However visitors need to make a reservation 1 month prior to their visit.
Museums that travelers will love to visit include Geological Museum, Sri Baduga Maharaja Museum, Mandala Wangsit Siliwangi Museum and the Pos dan Giro Museum. The Saung Angklung Udjo is another interesting place. Also visit the Alun-alun Bandung/City Square and the Bandung Zoo. When in Bandung visitors should plan a trip to, Lembang located towards the north. The Bosscha Observatorium lies on the way to Lembang and travelers can drive all the way to Mt. Tangkuban Perahu where they can observe some volcanic craters. Further travelers can go to the Sari Ater, which is a hot spring complex and also has recreational parks and health spas. The Juanda Forest Park and the Punclut-Lembang Hiking trail are also exciting places to visit. Bandung is a shopper's paradise and many people from Jakarta travel to Bandung for shopping. There are several factory outlets in the city where visitors can get clothes, shoes and electronics for cheap. Some of the malls in the city include Cihampelas Walk, Bandung Electronic Center, Braga City Walk, Paris Van Java Mall, Plaza Cimahi, Plaza Dago and Bandung Supermall. The area around Alun-alun is filled with shopping malls.


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