Bandung Weekend: Food and Shopping

3.5 hours from Jakarta lies a shopaholic’s haven – Bandung, the capital of West Java, Indonesia. Also known as The Paris of Java (Parijs van Java) during the Dutch colonial times, this city is now a popular weekend destination not just for the city dwellers but for Malaysians and Singaporeans as well. It is also the first stop of our Trip of Wonders in Wonderful Indonesia.




READ: BANDUNG WEEKEND: ARTS AND CULTURE

Aside from arts and culture, we were also able to sample a few of Bandung’s theme parks, Instagrammable restaurants, cafes, and popular shopping destinations.

Armor Kopi

For our first stop in our second day in Bandung, we were greeted by the smell of freshly brewed coffee and the chilly climate. A popular cafe located inside a national forest park, Armor Kopi is a coffee shop serious about their coffee. You’ll find no big-ass coffee machines here, however. The baristas here use the pour over and immersion brewing methods – from the V60, Flat bottom, Aeropress, Moka Pot, Ibrik, Tubruk and the Vietnam Drip.

Coffee enthusiasts can choose between Arabica, Robusta, and Liberica coffee beans. Or choose from the single origin coffee all around Indonesia or their special coffee: Luwak East Java, Luwak Robusta, and Luwak Liberica. Kopi Luwak (Civet Coffee) is indeed the famous fermented and partly digested coffee beans harvested from the poop of the wild civet.

After choosing your beans and preferred method, the beans are freshly ground by the baristas depending on the coarseness required. With the open preparation area, the customers are given a view of the whole coffee process – from beans to liquid gold.

Armor Kopi also has a selection for tea lovers: Green Tea, Oolong Tea, Black Tea, Honey Milk Tea, Cascarra, and their premium Silver Needle Tea. They also offer snacks to go along with coffee and tea, and we sampled two of them: Pisang Goreng (Pishang Gowreng) and Cireng (Cyirweng rujak sauyunan).

The Pisang Goreng had my vote and was a good pairing with the bitter coffee especially with the shredded cheese sprinkled above it. The gooey and bland Cireng was a bit oily for my liking and the dipping sauce is spicy for me.

The whole area reminds me of Baguio with its towering trees, cool climate, and restaurants. It can get crowded especially on the weekends.

Armor Kopi 

Main Parking Lot, Taman Hutan Raya IR. H. Djuanda, Jalan Pakar Barat No.99, Taman Hutan Raya Ir. H. Djuanda, Ciburial, Cimenyan, Bandung, Jawa Barat 40135

Operating hours: 0900H – 2100H

Other coffee shops in Bandung you have to check out: 

• Kalpa Tree Cafe – Jl. Kiputih No.37, Ciumbuleuit, Cidadap, Bandung, West Java 40142
• One Eighty Coffee – Jl. Ganesha No. 3 Bandung 40132
• Noah’s Barn Coffeenery – Jl. Garuda No.39, Dungus Cariang, Andir, Kota Bandung, Jawa Barat 40184, Indonesia
• Two Hands Full – Jl. Sukajadi no. 198A | Ray White Building, Bandung 40161, Indonesia

Dusun Bambu Family Leisure Park

Located at M. Burangrang’s feet is an eco-resort that caters to everyone, not just families. You can take a shuttle ride to get to the central area but we opted to walk among the bamboo and paddy fields. It was very picturesque indeed!

You can choose to dine in Cafe Burangrang, a food court, by the huts along the river, or inside a bird cage. Of course, the latter two options are the most popular and you must be patient to queue for a spot.

There is also a wide variety of activities that you can do inside the massive resort. From archery, dart, strawberry picking, paintball, and canoeing among many others. Visitors can also opt to stay the night in a wooden cottage or in a tent.

Dusun Bambu Family Leisure Park

Kolonel Masturi KM 11, Cisarua, Bandung Barat, Indonesia

Other nature parks you can visit in Bandung:

• The Lodge Maribaya – Jl. Maribaya Timur Km. 6 Kampung, Kosambi, Cibodas Lembang, Bandung Barat. Jawa Barat Indonesia

Klook.com

Shopping in Bandung

Bandung has become a shopper’s haven because of the many textile factories that can be found in the city. This resulted to factory outlets (FOs), distros (distribution outlets), malls, and textile markets that shopaholics aim for. We were able to check out Paris van Java mall, a few distros, and Rumah Mode.

The clothes sold in the factory outlets carry international brand names but are most likely the rejects, so do take care in inspecting before you make your purchase. Watch out for fakes too. You’ll also find affordable leather goods that are also made in Bandung.

Paris Van Java Mall

Jl. Sukajadi No. 131 – 139, Kota Bandung, Jawa Barat 40162, Indonesia

Rumah Mode Factory Outlet

Jl. Setiabudhi, Pasteur, Sukajadi, Kota Bandung, Jawa Barat 40141, Indonesia

Quick Travel Guide to Bandung, Indonesia

How to get to Bandung, Indonesia:

• Plane – You can fly to Bandung’s Husein Sastranegara International Airport via the following carriers: Garuda Indonesia, Air Asia, Lion Air, Silk Air, Wings Air
• Train – We took the KA Argo Parahyangan train from Jakarta’s Gambir station to Bandung (travel time: 3.5 hrs). But there are other train options you can take, from air-conditioned to non-airconditioned ones. Be sure to get a seat by the window!
• Bus – You can easily get express or non-stop buses to Bandung from Jakarta. There are also shuttle bus or minivan options
• Car – Bandung is only around 2 hours drive from Jakarta. But on weekends, be prepared for the traffic.

How to get around Bandung, Indonesia:

There are different options to get around Bandung but some of them are hard to understand like the Angkot. If you’re going to go for taxis, take Bluebird taxi. You can also use Grab or Go-Jek.

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WATCH OUR DAY 2 BANDUNG HIGHLIGHTS:

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Disclaimer: Bandung is the first stop of Trip of Wonders. Special thanks to the Ministry of Tourism of Indonesia for the Wonderful Indonesia experience. As always, all opinions and biases are my own.

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Are you a foodie or a shopaholic? Have you been to Bandung yet?

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