Here’s how to travel luxuriously in Bandung for 4 days under $295

Cheap shopping, good food, and a cooler climate – don’t we all sometimes dream of getting away from Singapore and its sweltering heat to a place that has all this? And guess what? It’s available right here in Southeast Asia.

Bandung, Indonesia’s third largest city, is quickly rising to be the “It” choice for people who want to have a short getaway. It may only be a mere 1 hour and 40 minutes away from our sunny island, but with an average temperature of 23.6°C, the weather here is definitely more ideal for a relaxing day out (generally in hilly areas of Bandung, or at night, it can get pretty chilly.

Imagine just like going up to Cameron Highlands – but in the city areas in the daytime, it can get as hot as Singapore).

As a former Dutch colony, this scenic city (it’s surrounded by volcanic mountains!) also features an array of beautiful Dutch-inspired buildings. Bandung is also known for a wide variety of quirky and affordable cafes, as well as some dirt-cheap shopping available at its factory outlets.

Yes, it means what you think it means – in Bandung, you can basically live like a king without burning out this month’s paycheck.

Itching to grab your passport already? Hold on, for we’re about to make your life a lot easier. Read on for a step-by-step guide on how to have a smashing time in Bandung for 4 days and 3 nights!

1) Things to do in Bandung: Shop, Play and Explore

Of course, before you’ll think of planning anything, the most important question is – what can you do in Bandung?

Never let it be said that Bandung is boring, for there are just too many things to do. Four days isn’t all that sufficient to truly experience the whole of Bandung, but here are a few things that you definitely have to try.

1-1:  Conquer the theme parks: Dusun Bambu, Trans Studio

From little kids to adventure seekers who are young at heart, who could miss checking out Bandung’s amusement parks? (We’re all a little tired of Universal Studios Singapore already at this point).

Families will enjoy unique activities such as hot air balloon riding and canoeing at the Dusun Bambu Family Leisure Park.

Dine in a bird cage!

Photos via Mindy Pauline, thebestinforeview

While the thrill ride seekers can mark another roller coaster off their list at Trans Studio, which features the Yamaha Racing Coaster, one of Asia’s fastest coasters at 120km/h.

1-2 Enjoy farm life: De’Ranch

Always wanted to be cowboy? Well, you’ll now get to (pretend to) be one at De’Ranch Lembang, a former ranch-turned-hot attraction in Lembang.

Photos via travelinnote

You’ll get to dress up as a cowboy, ride a horse around the premises, and participate in other cowboy-ish activities such as archery, at extra costs. Better yet, you’ll also be able to purchase some fresh meat back to your villa for a scrumptious feast.

1-3: Shop till you drop: Shopping malls and factory outlets

Of course, who can forget the shopping in Bandung, which is one of the reasons why it’s such a popular getaway location?

Shopping in Bandung also happens to be much cheaper than it is in Singapore. A piece of clothing may easily go for as low as IDR 50,000 (~SGD $5.11), so you can throw all your inhibitions away and head for some real retail therapy.

For higher end brands (think Guess, Adidas and above), prices are similar to those in Singapore (and we don’t advise getting high end brand names at a cheap price there as they may not be the authentic versions), but if you’re looking for mid-range brands such as Mango and Zara, you can get them at popular factory outlets like Heritage and Rumah Mode.

Rumah Mode

Photo via: Pixie Image, Liautama

Bandung Factory Outlets: Heritage, Secrets, Grande, Formen

Photo via: lifeislikethat, bandungtrends, varietyzone mrvica

Paris van Java and Cihampelas Walk generally have higher end brands, where the price tags can rival that of in Singapore. But the thing about Paris van Java is that there are mini farms on the rooftop, where you can feed sheep, baby goats, cows and rabbits – yes your kids will love them!

Paris Van Java rooftop farm

Cihampelas Walk

Photo via: Novan Tristan, Cilla

1-4: Explore the mountains and the lakes: Dago Pakar, Lake at Situ Bangedit, Mount Papandayan

Bandung is situated in between volcanic mountains and elevated grounds, so it’s not surprising that it’s also home to many beautiful natural attractions.

If you’re leaving our city-state for a chance to bask in pure nature, there are plenty of choices for you here. Stroll through the scenic Taman Hutan Raya Park and waterfalls in Dago Pakar (click link to see more info on getting there).

‘Tebing Keraton’, a cliff with a stunning view of the pine trees below in Taman Hutan Raya (Photo via: Ricky Martin)

Maribaya waterfall in Dago Pakar (Photo via: pulasinn)

Visit the enchanting white lake – Kawah Putih

Photo via: Nicoline Patricia

Or go on a challenging hike up Mount Papandayan for the sunrise or the dead forest.

Photo via Stenisia, Pratomo Aribowo

Depending on your fitness level, you might not be able to accomplish all four, but whichever you choose, it’ll definitely be a treat for both your body and mind.

Even if none of the activities listed above appeal to you, fret not, there are still plenty of things in Bandung just waiting for you to experience.

From the most tedious of workouts to chill fun that even a homebody can enjoy, all you have to do is just pick from these 32 incredible things to do in Bandung for an extraordinary vacation

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2) Where to eat: Dining in the funkiest cafes in town

After all that exploring and shopping, what comes to mind next? Now come on fellow Singaporeans, hands up who’s a foodie here?

Eating is the most important thing to do when we’re in a foreign country, and thankfully, Bandung has no lack of great restaurants and cafes that serve a wide array of food.

If you’re a hardcore foodie, you might even find yourself spending your day doing nothing but eating.

This city is filled with cafes and restaurants of all themes and sizes, and these are the ones you simply have to check out.

2-1: Dine in a cool cafe: Kampung Daun

Enjoy traditional Indonesian dishes with a twist when you dine at Kampung Daun, a restaurant that sits beside a quiet stream, just like a tiny village of its own. At night, decorative lanterns and candles are lit, lighting the place up with a romantic glow.

Kampung Daun also has its own unique way of presenting food, such as roasted rice in bamboo and drinks in coconut shells.

Sounds cool right? This is just one of the many cool cafes available in Bandung. Believe it or not, there are far quirkier ones out there that will keep both your tummy and eyes satisfied.

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2-2: Dine with stunning views: Warung Daweung

If you appreciate good art and good views, you’re bound to love Warung Daweung, a little food stall perched on top of Moko Hill (Bukit Moko). During sunrise and sunset, the panoramic view of Bandung from your seat is indescribable.

Photos via Wira Nurmansyah

Want to see more of Bandung? Warung Daweung’s not the only place that offers a breathtaking view of the city, here’s 14 restaurants that offer breathtaking views of Bandung.

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2-3: Chill at the best rooftop bars: Belle Vue

Atas food lovers, here’s the perfect choice for you – Belle Vue Rooftop Garden Cafe, located on the fifth floor of GH Universal Hotel, offers not just tasty French and Italian cuisine, but an attas view as well.

Overlooking the hilly landscape of Bandung, this place is the perfect location for a romantic candlelit dinner, or an intimate gathering with friends. Sipping wine while watching the sun set over the mountains? Sounds like a fantasy, but Bandung’s many rooftop bars will be able to give you this unforgettable experience and much more.

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2-4: Find a special themed restaurant: Zombie Cafe Bandung

Why dine at somewhere normal when you can go for the weird instead? Enjoy your food among the undead at this spooky cafe in Braga. Dig into brain cakes, cupcakes with fingers sticking out, and try to keep your wits about you even when you bump into a “zombie”.

If you’re too much of a scaredy cat to try this out, don’t worry. With all the uniquely themed restaurants scattered all over Bandung, there’s bound to be something for you!

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2-5: Kiddy meals are not a horror: Miss Bee Providore

One of the most popular dining establishments in Bandung, Miss Bee Providore provides customers with a homey, garden party experience. You can choose between a wooden country house or a spacious greenhouse building, while younger children will love running about the garden and making friends with the tiny rabbits that live there. There’s also a wide selection of food from Asian to Western to placate the pickiest of eaters.

Photo via @Tesyasblog, Yantie, Liburananak

It’s hard to imagine a place where parents and kids could possibly both be satisfied, but Bandung has plenty of kid-friendly establishments – check them out for yourself.

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2-6: Time for pretty dessert: Toast Cream

Bread isn’t dessert! Or so we thought, until we came across Toast Cream. This tiny shop sells a variety of toast-and-ice-cream-based dessert, bringing savoury and sweet together in a perfect combination.

It doesn’t help that the colourful sprinkles almost make the desserts too pretty to be eaten – remember to immortalize them on Instagram! If you still can’t get enough, here’s 12 places in Bandung with dessert too pretty to be eaten

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3) Where to stay: Tuck yourselves comfortably near food and shopping

Now if all that talk about shopping and eating has gotten you all drooling and starry eyed, and you’re ready to take that short getaway, we’re here at the next step – how you can get the best value-for-money accommodation.

Depending on where you choose to stay, you can get a very different experience. Instead of choosing a typical hotel in the city centre, private hosting website like Airbnb offers various types of choices that will expose you to Bandung life just as like a local.

Better yet, these luxurious listings will ensure that you live like a royal, and just for a small fee. Some of them are also just a stone’s throw away from popular tourist attractions, so if you choose carefully, you might even be able to save on transport as well!

3-1: Setiabudi area

Luxurious holiday villa: Puri 188 (5 bedrooms @ SGD $220 per night – up to 11 pax!)

Perfect for large families, this homey villa can house up to 11 guests in five bedrooms. Shopaholic parents can also satisfy their thirst for deals at the factory outlets nearby!

3-2: Dago area

Hillside retreat: De Reiz Villa (3 bedrooms @ SGD $173 per night – up to 10 pax!)

At this breezy hillside villa, you’ll be able to kick back and relax while admiring the gorgeous night view of the city. That, or you can go wild at factory outlets like Blossom, Heritage, and Secret. And yes, you can also embrace your refined inner self at the Mountain View Golf Course.

Foodie haven: Spring Hill Villa (4 bedrooms @ SGD $266 per night – up to 12 pax!)

Foodies will love exploring the area around this villa, which is filled with popular cafes such as Valley and Congo. Who knows, you might even want to pack some food back to enjoy on the scenic terrace.

The funhouse: Villa Forest Hill (4 bedrooms @ SGD $205 per night – up to 8 pax!)

Food and shopping are both at your fingertips here at this spacious villa – you can choose between enjoying a late brunch at the Valley cafe, busting your wallet at the Dago street shopping area, and even just singing karaoke in the comfort of the villa (yes these equipment are all provided!).

Who says you have to step out to have fun?

3-3: Lembang area

Less is more: Villa with great view (2 bedrooms @ SGD $51 per night – up to 5 pax!)

Located in the midst of vegetable fields in rural Lembang, this villa is great for those who simply wish to relax and have some time to themselves. Sit back with a book, light up the fireplace and enjoy the breeze – sometimes that is enough.

For the daredevils: Rumah Taman Family Guest House (3 bedrooms @ SGD $133 per night – up to 8 pax!)

This pretty little guest house is the place to go to if you’re in Bandung with one goal in mind: to conquer those scary rides! The villa is located close to two popular amusement parks – Dusun Bambu and Kampong Gajah, so feel free to go again and again… until your thrill-seeking heart is satisfied.

4) Planning the trip: Weather, Dos and Don’ts

Food – checked; shopping and sightseeing places – checked; accommodations – checked.

What’s next?

You’ll need to know how the weather in Bandung is like first, so you can go during the right season! We wouldn’t want to be stuck in the middle of an angry downpour while hiking up a volcano, and we know you wouldn’t too.

You’ll need to know how the weather in Bandung is like first, so you can go during the right season! We wouldn’t want to be stuck in the middle of an angry downpour while hiking up a volcano, and we know you wouldn’t too.

Wet season	Dry season
October – March	June – September

Travelling to Bandung during the wet season is considerably less popular because of its many natural attractions, which would become a lot more inaccessible during this period. Also, heavy rainfall may cause floods and even blocked roads that can worsen the traffic conditions, especially during weekends.

Speaking of weekends, try to avoid going during this period as well, for Bandung isn’t only a prime getaway location for foreigners – many Indonesians from Jakarta often drive in for a short staycation during weekends, resulting in some serious traffic congestion. Same goes for public holidays such as Ramadan and Chinese New Year.

So if you don’t want to find yourself rotting away in an unmoving car for two hours or more, try to plan your holiday on normal weekdays instead.

The car just won’t move!

Now that you know the best time to apply for leave, you’ll also have to take note of a few things that can really improve your experience in Bandung.

Here’s a friendly list of reminders on what to do (and not do) while preparing for the trip:

Do’s	Don’ts
Change your currency in Singapore – and make sure you have enough. Avoid bringing extra cash to change in Bandung, as it’s relatively difficult to find a money changer. If you have to, bring an activated credit card. Do note that only bigger shops accept cards though.	Bring too little cash and end up having to watch through the window as your friends try on a shirt or dig into a scrumptious cheese cake.You know your spending habits best.
Bring around an extra piece of clothing, such as a cardigan, as the weather in Bandung can drop to as low as 19°C during the night (after 6pm).	Attempt to be Iceman.
Bring mosquito repellant. A lot of the accommodations in Bandung do not have air-conditioning, as they prefer to capitalize on the naturally cool weather there. However, this may be a problem especially if you are staying in forested areas, where there may be mozzie attacks if you leave your windows open at night.	Offer yourself as tribute to be mozzie food.

5) Getting there: Flying from Singapore

Getting to Bandung is relatively effortless, as many airlines offer direct flights there from Singapore. We’ve sieved out two of the most cost efficient airlines:

• AirAsia: Return trips start from ~SGD $150

• SilkAir: Return trips start from ~SGD $250

Alternatively, you can make use of Skyscanner to check for the latest airline prices. SilkAir and AirAsia also often hold promotions that can save you a lot of money, so be sure to check out the airlines’ websites before you book!

6) Getting around in Bandung: Taxis vs Hired Cars

In Bandung, there are 3 main ways for you to get around: via taxi, Uber or hired car. Unless you’re planning to explore rural areas away from the city, travelling by cab will be sufficient as fares are cheap.

Taxis:

A cab trip from the airport to any hotel in the city will cost about IDR 80,000 (~SGD $8). Most of the taxis in Bandung don’t go by meter, except for Blue Bird (the blue ones).

Here are some useful tips when it comes to riding a taxi in Bandung:

To prevent these potential problems from throwing a wrench into your plans, it’s always good to allocate extra time for travelling, so you won’t miss out on the things you really want to do.

Uber:

However, you won’t always have a choice on which type of taxi you take, as they’re difficult to come by on the streets. In case you really can’t manage to flag a taxi, you can always try using the Uber service, which is available in Bandung as well (avoid this option if your group only consists of girls, for safety reasons).

Hired car:

Or… you can choose to hire a personal driver. It will be much more expensive than taking a cab, but this can potentially save you a lot of time as well. If you’re planning on making a day trip out of the city to scenic rural areas such as Lembang or Garut, hiring a driver is definitely a better choice, as you will probably not be able to grab cabs along the rural village mountain roads.

Car rental is readily available in Bandung, with two popular options being Pak Asep and Mulia Car Rental.

We’ve broken down the estimated transport costs for a typical four-day trip to Bandung:

Taxi cost	Private car cost
– From airport to hotel: IDR 80,000 (~SGD $8) – Getting around: ~IDR 600,000 (~SGD $61.54) Total: IDR 680,000 (~SGD $69.75)	Assuming that you’re planning to go on a day trip to Lembang on one of the days: – 12-hour full day car rental: IDR 450,000 (~SGD $46.16) – Driver’s meal allowance: IDR 20,000 (~SGD $2.05) Total: IDR 470,000 (~SGD $48.21)
Grand Total: IDR 1,150,000 (~SGD $117.96)

7) Final cost breakdown

Assuming that you’re travelling with three other friends (four pax in total) for four days and three nights, here’s the estimated cost breakdown:

Flight tickets	$150 x 4 pax = $600
Accommodation	$51 x 3 nights = $153
Transport	$117.96
Food	$12 x 7 meals x 4 = $336*
Attractions	$86.80**
Shopping	Varies, depending on your own budget

*Assuming expenditure of not more than $12 per meal.
**Assuming you went to all the attractions we listed.

So, in total, you’ll spend… $1,179.06.

Does that sound like a lot? Wait! Keep in mind that this is the budgeting for four people, which would mean that for every person, the cost (excluding shopping) would be only SGD $294.8!

Just remember to add in the amount you wish to spend on shopping!

Nothing’s going to stop you from going on the vacation now, isn’t it?

8) Additional tips for a holiday in Bandung

Now, before you race off to book your air tickets and grab your friends, here are some extra tips to ensure that you have a great time in Bandung:

Tips to surviving enjoying Bandung

• Watch out for pickpockets.

• Don’t wear flashy accessories/clothes, and don’t flash your money in public.

• Stick to taxis and hired cars rather than angkutats (locals travel around in the latter, but they are very dangerous for tourists – you risk getting pickpocketed).

• Avoid street peddlers.

• Don’t spend all your money – you need IDR 75,000 for airport tax (per person).

• You might bump into motorcycle gangs if you walk around late at night, so if you’re a bunch of girls, it’s best to get back to your accommodation early.

• Stay away from places that look shady. Your intuition is right.

Now we’ve shared all the useful tips we have – as long as you keep alert and take care of your belongings (like you would when you travel to any other foreign country – nowhere is as safe as Singapore), you’ll be fine.

And of course, have lots of fun and remember to bring along an extra hand carry, just in case you shop more than you imagined you would!

Are there any more tips on travelling to Bandung you’d like to share? Let us know!

This story is made possible by Airbnb.

PLEASE NOTE: All the above information is correct at the date of publication. If you come across any changes or updates, please let us know and we will update the information accordingly. Thank you! Tell us

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