Bandung in 24 Hours (Story 1)

My trip to Bandung

Burangrang Mountain and Flower Farm

I was born in Bandung, and I love Bandung so bad. But, unfortunately, I have not written anything about Bandung in my blog. hmm... 

It's not because I don't have any writing idea about this flower city, but the last time I visited it, which was about 3 years ago, I don't really pay too much attention to its surrounding. in fact, it has some great historical and beautiful nature places.

And, when last week I had a free time, I decided to go to Bandung. I just wanted to come to every place that I used to chill and play. I thought it was a right time for me to visit it.

This moment, I wanted to write and posted about my favorite city, so I tried my best to catch every moment and remembered every step of my trip in Bandung. And, it just popped up in my head that I wanted to write my trip in this city in 24 Hours, so it might have given some important things for people who read my post.

Bandung in 24 Hours

1 p.m. - Leuwi Panjang Bus Station - Bandung
I stepped down the bus in Leuwi Panjang Bus Station at 1 pm. Four hours earlier, I took an Arimbi Bus from Pakupatan Bus Station in Serang, Banten Province. This station was not as crowded as I came to Bandung three years ago.

At that time, the station was clean and well-organized. There were not many people asking me to take their taxis, angkot (public minivan), or ojek (plublic motorcycle). So, I enjoyed myself to stepped out of the bus and looked for a restaurant for having lunch. I went to public toilet first, and it still costed Rp. 2.000. Then, I chose the same Padangnese food restaurant where I had the same lunch at it three years ago.

I sometimes laughed at myself, because I am a Sundanese man who likes a raw vegetable and Sambal Terasi (chilly shrimp paste) as a complement in having meals, but I also love the padangnese food which was famous with its spicy food, Santan (coconut milk), and various cooking spaces.

4. p.m. - Cisarua

Flower Farm Along the street

I actually wanted to stay in a low budget hotel near Bandung city center, so I could come to some tourism places around Bandung easily. However, my sister asked me to stay in her house for some days, or during my holiday in Bandung.

I then came to her house as I planned to stay there for a night. I took an angkot, route Leuwi Panjang - Cimahi, then I continued another angkot route Cimahi - Cisarua. I honestly felt lazy to take this two-hours trip by angkot, because I thought I could visit one or two tourism area around Leuwi panjang bus station before I looked for the Hotel where I would stay. And, if she wanted to meet me, she could come to the Hotel where I stayed in.

But, my sister insisted me to come. I did what she said, and my luckiness came. When the angkot I rode in was beginning to come to Cisarua area, the view of Burangrang Mountain was so amazing, I got beautiful sunset behind the mountain. Unluckily, I didn't get the sunset view picture because I was taking an angkot and it was impossible to ask angkot's driver to stop his car as my intention to take some pictures of the mountain. I actually regretted myself about that. But, that's OK, I may get the view of it in my next visit.

Helikonia Family Guesthouse

The air was so fresh (cold, in fact), and the environment was still clean. So, I enjoyed my angkot trip to my sister's house. What made me surprised was my sister had a guesthouse behind her house, Helikonia Guesthouse. So, if you guys want to stay for some nights in my sister's guesthouse, just call me :).

The family guesthouse was simple. The good point was it was far from hustle and bustle of the big city traffic, so we could stay and relax well. Unfortunately, the air was so cold in the night, just prepare for thick clothes.

Another good point to stay in Helikonia Guesthouse or another hotel/guesthouse in Cisarua, there were lots of flower farm along the street. I was double double lucky to see beautiful sunrise with the mountain view, and  the sun light poured to the beautiful flowers along the street.

Parongpong Angkot Station

In the following morning, I visited Museum of National Education in Jalan Setiabudi. It took about an hour from my sister house. And, What I liked in Cisarua, there were many tourism destinations, too. So, I actually didn't need to leave Cisarua fast, if I wanted to enjoy some tourism places around Cisarua.

Dusun Bambu was lately famous with the uniqueness and traditional view and environment. So is Curug Cimahi (Cimahi Waterfall). And, they were just less than 30 minutes from my sister house by taking an angkot. Another natural place was Natural Hill Cisarua. You won't believe it,  It was less than a kilometer from my sister's house. Jogging to this hill would be the best option.

Because I planned to go to Ciwalk (Cihampelas Walk Mall) and Gramedia bookstore, so I took an angkot route Cisarua-Parongpong. The fare costed Rp. 5.000. It was so cheap with the beautiful view along the street. Cisarua angkot was, I thought, still old-fashioned, because passenger door of the angkot was positioned in the back of the body car. It was so rarely now to see this kind of angkot.

I bought a glass of coffee as soon as possible after I got off the angkot in Parongpong Angkot Station. I really enjoyed riding the angkot,with the sunrise view of Burangrang Mountain.  I never turned on my head from it, however I could not handle myself from the cold air of Cisarua area. So, the glass of coffee and cigarettes warmed me while I waited for another angkot I must have taken.

Fyi: I needed to wait about 30 minutes to make the angkot route Parongpong-Ledeng  full of passenger, then it would go to my next destination, Ledeng Bust Station.

8.30 a.m. - National Education Museum

National Education Museum was a new museum in Bandung. I actually was surprised to see it, because I didn't know before about this museum. The museum was just 10 minutes from the Ledeng Bus Station by foot, and it is in area of Educational University of Indonesia.

It was not my plan to visit it, because I planned to go to Ciwalk (Cihampelas Walk) Mall and Gramedia bookstore.  But, when I saw the new huge building from where I stood,, I so decided to visit it first.

I caught up with the name of the museum, National Education. I obviously knew that it would be about education history. And, True. It show lots of museum objects related to education. But, the interesting things were, the combination of modern devices and old objects that were still well-maintained, plus the amazing completeness of the educational Indonesia History.

Museum of National Education was announced officially on 25 November 2015. The announcement was on the same day with National Teacher Day. There were four floors in this museum which showed different history explanation. On the first Floor, I saw the education in a pre-historic period, Religion-base education, education in a Japanese Period, and education in an independent period.

Next, on the second floor, I saw an Indonesian Education in a reformation period. I saw and learned many History of Indonesian teacher and National Education Figures. Then, on the third floor, I was interested with the History of Education in West Java from 1920 - 1961. I was surprised to the old books that I ever had and used when I was in elementary school some years ago. The last floor, there were so many interesting modern devices and learning media that I, and visitors, could use to learn.

What I was also amazed and interested me was a Photo collection of Indonesian Minister of Education from 1945 to present. Ki Hadjar Dewantara who was the first Indonesian Minister of Teaching.

Next Post :) ...

10.40 a.m. - CiWalk (Cihampelas Walk) Mall