was once known as "The Paris of Java" because of its tree lined boulevards and artistic influences. The city gained international fame in 1955 as the venue for the first Afro-Asian Conference which brought together the leaders of 29 Asian and African Nations with the aim of promoting economic and cultural relations and taking a common stand against colonialism.
The Province has a great number of attractions, from the wildlife reserve of Ujung Kulon on the south- western tip of Java and the isolated communities of the mysterious Baduy to the unspoiled beaches, the royal palaces of Cirebon and the world renowned botanical garden in Bogor.
The road from Jakarta to Bandung passes through a beautiful panorama of mountains, paddyfields and small holiday resorts. An expressway connects the crowded capital city with Bogor and the mountain areas, and onward to Bandung.
It has a number of sea resorts on its western and southern coasts which have modern hotels and are popular during the weekends. The Sundanese people are soft-spoken. The women of the Bandung region are known for their beauty. A lighthearted people who have a love for bright colors, their mournful "kecapi" music is memory of beautiful legends.
GETTING THERE:
Domestic airlines serve to Bandung everyday. Buses from Central Java and
Jakarta arrived in Leuwi Panjang. Several trains operate from Jakarta and Yogya to Bandung.
PLACES OF INTEREST
Bandung is the capital of West Java. It is situated at 768 meters above sea level and about 180 kms southeast of Jakarta and is called “The Paris of Java” because of its tree-lined boulevards and artistic influences. Bandung offers great promise for shoppers. A wide variety of places from the exuberant atmosphere of shopping blocks along alleyways or second markets which often temp you with things that western style air conditioned-departement stores, modern shopping stores and factory outlets. 3 hours drive from Jakarta, on the way to Bandung through a beautiful mountain landscape Puncak Pass, Lembang and the Bosscha Planet Observatory, or even higher to the volcanic crater of Tangkuban Perahu, the only ‘drive-up’ volcano on the island! Visit the nearby Ciater Hot Springs Resort for a swim in warm mineral water pools, Patengan lake in the shouth which covered tea plantation, Kawah Putih (white crater) near the town of Ciwidey, about one hour’s drive south from Bandung.
Bogor actually lies closer to Jakarta (50 km) than it does to Bandung (120 km). Appropriately named by the Dutch as a town ‘without worries’, Bogor was chosen as the first palace of the Dutch Governor 1745. Restored in 1832, the palace sits elegantly amidst gardens and expansive lawns where deer roam freely under majestic old trees. The world-famous Bogor Botanical Garden borders the Palace Grounds, covering an area of 87 hectares with thousands of species of plant life from all over the world, including
towering ancient trees and world’s largest flower, the Rafflesia. There are over 15,000 species of trees and plants, 400 varieties of palms. The orchid houses contain over 3000 orchid varieties.
Pangandaran is one of Java’s best-kept secrets as far as international tourists are concerned, but has been extremely popular with locals for a long, long time. A small fishing town, it possesses one of Java’s finest beaches and the Pangandaran Nature Reserve teems with wild buffalo, barking deer and monkeys. It can be reached by bus about 5 hours from Bandung and 8 hours
from Jakarta.
Garut. A characteristic Sundanese town in the highlands, Garut is surrounded by volcanic mountains and vast tree plantations. The hot springs resort at Cipanas has comfortable accomodations. Nearby Mt. Papandayan’s crater is probably one of the most spectacular mountains scenes on Java. The Cangkuang temple was the first of its kind found in West Java, dating back to the 8th centuries.
For more places of interest, please visit
http://www.my-indonesia.info/page.php?ic=1122&prov=13
http://www.westjava-indonesia.com
TOURIST OFFICE:
West Java Provincial Tourist Office
Jl. R.E. Martadinata No.209,
Bandung 40114
Phone. (022) 7271385, 7273209
Fax. (022) 7271385 Website: http://www.westjava-indonesia.com |
