a month in Bandung, Indonesia

Hot springs and volcanos, near the tea plantation Called Sari Ater Resort. Be sure to go at night, after 9 pm, in order to avoid crowds.

Quick Tips:

Bring along a pocket phrase book,of the Indonesian language. A good one is published by Rough Guides Ltd.titled: Indonesian, A Rough Giude Phrasebook. Bring a good wide spectrum antibiotic too, because traveler's sickness is common and preventable. Also, buy a decent map, nobody in Bandung speaks english, not a bit, so know where you are at all times. Go to the Bandung Zoo. It has the best monkeys in the world. It is reallty simple and fun. No hot dogs for the kids so pack a lunch with you if your bringing a family along. You will really need to watch out for the monkeys, they can get really close to the visitors. There is a man at the zoo who sells wonderful handmade folk art aminals. He paints them and carves them from wood. They are about 7000 rupia each-.00 and totally cool.

Best Way To Get Around:

The absolutely best way to get around is a vehicle with a hired driver. You can hire drivers cheaply. It is very difficult to drive in Bandung and in Jakarta. I would always hire a drivers who is trustworthy. Then head for the volcanoes and Hot springs, just 20 minutes from Bandung. You can take the public transportation, too. They are little vans called ankots, they are cheap and fun, but a little stinky.

We stayed in a small but really comfortable home. We slept on the floor with our son in a portable crib. We spent most evenings outside on the tile patio, sipping wine and relaxing.

We ate in a really great Thai resteraunt in downtown Bandung. You can order cocktails and a meal. The food was absolutely fantastic with a very clean, nice atsmosphere. Skip the mall in downtown Bandung. It is dirty and not very interesting, with crapy food and a McDonalds. Very crowded.

While in Bandung we traveled North to the hot springs. These were like giant pools full of really hot water. One could order food, though not great. Near the hot springs was a rather large, beautiful tea plantation. Worth touring!! On the way up to the tea plantation, you will see some people selling food along the main street. Do yourself a favor - stop and get some roasted corn on the cob. It is an awsome experience. The corn is soaked in sombal and super sweet. Make sure to bring a sweater and coat, as it gets cold at the tea plantation and hot springs at night. You can get a room and spa services at the hotsprings too. They are pretty nice.