bandung

Bandung needs no introduction.. Culinary, shopping & sightseeing were the main attractions. If you do internet search on factory outlet , you will eventually come across to Bandung , thanks to rave online reviews that it has received from its loyal patron.. So, why i choose Bandung instead of thousands other destination in this world? 1st, it's situated in South East Asia, just nearby Malaysia, so the language doesnt differ much (although they converse in Bahasa Indonesia, it's still understandable!).. So, it's a shame if i never set my feet there.. 2nd, its Rupiah currency vs RM allow me to kill 2 bird with one stone, shopping while enjoying the nature it has to offer.. Having experiencing shopping spree in Vietnam, why not consider shopping in my itinerary? 3rd, it's accessible via Jakarta. Jakarta was the capital of Indonesia, so, i can proudly say that i used to go to MONAS at the capital city of Indonesia. What to shop depend on your favourite. For me, i consider kain sulam first (i know Bukittinggi offer more kain sulam but hey, i'm more attracted to inactive volcano & highland of Bandung with strawberry farm & tea plantation more than shopping alone ).. Different shops/outlwts have different design & pattern, so it's best for you to grab the pattern that you like straight away.. I leave some spaces for Jakarta's kain sulam but there were limited choice for me ( i dont know if i went to wrong location but not much choice at Pasar Baru Jakarta, Tanah Abang, IT Mangga dua(the section for kain sulam closed that day) & few other places) The lists continue with 1) telekung solat- Telekung travel is cheaper here(light & isnt bulky, helpful to reduce a kilogram or few gram in your luggage while teravelling here & there) For ordinary telekung, sulam dominated most of the pattern, some even have bag for that telekung & some contain sejadah.. The same item was expensive in Malaysia ( expensive is subjective ) 2) perfume - i'm not a fan of branded perfume but here in Bandung, you can request any smell that you want, just name your favourite perfume brand, be it Lancome, Christian Dior, Anna Sui, Hugo Boss or any brand that you like, chance are, they'l be ready in just few mibutes!(if the queue isnt long).. The extra feature that i like most is, i can request for alcohol free perfume! Although they are colourless ( the coloured one usually contain alcohol- that was what the boss at In Parfum told me) & the price tag for alcohol free perfume doubled than normal price (the price doubled because they use more concentrated essence & skip the alcohol diluent), believe me, it's worth it. In fact, i cant differentiate the original brand with the fake one. The smell of my perfume lasted for 1 - 2 days & i love it! If you bring along your original container, no one will say that you use imitation!( oh, exception for those yang brand conscious, maybe this cheaper alternative doesnt suit you!) 3) jeans Tailor-made jeans are widely available here.. as for me, i made few items, including peplum & overall(being a copycat, 100% copy the idea of my friend).. i can choose the material & the design. For the peplum, i googled the design & choose one & gave the picture to the staff & i'm satisfied with the outcome. Even my mother & my friend's mother complimented that my choices were good (not fit & design ok).. However, that was the result of fitting, alter, fitting & alter again.. the reason? the owner was a chinese, & usually, the Chinese love the design that fit your body perfectly ( showing every curves that you have) & when she measure, she use that 'fit' measuring & note 'lebih longgar'.. However, that lebih longgar wasnt loose at all, so need to alter it.. Both my friend & i said add 2 inches but 2 inches in Indonesia means 2 cm & that 2 cm doesnt make any difference.. & that call for 2nd alteration! The best solution here is to give 2-3 daus extra time so that if you need alteration, you still had plenty of times to wait.. Bring along the sample for measuring purpose if you dont believe their measuring skills! 4) Factory outlets' items like branded clothes/ trousers/children attire/ leather products, shoes, bags & the leist continue.. 5) Souvenirs - Fridge Magnet & keychain are cheaper in Bandung than Jakarta. For those who love to collect FM as a proof that you had once being there, it's advisable to buy it in Bandung because it contained Jakarta's FM as well . For nature, i want: 1) volcano & the breathtaking scenery along the journey to the volcano Kawah Putih located in the suburb of Ciwidey.. The journey to Ciwidey was a pleasant one, woth its natural bauties / well preserved nature.. The sight of tea plantation areas, strawberry farm, horse with carriers ( i dont know what's the name but it's common in the outskirts of Ciwidey.. Bajaj(bajai?) & angkut were available in the town but not in the village) .