Monday, June 1, 2009

Another Visit to Bandung....West Java

It’s been a while after my last visit to Bandung. I could barely remember when my last visit was before this one, but I’m pretty sure it was more than 2-3 years back.

This time, the visit is done in order to accomplish a certification in Java Technology, called Sun Certified Java Programmer 6.0 or SCJP6 for short. For that purpose, I have to pass the SCJP exam administered by any Prometric Test Centers I could find, and then after comparing all available test centers in Indonesia and considering everything like accommodations and transports expenses, eventually I chose a test center located in Bandung, BeLogix Training Solution, you can visit them at
www.belogix.com. The rumor says they are the best IT Training Center in Bandung.

This post isn’t talking about my experience on finishing the exam rather it’s about my experience when I spend few days at Bandung, one of the most famous city in Indonesia which I'm quite familiar with. However, I have posted the experience topic starting from the preparation period until I successfully finish it and get certified. You can read it here.

For a place to stay, I decided to go to Wisma Wirabuana and I found out that the motel was very cozy and it came with a very affordable rate, very suitable for a backpacker like me with a very thin wallet….:)... I have too reviewed this motel, read it here to find out more about it.


BIP Mall and The “Angkot”

Before I departed, I have made a list of places to go while I’m at Bandung which I will do, of course, after I’ve taken the exam. They are BIP mall, Paris Van Java mall, The Zoo, and finally the wholesale market called by locals as “Pasar Baru”. So right after finishing the exam, there is nothing more to wait for. It is definitely the time for some deserved funs after approximately 4 months of preparation…!! I got a good score after all….so there's no reason to stay put….the first target is BIP mall, located at Merdeka street, one of the most favorite mall in Bandung. There I directly go to 21 Theatre looking for a good movie. I couldn’t remember though what movie I watched at that time…sorry…

ow..almost forgot…I took the city minibus to go to the BIP mall from the test center…….

The city minibus (locals call it “angkot”) is still the most effective-affordable transport within the city. I observed that their route trip wasn’t changed after these years, only the cost has been adjusted a bit, IDR 1,000 for a short distance and IDR 2,000-5,000 for a medium to long distance, but it’s still the most appropriate city-transport most people can get, especially for a backpacker. But, however, it might not make some people feel comfortable, specifically when you are at a tight schedule, as the minibus will occupy a lot of time to make sure their bus full of passengers.

Here are some snapshots:


in front of BIP mall




Inside BIP mall





a typical city-minibus (in green-red)


The Zoo

Next day morning I went to the zoo, by taking another “angkot”. It’s located at Taman Sari Street, right next to the famous Institute Technology of Bandung (ITB), a leading institute in Indonesia.

Lucky for me, it was Sunday, so there would be a lot of people going to the zoo, you can get bored immediately when there is only five people at the zoo…you know..as it usually is on weekdays. And that’s right, hundreds of people already made a long line for a ticket by the time I arrived at the zoo. I saw a lot of elementary students guided by their teacher gathering around to listen whatever the instruction their teacher gave. There were too a group of India guys, approximately at my age, talking and laughing with their unique English accent, looks like they were on an extremely distant vacation.

There is no major change inside the zoo after my last visit years ago. It was designed so beautiful inside that you could feel like you are in the middle of a small forest surrounded by several giant trees. And yet I could still smell, just like my last visit, some animal feces transferred wirelessly :).... through the air in almost every part of the zoo. Is that a normal thing that happens to every zoo? I don’t know……tell me your zoo experience.. So the design was good, but the smell wasn’t.

The following are a few snapshots:

Zoo Entry Point


Elementary students lined up under instructions


A lot of giant trees inside the Zoo


what a brave little girl...


cheer up while riding a camel


Paris Van Java Mall

2 hours later, I turned to another destination, the mall of Paris Van Java.

Definitely this is the biggest and the newest mall in Bandung at the moment. It was opened like 5 or 6 years ago and was located at Sukajadi Street. Its design was like a complex of counters standing side by side across the mall area. It wasn’t a high building, rather it was built in horizontal fashion, and thus consuming a large space. Only the Cinema XXI who has 3 stories…and it’s a really cool theatre.

I didn’t spend too much time here, as I need to go to the next destination.

Here are the snapshots inside the mall area


“Pasar Baru”

As I mentioned before, Pasar Baru is the local wholesale market. Unlike BIP and Paris Van Java, Pasar Baru is a more traditional market intended for wholesaling mostly on fashion for any age. It has like 5 stories each of which is like a zone in which, except the highest story, a specific fashion product is traded. For example, the 2nd basement is intended only for bag retailing, which is exactly the floor that I wanted to go and look around to purchase some school bags. The highest story is allocated for Food Court.

Since it’s a wholesale market, the price is very low for every product. You can buy a product to consume for yourself or to resell it to the end-customer. Despite of the fact that almost the products are local product, and thus that, one of many factors, makes the price is very low, people of all economy level still prefer to shop at Pasar Baru.

Some snapshots:


the building of "Pasar Baru" taken from the tower of Great Mosque of Bandung



One of Pasar Baru entry point



A wholesaler store for school bags



A wholesaler store for women's bags



Another Shots


Pedicabs….not too far from the Great Mosque of Bandung…you can see the mosque tower..


2 local girls having a chat



Many tempting discounts offered


At the veranda of the Great Mosque of Bandung


Bandung from the tower of the Great Mosque of Bandung


Another side of the city from the same tower


feeling hungry...? Bandung is the right place for culinaire experience

2 comments:

baRly said...

nice Bandung.. I believe that I can improve my Sunda by join chatting with '2 local girls'..

Unknown said...

haha....i'm sure of that Bay....you always feel confident whenever you're near girls....