Bandung, Indonesia . . . An Unforgettable Mountain Retreat

Tags

Bandung, Coffee, Indonesia, Jakarta, Kampung Daun, The Lammars

 

Me.

Bandung, Indonesia, is the main city of West Java Province. It’s about 150 km from Jakarta. Tia, my Indonesian friend, suggested we go to Bandung for a few days . . . A perfect suggestion, as this mountain retreat is undeniably a wonderful place to chill out from the chaos of Jakarta. Bandung is part of Lembang county (within the Bandung Regency). The city is surrounded by mountains, with Tangkuban Perahu mountain being the main tourist attraction. In fact, the cost is extremely high for foreign tourists to visit – $25 per person versus $2.50 for an Indonesian. Yikes! Bandung is mostly a “get-a-way” for Indonesians escaping Jakarta for the weekend, and consequently, this mountain was especially crowded. The line of cars and buses stretched for almost a mile . . . In any event, Tia and I decided not to visit this mountain park – other then the outskirts beyond the pay booth – due mostly to the park being so crowded and the entrance fee. 

Kampung Daun Village.

However, we did go to a place called the “Leaf Village” (Kampung Daun), which I suspect was a much, much better choice then the aforementioned mountain we skipped. Kampung Daun is a great place to wander around and shop, as well as eat lunch or dinner. The primary attraction is a restaurant unlike any other restaurant I have EVER been to. It is unique in so many ways. Specifically, each “table” is situated in a large, open air cabana, with low level (ground) cushioned seating and table, excellent service, punctuated by the fact that the restaurant is literally on an acre of land. I believe they have multiple kitchens to ensure service is first rate and timely. The dining experience is one you will certainly never forget, as you are surrounded by lush, tropical mountain rain forest, with numerous streams and waterfalls. Frankly, I have never been to a restaurant like this. Equally important, the Indonesian food was delicious (albeit, expensive)! The following photos illustrate what I am talking about (some are without caption):

Stream that meanders throughout the “Leaf Village.”

One of many bridges.

Our cabana. This is a typical ground level dining cabana. Some are elevated (tree house). Wake up Tia, lunch is about to be served.

The waiters earn their pay. I was truly amazed at how many dishes they carried back and forth to the various tables, especially when they had to go “uphill.” Wow!

One of many small waterfalls and pools (notice the candles in the paper bags?).

Tia and I.

Fish and my big foot.

Round-a-bout leading to the village.

Path entrance to the village.

Stairs leading to a dining cabana.

The concrete pathways all have imprints of leafs and other natural elements from the forest. Quite nice.

A dining cabana.

Each dining cabana has a stick and chime to get service. For shit and giggles, I tested it. JUST KIDDING! Not that cruel . . . hehehe

No one around to give me a ride.

We also had dinner at The Peak and that was quite enjoyable as well. However, I didn’t take any photos of it. I did take a few photos of a luxurious spa we went to – The Lammars Spa. Undoubtedly, one of the best massages I have ever had. I think Tia and I had the 90 minute “Signature Massage.” This massage is based on traditional massage using pressure points and stretching techniques combined with Lomi-lomi and Tuina massage to reduce stress and muscle aches and to stimulate the body’s lymphatic. It is a treatment that will make you feel relaxed, calm and fresh again. If you are ever in Bandung and want a first class massage, you should contact them:

http://www.thelammars.com

These photos, along with some other photos I took of Bandung, are below. Enjoy!

Entrance to spa.

Prior to the massage, your feet are washed in this area. They call this the Thallaso Foot Ritual.

Upstairs to the massage rooms.

In the spa reception area, they had these “queen and king” size chairs. After your massage, you do feel a bit like royalty. Hehehe . . .

No idea what Tia is surprised about, but I liked the photo. LOL.

I am not certain what is being grown here? These are probably flower bushes. Bandung grows a lot of flowers, along with strawberries. Also, dry rice (known as Ladang in Indonesia).

This is a tea plantation. I don’t know much about tea, but let me tell you about Indonesia’s coffee industry . . . Indonesia is the fourth largest producer of coffee in the world. Coffee in Indonesia began with its colonial history, and has played an important part in the growth of the country. Indonesia is located within an ideal geography for coffee plantations. The longitude and latitude of the country means that the island origins are all well suited micro-climates for the growth and production of coffee. Indonesia produced 420,000 metric tons of coffee in 2007. Of this total, 271,000 tons were exported and 148,000 tons were consumed domestically. Of the exports, 25% are arabica beans; the balance is robusta. In general, Indonesia’s arabica coffees have low acidity and strong body, which makes them ideal for blending with higher acidity coffees from Central America and East Africa. Most important fact about Steven? He loves his coffee . . . and this is the motherlode of excellent coffee!

Traffic is miniscule compared to Jakarta’s hustle and bustle.

Amazing what they can load on a motorcycle. I have seen pigs (alive), televisions, rebar and other construction materials, 4 passengers, computers, etc., loaded on the back of one. I’m still awestruck when I see what 2 wheels can support (besides the driver).

Forest.

Relaxing drive through the Bandung mountain area.