THE ABC OF BANDUNG: Aroma Coffee, Batagor & Ciwalk!

By: Andri Suryo

Get ready to explore one of Indonesia’s most bustling cities: Bandung! Bandung is the capital city of west Java, the Indonesian answer to Paris or as we like to call it ‘Parijs Van Java!’

Bandung is not the most tourist friendly city out there, as public transport is hard to figure out and information and facilities are haphazard to say the least. Yet, there is plenty to explore. If you're in Bandung for just a day, nothing beats these fundamental principles of Bandung, THE ABC OF BANDUNG!

The Call of Modern Living

By: Emma Kwee

A man with a strong resemblance to Elton John strokes the hair of his son, while his other kid sits on a bicycle wearing a protective helmet (a dead giveaway that this is not a real life scene). The house is an ultra modern minimalist building with two floors. It has 4 bedrooms, a pond and an open air dining space. It is one of 22 similar houses, in a tree lined street. There is no traffic, no kaki lima's, no trash on the street. Another couple walks hand in hand toward the horizon.

Such is life, or so will life be, in Kota Baru Parahyangan, near Bandung."

On the backside of the brochure, the facilities of this new town to be a listed: a hospital, international school, Islamic school, Western language academy, mosque, hotel, bicycle lanes, fire department, shuttle bus service, a sundial and a 4D theater will be ready to complete this oasis of modern living.

Beyond Bandung: Hot Springs, Strawberries & Volcanoes

By: Andri Suryo

Bandung has so much more to offer than just food and shopping. Discovering all its nooks and crannies can't be done in a day, a month or even a year! Now that you have learned the ABC’s of Bandung from my previous article, it time for you to digest the latest NEWS of Bandung: the essential path for you to explore the attractions that Bandung has to offer in all directions; North East West and South!

North of Bandung

The northern part of Bandung is still the most favorable area for tourists. Mainly because of the cool weather, due to its peak position near Bandung. Also it is the most accessible point of entry for people from outside of Bandung, Jakarta,etc.

There are several spots worth visiting north of Bandung.

Introduction to West Java

By: Emma Kwee

West Java is the most populated province in Indonesia, with over 43 million inhabitants. The capital Bandung is the third largest city in the archipelago and home to a whopping 8 million people. West Java offers stunning vistas, smoking volcanoes, tea plantations, historical (often colonial) architecture and great food and shopping. Sundanese culture and language are an intricate web of traditions and customs. Great food and open-minded friendly people will make you feel at home at once in West Java.

Hello Bandung

Bandung is the capital of the Sundanese, the main culture of the provinces West Java and Banten. Within this cultural hemisphere, only Jakarta is excluded. The Sundanese have their own cultural legacy and language, which is truly unique and can be experienced in no place better than Bandung.

Rismakill Drama Darkcloth: Indonesian D.I.Y. Fetish/Punk/Gothic Clothes & Corsets

By: Monica Dominguez

D.I.Y. in Indonesia, a National Attitude 

Indonesia is laced with a D.I.Y. ‘Do It Yourself’ mentality. If your motorcycle breaks, you buy the parts and the tools and fix it yourself, or even better, use a makeshift part. If you want to make some money, you start cooking gorengan or make crafts from leather, tin or wood.  Throughout this country almost the entire population is ‘doing it themselves’, unlike in the Western world where the D.I.Y. mentality has only caught on in select groups or subcultures.

What sets Risma apart from most of the population in Bandung is not that she makes everything by hand herself, but it is what she is making.  Risma makes fetish, punk and gothic clothes and accessories by hand. She is also a makeup artist. Most well known for her corsets, which are beautifully stitched lace and wire pieces, Risma models her style based on influence from European subcultures as well as her own imagination. It usually takes Risma only one day to make a corset, depending on whether she is in a ‘sewing mood’ or not.

Nano Suratno: Father of Sundanese Music

By: Patrick Durkan

Known more popularly as Kang Nano S. this prolific and influential composer did much for Indonesian and more specifically Sundanese (West Java) music both inside the country and internationally. Nano was born in Garut in 1944 and died only last year in September 2010. He was an active composer, performer and teacher who managed to be successful in both popular and more classical and experimental styles. By mixing pop influences with traditional Indonesian styles he helped develop Pop Sunda which is still an influential style in Indonesia today.

He composed over 400 works and has 200 albums in circulation. Most famous for his Pop Sunda albums, Nano reshaped the genre in the 1980s. Whereas before it had mainly been an imitation of western pop played on guitars and drum kits in western diatonic tuning, Nano reintroduced the Indonesian pelog 5 note scale and gamelan degung group more common to West Java (somewhere between the hypnotic central Javanese and manic Balinese styles). Pop Sunda (sung in Bahasa Sunda, the traditional language of West Java) is now nationally regarded along with Dangdut and Kroncong styles and often incorporates other pop styles such as reggae and rap.

Where to Stay in Bandung?

By: Emma Kwee

The list of Hotels in Bandung is endless. There’s plenty of choice, but picking the right one for your stay is not an easy task. Business or pleasure, whatever brings you to Bandung, there is bound to be a fitting place for you to call home during your stay. It all depends on your needs and wants, so here is a comprehensive list of accommodations for every occasion.

Basic budget: The hotel Bukit Dago has crisp clean and freshly painted rooms with private bathroom for very reasonable prices. The rooms on the top floors are the cheapest and have nice views of the mountains. A little bit less budget but still a very good deal is the Kedaton Hotel in the centre of town. It has the facilities of a starred hotel such as swimming pool, sauna and fitness centre, while the prices are very modest.

Bukit Dago Millenium Hotel

Jl. Ir. H. Juanda No. 331
Phone: + 62 22 250 5943 / 2504244

Fax: +62 22 250 5944

Hotel Kedaton

Jl. Suniaraja No. 14

Phone: +62 22 421 9898

Fax: +62 22 423 9944

Ubuntu in Bandung, 4th update

By: Maritta Versnel

A new vlog from Bandung, from the Ubuntu theatre organization. We are doing a project with street kids and will keep you updated through our videoblogs. From now on, the vlogs will be shorter and we will update you more frequently.

In this little movie we follow a group of girls to a professional music studio. Leave your comments and questions here and I will get back to you!

Ubuntu 3rd Videoblog

By: Maritta Versnel

Ubuntu Theatre Organisation is in Bandung to do a project with streetkids. Every two weeks we will update you about the project and take a look at one of the girls' house!

This week, we meet Atin, a drummer-girl! And Mega is answering some questions she got from Holland.

Wujudkan Mimpimu (Make your dreams come true)! Ubuntu 2nd Videoblog