From Jakarta to Bandung, It's a Shopping Heaven!

Just a week back from hiking activity, there was a planned for family holiday to Jakarta-Bandung, Indonesia.  Since it falls on school holiday and it was my parents' enthusiastic to bring all their grandchildren for 5 days & 4 nights out-of-Malaysia holiday, we have planned this wonderful event months before.

 All of us, the Ahmad Kushairi's Group....

Jakarta is the choice of destination because it is near to Bandung region, a place for shopping heaven.  As it is well known to Malaysian and even Indonesian,  Malaysian tourist become millionaire when you travel to Indonesia especially to Bandung.  Why Bandung? A country which always received Malaysian tourist every end of the year.

Indonesia currency is normally rate RM 360 to Rph 1 million (don't you feel like a millionaire now?).  However we changed to 4 million rupiah as we plan to shop like a millionaire there.  So we spent around RM 1,440 just for shopping.

And this trip we used travel agent which attached to local tour guide in Jakarta.  They provide 1 bus just for this big family, 28 all of us.  Below is the tentative which we don't actually follow 100% :))

DAY 01 ~ 26/11/2011 ~ KUALA LUMPUR / JAKARTA (D) *9.00am

Transfer in Taman Mini Indonesia Indah (TMII)

Monas

            Check in Hotel

DAY 02 ~ 27/11/2011 ~ JAKARTA / BANDUNG (B,L,D)

            Tangkuban Prahu

            Ciater

Cibaduyut

Cihampelas Street

Check in Hotel

DAY 03 ~28/11/2011 ~ BANDUNG TOUR (B,L,D)

            Shopping at Pasar Baru

            Factory Outlets

            Back to Hotel

DAY 04 ~ 29/11/2011 ~ BANDUNG / JAKARTA (B,L,D)

            Art Market at Ancol Dreamland

            Check in hotel

DAY 05 ~ 30/11/2011 ~ JAKARTA/ KUALA LUMPUR (B) *3.45pm

            Free leisure until transfer to airport

 Moment at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) before departure with MAS flight... All were happy faces, excited as this is their first time boarding on airplane, for most of the kids.

Once we safely reached Jakarta in 2 hours flight, we were greeted by Bapak Taufik, our tour guide for the rest of the trip and his 2 entourage, the bus driver and assistant.  We depart from Bung Karno Airport with 44 passenger bus heading straight to Taman Mini Asia.  Actually the whole 5 days trip we didn't waste time with full activity until late at night check-in into hotel.

pictures shot at Jakarta Town.  Full with colourful characters...

This post has been hold for weeks grieving our beloved father, Ahmad Kushairi, past away due to his old ailment.  I was devastated with the news and couldn't finish this blog as this were our last holiday together.  Until now I couldn't write it as cheerful as before.  Do mind my writing if it is not fun to read.  May Allah bless his soul and his doings... 

our beloved parents during the visits at Jakarta... I miss him so much..

At Taman Mini Asian, we didn't expect it to be a huge park fill with not only Traditional Houses from different Asean's country and Indonesian's different ethnics, but also well equip with other offices building (traditionally architectural) and few of entertainment park.  It was so crowded with visitors and workers till I was exasperated to get away from all the hustling and bustling surrounding.

We only spent around 1 hour and 1/2 at Taman Mini Asean then we straight to a place called Monas.  This place is where a 433ft tower which is a National Monument called Monas located at the centre of the Merdeka Square, Jakarta.  At the top of the monument symbolised fire that covered with gold foil.  We went there with the weather was so hot and we managed to take pictures from afar.  But then there were so many petty dealers trying to persuade us to buy their aeroplane toys and sometimes we felt annoyed by this.  But this country is population high and few jobs opportunity and the people will find any kind of jobs including selling by the roadside to support their life, and we should respect them by saying no politely. (Sometimes that too is so difficult to get away from).

in the session of photo shooting with Monas tower at the background.

enjoying horse cart riding afterwards..

After a long day, we finally went for early dinner to one of the famous Nasi Padang restaurant in Jakarta town before heading to our hotel for the night.

some of the meals we've enjoyed.

The next day is the day to our shopping heaven, Bandung.  Since it was weekend holiday at Jakarta, many local people as well as tourists like us packing to stay the weekend at Bandung.  That also means the highway  towards Bandung will be jammed with transportations. 

pictures above are the views along the main highway after escaped jammed at the Jakarta's road.

another restaurant to eat upon reaching Bandung town.

entertained by the local entertainer with familiar  Indonesian songs.

eating time again... nasi padang again...

some of the rich people's house in Bandung area.

After more than 4 hours shopping at the famous 'Pasar Baru' and the Factory Outlet, Bandung (which is must-come shopping heaven for Malaysian because of varieties and cheap price), we went to back to our hotels for resting.  

The next day, early morning we went to famous place called Tangkuban Parahu.  It is a dormant volcano located up the hill north of Bandung.  This place is one of the popular tourist spot simply because of the view of volcano is breathtaking.  You can hike or ride a waiting van at the one of the spot below to the edge of the crater to view the hot spring water and boiling mud up close.  

This place is related to their local story  tells of 'Dayang Sumbi', a beauty who lived in West Java.  She cast away her son 'Sangkuriang' for disobedience, and in her sadness was granted the power of eternal youth by the gods.  After many years in exile, Sangkuriang decided to return to his home, long after the two had forgotten and failed to recognize each other.  Sangkuriang fell in love with Dayang Sumbi and planned to marry her, only for Dayang Sumbi to recognize his birthmark just he was about to go hunting.  In order to prevent the marriage from taking place, Dayang Sumbi asked Sangkuriang to build a dam on the river Citarum and to build a large boat to cross the river, both before the sunrise.  Sangkuriang meditated and summoned mythical ogre to do his bidding.  Dayang Sumbi saw the tasks were almost completed and called on her workers to spread red silk cloths east of the city, to give the impression of impending sunrise.  Sangkuriang was fooled, and upon believing that he had failed, kicked the dam and the unfinished boat, resulting in severe flooding and the creation in severe flooding and the creation of Tangkuban Parahu from the hull of the boat. (this story were adapted from wikipedia which also similar with my touring guide tell-tale).

However being able to experience the whole journey and the joy of overlooking the volcano in the short distance were remarkable.

eating strawberry but be minded to wash them first before eat.

view of the souvenir shops available..

Right after the visits, we went to another hot water springs that located nearby....

it is refreshing to dip our legs in the hot water.... while waiting, my daughter eat ice-cream sold by the ice-cream seller in the premise..

The rest of the day is a shopping day again.  So we went to almost all Factory Outlets in Bandung as well as few of shopping malls. We also went to few of retails such as branded handbags, jeans, boutiques and fabrics.  They were sold for acceptable prices which differ from the actual price you can get.  It was daunting but however I have started to develop uneasiness with my tummy.  Then further develop fever on the next day on the way back to Jakarta which escalating at each hours followed with vomiting endlessly.  These are all because of the foods intake which cannot tolerate with my fragile stomach.  I think only Indonesians can consume their foods as they have develop from birth to adapt with the bacteria.  It was painful for one whole day before departure back to Malaysia tomorrow.  Unfortunately some of us; my mother, my sister, my cousin, and my nieces and nephews also have the same symptoms.  So the whole day trips were not joyful for some of us especially when we went to Ancol Dreamland, a place like Water World but only bigger to include actual beach altogether.  We only managed to buy t-shirt as souvenirs.

At Jakarta we went to final shopping destination before heading to airport and boarding back to Malaysia it is called Mangga shopping complex.  There were 2 Mangga shopping complexes which located next to each other.  One is for luxurious branded product, and another were like for low classes.  We went only the low-class Mangga shopping complex as we don't have time to go both as time were limited before heading to airport.  Also our cash were running low, or I should say almost zero.  Nothing much you can find here as they were quite similar you can find back at Malaysia.  But my hubby managed to buy some toys for our children.  (sorry no pictures taken as I were not strong enough to enjoy photo shooting during the sickness)...

All of us just couldn't wait to be back to our beloved country as some of us still did not recover fully from the sickness and some has started to develop one.  Everyone were extremely exhausted and just glad to be back again to our home sweet home.

heading back to airport...

stop by for petrol..

some spot at Jakarta..

one of the public transport available...

shops by the roadside...

Mangga shopping complex...

so long, farewell Jakarta... Hello Malaysia!

However it was a great experience and we will definitely will be back again...