North of Bandung
Hot springs bubble from the earth and are piped into tubs at the soothing resorts north of Bandung.
1Sights & Activities
Tangkuban PrahuVOLCANO
(admission weekday/weekend 200,000/300,000Rp; hinformation centre 7am-5pm)
This volcanic crater, 30km north of Bandung, has a flat, elongated summit that resembles an upturned boat (prahu). It's a huge tourist attraction and certainly a spectacular sight, but also something of a tourist trap. If you do decide to go, try to aim for early in the day as by noon the mist starts to roll in.
It's possible to circumnavigate most of the caldera on foot, but as wannabe guides can be aggressive and tourists have been robbed, there are better places for a highland walk.
Gracia SpaHOT SPRINGS
(%0260-724 9997; www.graciaspa.com; admission 35,000Rp; h7am-11pm)
Eight kilometres northeast of Tangkuban Prahu in the village of Ciater, Gracia Spa is a hot spring set in gorgeous grounds on the lower slopes of the volcano. There are three large pools, a spa and a restaurant, and it's very quiet midweek.
Ciater is an attractive village surrounded by tea and clove plantations. The area has good walks, and a tea factory that offers tours.
Sari Ater Hot Spring ResortHOT SPRINGS
(%0260-471700; www.sariater-hotel.com; admission 27,000Rp; h24hr)
This is Ciater’s main attraction. Although they’re quite commercialised, the pools are among the best of the hot springs around Bandung. Rooms (from 450,000Rp) and rustic bungalows are available here. The pools can get insanely busy on weekends.
South of Bandung
The mountains south of Bandung offer magnificent scenery, a rolling evergreen landscape of neatly cropped tea bushes, clumps of tropical forest and misty hilltops. Beyond the town of Ciwidey, every second house has a strawberry patch.
It's initially a struggle to get here through the endless Bandung suburbs and traffic, even on weekdays. On weekends, when Jakartans descend en masse – well, you've been warned.
Ciwidey itself has few attractions, but does have minimarts and hotels. About 3km south of town you can drop by Kawi Wulung (Jl Raya Pasir Jambu), a bamboo workshop where room dividers and chairs are made by hand. Next door, Tahu Sumedang (Jl Raya Pasir Jambu) is a traditional tofu factory where tofu is fried in coconut oil (and is for sale).
South of Ciwidey the road winds north through hills to the turn-off to Kawah Putih (admission 65,000Rp), an undeniably beautiful turquoise crater lake that's become something of an overdeveloped tourist attraction.
It's better to push on through the stunning scenery around Rancabali, 42km from Bandung, which is basically one big tea estate surrounded by lush green hills. Just south of Rancabali, Situ Patengan is a pretty lake with tearooms and boats catering to the Sunday crowds, while 3km south of here is lovely Kawah Rengganis (also known as Kawah Cibuni), a pretty, isolated river fed by hot springs and surrounded by billowing steam from volcanic vents. It's yet to be discovered by the tourist hordes and is wonderful for bathing. You have to park by the road and walk for a few minutes up to the pools; villagers here ask visitors for a 50,000Rp donation to visit their land.
If you want to visit a tea plantation, head for the Malabar Tea Estate, on the other side of Gunung Patuha, where you can tour the grounds and stay at the wonderful guesthouse, the Malabar Mess.
4Sleeping & Eating
Hotel options are limited in this region, but there are a few places around Ciwidey as well as the Malabar Mess.
Malabar MessHISTORIC HOTEL$$
(%022-597 9401, bookings 022-203 8996; r from 350,000Rp)
It's hard to beat this idyllically situated colonial guesthouse, located at an altitude of 1500m in a working tea plantation near the town of Pengalengan. The simple, clean rooms, each with a front porch and Dutch-era furnishings, make it a great place to kick back for a few days.
Saung GawirINDONESIAN$$
(%0812 2113 3664; Jl Raya Ciwidey; meals 30,000-70,000Rp)
This restaurant and strawberry farm has startling valley views from its roadside perch in Alam Endah. Ignore the tour groups, pick a table and soak up the quintessential Javanese scenery as you feast on authentic local cusine. And, of course, it would be rude not to buy some berries while you're here.
8Getting There & Away
Touring this region by public transport is possible but a pain. Most travellers explore the area on a tour from Bandung.
From Bandung’s Leuwi Panjang terminal, frequent buses run to Ciwidey (15,000Rp, 1¼ hours). From Ciwidey angkot run to Situ Patengan (10,000Rp). Shared minibuses run from the highway to Kawah Putih (35,000Rp return). Buses run directly to Pengalengan (15,000Rp), where ojek hang out at the bus terminal.
Bandung to Pangandaran
Heading southeast from Bandung, the road passes through rolling hills and stunning volcanic peaks, skirting – at a safe distance – the particularly explosive Gunung Papandayan (2622m). This is the Bandung–Yogyakarta road as far as Banjar; the Bandung–Yogyakarta train line passes through Tasikmalaya and Banjar, but not Garut. After the choked streets of Jakarta and Bandung, these quieter back roads are a pleasure.
Garut & Cipanas
%0262
Sixty-three kilometres southeast of Bandung, Garut is a once-lovely spa town that’s now become featureless sprawl and a leatherware centre. But 6km north of here the pretty village of Cipanas makes a tranquil base for a day or two exploring volcanic scenery and soaking away any travelling tensions in a hot-spring bath or pool.
The region is famed for its dodol – a confectionery of coconut milk, palm sugar and sticky rice. The Picnic brand is the best quality, and it is possible to visit the factory (Jl Pasundan 102) in Garut.
4Sleeping
Cipanas has a good choice of places to stay; all are strung along Jl Raya Cipanas, the resort’s single road. Many of the flashier hotels have swimming pools heated by the springs; if you’re staying at a cheaper option, it’s possible to use the pools for a minimal fee (10,000/5000Rp per adult/child). Prices rise on weekends.
Tirtagangga HotelHOTEL$$
(%0262-232 549; Jl Raya Cipanas 130; r from 500,000Rp; aWs)
A large, well-run hotel offering good-value rooms with modern decor and generous bathrooms, many with tubs fed with hot-spring water. The huge pool is surrounded by palm trees and the restaurant serves authentic Indonesian food.
Sumber AlamRESORT$$
(%0262-238 000; www.resort-kampungsumberalam.com; r 575,000-3,750,000Rp; is)
This upmarket resort has attractive thatch-and-timber bungalows built around and over ponds (complete with water lillies). The pool area is great. It’s popular with Indonesian families, particularly at weekends, though note that the azat (call to prayer) from the nearby mosque is particularly enthusiastic.
8Getting There & Away
Garut is connected with Bandung (fan/air-con 20,000/30,000Rp, two hours) and also Pangandaran (45,000Rp, four hours). Angkot connect Garut with Cipanas very regularly.
Around Garut
Twenty-eight kilometres southwest of Garut, twin-peaked Gunung Papandayan is one of the most active volcanoes in West Java. Papandayan exploded in 1772, a catastrophe that killed more than 3000. It erupted again in 2002, and thousands were forced to flee when pyroclastic flows devastated the area. Papandayan is periodically closed to visitors so check first with locals before setting out.
Craters to the west of Garut that can be visited are Kawah Darajat, 26km away, and Kawah Kamojang, 23km away, the site of a geothermal plant that has defused the once spectacular geyser activity and replaced it with huge pipes. Sigh, progress.
1Sights
Kawah PapandayanVOLCANO
(admission 100,000Rp)
The impressive bubbling yellow crater is just below the peak and clearly visible from the Garut valley on clear mornings. From the car-park it is an easy half-hour walk to the crater, which is riddled with bubbling mud pools, steam vents and crumbling
sulphur deposits. Take care – keep well to the right when ascending through the crater.
Consider hiring a guide (around 350,000Rp per day, but many will allow bargaining) from the PHKA office, as the car-park area is generally full of cowboys. For fine views, go early in the morning before the clouds roll in.
Gunung Papandayan’s summit is a two-hour walk beyond the crater, and there are fields of Javan edelweiss near the top.
8Getting There & Away
To get here, take a Cikajang minibus and get off at the turn-off on the outskirts of Cisurupan (10,000Rp), where you can catch a waiting ojek (40,000Rp one way, 13km).
Pangandaran
%0265 / Pop 52,163
Situated on a narrow isthmus, with a broad stretch of sand on either side and a thickly forested national park on the nearby headland, Pangandaran is West Java’s premier beach resort. It's built up, especially toward the south end where a jumble of concrete block towers stand shoulder to shoulder across the channel from the national park. Yet despite all that, for most of the year Pangandaran is a quiet, tranquil place to enjoy walks along the beach or through the forest. Of course, on weekends and during those peak holiday times, the town fills up to the point where you can hardly see empty sand for all the humanity.
Nevertheless, the beach is wide and long, and relentlessly pummelled by a heavy swell that doesn’t make for great swimming, as dangerous rips swirl (listen to the lifeguards!). But it is a great place to get out on a board or learn how to ride (surf lessons can be easily arranged), as there's a sand bar bottom and it's a good learner break on small days. It also happens to be fun for serious surfers on bigger days.
Sadly, sections of the beach are littered with plastic and flotsam, especially during peak tourist time, and in dire need of a clean up.
Pangandaran
1Sights
1Pangandaran National ParkD6
2Activities, Courses & Tours
2Pangandaran SurfA3
4Sleeping
3Adam's HomestayA3
4Mini Tiga HomestayA3
5Nyiur Beach HotelC6
6Palu ViB3
7Rinjani HomestayB3
8Villa AngelaA3
5Eating
9Chez Mama CilacapD5
10Green Garden CafeD3
11Pasar IkanD4
12Relax RestaurantB3
13Rumah Makan ChristiC5
6Drinking & Nightlife
14Bamboo Beach CaféA3
7Shopping
15MM BooksD5
1Sights & Activities
Pangandaran National ParkNATIONAL PARK
(Taman Nasional Pangandaran; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; admission 210,000Rp; h7am-5pm)
The Pangandaran National Park, which takes up the entire southern end of Pangandaran, is a wild expanse of dense forest. Within its boundaries live porcupines, kijang (barking deer), hornbills, monitor lizards and monkeys (including Javan gibbons). Small bays within the park enclose pretty tree-fringed beaches. The park is divided into two sections: the recreation park and the jungle.
Due to environmental degradation, the jungle is usually off limits. Well-maintained paths allow the recreation park to be explored, passing small caves (including Gua Jepang, which was used by the Japanese in the WWII), the remains of a Hindu temple, Batu Kalde, and a nice beach on the eastern side. English-speaking guides hang around both entrances and charge around 100,000Rp (per group of four) for a two-hour walk or up to 200,000Rp for a five-hour trip.
Pangandaran’s best swimming beach, white-sand Pasir Putih, lies on the western side of the national park. It's a thin stretch of soft sand fronted by a reef that's pretty well thrashed though plenty of fish still live, eat and love there. You can swim over here from the southern end of the main resort beach if the surf is not too rough, but take care of rip currents and the steady stream of boats that shuttle people back and forth (50,000Rp return). They will not be looking for you. The beach stretches to a point that gets a break when the swell is big. On calm days, the swim out to the point is peaceful and devoid of boat traffic. If you hop a boat from the main Pangandaran beach you won't have to pay the steep national park entry fee.
At sunset, huge fruit bats emerge from the forest. They fly down the length of Pangandaran’s beach but have to evade local boys who patrol with barbed-wire kites. Few are trapped this way, but every now and then a bat’s wing will get caught on a kite string and the creature will be brought crashing to the ground in a fit of squeals, before being dispatched to the cooking pot.
Surfing LessonsSURFING
(half-day lesson incl board hire 200,000-250,000Rp)
Surfing lessons are offered at the northern end of the beach. Pangandaran is a good place to learn, and local instructors have ‘soft’ boards ideal for beginners. The friendly staff from Pangandaran Surf ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.pangandaransurf.com; beachside, Steak House) are all lifesavers, speak English and understand local conditions. Board hire runs about 70,000Rp per day.
TTours
Popular Green Canyon and Green Valley tours (300,000Rp per person) depart from Pangandaran and usually combine ‘home industry’ visits that take in a sugar, tahu (tofu) or krupuk (prawn cracker) kitchen factory, as well as a wayang golek (three-dimensional wooden puppet) maker. If you rent a bike and drive yourself to the gates, you'll have to book your own boat (150,000Rp round trip) at Green Canyon. And your own guide (100,000Rp) and mandatory lifejacket (20,000Rp), as well as the entry fee (15,000Rp) in Green Valley.
There are also tours to Paradise Island, an uninhabited nearby island with good beaches (including a 5km white-sand beach) and waves. Day trips cost around 400,000Rp per person (minimum six people). Before you leave, make an early-morning visit to Pangandaran’s pasar ikan and fire up a fish barbecue when you get to the island for lunch. It's not a great trip for young children or those prone to sea sickness. The fit and hearty will love it.
Mas Rudin (%0813 8005 6724; pangandaran-guide.com) is a tremendous local guide who operates out of MM Books and offers fair prices on a range of tours. His website is a wealth of information. The guesthouses can organise guides for you as well.
4Sleeping
Many places have flexible prices that are dependent on demand, so you might get a good deal on weekdays outside the main holiday periods. The main area for budget or independent travellers is off the northern section of the main beach, where guesthouses are dotted along a grid of quiet lanes just inland from the beach.
Pangandaran has a tightly controlled becak union, or mafia, depending on which side of the bike seat you’re on. All hotels have to pay commission to the becak driver who takes you to your accommodation, so if you walk in on your own, you'll be in a better bargaining position.
Weekday prices are given; expect to pay 15% to 30% more at some places on weekends and holidays.
Rinjani HomestayGUESTHOUSE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0265-639757; r with fan/air-con 140,000/180,000Rp; aW)
A welcoming family-run place with 10 pleasant, tiled rooms with wood furnishings and private porches. Sweet, quiet and good value. Holiday periods see price increases of up to 100,000Rp.
Mini Tiga HomestayGUESTHOUSE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0265-639436; www.minitigahomestay.weebly.com; s/d/tr incl breakfast 100,000/150,000/250,000Rp; iW)
Great brick and wood chalets with reasonable rates. The nine rooms are clean, spacious and have nice decorative touches – including bamboo walls and batik wall hangings. All have en-suite bathrooms and Western toilets. Good tours and transport tickets are also offered, including a popular tour of the nearby Green Canyon (250,000Rp).
Villa AngelaGUESTHOUSE$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0821 180 2400; Jl Pamugaran; r incl breakfast from 200,000Rp; aW)
An attractive guesthouse with five spacious rooms (all with TV and bathroom, and a porch or balcony) in two villa-style houses with cold-water baths. Some smell musty, though a cross-breeze will do the trick. It’s run by a welcoming family and has a nice garden.
oAdam’s HomestayHOTEL$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0265-639396; www.adamshomestay.com; Jl Pamugaran; r 250,000-550,000Rp; aWs)
Pangandaran's only real gem is a wonderfully relaxed, enjoyable place to stay with artistically presented rooms (many with balconies, beamed ceilings and outdoor bathrooms) spread around a verdant tropical garden bursting with exotic plants, lotus ponds and birdlife. There's good international and local food available too.
Palu ViHOTEL$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0265-630050; www.paluvihotel.com; Jl Bulak Laut 86; r from 420,000Rp; aiWs)
A newer, great-value modern hotel featuring floating beds, high ceilings and flat-screen TVs in wood-panelled rooms. All the mod cons are at your fingertips.
Nyiur Beach HotelBOUTIQUE HOTEL$$
( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %0265-639053; www.niyurbeachhotel.com; Jl Pamugaran 46; r from 648,000Rp)
Set among the jumble of new, somewhat garish block towers is this original low-rise boutique hotel with Balinese style. It has an inviting pool area and sizeable rooms with high-end tile floors and linens, shuttered windows, wood furnishings, wall-mounted flat-screen TVs, day beds, built-in desks and lovely bathrooms.
You can often get 20% to 30% discounts on Agoda.com. It has two locations in town. The other is forgettable. This one is wonderful.
Lonely Planet Indonesia Page 16