Hotel Santika

Guest Room in Hotel Santika Bandung
Hotel Santika Bandung boasts 70 rooms set in cool and lush surroundings and offers guests a refreshing alternative to other destinations in tropical Indonesia.
Only 20 minutes from the airport, close to the train station and just 5 minutes from the nearest shopping center, Hotel Santika Bandung is designed for both business and leisure travelers.
Its calm and soothing environment and superb accommodation are ideal for both long and short stay guests.

Swimming Pool in Hotel Santika Bandung
Address and Contact Information
Rating: 3 Star
Address:
Jalan Sumatera No. 52-54Bandung 40115West Java, Indonesia
Phone: +62 22 4203009Fax: +62 22 4239601
E-mail: bandung@santika.com
Website:http://bandungtoday.com/wp-admin/www.santika.com/bandung.php
http://bandungtoday.com/wp-admin/www.santika.com

Map

Map of Hotel Santika Bandung

The Ardjuna Boutique Hotel and Spa

The Ardjuna Boutique Hotel Bandung
Resides of LeisureExtravagance the ultimate getaway in the alluring atmosphere of Bandung. Recently renovated luxury hotel proffer a revitalizing renovation which gives the hotel a totally new character and identity. For those who loves a modern living, The Ardjuna Offers a one stop hilarity ideas where chic of a new trend features at all corner of the hotel. Fine cuisine at the artfully designed restaurant, spacious meeting sphere, jam-packed gaiety Club and indulgence Spa.

Guest Room in The Ardjuna Boutique Hotel Bandung
LocationThe Ardjuna Boutique Hotels and Spa located in a favorite cool flat terrain part of northern Bandung. We are just 5 km from the train station and only ten minutes to get to the city center.

Address and Contact Information
Rating: 4 Star
Address:
Jalan Ciumbuleuit No. 152
Bandung 40142
West Java, Indonesia
Phone: +62 22 2031328Fax: +62 22 2034742
E-mail: reservation@theardjunahotels.com
Website: http://bandungtoday.com/wp-admin/www.theardjunahotels.com

Map

Map of The Ardjuna Boutique Hotel Bandung

Hotel Novotel Bandung

Hotel Novotel Bandung
A centrally located hotel delivering the usual high standard of service that the Novotel Hotels are renowned for around the world. Novotel Bandung is located in the city center, only 10 minutes from Husein Sastranegara Airport, convenient to the main shopping and entertainment precinct.
The Novotel Bandung features spacious, luxuriously-appointed suites, decorated in a contemporary manner with warm, soft colors, creating a relaxing haven from the hectic streets of Indonesia's fourth largest city.
The hotel features 157 rooms, a restaurant, lounge bar, fitness centre, spa, swimming pool, Dolfi Kids Club, business centre and conference facilities for up to 400 delegates.

Guest Room in Hotel Novotel Bandung

Address and Contact Information
Rating: 4 Star
Address:
Jalan Cihampelas No. 23-25
Bandung 40171
West Java, Indonesia
Phone: +62 22 4211001Fax: +62 22 4212999
E-mail: reservation@novotelbandung.com
Website:http://bandungtoday.com/wp-admin/www.novotelbandung.com
http://bandungtoday.com/wp-admin/www.novotel.com

Sheraton Bandung Hotel & Towers

Sheraton Bandung Hotel & Towers - Rooms
High on the slopes at Dago Valley, the Sheraton Bandung Hotel & Towers is surrounded by picturesque mountains and stunning city scenery. With a convenient location just minutes away from the main business district, an abundance of fresh mountain air, and resort-styled facilities, this hotel is a great choice in Bandung.
Find every comfort and convenience in our 153 guest rooms. Enjoy their beautiful surroundings from your private balcony or patio. Or sink into the comfy, plush top mattress under the soft blanket and cozy duvet of the Sheraton Sweet Sleeper (SM) Bed.

Sheraton Bandung Hotel & Towers - Facillities
Spend the day by the pool and stop at the Poolside Terrace for a cocktail or snack. As evening falls, share international favorites at our Tuscany's Restaurant or Chopstix Restaurant. Let the good times linger into the night with live entertainment at Samsara Lounge.
Surround yourself with the beauty of nature at Sheraton Bandung Hotel & Towers – they’ll take care of your needs and reward you for staying with them.

Address and Contact Information
Rating: 5 Star
Address:
Jalan Ir. H. Juanda No. 390
Bandung - 40135
West Java, Indonesia
Phone: +62 22 2500303
Fax: +62 22 2500301
E-mail: reservation-bandung@sheraton.com
Website: http://bandungtoday.com/wp-admin/www.sheraton.com/bandung

Aston Bandung Hotel & Residence

Make Aston Bandung as Your Home Away from Home...

Aston Bandung Hotel & Residence
Imagine having a home away from home, a place you called home miles away from where you lived. Aston Bandung Hotel & Residence is a 4 star hotel property which provide short and long term accommodations for anyone looking for the convenience of a luxury Hotel.
Aston Bandung Hotel & Residence's 2 x 3 Bedroom apartments are appropriate for business travelers or ladies who travel on their own. Many of them don't feel comfortable eating alone in a restaurant. What they want is usually a simple dinner while watching television in their room.
Aston Bandung Hotel & Residence offers more space more than regular hotel room, allow you to feel the comfort at home with spaces and facilities provided to make the apartment your personal environment. Each unit completed with individual bedrooms, spacious living room and a kitchenette completed with microwave. Each room in your unit is also equipped with personal air conditioner.
The most essential part of traveling on your own is the security. Aston Bandung Hotel & Residence have a safe environment with 24-Hour surveillance team. Concierge, security and front desk agent allows to screen visitors and only allows residents into the premises.
By also having a business center, swimming pool, and in-room massage service allows traveler to engage in business and leisure activities with the safe confines of Aston Bandung Hotel & Residence.
Nestled in renowned Braga street, we are attached to the famous Braga City Walk, where you can conveniently take care of your shopping, culinary and entertainment needs.
Personally comfortable, individually spacious, guaranteed security, and definitely cost effective...
Aston Bandung Hotel & Residence is your home away from home...
The Aston Bandung Hotel is a four star, all suite property, decorated in Art-Deco inspired style. Their 40 suits are luxurious, yet simple, designed for the urban traveler or business guest. The hotel features a professional business center and conference rooms that can be prepared through a number of packages. The hotel also has a coffee shop, cocktail lounge, laundry and dry cleaning service, swimming pool with pool bar, and several restaurants. Their Condotel rooms, designed for long term guests are studios or two and three bedroom rooms with their own kitchens, dining areas, and living rooms.

Address and Contact Information
Rating: 4 Star
Address:
Jalan Braga No. 99 - 101
Bandung 40111
West Java, Indonesia
Phone: +62 22 84460000
Fax: +62 22 84460100
E-mail: info@astonbandung.com
Website: http://www.astonbandung.com/

Rumah Mode Factory Outlet

Entrance to Rumah Mode Bandung

Customer Reviews
The 'factory outlet shopping', has made Bandung as Indonesia's shopping Mecca. You may think it is just one or two shops... but there are actually many of them... everywhere. I guess it may reach hundreds.
Factory outlets were originally 'garment factories' that sold over-runs of, and substandard, export quality materials at very low prices. Now, they sell materials 'made in Indonesia', and also internationally branded garments and accessories already tagged and labeled for export. You can find the Ralph Lauren, Gucci, CD, Armani ..all the branded names here and only a fraction of the cost elsewhere. The only difference is the cut on the label.
Enter Rumah Mode at Jln Setia Budi- Bandung's biggest factory outlet, and arguably the most complete in the city. A walk through Rumah Mode reveals a pleasant arcade, where you will be dazzled by collections for men, women and children from many famous brands.

Arcade in Rumah Mode Bandung
It offers its shoppers a great shopping experience combined with a fast and friendly service. It also satisfies every shopper's craving for luxury clothing, formal ware, fashion ware, and casual ware. There is also a snack corner and a coffee shop on the premises. The premises is beautifully decorated even the toilet is a work of art.... :-) J
Original posting and photos can be found here

Address and Contact Information
Address:
Jalan Setiabudi No. 41F
Bandung
West Java, Indonesia

Map:

Map of Rumah Mode Factory Outlet

Sapu Lidi

Waterfront Bungalows at Sapu Lidi Restaurant

Customer Reviews
Sapu Lidi - Eat on Rice Paddy Field!
In every great restaurant in Indonesia, they have either some or all of the above elements:

• water
• dimmed light
• greenery
• great food (how come this one is last ti chan!)
  

Last weekend I went back to my hometown – Bandung. Which is about 2-3 hours drive from Jakarta, the capital city of Indonesia. Decided to have family gathering at this place.
I’ve heard about “Sapu Lidi” (meaning = traditional wooden broom) restaurant several time, but somehow never interested to go there. Some people said that too many mosquito (cause you are eating on open air). But my little sister just insisted to go there. I thought basically we’re going to eat in a hut in the middle of no where. But when we got there, the rice paddy actually only placed at strategic places – not just all over the place.
The atmosphere they want to give definitely that traditional feel. That’s why the roof is made from stack of bamboo and coconut leaves. They also use this small iron wok as the plates! (see pictures to really understand what I’m saying about). If you leave in US or Europe, most likely you never saw these in your country ^_^ Some wooden otoped also stands in the corner.
Most of the table doesn’t have chairs by the way. The traditional way is to take your shoes off and sit on the floor. And eat with your hands (after being washed of course!). Nevertheless, the place itself is a cool place to take pictures. Unfortunately it was quite a cloudy day – so it doesn’t show that great in picture. The water is also this yukkie brown – not very appealing. But then again, people don’t go there for swimming anyway :D

Indonesian Traditional Food in Sapu Lidi Restaurant
What about the food you ask? Oh the food was great. Traditional Indonesian food is rather spicy for westerners. But I personally think the food tone is rather sweet. But you can definitely feel the strong spices – but not hot. Not much of innovation in the food, they have the traditional Indonesian recipe chicken barbeque, stir tofu + mushroom that’s being roasted with honey, but they play around with the names. They have “evil witch drink” which basically a coke float with gummy bears on the side ha ha ha…
On the way back to Jakarta, I saw this daisies field and most gorgeous sunset ever. Just pink – blue – white –grey all mushed up in one palette. Gorgeous…. It was a struggle to take picture of it from car, but definitely worth it!

Chubby Traveller’s rating:
Food: 3.5 out of 5
Atmosphere: 4 out of 5
Location: 2 out of 5

Original posting and photos can be found here

Address and Contact Information
Address:Jalan Sersan BajuriKompleks Graha PuspaCihideung, Lembang, BandungWest Java, IndonesiaPhone: +62 22 2786915

Aroma Coffee Factory and Shop

Customer Reviews

Aroma coffee for character in a cup: coffee that won’t make your heart beat faster

The Entrance of Aroma Coffee Factory and Shop Bandung

All you coffee-lovers put on your mocha loafers, for it's time for a trip down memory lane. Don't spill your beans, but let them drain. Aroma's Coffee Factory has been in the business of making good earnest coffee since the 1930's. That's right, the times when booted, mustached cursing Dutchmen were still playing command-and-conquer in Indonesia . All that dividing and ruling sure took its toll upon their energy level. Alas, Extra Joss wasn't available back then, so they built Aroma's Coffee Factory to keep spirits up. Now, more than 70 years later, Aroma's is still doing its mission: making coffee the way it should be, without artificial flavorings, pesticides or even vanilla essence.
When you enter the small shop on Jalan Banceuy, central Bandung, its wooden interior and antique coffee paraphernalia such as old coffee machines and bronze scales will make you think that you stepped into a movie set. Luckily the all-pervasive smell of freshly ground coffee beans will bring you back to reality, and as the second-generation owner takes you around on a tour that will explain all the nooks and crannies of the coffee business to you, the decor will come alive. It is a rare thing that in this day and age where profit margins dictate people's life, and actually in many occasions, their coffee intake, Aroma's coffee factory remains dedicated to entrepreneurial craftsmanship that keeps rusty German made coffee burners from the 1930's a foundation instead of a relic from a long forgotten past.

Antique Grinders in Aroma Coffee Factory and Shop, Bandung
Everything in the factory is still hand-labor, from the picking and sorting of the beans to the roasting and packing. The coffee beans coming mainly from Sumatra and Jawa are dried in the back yard for an hour and then piled sack upon sack rising more than 10 meters above our heads in the storage room, where the Robusta beans will dry for 5 years, while the Arabica beans require an astonishing 8 years of lying around. In that time the acidity of the beans will drop in a natural process, and as an end result Aroma's coffee is not only tastier but also a lot healthier. ‘Arabica is fit for people with high blood pressure, and Robusta for people with low blood pressure' explains the owner. The health of his customers is more important to him than the amount of beans he sells. He is a man who believes in God...and good coffee, ‘What is the purpose of praying everyday, when in the end you cheat on your customers?' he asks.
After the years of drying, the beans are then hand-roasted in a rusty but reliable oven fired by rubber wood, and then according to customers' wishes ground or sold as whole beans. ‘It is very simple, but you need a lot of patience' the owner twinkles. Back in the shop people line up to buy their essential provision of Arabica or Robusta. Many of them have been coming here for years in search of a flavor and quality; these are real coffee drinkers who will instantly say no to instant coffee. Get a taste of authenticity and drop by at Aroma's. Open daily, if you want a behind the scenes look on the coffee making process, be there before 2 o clock or call in beforehand.

Original Posting and Photos can be found here.

Address and Contact Information
Adress:Jalan Banceuy No. 51
Bandung 40111
West Java, Indonesia
Phone: +62 22 4230473
Fax: +62 22 4232648

Swagat: An Oasis for Moslem

If you are moslem and you happen to be in Makati City, Philippines then you might want to visit this restaurant.

Surely you will know that it's difficult to find halal food in this country. Normally your choices will be limited between pizza or sandwich restaurants (you can order vegetarian pizza or sandwich here although I don't really recommend this kind of restaurant), seafood restaurants, and Indian restaurants.

Among few Indian restaurants in this city, I find this one to be one of the best. The food is good and authentic while the price is very reasonable. The restaurant is not very big actually but always full during lunchtime. Insterestingly, they also claim themselves as Halal Restaurant. That means their target market includes moslem traveler and expats as well.

Map is taken from www.swagatindiancuisineph.com

Name: Swagat Indian Cuisine
Type: Restaurant, Indian
Location: 119 FCC Building, Rada Street, Legaspi Village, Makati City, Philippines
Budget: Can't remember as a friend treated me to lunch
Rating: Very Recommended

Somerset Grand Citra Jakarta: Hospitality in a Big Bad City

Personally I never like Jakarta. People there are relatively rude than other place in Indonesia. Not to mention that the criminal rate is also higher than any other places in this country. However, Somerset Grand Citra is the exception.

I stayed there from March to July 2008. All their staff, be it the management, receptionist, room service staff, even their security guards and cleaning service staff are very polite. Most of the time they will greet us nicely. Not only the attitude, their service was also quite good. All of that makes me feel like home and very comfortable.

Facilities in general are more complete than a hotel. In a unit with one bedroom, you can find a kitchen with a big fridge and microwave, a washing machine, a living room and dining room, as well as two television sets. Other facilities are the same as you will find in a hotel room. This makes it a good alternative to hotel if you plan to stay for a long time, especially if you want to bring your family.

Their swimming pool is nice and artistic. My kids loved to swim there. The children playground is another favorite place of my kids although it's relatively humble. Other facilities are gym, spa, business center, a cafe, and a mini market. Surprisingly, the prices in the mini market are the same as the ones outside the apartment. Hence I feel very convenient to buy my daily needs there.

Name: Somerset Grand Citra
Type: Apartment
Location: Jalan Prof Dr Satrio Kav 1, Kuningan, Jakarta 12940, Indonesia
Budget: Not sure, it was paid by company but if you stay for a month it will be cheaper than staying at a hotel
Rating: Very Recommended

CityGolf: Comfortable Indoor Golf Venue for Everybody

I went to this place last week cause we had our practice meeting for the first quarter there. It looks easy to find this place but actually it's not. Well, at least for me. I took a taxi of a silly guy - well, as many other Malaysian taxi drivers - that didn't even know Bangsar area. On top of that, Bangsar Shopping Centre, where CityGolf is located, was being renovated. We passed by the building once but I didn't notice that it was a shopping complex. Only after we turned back, I realized that was my destination.

CityGolf is an indoor golf venue with four simulators that they called Full Swing Golf. So it's like playing a computer game but with real golf clubs and balls. We just need to strike the ball as hard as we normally do on an outdoor course.

All elements of the ball flight are tracked by the built-in infrared systems, including flight angle, ball speed and spin. This is then instantly displayed on the hitting/projection screen. The moment the golf ball strikes the screen, a computer-generated image of the ball takes over, flying up the fairway ready for the next shot.

The simulator tells the player where their ball is, what distance they have to the green, where they are aiming, and what the wind conditions are. We can choose over 50 of the world’s best courses.

In short, it was fantastic. I really had a good time there although that was the first time I touch a golf club...

Name: CityGolf
Type: Sport, Golf, Lifestyle
Location: Bangsar Shopping Centre, Level 4, 285, Jalan Maarof, 59000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Budget: RM100/hour from 12pm to 6pm, RM150/hour from 6pm to 12am
Rating: Recommended

Images are taken from www.citygolf.com.my and www.streetdirectory.com