Budget Vacation Tips: Bandung 2012

These couple of years are not amazing... but staying positive and creative guaranteed me a survival in this bad economy.  It depends on how you see things.  For me, I am blessed, but there are moments that I struggled in this competitive market. I was not born with gold spoon in my mouth so I need to work hard...But I am lucky, God gave me a pair of magic hands to earn a living..and I love my job.

If you know me, I worked everyday, from 10 am - 9pm.  How can I survived? How my colleagues can too? We love our work, and we kept our off day for good vacation.  

This time we visited Bandung Indonesia. Not because we wanted to go there badly...but we let Fate  bring us...I always shared with my team mates; that  in order to live better in this competitve world, we can have meals and vacations at the same time if we budget wisely...So I told my team mates.....We go wherever Air Asia want us to....So when Bandung was on sale last year..I grabbed the chance..  Many of us does not know about Bandung.. Once tickets were bought, I tried to learn about the place as much as I can and shared about it with my fellow team mates..I was really excited that we will visit a nice place after listening to many great comments from our clients etc.

I have browsed for a year about Bandung and prepare cautiously because we are on tight budget and we want to ensure after coming back from the 5 days holiday, we will survived other commitments. Let me share with you how we can visit Kuala Lumpur and  Bandung with only RM 652 per person, inclusive of airticket, food, hotel, transportation...yeah you are right...everything inclusive...

Tips no 1:

Buy cheap airtickets. Buy in advance..plan your vacation 1 year ahead... We bought airtickets to KL and Bandung since last year 2011 during Air Asia Big Sale.  Thank you Air Asia..Without you, we will never be able to travel, look look see see other country. Well, I bought the ticket for only RM 152  -  Kuching -KL - Bandung - KL-Kuching...4 rounds inclusive...We did not carry big luggage .. so we saved RM 50 per person...haha...

**(We spent only RM608 last year for airtickets. So now we only plan for acommodation, food and transportation which we only spent RM 500 per person.  Total budget for 4 persons are RM 2000, wisely plan for hotels, food, transportation and some entertainment.)

Tips no 2:

Stay at nice Budget Hotel. I usually check out Tripadvisor.com for tips..and check comments on the hotels..At last, we booked Amari Cimanuk Bandung...some of the comments are not that great..but what attracted me most are cleanliness , location,  free WIFI, free breakfast and CHEAP hotel rates hehe..Only RM 100 per night for 2 person..so we booked 2 rooms....just within our budget.. 

To my surprise, the hotel were not bad at all. It was clean, and tv channels was great.  Free water dispenser and breakfast were a bonus to us..so we got to enjoyed breakfast every morning..and saved on spending for water..Eventhough the breakfast was not great and very little choices, however we were so happy that we can eat as many round as we can..at least we have our early tea and coffee ..and also bread...and eggs..haha..unlimited servings...Thank you Amari...we enjoyed our stay...

Breakfast cafe

Mini swimming pool..cool huh?

Many round of food..

Nice..

Tip no 3:

Use cheap transportation. Check on  local cheap transportation to get around Bandung.  We walked around the town by foot...free yeah...and Angkutan..RP2000 = RM 0.67 per person per trip..This is how we travelled around town. We walked to factory outlets around Jalan Riau and Jalan Dago..But travelled in angkutan to Rumah Mode..fun..and we enjoyed every bit of the journey; taking photo and look look see see..Have a look on some of the photos taken.

Roadside stalls..but due to hygiene issue, better don't take the risk

Angkutan..RP2000 per trip = RM 0.67..Hop in this to get around town..fun..Don't worry you will take the wrong ones as all the drivers are very friendly and helpful..Ask around...if you know Malay language..hehe..

Selling Durian IceCream..wow...

Selling shoes..by the roadside near Amaris Cimanuk Hotel

Clothes on sale by the roadside...

Unique roadside stall -- Cassette!!!OMG can you believed it?  I 've not seen this in ages..

Tip 4: 

Set aside reasonable budget for food per meal.  Normally we will take 3 meals a day...Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner...And since we have budget to play with, I estimated Rm 10 per person per meal for lunch and RM 10 for dinner.. We saved on breakfast because Amaris Cimanuk provided free breakfast which was very cool..

Travelling to Bandung weren't expensive because the food were all affordable..RM 10 =  RP 9000, which we could have a nice meal with a drink.  We were glad everything were on budget...

Look at the restaurant as below..Our first lunch was at this restaurant which was 10 minutes walk from the hotel..We were exploring the area nearby to get the feel of the city...

Rumah Enak Enak, Jalan Cihapit; caught our eyes and we were looking at the menu and price list, so we decided to  go in..

Wide range of food

Nice ambience

Enjoying our first lunch

around RM 3 only...Fresh!

RM 6 only..yum yum spagetti...

Fast food package 1- RM 5 only  

Fast food package 2 -RM 5

Sop Iga Kueh Asam RM8

oops..I forgot what is this..but it costs only RM 1.80

Having great time...

Dinner at Gigglebox Restaurant..just 2 min walk from Amaris Hotel..enjoying dinner and  live music at the same time...

Nice but pedas.....

We love A&W...A&W in Bandung Supermall..lunch before our fun time at Trans Studio Theme Park

We still miss McD, so we have our dinner at McD Dago there..haha..

Tip 5: 
Try not to visit tourism spot as usually these places are crowded with tourists and the entrance fee will be at cut throat rate..Venture the city by foot and public transport.  Look at what we found, during our way to Rumah Mode, a nice factory outlet..Jungle in the city..nice short jungle tracking..this was unplanned and we found it..and it's FREE..nice and warmth at heart..

Nice tree...

Nice place..jungle in the city...

Other places that we visited: All in budget...cool huh...

Bandung Trans Studio: RM 50 per entry only...You can play everything inside the indoor theme park unlimitedly..

Rollercoaster...

Science...

Big and comfy..

Wondering around factory outlets!.. Have a look at some of the photo below...Some clothes inside the outlet were quite similar to India Street clothes shop..mostly kids wear and t shirt...We felt only Rumah Mode provide better shopping quality..I personally felt shopping in KL is more fun and better choices...However, the clothes are really cheap in Bandung..another good shopping experience..

Shop wisely hahaha...cheap pants...

Nice building..felt like in Holland...

Traffic area..

Rumah Mode..our favourite shopping outlet...If we are tired, we can rest and have our tea break..nice and cozy..super clean...and cool...

Rumah Mode..took us 3 trips of angkutan to reach here...fun day..

Eaton at Rumah Mode..great for a tea break time...

Eaton Restaurant

Loving team...

Bandung Vinegar to add to Mee Baso shown in the picture below..

Famous Bandung Mee Baso

Cappuccino

Pizza for only RM 13

Giant Koi Fish..

Surrounding Rumah Mode

Nice deco

Inside Rumah Mode...actually we were not allowed to take photo inside the shopping area;.but  we did not realize it until the security guard told us...hihi..

Bandung is actually a safe place to travel and walk around..The locals are friendly and helpful...and most importantly, we were 3 days millionaire here...RM 1 = RP 2980, but the headache was when we wanted to buy something we felt confused on the amount to pay..hehe...

So, do not be afraid to travel to Indonesia..they have so much to offer...One thing I can assure you, everything is cheap...and if you have tight budget and would like to fly out of Malaysia, try Bandung...

Waiting for  our food before flying back to KL, 

Small airport but cute...

View from inside the airport...

Happily, we flew back to KL, and stay another night in KL Bukit Bintang as usual as we loved that area...food and people watching....These 5 days have been a very amazing days to all of us..3 nights in Bandung, 1 night in KL.  Who said that we need to spend lavishly for a nice holiday?  While economy is not amazing, it is wise to spend wise..stay wise and eat wise.

I can't wait to plan another trip for us next year..And it is interesting that we really do not know where  Air Asia will bring us next year...For us, we do not decide where to go, we let Air Asia to..Once we found zero fare to a particular destination, that destination will be our next destination....But I am sure, we will go somewhere nice with our hard earned money...

Tq Air Asia for making our dream travel came true....

Love
Jac