Kawah Putih (White Crater)

Kawah Putih means White Crater, located at South Bandung (West Java). It took about 2,5 hours drive from Bandung. There are several tourism objects near Kawah Putih such as Situ Patengan, Ranca Upas, Strawberry field (that we can pick our own strawberry), so make sure you visit several places when you go to South Bandung, due to it's quite far distance from Bandung.



Before being discovered in 1837, the people who lived around Mt. Patuha believed that the mountain top was a sacred place, haunted by the holy spirits of their ancestors. They would never venture anywhere near the mountain top's forests. A trespass like that would mean bad luck or even death. They also believed that on certain nights these spirits would have a meeting discussing the security and welfare of their people and the conservation of the forests and the natural recources that supported their livelihood.

Kawah Putih can have different color in their lake, because it is covered by an active (fumarolic) volcano which has been dormant since 1600. As such they water is typically acidic, saturated with volcanic gases, and cloudy with a strong greenish color.

Near the entrance gate we can find hut to take a rest. It has a fresh air and in the morning you will feel breeze. Its a rare situation that we can get in the busy & crowded city. Entrance fee is quite cheap, only Rp 3.000 on 2005 (about 30c) for domestic tourist, and another Rp 3.000 for car parking fee. Too bad, it does not have good facilities for tourist such as clean restroom, canteen, tourism information, etc. We hope soon the local government will have more concern to provide world class
tourist attraction.

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Geology Museum (Bandung)

When visiting to Bandung, by chance we passed the geology museum. This museum was located in Jl. Diponegoro 57. As the museum lover, we immediately change our destination to this museum. This building was big enough, and it has a big yard outside. In our mind this museum would be the same like the other museums that have a poor maintenance. But we were wrong!! When we are going inside this museum, I asked about the entrance fee to the young lady at information counter that welcomed us friendly. We were shocked, because it was FREE … yes we didn't have to pay any cents at all. All we have to do just to fill the guest book, after that they even gave us a sticker of the geological museum. Wow, it's amazing... No entrace fee at all..

The museum that previously named Geologische Dienst was declared on May 16 1929. This museum had 2 floors with art deco's style. The museum is divided into three area of exhibitions, Geology of Indonesia in the West wing, History of life in the East wing and Geology for human life on the top floor. In this museum we can found the many type of rock, the mineral, the fossil, and several artefacts from the several location at Indonesia. It has a lot of collections include with the detail information. It declared, that this museum is the biggest and most complete at South-East Asia. When I visited, I saw several foreign tourists who were looking around thoroughly.

When entering the room, I amazed, this museum is different from other museums in Indonesia. They had an organized, with clean floor & clean glass display, comparable with the museum at Singapore. We can found seat for rest at several locations. The toilet was also clean and have a good maintenance. It was excellent for a museum that did not charge the entrance fee. On the first floor it displayed mineral stones, and from its information it amazed me that Indonesia were blessed with a huge natural wealth, and someone said that Indonesia is blessed with the greatest and most diverse biological resources in the world, after Brazil.

They also displayed evolution of human life is explained in both Bahasa Indonesia as English, a collection of life size dinosaur replicas. In the far corner a selection of skulls can be found, amongst which a replica of the popular ‘Java man'. And we can found volcano area, with explanations on formation and working of these in Indonesia abundant gunung api, literally: ‘fire mountains'. It is good knowledge for students and for our kids.

At the second floor, we can found miniatures of tanker ship, offshore oil drilling, coal mine, etc. It shows the equipments to do all those activities. Very informative. And it amazed me again, they had a lift elevator for disabled person, with a wheel chair inside... Wouw, it never found at other museum in Indonesia.

In front of museum, we can found a souvenir shops. They sell many things of geology stuff with affordable price. There are bracelet form natural stone, handicraft from stone, and even snacks & beverages.

A big place, clean, tidy, free of charge, educative, what else you look for ?? This place is a great place to educate your kids during your vacation to Bandung beside going to mal and hunting at Factory Outlet (your favourite destination).

But be aware of they opening hours. Geology Museum opens from Monday - Thursday 9 am-3.30 pm, Saturday & Sunday 9 am - 1.30 pm. They closed on Friday & public holidays. Please contact (+6222) 720 3205 , (+6222) 720 3208 for further details.

Have a nice trip,

Uniquely Indonesia....

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Taman Prasasti Museum (Jakarta)

Taman Prasasti means Inscription Garden. This museum located at Jl Tanah Abang I No. 1 Central Jakarta. It location is not easy to find and with small parking lot. Like other museums at Indonesia, the entrance fee is very cheap, which is Rp 2,000 for adults, Rp 1,000 for students and Rp 600 for kids/students. Operating time is 9:00 am until 3:00 pm on Tuesday's - Sunday, while Monday and public holidays the museum is closed. For detail information, schedule and ensure the admission fee, please contact to the phone number: (021) 3854060.



To get there, you went through Jl. Jend. Sudirman to the north, passed by Jl.M.H. Thamrin, turned to the left at Arjuna Wiwaha statue roundabout to Jl. Budi Kemuliaan, then turned to the right to Jl. Abdul Muis. Jl. Tanah Abang 1 is the third street to the left.

This museum is not a usual museum, first because this is an outdoor museum, and second this is a cemetery. Everything in this museum are related to cemetery such as statue at funeral, tombstone, funeral transportation, weird isn't it ? Take a tour to cemetery...

This place's name was Kebon Jahe Kober, it was a cemetery for Dutch and Europe's people at Indonesia. At 1795 this cemetery used for VIP people from Indonesia's government. But after 1975 this cemetery was closed, but Jakarta's governor - Ali Sadikin - see the opportunity of this place for tourism, so at 19 Juli 1977 , Governor Ali Sadikin inaugurate this place as Museum Prasasti (Insription Museum).

Most collection inside this Museum are fine work from talented carver, they are very beautiful, very detail in design and have a high quality material. At this museum there is a wooden carriages that used to bring the coffins in funerals, which usually drawn by two to four horses. Total collections stored in the museum about of 1,734 pieces collections of gravestone inscriptions, monument / memorial, trophies, statues, etc. There are many tombstones here from government, artist, scientist, military and even priest. Several of the most important tombstones here are; Lady Marianne Raffles' [wife of Governor Raffles], Soe Hok Gie, J.H.R Kohler, Dr. W.F. Stutterheim, Dr. H. F. Roll, Pieter Erberveld, Olivia Mariamne Raffles, Miss Riboet and several Dutch Governor

When we came to this place there are not only few visitors, just a group of young people who take a picture with models. This place famous in outdoor photo session or for film making. I saw once on the TV this place used for music video clip. Ticket officer offers a guide service to explain the history of this place. But we decided to take a look by ourselves. They give a free small booklet about history of this museum, what inside this museum, etc.

We can feel the fresh air because there are a lot of trees, but beware of mosquitos, you can found a lot of mosquito especially during afternoon. Better if you using anti mosquito lotion to get mosquito away from you. There is a sidewalk along the area, so we can look around this museum easily. Too bad, lot of precious things are in the very bad condition because of poor maintenance.
We saw many of tombstone are broken. The toilet also has a poor condition... It ashamed, that we cannot take care our heritage. We hope Indonesia's government will put more attention about it.

Have a nice trip.
-UniquelyIndonesia-

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Saung Angklung Udjo

For you who on vacation to Bandung, but bored to go to Factory Outlet or malls, you might try something else. Want to see the traditional music and art from Indonesia ? Come visit to Saung Angklung Udjo. Angklung is one of the traditional musical instruments made of several Bamboo pipes with different sizes in a frame, and to sound it by shaking the angklung to produce certain tone, which are usually played together for the harmonization of tone.

Here we can watch the presentation of art from the traditional puppet show, traditional dances, music arumba (strain clumps of bamboo), masks dance, and the choirs of Angklung music played by hundreds of children. Show time of Bamboo Afternoon Performance from Monday to Sunday, from 3.30 pm to 5.30 pm. There also has souvenir shops (art shop), which sells Indonesia's traditional artcraft, especially Angklung-related. The price is affordable too. It sells keychain, refrigerator magenetic pad, mini Angklung, set of Angklungs that can be played. There are also leather puppets, masks, and ornaments for home decoration.

The admission fee for the show is Rp 50,000 for local people and Rp 80,000 for foreign tourists. It is easy to find this place. From Cipularang express highway, take exit at Pasteur, go thru flyover until a signage to "Cicaheum", go down and follow the road, You will saw a t-shirt shops along the road, then about 100m before Cicaheum's bus station, go to the left (there is a signage) at Padasuka street. Then you will find another signage at right side of the road. Parking lot is quite big, easy to park your car.

If you interest to visit Saung Angklung Udjo, you may contact them to make sure the place is open and asking for schedule of the show.

Saung Angklung Udjo

Jl. Padasuka 118, Bandung

Telp : (022) 7271714

And please take a look for map to Saung Angklung Udjo

Have a nice trip
-UniquelyIndonesia-

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Fastnet Sucks ?

Several days ago I got a headache because of Fastnet (ISP from Firstmedia - Lippo Group). About 3 days I found problem with fastnet , can not connect to the Internet at all.I try to contact the customer service, whew ... We give try for more than 4 hours (from 8 pm to 12 at midnight, even on the morning & afternoon I also tried to contact the customer service), I just can hear "Sorry, all of our customer service, currently is serving other customers, you are still in the queue .. ". Something like that. However, we keep try and try, it connected to the number, but no one pick up the call. It really ridiculous I was trying for 12 hoursand still in the queue? Maybe all of Fastnet's Customer Service are sleeping? I really upset, actually 2 day before I just recommend fastnet to one of local newspaper (Koran Tempo), but now ?? GGrrrrhhh

I give another try at next morning, at 5 am in the morning, after waiting several minutes in the queue eventually .. finally, somebody pick up my call. When we ask to the Customer Service how many person that they have to pick up the call, he answered 9 peoples at night and about 50 peoples in the daytime. When I inform about my problem, he said all of their networks are under the maintenance. "What ??? 3 days for maintenance ?", but they said only for 1 day. Finally I found that the problem caused by Fastnet billing system, because I just paid the billing several days ago. The problem occurs because they suddenly disconnect all their customers that have outstanding payment, no matter how long the bad debt is.

But the point that I want to mention here is, it is very... very.... verrryyyyy difficult to call Fastnet Customer Service. Better if you choose "English" for your language options, you'll get worse when you choose "Bahasa Indonesia". But for the services itself, fastnet quite reliable and fast and the cheapest ISP in Indonesia.

I hope Fastnet can improve their Customer Service.
Have a nice day...
-Uniquely Indonesia-

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Kampung Daun (Bandung)

For those who love to have culinary tour, there is an interesting places to visit, it located at Bandung (West Java), its name is Kampung Daun. The location at Jl Sersan Bajuri KM 47 No. 88. Near to Lembang, same direction with Sapu Lidi resto and the Peak cafe.


The place is beautiful and comfort, it has little forest, with cool air, water flow from the waterfall to the river near it, very nice ambiance. Eating are will be in 'saung' (traditional gazebo) sitting without any chair, like Japanese tradition. There are various models with different capacity of people for each 'saung'. The meal provided are vary from Indonesian traditional food to western.


While waiting for your order you may enjoy the village atmosphere. Greens are everywhere. It seems that you're inside a jungle. You may listen to the sound of nature, so relaxing. You can found a waterfall with beautiful sound of water splash to the rock.

Better if you came here at afternoon, just before the sunset. You will found the hanging lanterns and candles on the ground. It makes your dinner more romantic.




To make reservation or ask for more detail, please contact directly to their phone numbers: 022-2787915, 2784572, 2784573.

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Enjoy a glass of yogurt while remember those good old day

When you visiting Bandung and would like to enjoy a glass of yogurt and eat some snack while chit-chat with your pals, you can try to visit a place named "Atelier Martha". When I tried to find the dictionary 'atelier' means 'studio' in France. Maybe the owner makes this place as his studio.

This place located belong the road from Bandung to Lembang, it is on the left side from Bandung). It has a parking lot, it is easy to reach here. There is a kids playground, with several activities, and it has a mini house, kid size. It is cute, inside this mini house we can find a small chair, small table. We can sit at the tent outside or at gazebo. Inside the main building - the old house- we can find a lot of antique stuff that seems collected from many countries such as antique telephone, table, lamp.

We can order yogurt in farious taste : chocholate, banana, strawberry, original. And we can order the meal too. This is a good place to hang out, while remembering those beautiful old day...

Have a nice trip,

-UniquelyIndonesia-

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