First time to Bandung, Indonesia

Bandung, the third largest city in Indonesia, rests 800 meters above sea level, cradled by mountains. It was once dubbed by the Dutch in the early 1900s as Parijs van Java (the Paris of West Java) after they turned it into a colonial resort centre featuring plenty of European-styled buildings, including cafes, restaurants and hotels.

Strangely, despite checking most boxes of a place I would visit, Bandung was not on my travel list; it had never crossed my mind. It just so happened that I was looking for a short getaway to a place with a cool climate—not Genting Highlands—to escape the blaring heat of Singapore.

But the weather is not the sole reason that drew me in. After some quick research, I was captivated by the blend of modern amenities and traditional charm woven into the city streets.

So, I hopped aboard the region's first high-speed rail, Whoosh, for a journey from Jakarta to Bandung with my friend, K, who was equally intrigued by the destination.

A motorbike on the road with a big load of cargo that the rider is not visible from the back. — Indonesia roads are not mundane.

Can you believe that Whoosh is an acronym? I did not expect it since it does sound like a sound an object makes when it goes real fast. The name is short for 'Waktu Hemat, Operasi Optimal, Sistem Hebat'. Or in English: 'Timesaving, Optimal Operation, Outstanding System'. Quite a mouthful either way.

Whoosh KCIC — Waktu Hemat, Operasi Optimal, Sistem Hebat

Managed to only see one cat at the station.

We were slightly disappointed that the train did not reach its maximum speed of 350km/h both ways—the highest we got was 348km/h. Nevertheless, it was still a great experience since that was the first time we were on a land transport moving at such astonishing speed. It is even faster than the Shinkansen for now—in 2030 Japan’s Alfa-X would be the fastest in the world at operation speed of 360km/h. Even so, I daresay it would not diminish the pride of South East Asia having its very own bullet train.

Bandung greeted us with a familiar challenge found in other Asia countries—crossing the roads. The traffic lights we chanced upon barely work, and, on some streets, you don't even see them. We had to rely on the 'magic hand' technique, a wave that signals motorists to slow down. On the first day, it felt dangerous and unmanageable, but the next, we were crossing like locals.

"Bumi Pasundan was created when God was smiling".

We spent most of our stay in the city centre, wandering from the big touristy roads filled with people, especially on the weekends as Bandung is a go-to place for the Jakartans, to the narrow neighbourhood paths that wind like a snake through the daily scenes of the friendly residents going about their daily lives who were curious to see us.

Are these bar stools and tables on the pedestrian overhead bridge? I have questions.

One moment that stuck with me during this trip was watching a group of kids who looked no older than five playing a game of soccer on a relatively steep slope of a minor street. The incline seemed like a hassle, with the ball rolling faster in one direction and slower in the other, yet their faces beamed with pure joy. They just made the best out of the situation—a reminder of how we should approach life's challenges. It may sound simple and logical, but there are still instances when we forget and get so absorbed in the circumstances that we make excuses to avoid or overcomplicate them. I did not manage to capture the moment on camera—I was too engaged in observing their carefree spirit and resilience.

Bandung turned out to be an unexpectedly enriching destination, and it will stay on my travel list as I am eager to explore more of its natural wonders in the future—hiking to watch the sunrise at Sunan Ibu, visiting the sulfuric crater lake of Kawah Putih, and soaking in a mud bath in Kawah Rengganis.

Until next time, Bandung.