First Time To Jakarta And Bandung

It was my first time to Jakarta and Bandung...

An eye opener...bought the airasia ticket with my sis back then...along with her friend...RM70 return via the low cost carrier...i still remember it...it was February...2009...

2 hours on the flight and we reached Soekarno-Hatta International Airport Jakarta at 9 pm...its the first experience for all of us...we only had rough plans...all i know was that...its my first time to Jakarta...and i am pretty much excited to explore...but we made pretty much our first mistake when we innocently asked about the price for a ride to Bandung...we tried to dismiss the guy by going to take a quick dinner...he is surely one really pushy guy...he followed us around...demit...we took the ride anyway coz we can't stand him followed us around the airport...cost us IDR150,000 per person via innova...how i regret that i asked...hahaha...

Reached Bandung and check in for the nite in Seri Mutiara Hotel if i am not mistaken...beautiful upscale hotel...used to be at least...but it was only for us to rest...the next morning took a supir ride to Bandung's famous Tangkuban Parahu...made our second mistake as that particular pak supir have a very limited command of English...and Malay i might add...we had trouble communicating...we end up feeling a bit dissatisfied with the service given...IDR550,000 for the ride from 12 pm to 9 pm...bit pricey i might add...owh yeah...we actually asked the hotel receptionist for the supir ride...lesson learned...don't...and i mean don't ever asked the hotel you are staying to arrange any kind of supir ride...ask around will be better...

Third mistake happened while we were in Tangkuban Parahu...that is to actually entertain those souvenier sellers who followed us up and down the whole time...seriously it was not really an enjoyable moment at all...having them followed us...arghhh...i gave in...and bought some souveniers for a bit higher price...that is after a hard bargain...the guy tried to sell me a fridge magnet for a price of IDR250,000...WTF? went on to ciater spring...then we have tea overlooking the tea plantation on our way back to Bandung...

We checked in to Mutiara Hotel for the second nite...as we wanted a hotel that is near to Stasiun Bandung...going to take a train ride to Jakarta the next day...the next morning...made one quick shopping tour to Dago...went to Grande Outlet Mall...then off we went for a train ride to Jakarta...checked in Grand Boutique Angkasa in Jakarta...

Comes morning we went out after breakfast...went to Tanah Abang...owh dem...its a huge textile complex...then took a bajaj ride around the city...as it was way faster than taking a cab...seriously...bajaj can easily fit in between cars...which made my heart skipped a bit...hahaha...bought some souveniers...then we headed back to the hotel...packed our things...took a cab...and paid the cab driver to drive us around Jakarta...how he really drove us around...he went up to North Jakarta...going thru the ring rode to East Jakarta...then to the South Jakarta...then to the West Jakarta...then and only then...he drove us to Soekarno Hatta International Airport...the taxi ride? IDR190,000...hahaha...the ride was almost like a tour around Jakarta without going out from the car...then we took the flight back to Kuala Lumpur...

My first experience to Jakarta and Bandung was not exactly a smooth one...none of it are according to plans...but all those mistakes that i had done during this first experience prove to be extremely useful for the travels that i done for the years to come...it kinda gimme leverage on how to act when the situation calls for...it also managed to prepare myself for more travels to come...

T.Y.S

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