Mark and Susan's 17th Wedding Anniversary in Bandung

Every year, we celebrate our wedding anniversary on June 19 and we try to have "couple time", away from the kids and the hustle and bustle of daily city living as often as we can. Our last trip was to Korea 2 years ago. This year, Mark and I decided to go on a shopping spree to Bandung, The Paris of Java, in Indonesia.

It was supposed to be the best time of the year to travel to Bandung but it rained every afternoon for the 4 days we were there. The people of Bandung were warm, accommodating and friendly. We had the most pleasant stay at Sensa Hotel which was celebrating it's soft launch with a promotion. It was a spick and span hotel, very minimalist (like this writer) and not at all crowded. Returning to the hotel every evening was akin to retreating into your sanctuary of peace and quiet. There were no kids to fuss with; it was really "my time".

Apart from the endless shopping one might find in Bandung, there were also the sprawling hills to visit where air was crisp and cool. The visit to Tangkuban Prahu was an eye-opening experience even for one as old as I. Never seen a volcano crater before? We were so near to it, we could smell sulphur in the air!

On the way down from the volcano crater, we stopped for lunch at Kampung Daun, a lovely restaurant/cultural gallery built within a jungle. It started to drizzle soon after our arrival but we were perfectly sheltered and dry within the quaint hut where lunch was served. Every hut was beautiful designed and comfortably furnished with flimsy curtains and cuddly cushions to sit on.
The couple at Kampung Daun

The next stop was the Saung Udjo Angklung performance where we actually played a few songs, conducted by the Principal of the performance school. It was amazing how he managed to teach us to play the angklung within a few minutes! We wondered whether he meant it when he said we were the best students he had ever had. Someone seated behind us muttered whether he says the same to every audience. Whatever it is, I thoroughly enjoyed my experience there.

Next destination?