Shopping in Bandung

Nice, but not my style.

Admittedly, I haven't bought much of anything besides groceries, there are no shortages of places to spend money in Bandung! These shopping opportunities range from roadside carts to upscale shopping areas. Paris Van Java is one of the most popular shopping areas for locals as well as tourists. We ventured there once for dinner but it was over-the-top congested and Ronnie almost had his pocket picked within 10 minutes of entering the mall by 2 young men who followed us in from outside. We quickly learned the importance of constantly being aware of where your wallet at all times, especially in large crowds. All the restaurants were extremely crowded and smoke filled, even the outdoor ones. After a lot of walking and our second attempt to find 2 chairs at KFC, we ordered chicken fingers and bottled water, skipping the side of a sticky rice ball. We then risked life and limb to catch a cab back to the hotel. In fairness, it is the month of Ramadan and people begin feasting at 6 pm. It was bad timing on our part and reminded us of ants on an anthill!

not Ronnie's style either

Back to the shopping - there are some very nice stores which of course cater to the local clientel. There really wasn't a lot to tempt me there, especially after the near pick pocket experience.

high end fashions in Indonesia

typical street vendor

electronic stores are crowded!

hand made bird cages on sidewalk

Besides the upper end type of shopping, it seems there is someone trying to sell something pretty much everywhere you look. Sidewalk vendors sell everything from food to furniture. In other words, there is no shortage of stuff to buy! I looked at some handmade teak and bamboo bird cages that were very intricate and must have taken weeks if not months to build. My favorite was 20,000 rp (slightly over $23US)! Of course the problem would be shipping to get any of these bargains home!

spa treatments - 1 hour $14US, 2 hr $29US