---
node: dest_bandung
type: destination
slug: bandung
title: "Bandung"
lead: "Bandung is the highland capital of West Java, a cooler city known for its Dutch art deco architecture, volcanoes and tea country. Once called the Paris of Java, it is a popular weekend escape from the heat of nearby Jakarta."
published: 2026-08-10
updated: 2026-08-10
image_file: bandung.jpg
image_source: "https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gedung_Sate_Bandung.jpg"
image_author: "Gunawan Kartapranata"
image_license: "CC BY-SA 3.0"
---

## Overview

Set on a plateau ringed by volcanoes, Bandung is milder and greener than the lowland cities, and it kept a wealth of art deco buildings from its Dutch colonial heyday. A large university and student city, it is also known for shopping, cafes and a lively food scene, and for the tea plantations and hot springs in the hills around it. It is reached by a fast train from Jakarta, which makes it an easy break from the capital.

## Highlights

The city centre keeps landmark art deco buildings such as Gedung Sate and the Villa Isola, and the old Braga street its cafes and colonial fronts. In the highlands, the Tangkuban Perahu volcano lets visitors look into a steaming crater, with hot springs and strawberry farms nearby. Tea plantations, factory-outlet shopping and the cool climate fill out a weekend in the hills.