Bandung is the capital of West
Java province in Indonesia, and the country's fourth largest city.
Located 768 m (2,520 ft) above
sea level, Bandung has relatively year-around cooler temperature than
most other Indonesian cities. The city lies on a river basin and
surrounded by volcanic mountains. This topology provides the city with a
good natural defense system, which was the primary reason of Dutch East
Indies government's plan to move the colony capital from Batavia to
Bandung.
The
Dutch colonials first opened tea plantations around the mountains in the
eighteenth century, followed by a road construction connecting the
plantation area to the capital (180 km or 112 miles to the northwest).
The city was founded in 1906 and gradually developed itself into a resort
city for the plantation owners. Luxurious hotels, restaurants, cafes and
European boutiques were opened of which the city was dubbed as Parijs van
Java.
After
Indonesian independence, the city experienced a rapid development and
urbanization that has transformed Bandung from idyllic town into a densed
15,000 people/km˛ metropolitan area, a living space for over 2 million
people. Natural resources have been exploited excessively, particularly
in the conversions of protected upland area into highland villa and real
estates. Although the city has encountered many problems, ranging from
waste disposal, floods to chaotic traffic system, Bandung however still
has its charm to attract people flocking into the city, either as weekend
travellers or living in..
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Indonesia
by Josiah William
Indonesia is derived from
"indos nesos", meaning islands near India. It is the world's
largest archipelago with exactly 17, islands spread between the Asian
continent and Australia, and between the Pacific and the Indian oceans.
Air
transport is the easiest and most comfortable means of travel in
Indonesia. Domestic air service, including the remote areas are provided
by Garuda Indonesia, Merpati Nusantara, Sempati Air, Bouraq and Mandala
Airlines.
Garuda
Indonesia, operates both international and domestic routes and the only
airline with an all-jet fleet for domestic Indonesia operations. Garuda
serves Honolulu, Los Angeles, London, Amsterdam, Brussels, Frankfurt,
Paris, Zurich, Rome, Vienna, Cairo, Abu Dhabi, Jeddah, Riyadh, Ho Chi
Minh City, Bangkok, Hong Kong, Taipei, Manila, Tokyo, Kuala Lumpur,
Nagoya, Seoul, Singapore, Brunei, New Zealand, Sydney, Melbourne, Perth,
Darwin, Port Hedland and Auckland. The country's second national carrier,
Merpati Nusantara Airlines, flies to 110 local destinations and to
Australia (Darwin), Brunei Darussalam and East Malaysia (Kuching).
The
country's three main gateways are Soekarno-Hatta International Airport,
Polonia Airport and Ngurah Rai Airport.
International
airlines that serve Indonesia are Singapore Airlines, Malaysian Airlines
System (MAS), Qantas, Cathay Pacific, and JAL.
ENTRY
REGULATIONS
Citizens of most countries can stay 60 days without a visa.
CLIMATE
Indonesia's
climate is tropical, hot, and humid but moderate in highlands.
LANGUAGE
The
national language is Bahasa Indonesia (a modified form of Malay),
English, English, Dutch, almost 600 local dialects, the most widely
spoken of which is Javanese.
CURRENCY
The official
currency is Indonesian Rupiah (IDR).
DOMESTIC
TRANSPORT Domestic
rail service is available throughout Java, parts of Sumatra, Jakarta, Bandung
and Surabaya. There are comfortable sleeper trains that serve Yogyakarta,
Solo, and Semarang.
Bus
services are also available and ply the Bali - Banda Aceh route; many are
air-conditioned with reclining seats as well as TV with video programs.
Cars can also be hired, for longer out of town trips, from taxi or car
rental companies.
Inter-island
ships are comfortable and offer an alternative to flying. There are regular
sailing schedules and routes at the main port of Jakarta.
COMMUNICATIONS
FACILITIES
International Direct Dial Country Code = 62 Fixed Lines = 10,000,000
Mobile Cellular = 30,000,000
Indonesia's
telecommunications service is generally good, provided by an inter-island
microwave system, HF radio police net, a domestic satellite
communications system and satellite earth stations.
Indonesia's
GSM cellular service providers are Telkomsel, PTT Saleti Palapa, Excelcom
and PT Indosat.
Several
prepaid calling card and phone card companies are available to call both
to and from Indonesia.
Top
About
the Author: Josiah William works in marketing for Cheap Phone Cards, Deal
King, Snap Mobile and eCellular
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