Bandung

Bandung is a hill city in West Java at about 750 m — cooler than Jakarta and ringed by volcanoes and tea estates. It suits travellers who like hill-station scenery and shopping over beaches. Mornings are clearest for the craters, so plan volcano stops early and keep afternoons for the outlet strips and cafes.

• Stand at the rim of Tangkuban Perahu volcano crater, 30 km north of the city — you can drive almost to the edge, no hiking needed
• Kawah Putih — a pale turquoise crater lake in the southern hills, about 2 hours from town and worth pairing with a Ciwidey tea stop
• Walk a working tea plantation in the Ciwidey or Lembang hills; roadside stalls sell fresh strawberries in season
• Hunt bargains on the Jalan Riau and Dago factory-outlet strips — big-brand overruns at a fraction of mall prices

Crater entry fees for foreign visitors run higher than local prices — budget around Rp100,000-300,000 ($6-$17) per site depending on the day, and carry cash for the gates.

The Whoosh high-speed train from Jakarta is the way in: about 45 minutes to Padalarang, with fares from roughly Rp150,000 ($8), then a short feeder train or taxi into central Bandung. Driving the toll road takes 3 hours or more, and much longer on weekends when half of Jakarta has the same idea.

Bandung works best as a 1-2 day add-on to Jakarta, not a destination you fly across the world for. A common Java route is Jakarta, Bandung, then a flight or train east to Yogyakarta for Borobudur before finishing in Bali. Avoid visiting on Indonesian public holidays — the whole city jams up with weekend traffic from the capital.