Just a couple of hours' drive southeast of Jakarta, the highland city of Bandung offers a welcome escape from the heat and pollution of Indonesia's capital.
The city is built up and heavily congested, but it is nevertheless green, and its setting—in a basin surrounded by volcanic peaks—is impressive. Famous as the capital of Sudanese culture, Bandung is known for its
wayang golek (wooden-puppet shows) and gamelan (percussion orchestras), and regular performances can be seen in hotels and restaurants in town. Other sites include a few attractive art-deco buildings, museums and a nearby volcano.
70 mi/115 km southeast of Jakarta.