Dusun Bambu: A Short and Cool Getaway

8:00 PM

Dusun Bambu is located in one of the “hippest” city in Indonesia, Bandung. Well, not exactly in Bandung, but a little bit farther: Lembang. Since the Dutch colonial times, Lembang has been widely recognised as a scenic location, perfect for weekend getaways. Dusun Bambu spans across a 15-hectare area surrounded by the Burangrang Mountains; it is equipped with a man-made lake, gardens full of blooming flowers, traditional Sundanese food stalls, and sweet Lembang strawberries.

Entrance

You can choose to stay the night or simply do a day trip at Dusun Bambu. If you only want to do a day trip, there is an entrance fee of IDR 15k plus an additional IDR 10k for a car. After paying at the ticket booth, you have to park your car at the parking lot, which is not too far from the entrance. Then, you can either choose to walk along the paddy fields or hop on the Wara Wiri—a “public transportation” made especially for getting around Dusun Bambu; it can take you around the complex. Simply show the staff your entrance ticket and you’re good to go!

But if you choose to stay the night at Dusun Bambu, things become a little bit different. FYI, you’re not booking a room… You’re booking a tent! How fun is that? Booking a tent means there is no more entrance fee. But there is also villa-type accommodation for those of you who require more privacy. The tent area is called “Sayang Heulang”, while the villa-type is called “Kampung Layung”.

Another perk of staying at Dusun Bambu is you don’t have to park all the way near the entrance; there is another parking lot near your tent. The receptionist area is also pretty awesome: it’s decorated with giant bamboo ornaments and designed as an open space, making it feel very homey and relaxing.

Food Area

There are a couple of dining options available: Pasar Khatulistiwa, Burangrang Café, Purbasari Restaurant, and Lutung Kasarung. I’ll go by each and every one of them, so you can see which one you prefer!

Pasar Khatulistiwa

Here you can find different types of traditional snacks, games, and fresh fruits—it’s like a giant food court! You can try lots of somewhat unusual food: sate kelinci (BBQ rabbit meat on skewers), sate susu (cow’s nipples on skewers. I know, so weird. It tastes weird too), and many others.

Pricewise, Pasar Khatulistiwa is pretty pricey. Each person will have to spend around IDR 30k-70k, a similar amount of money you’d have to spend at mall food courts. But you’re on a holiday, okay? You’re allowed to spend some money. On a side not, you’d have to exchange your regular money to Dusun Bambu’s special money before purchasing any food.

Burangrang Café

While Pasar Khatulistiwa is basically a food court, Burangrang Café falls into the high-end restaurant type. Its design has a mix of traditional and modern elements, making the café looks très chic. When you stay at Dusun Bambu, you’ll have your welcome drink (Bajigur or Bandrek) and breakfast here.

If you want to sit outside to have a nice romantic dinner, the staffs will provide you with a heater. Yes, it’s the tall giant-mosquito-repellant-thingy. Anyway, I personally think the breakfast here is just okay. Pasar Khatulistiwa definitely has more options.

Lutung Kasarung

As you walk through the entrance, you will see some hanging egg-shell “capsules” covered with wood vines. Those capsules are actually private rooms that you can book with a minimum order of IDR 400k for 2-3 hours. As for me, I’d rather spend those 2-3 hours playing somewhere else. :D

Purbasari Restaurant

Compared to the others, Purbasari Restaurant feels more private. There is a minimum order of IDR 900k. You can fit as many people as you want into your private… room? Building? I’m not sure what to call it. The food is a complete package of Sundanese food from appetiser to dessert. I actually did not get the chance to try this restaurant.

Activities

There are tons of activities that you can do at Dusun Bambu. All of them will use energy (Yes, I’m a couch potato, so using energy is a such a big deal), but they are fun! There are archery, throwing knives, firing gun, hamster ball on the water, canoeing, picking strawberries, playing with rabbits, and many more. Some will require an additional amount of money, e.g. IDR 20k for archery.

Accommodation: Sayang Heulang

One of the highlights of staying at Dusun Bambu is having the experience of sleeping inside a tent, complete with bonfire and everything. Luckily there’s a modern toilet available, so no need to hide behind the bushes to do your business! It’s interesting to note that all the tents are named based on the names of mountains in West Java.

We book the double room type, which costs around IDR 2956k after tax. That includes canoeing, breakfast, and entrance fee. Don’t forget to bring your jacket because it will be quite cold and possibly freezing! Overall, we really enjoy this trip! Hopefully one day I will come back to Dusun Bambu again.