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Bandung, the third largest city and the second largest metropolitan in Indonesia is the capital of the West Java Province of Indonesia. It is renowned for its Dutch architecture and the Dutch often referred to it as the Paris of Java because it shared resemblance with the European city of the colonial times.
Travellers can hire taxis or cars to explore the city that boasts of ancient buildings of the 18th and 19th century in art-deco style. The structures that draw tourists to Bandung are the Villa Isola, Gedung Sate, Gedung Merdeka, ITB West and East Hall, Grand Hotel Preanger, Cipaganti Masjid and the Savoy Homann Hotel.
Bandung has numerous mosques including the Masjid Raya Bandung or the Grand Mosque, which is situated in the city centre and has a unique mosque that has prayer facilities for women. The Jumu'ah Salaath takes place around 12:15 pm with delivering of sermons in the local dialect.
Bosscha Observatorium, the only observatory in Indonesia requires a reservation one month ahead to visit. Bandung also has some museums like the Geological Museum, Mandala Wangsit Siliwangi Museum, Sri Baduga Maharaja Museum and the Pos dan Giro Museum.
Apart from this, the Alun-alun Bandung or City Square, Saung Angklung Udjo and the Bandung Zoo are other places of tourist interest. The small hilly town of Lembang situated to the north of Bandung is visited by tourists while halting at Bandung.
Mt. Tangkuban Perahu is a volcanic crater. Sari Ater is a hot spring complex with health spas and recreational parks. Adventure seeking tourists might go for the Punclut-Lembang hiking trail and Juanda Forest Park.
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