Garut

In colonial times, Garut was known as 'the Switzerland of Java'. The city is surrounded by various mountains, including the Mount Galunggung volcano in the east, Mount Guntur volcano in the west, and Mount Cikurai volcano (over 2,800 metres high) in the south.
Garut is the capital of Garut regency, which stretches from near Sumedang in the north to the Indian Ocean coast in the south.

By car

Garut is about halfway between the cities of Bandung and Tasikmalaya. To get to Garut from Bandung, you will need to take the road over the Nagreg mountain pass. The journey takes about 2 hours if traffic conditions are good. However, serious traffic congestion is common on the mountain pass road.

By bus

On the northern side of the city, Garut's serves a wide range of local, regional, and intercity buses. There are frequent buses from several bus terminals in Jakarta. For example, there are Primajasa buses from Lebak Bulus terminal in South Jakarta from 5:00-21:00 every half hour (Rp52,000). The journey from Jakarta usually takes about 5 hours, but this heavily depends on traffic conditions.
Regular buses also depart from Cicaheum terminal in East Bandung. In addition, to travel from Bandung to Garut, you may opt to wait at the bus stop near the toll gate in Cileunyi (east of Bandung), because all buses from Jakarta and several other destinations pass here on the way to Garut.

By train

The railway and railway station of Garut are no longer operational. The nearest operational railway station is , about 20 km north of the city. Cibatu station serves a few economy class trains per day to the west (to Bandung) and a few to the east (to Central or East Java).

Most places in the city of Garut and surrounding areas can be reached by angkot (public minivan). Another option is a traditional andong (horse carriage). To get to more remote places, you will need to hire an ojek (motorcycle taxi).

Most of the touristic attractions of Garut are not in the city, but in the surrounding area.

• Candi Cangkuang

  address: Leles
  A small 8th-century Hindu temple. One of the few Hindu temples ever discovered in West Java.

• Mount Papandayan

  address: Cisurupan district
  Active volcano that is a popular tourist destination. Tourists can walk across the crater and view bubbling mud pools, steam vents, and sulfur deposits. The bubbling yellow crater is a popular sight. The most recent eruption was in 2002, and more serious volcanic activity took place in 2011.

• Mount Guntur

  address: Tarogong Kaler
  Active volcano with a height of 2,249 m, that is the source of the Cipanas hot springs. The volcano used to erupt very frequently, with 20 eruptions recorded in the first half of the 19th century, but recently there have been no eruptions. The volcano can be climbed from the side of Cipanas.

The most famous type of food from Garut is the dodol snack, a sticky sweet made of coconut milk, jaggery, and sticky rice flour. There are various types of dodol Garut, such as dodol with sesame seeds or nuts, or with fruit such as pineapple, jackfruit, or durian. Dodol is sold by street vendors throughout Garut (both the city and the wider regency).

• Picnic Dodol Garut

  phone: +62 262 232512
  address: Jl. Pasundan No. 102
  One of the most famous sellers of dodol Garut. You can buy many types of dodol. It is also possible to visit the factory, but then it is advisable to send an email beforehand.

• Toko Fatima

  address: Jl. Jend. A. Yani No.77
  Dodol shop in the city centre.

Another thing that is quite famous from Garut is leather products. You can find shoes, jackets, wallets, etc. made of leather in several shops in Sukaregang street.

• Sukaregang Leather Centre

  phone: +62 812 2488 7002
  address: Jl. Jend. A. Yani No. 302

Sundanese cuisine is ubiquitous, in restaurants and hotels, as well as in roadside stalls. Examples of popular roadside snacks include nanas goreng (fried pineapples), fried cassava, boiled salted peanuts, bakwan sayur (vegetable fritters), etc. Apart from that, dodol Garut (as mentioned above in the 'Buy' section) can be found in many places.

• Rumah Makan Cibiuk

  phone: +62 262 241 104
  address: Jl. Cikuray No. 23
  Traditional Sundanese restaurant.

Budget

• Hotel Augusta

  phone: +62 262 238 250
  address: Jalan Raya Cipanas No. 57

• Hotel Ramayana Garut

  phone: +62 896 7730 2543
  address: Jl. Pataruman

• favehotel Cimanuk Garut

  phone: +62 262 544 777
  address: Jl. Cimanuk No.338
  Modern budget chain hotel.

Mid-range

• Sabda Alam Resort Hotel

  phone: +62 262 540 054
  address: Jl. Raya Cipanas No. 3, Tarogong Kale

Splurge

• Kampung Sampireun

  phone: +62 262 542 393
  address: Jl. Raya Samarang Kamojang Km. 4, Ciparay
  Romantic hill resort set by a lake; all travel within the resort is done by canoe!

• Tasikmalaya — larger city to the east, with a wide range of restaurants.
• Bandung — the provincial capital, and economic and cultural centre.