I planned a weekend getaway with my cousins to Bandung. It is one of the closest location from hectic Jakarta. I found this accommodation through groupon.co.id and it was one hella great deal. Sapulidi Resort is an old resort and was very popular back in the days. They are famous for their ‘sampan’ (wood canoe) in their little lake and their restaurant where you can eat in a gazebo surrounded by paddy field.
I booked two Suite Room with Lake View as I was told that Sapulidi is very well-known for their lake. It was around 15 minutes drive from Kampung Daun Restaurant, where I had late lunch there. I would suggest you to use Google Map for the direction to Sapulidi Resort cause it is quite a place to find. After you arrived and checked in to the resort, there will be a bellboy who carry your things with a pedicab. I love how they utilize pedicab as their trolley, as it is part of Indonesian culture. I think my cousins and I got the best lake view from our suite room. As you can see from the first picture of this post, the middle house is the Presidential Suite Room and it is off land, which means you have to use the canoe to go there. Very isolated and perfect for honeymooners. Make sure you check out their packages for family, honeymoon, etc.
There’s nothing to do during the evening in Sapulidi Resort. They do have TV with international channels, but are you seriously gonna watch TV when you paid for a back-to-nature escapade? Like I said earlier, Sapulidi also has a restaurant surrounded by paddy field. You can have dinner in there with additional charge (not included in the room rate), but make sure to booked it first as their restaurant is quite popular.
Unfortunately, this resort IS old and worn out. I’m disappointed by their cleanliness of the room even though it is quite expected from an old resort. I found several strand of hair, spots in the bed cover, and a lot of dust everywhere. I didn’t feel comfort staying in the resort. The bathroom was alright. I found cockroach and other insects inside the bedroom and it wasn’t a surprise anymore. The bed looks decent in the picture below but you should see it in real. I think Sapulidi Resort would be perfect from the perspective of hospitality if they improve the hygiene and maintenance.
The next morning in Sapulidi Resort, after I barely sleep soundly, I did a lone morning walk around the Sapulidi Resort to take pictures. It was slightly creepy, as the foggy morning gave me a eerie feels. Imagine passing by rusty, old houses in a foggy hour. It makes me think I was in a Indonesian horror movie (which is extremely terrifying) and I’m not even a big fan of horror movie! Then I tried to change the vibe by walk around the Sapulidi Restaurant.
Exactly just like Kampung Daun Restaurant, the tables are under the gazebos. Plus, it is surrounded either by paddy field, river or other kind of plantations. I love the fact that the gazebos have different design and material from one to another. I didn’t count the number of gazebos but it is roughly a lot! It must be a struggle for the waiters and the bussers. There are bridges made from tree trunk and branches connecting from land to land but still in the Sapulidi Restaurant area. I was fascinated with the Sapulidi tree, piles of broom stick and made into a tree. Looks more like a toilet cleaner though. I then had breakfast in the Sapulidi Restaurant (included in the room rate) and it was just meh. The selection of the buffet breakfast was mainly Indonesian food, the taste wasn’t that bad.
One activity you cannot miss during your stay in Sapulidi Resort is the canoe ride. It is what distinct Sapulidi Resort to other accommodations and it’s free. All you need to do is to call one of the employee/staff cause they are the one who paddle the canoe. You can look closer to the presidential suite as well.
Me as a picky traveler, I wouldn’t come back to this resort to stay, but would definitely come back to have a dine. I’m expecting the inside of the house to be cleaner and maintained. However, I love the outdoor landscape and how it is deliberate and naturally messy at the same time. Oh, and I also accidentally saw HUGE spider with his/her magnificent webs and an abandon colorful pedicab. I thing I’m sure is, Sapulidi Resort is photogenic.
But my trip to Bandung hasn’t finish yet. Next stops are Floating Market in Lembang and the famous Armor Kopi located up in the mountain. Stay tuned! or you can just subscribe down below 🙂
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