::. This is again a post from our recent mudik trip to Indonesia during summer
We hadn’t have our honeymoon yet until even our 12th anniversary. Many plans just gone; not materialized. So when we have a chance to make this happen we try hard.
Kampung Sampireun (http://www.kampungsampireun.com), our selected place, is located about 2-hour drive from Bandung capital of West Java, 15 km from the city of Garut, on the road to Kamojang Crater, where a geothermal plant is located at. A drive to Sampireun is a mixed experience in itself: passing through typical crowded towns, winding roads, and mountain backdrop.
Mount Guntur
How I miss this greenery
Built in 1999, this resort features back to nature concept with Sundanese culture as a center soul: the lake, the bungalows, the art performance, the meals, the staffs.
Taken from Sundanese Language which means “a place/village to stop by”, Kampung Sampireun’s center of attraction is the lake and the bungalows floating and around it. Once we checked in the reception, we were given a traditional drink “Bajigur” (a hot and sweet beverage native to Sunda, made up of coconut milk, palm sugar, and ginger). Then dressed in Sundanese traditional outfits, hotel staff takes us to our bungalow with using canoe! If you come in large group you may be escorted with using bamboo raft.
Check-in in class with bamboo raft 
It’s a bit of nervous checking-in our room with this type of transportation mode. However, the beautiful scenery of lake, original bamboo forest, and schools of ‘greedy’ gold fish soon dampens our worry.
Kampung Sampireun
The lake, bamboo forest, bungalow and floating restaurant
Pine tree, canoe, lake and traditional bungalow
From the balcony
Our bungalow is constructed using bamboo with coconut roofing. A balcony opens directly to the lake where you can feed those greedy fishes. Once settled you’ll be given one or two bags of fish pellets for feeding. Meanwhile, each bungalow is assigned with its own canoe. You may use it for canoeing, or to access lobby and different areas of resort. A beautifully landscaped walking path is available at the back of bungalow that links all bungalows to resort facilities such as restaurants, playground, swimming pool, spa, mosque, and lobby.
Enjoy at balcony overlooking gold fish filled lake
Learn how to canoe
Feeding gold fishes from balcony
These greedy gold fishes got used to people feeding them
Kampung Sampireun at night
Kampung Sampireun at night
A beautifully landscaped walking path at the back of bungalows
Art performances and snack breaks can be enjoyed at regular intervals. In the afternoon we can enjoy the Sundanese music performance “calung and angklung” (bamboo tube xylophone). While dinner, “kecapi suling” (a zither-like Sundanese music instrument is played at the restaurant.
“Calung” performance in the afternoon
After dinner, around 9 – 9.30pm, a traditional drink called ” Sekoteng ” warming up our body from cold mountain air. The drink is again dropped to our bungalow by boat.
Hotel staffs deliver pre-breakfast traditional floating pancake
Surabi – Sundanese floating pancake
Lastly, in the morning around 6am before breakfast, traditional snack Floating Surabi (Traditional pancake) is delivered to our balcony.
Spending our honeymoon at Kampung Sampireun is indeed a memorable experience. A peaceful, exotic, romantic, tranquil environment is perfect for honeymooners. As part of our package (we ordered a honeymoon package from http://www.weddingku.com) we’re treated with the floating candle light dinner (on raft), the couple spa treatment, a specifically decorated room, a photo session, breakfast and lunch and a photo session.
Candle light dinner at floating restaurant
The hotel is also offering a trange of activities such as fishing, a tour to nearby village, a tour to tourist areas such as Papandayan Mountain, Waterfall, Traditional Snack and Leather Factory, or to hot spring water as we did.
Sabda Alam Hot Spring Water Park at Cipanas, Garut at the foot of Mount Guntur
As we leave Kampung Sampireun we get nothing than stronger bond among us; exceptional experience of city-escape break, and thirst quencher to Indonesia’s invaluable asset: nature, people, and culture.
