Several months ago Zauji accompanied me when I was assigned to the city of Garut, West Java. Apart from coordinating with the committee, I also looked for hotels in Garut that were cheap and good because we had a limited budget. The hotel we chose was pretty good and recommended for Menong friends who intend to travel to this dodol city.
As true bikers, even though I'm on duty, Zauji and I agreed to just ride a motorbike so it's easy to be mobile everywhere. Home Trip—Tarogong Kidul, Garut, where we go, which takes 2 hours and 11 minutes in the morning. Because the activity started at 08.00 WIB, we left at 05.30 WIB after the streets started to light up.
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| Map Bandung-Garut |
Garut sheep
Remembering Garut, we will also remember the arrowroot sheep, which has become iconic and famous for its distinctive shape. Garut sheep have advantages that are not owned by other sheep species, namely their ears and tail. Garut sheep have the shape of rumpled ears or sliced ngadaun (neat) and tails of beurit tails (small like rat tails) or ngabuntut bagong (small like wild boar tails). This is a genetic advantage that sheep species do not have elsewhere, so the Arrowroot sheep has been named the best livestock genetic source.
Do you know Menong's friend? The uniqueness of this Garut sheep is even engraved on the relief of Sewu Temple in the Prambanan Temple Complex, which is estimated to have been built in the middle of the 7th century AD in the form of a pair of sheep facing each other or colliding in the middle of a kalpataru tree. Isn't it amazing!!!
Garut souvenirs
The first favorite souvenirs fall on dorokdok, alias skin kurupuk. I also remember the chanting of Sundanese songs that I have known since childhood.
Dorokdok skin crackers. Stuck without money
'Dorokdok' means skin peeling, and 'ngajejog' means silence (the Sundanese language is very rough, so don't say it, okay?).
At a glance, this dorokdok is similar to rambak. What is the difference between dorokdok and rambak?
Dorokdok is made from the inside of cowhide, which is cleaned, boiled until it swells and then dried in the sun. Then the skin is seasoned and dried in the sun again to dry before being fried. Unlike the case with rambak, which is made from the inside of buffalo skin, which is boiled until it blooms and then soaked in water overnight. The skin that has been soaked is then dried in the sun and after that it is seasoned and then dried again before being fried.
Rambak is usually seasoned with coriander, garlic, turmeric, tamarind, and brown sugar, so it has a sweeter taste than dorokdok. I myself prefer dorokdok to rambak.
The second souvenir is, of course, arrowroot lunkhead. The term 'dodol aja picnic when you don't' was inspired by the well-known dodol brand that has been around for decades, namely Dodol Picnic. Now dodol is developing with a variety of new variants, such as green tea and chocolate. Menong's friends can easily find dodol anywhere, especially near hotels in Garut.
One more souvenir that I often get from a friend, Asgar, alias Original Arrowroot, is burayot cake. Buyarot is made from rice flour and brown sugar, which tastes similar to kuehcur. It is called burayot, which means hanging, because it looks like something hanging.
Sukaregang Leather Center
If Menong friends like leather knick-knacks, the Sukaregang Leather Center, Garut, is the right place to visit. Here you can find handicrafts made of sheepskin or other animals. Low prices and high quality guarantee this Garut original product. Jackets, bags, wallets, belts, and shoes.
Cultural diversity
Apart from culinary delights, Garut also has extraordinary culture, one of which is 'Lais.' Lais is an acrobatic attraction that has been recognized as an Intangible Heritage of Object (WBTB) of Indonesia in 2016. This typical Garut attraction is performed by a professional player who plays on a rope connected between two bamboo sticks with a height of 12-13 meters, which is the distance between the two. about 6 meters. To be strong and stable, the bamboo used is planted upright in the ground as deep as 6 meters. Cool, isn't it!!!
Natural tourism
This is the reason why Garut is a mandatory destination for West Java residents and even nationally. Menong's friends must know Darajat nature tourism, Kamojang Crater, or Cipanas. Yes, Garut has the charm of extraordinary natural beauty. It's no exaggeration that every weekend, tourist areas in Garut are always packed with visitors.
Including people who are too lazy to jostle at tourist attractions, so far visits to Darajat Pass, hot springs, and rides have only arrived at the front door. Likewise with Kamojang Crater, which Zauji and I visited during the pandemic 1.5 years ago. The rest of the time, we enjoy the beauty of relatively quiet tourist spots such as the Eagle Conservation Center and Situ Bagendit in the morning when visitors are still rare.
Cheap Hotels
When visiting Garut, we usually stay at the house of a cousin who has lived in Garut for a long time because he works for a company in the Cipanas area. But this visit, Zauji and I deliberately stayed at the hotel.
Because it coincided with a long weekend, it was not easy to find cheap and good hotels not far from the Cipanas and Darajat Pass areas, which are favorite tourist destinations. I did delay choosing a hotel through the application because we didn't have enough funds. Most of the hotels are located in tourist areas close to Cipanas and Darajat Pass so that the average hotel near tourist attractions charges a hefty price > 700K with minimal facilities, such as no breakfast.
And of course we have to consider the convenience of finding breakfast even though my cousin promised to pick us up to have breakfast together at home. But this idea still hangs because the rhythm in the morning is usually more interesting than just 'laying down' in the room. 😐
We also ignored the option to look for hotels in the downtown area. Apart from being too far from where I work, the room rates are also too low for the 'allocation funds' we have. Had asked cousins and friends but both of them gave different reviews, which made me even more confused.
At the last minute, we decided to stay in the Samarang area and no longer look for hotels with hot tubs and water parks because we would only be staying one night.
Redannte Star Hotel, Garut
Hotel Bintang Redannte is a 2-star hotel located on Jl. Raya Samarang No. 42, Langensari, Kec. Tarogong Kaler, Garut Regency, West Java 44151. Unlike other hotels in the Cipanas area, which are equipped with a water park or hot spring in the room, Bintang Redannte only has standard facilities such as air conditioning, a restaurant, parking, and wifi.
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| Redannte Star Hotel Signboard |
The cheapest room rate for the Superior Twin type (2 single beds) is only 350K on weekdays, complete with free breakfast. Deluxe with or without balcony/terrace plus breakfast (1 double bed or 2 single beds) is only 400K.
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| Rows of Redannte Star Rooms |
Affordable rates even on long weekends and the availability to pay at check-in were taken into consideration when we made up our minds to choose Hotel Bintang Redannte. The deluxe room without a balcony that we chose can be paid upon check-in at 510K, including taxes and fees. If Menong's friends pay directly through the application, of course, it will be much cheaper, around 420K.
Like other hotels, check-in time starts at 14.00 WIB and check-out is before 12.00 WIB. The hotel staff kindly served us and made sure all our needs were met.
Like
Because we had 'hunted' for many hotels before, we finally started paying attention to the size of the rooms available at each hotel. If in the Cipanas area a 12 m² room has a rate of more than 700 thousand, but at Bintang Redannte we can be satisfied with an extraordinarily spacious room for the two of us because all rooms have an area of 24 m².
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| Redannte Star Hotel Room |
Double beds and soft pillows greeted us on the 3rd floor. A spacious room plus a cupboard that was big enough to accommodate our luggage, which was only one backpack. Equipped with a TV, work desk, one chair (maybe there should be a partner, right), and an additional table, this room feels like it fits the price offered. At night I can calmly do my blogging task accompanied by Zauji, who is coolly watching TV.
Indeed, there is no sofa or carpet, which is Zauji's favorite when staying at a hotel, but it feels like when we compare it to the other rooms from our previous survey, we have no regrets about choosing the Bintang Redannte hotel as a cheap and good hotel in Garut.
The hotel also provides toiletries that Menong's friends can use. It's just that, because there is no shower cap, Menong's friends should bring their own because even in the deluxe room there is only a shower available.
Double beds and soft pillows greeted us on the 3rd floor. A spacious room plus a cupboard that was big enough to accommodate our luggage, which was only one backpack. Equipped with a TV, work desk, one chair (maybe there should be a partner, right), and an additional table, this room feels like it fits the price offered. At night I can calmly do my blogging task accompanied by Zauji, who is coolly watching TV.
Indeed, there is no sofa or carpet, which is Zauji's favorite when staying at a hotel, but it feels like when we compare it to the other rooms from our previous survey, we have no regrets about choosing the Bintang Redannte hotel as a cheap and good hotel in Garut.
The hotel also provides toiletries that Menong's friends can use. It's just that, because there is no shower cap, Menong's friends should bring their own because even in the deluxe room there is only a shower available.
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| Redannte Star Hotel Dining Room |
If Menong's friends intend to order food, the prices served are also considered cheap for the size of hotel prices. At night, Zauji and I tried to order tenderloin steak and french fries. It tasted pretty good; it's just that because I forgot to ask for a well-done steak, the meat served was undercooked to me and Zauji, who has Indonesian tongues. And don't forget, the kitchen isn't available 24 hours so make sure Menong's friends order food while the kitchen is still open.
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| Redannte Star Hotel Menu List |
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| Redannte Star Hotel Steaks |
Facility
Hotel Bintang Redannte may not be that big when compared to other hotels in Garut. In general, the hotel facilities did not disappoint. As a biker couple, the hotel provides a special parking area for motorbikes near the security guard post, which is protected from rain and heat. Cars can also be parked on the front porch or in the backyard right in front of the row of superior rooms.
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| The terrace of the Redannte Star Hotel |
The location is not far from the city center and tourist attractions and, of course, without traffic jams like in big cities. The Cipanas area or Darajat Pass can be reached in less than 30 minutes. Likewise with the center of souvenirs in the Garut area of the city. Jalan Samarang itself connects the tourist area with Garut city so that the Bintang Redannte hotel can be the right choice.
If Menong's friends intend to look for food outside the hotel, there are many houses or food stalls lined up along the road. Not far from the hotel, a mini market can be an option for light shopping.
Our trip this time felt quite successful, healing both of us in the midst of work fatigue. The experience of choosing cheap and good hotels in Garut is likely to be memorable as well as a reference for another time.
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