Although there are plenty of amazing malls in Bandung, Cihampelas Walk, or more commonly known as CiWalk, has to be my favourite.
Located in the north of Bandung, it ticks all the boxes for me and my family. I need somewhere safe, outdoors and roomy for my toddler to run free. And I need facilities, covered areas and indoor options if the weather turns bad. Plus its open from 10 am until 10 pm.
Plenty of open space at this mall
The mall doesn't have the traditional feeling of one big building. It's made up of open-air spaces with two main medium size buildings. More often than not, you'll find a special event, concert or market being held in part of this area. I find it spot on to let children just wander, run, jump and be free here. Around the outside of the main building, there are more shops and restaurants but positioned away from the building creating an airy promenade. My toddler and I love to walk around here as there are plenty of simple water features.
If you decide to drive, the entrances from the parking area take you inside one of the main buildings. To be honest, here you'll just find a normal indoor mall. Don't get me wrong, there's a great selection of shops and a very easy layout. You won't get lost, confused or feel like you've missed anything. Most of the indoor shops can be seen from any spot inside. For me though, it's not my favourite aspect of the mall. With that said, inside you'll find a cinema, gym, hairdressers, plenty of well known international coffee shops, fast food restaurants, pharmacies and the like.
A simple layout inside Ciwalk
Apart from the points I've already mentioned, I love the fact that the second floor has a 'sky walkway' and connecting bridge between the two main buildings. Sometimes even a small exploration around the mall, and over the bridge is enough of an adventure for my toddler. The outside area is also packed with trees, bushes and simple water features, giving it a really tranquil feel. Finally, if you do need areas especially for toddlers, you'll find two soft play areas and a games arcade. These do have fees but I feel good value. In fact, as I visit them so often I'll write about them in my next feature.
For more information on the mall, please visit
www.ciwalk.com
So – What do you think? Which is your favourite mall in Bandung and why?
