After a restful night at Mercure Bandung City Centre, we began our day early right after having breakfast. We were hoping to beat the traffic and make our way north to Sari Ater Hot Springs. The drive was scenic but long, winding through the mountainous terrain. Our plan was to start with the northernmost attractions before making our way down toward places like Orchid Forest Cikole.
When we finally arrived at Sari Ater Hotel & Resort, the atmosphere was far from what I had imagined. The entrance area felt deserted, with barely any visitors in sight. After we purchased our entrance tickets, we tapped through the gate and saw a map display board. The place itself looked undermaintained — a far cry from the relaxing hot spring retreat I had hoped for.
We followed the path to one of the larger pools and found just a family having a soak. Although I brought along my swim trunks, I decided against fully soaking, mostly due to hygiene concerns. The changing rooms looked old, dim, and unclean, which made me even less inclined to go in. My friend and I ended up just soaking our feet for a few minutes only. Even walking around was uncomfortable since my hotel slippers were thin and the rocky paths were painful to tread on.
Several “workers” stationed themselves along the pool and offered foot massage services to visitors. While some might find it convenient, the way they lingered around the area made the experience awkward and less relaxing. It was almost as though the place was trying to make up for its lack of upkeep through these add-on services.
We continued exploring, we came across another pool with a small waterfall feature where another family was enjoying themselves. Beyond that point, however, the place looked increasingly run-down, with no other visitors in sight. The emptiness and deteriorating condition made the whole experience feel even more disheartening. We soon decided to turn back and leave the premises.
Overall, my visit to Sari Ater Hot Springs was a letdown. While the idea of soaking in natural thermal waters surrounded by mountains sounded appealing, the reality was far from relaxing. The poorly maintained facilities gave the place a lifeless and neglected atmosphere. Aside from snapping a few photos at the springs, there really was not much to enjoy. In the end, it did not feel worth the long drive or the time spent there, so we made our way to the next destination instead — hoping for a better experience ahead.
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