The scenic route Jakarta - Bandung - Pangandaran
Botanical Garden in Bogor East Java
Bogor. Located just 45 minute ridefrom Jakarta along the toll road. In the past period, the Dutch named this rainy peaceful hamlet of villas andbougainville as "Buitenzorg" or "Out of Worries". The city rewards visitors with glimpses of the past and the graceful elegant live. Bogor is world famous for its glorious Kebun Raya or Bogor botanical garden - one of the biggest in the world. situated just behind the stunning presidential palace. It covers 110 sq ha of land, established by the Dutch in 1817 and laid out under the direction of Thomas Stamford Raffles, with an assistance of a botanist from London.
The Garden is renowned for its range of tropical botanical specimens, features pathways through bamboo stand, rattan, orchids, water lilies, fountain lakes, a miniature tropical rainforest and zoological museum. About 15.000 native plants collected from all over Indonesia and foreign species introduced from many tropical countries are now grown in the garden. Many economic and ornamental plants imported into the country were introduced through the gardens. Some of them are Ainherstia (1851), Cinchona (1852), and Rubber (1876).
There is an excellent zoological museum in the southern part of the garden, with the immense collection of 30.000 speciments of land and sea creatures from throughout Indonesia and richly illustrated library of this botanical zone. The library also houses stuffed Indonesian fauna including Rhinoceroses and Komodo dragons, a 77-m skeleton of hI Lie whale and skeleton of giant Japanese crab. The museum was estabilished in 1894.
Adjoining thc garden is the Bogor PresidentialPalace. It stands on 28 ha of land with 100 big trees and a flock of deer sent from mainland Asia in 1811. The 14.800 sq. m complex comprises the main building and two wings. Five pavilions were built in 1954, unattched to the main complex. Another pavilion called Diah Bayurini was later added. renovated by Raffles in 1811 and again by Governor generals Daendels and Van der Capel len. It was completely renovated in 1834, The palace seems as if it were located in the midst of a tropical jungle, the best place for relaxation after a busy life in Jakarta. That was why a Dutch Governor General Baron van Imhoff considered this place as his country house in 1745, that he named it Buitenzorg or 'Out of Worries'
On the way from Bogor to Bandung lies Puncak or Summit. This is recreational weekend and holiday resort. The road through Puncak Pass snakes its way steeply up through hills planted with stubby tea bushes, villages lined with guesthouses and terraces tumbling with fresh vegetabies grown robust in the rich volcanic earth and cool climate.
Just before you reach Puncak, visit Taman Safari - a free-range zoo on the mountain slopes where lions and tigers graze in open spaces. Both indigenous and imported exotic wildlife roam free while visitors drive through in closed vehicles. Taman Safari is also renowued for its succesful breeding program. Minibus for visitors for tour into the garden a vailable.
Halfway between Taman Safari and Puncak, lies Gunung Mas tea plantation area and tea factory. Here you can enjoy a breathtaking view of green velvet tea plantation covering over the hills and see tea processing - beginning from the tea leaves up to the final work. The site also offers a refreshing overnight stay at cool mountain breeze where well preserved Dutch guest houses available. After Puncak, a turn off to the right leads you to Cibodas Botanic Garden. This 60-ha garden was laid out in 1852 to study temperate and mountain flora and fauna from around the world and to pioneer work on Cinchona (quinine) and coffee. For its beauty the park was called the Asian garden of Eden. Area of Cibodas parks include virgin native jungle, the starting point for a day hike up to the peaks of Mt. Gede and Mt. Pangrango. Climbing the mountains is a hard work but interesting - 10 hours to Gede and 14 hours to Pangrango. Start early in the morning if you should return before dark. First go to Tourist Information Center (Ph. 0255-512776). next to the entry gate of the garden for imformation guides A wide range of accommodation facilities available along the roadside as far as Cipanas, a tiny town nearby. You can visit Taman Bunga Nusantara or Flower Garden beyond Cipanas. The garden is grown with lots of variety of flowers from many countries and different parts of Indonesia. From Cipanas the travel to Bandung takes some one and half hour rides.