Bogor Botanical Garden

Bogor Botanical Garden is situated right in the center of the city and spans some 80 hectares of the area. Founded during the Dutch occupation in 1817, this garden started as a research and conservation of various plant species in Indonesia. Now the garden has also become the main outdoor attraction of Bogor and plays an important role in providing large recreational area for local residents and many passing tourists.

Bogor Botanical Garden has 4 entry gates, with the main gate located near Bogor Zoological Museum on Jalan Juanda. The other three gates are numbered I to III and allow easy access for visitors coming from the different areas. The gates I and II on Jalan Pajajaran are located opposite of Bogor Institute of Agriculture (IPB) and across Pangrango Plaza, respectively. The gate III lies on Jalan Juanda, near the post office.

The entry ticket can be purchased at the gate for very cheap price, Rp 9,500 or about $1. This ticket also allows entry to the zoological museum, where you can see the giant skeleton of a blue whale, stuffed rhinoceros, and collection of almost half a million specimens of more than 15,000 species of Indonesian creatures.

Inside Bogor Botanical Garden, you will be fascinated by its collection of giant trees, some of them are more than a hundred years old. Each tree is tagged with its common name, latin name, and its time of planting so visitors can also gain some valuable knowledge during their visits.

If you come from the main gate, you should first take the Canary Road (Canarium Avenue) route. Here you will be presented by the shadiness of giant canary trees brought from Sulawesi and Maluku. It’s very refreshing to take a stroll under the canopy of soaring trees planted here in 19th century.

For those who are not afraid of heights, the hanging bridge over Ciliwung river could be your next destination. From this place, you can enjoy the sound of gushing water of the river current that divides the garden. However, the view is sometimes disturbed by the rubbish floating around the river.

Another place also well worth visiting is the Astrid Avenue, a twin road decorated with Agathis dammara trees and red and yellow Canna hybrida with black leaves, that show some resemblance with the colors of Belgian Flag. This avenue was actually named in honor of Princess Astrid of Belgium who visited the garden in 1928.

After taking a long walk around the garden, you may want to relax and have a meal at Dedaunan Cafe that lies on the top of a small hill looking over the vast greenery of the garden. This is also the best place to enjoy the view of the big pond adorned with fountains, lotus, water lilies and other aquatic plants.

Bogor Botanical Garden is now visited by more than one million local and foreign visitors annually. This place offers a refreshing and educational experience fostering appreciation and care for the natural biodiversity.