Jakarta and the Bogar Gardens
Jakarta, on the northwest coast of Java, is the capital of Indonesia and with some 10 million residents is one of the most heavily populated urban regions in the world.
It extends as one continuous urban area encompassing Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi, all local authorities and regions with their own charm and appeal.
Steeped in history, Jakarta was established in the 4th Century as the capital of the Dutch East Indies (known as Batavia at that time). Surprisingly, despite its heavy and seemingly chaotic traffic, Jakarta is recognised as one of the leading emerging world cities.
Its wealth of wide freeways, impressive statues, significant gardens and historic buildings blend beautifully with world class hotels and shopping malls that rival Singapore; traditional street markets; and a busy community going about its everyday bustling life.
It extends as one continuous urban area encompassing Bogor, Depok, Tangerang and Bekasi, all local authorities and regions with their own charm and appeal.
Steeped in history, Jakarta was established in the 4th Century as the capital of the Dutch East Indies (known as Batavia at that time). Surprisingly, despite its heavy and seemingly chaotic traffic, Jakarta is recognised as one of the leading emerging world cities.
Its wealth of wide freeways, impressive statues, significant gardens and historic buildings blend beautifully with world class hotels and shopping malls that rival Singapore; traditional street markets; and a busy community going about its everyday bustling life.
Bogor
Bogor is one of the communities that make up the greater Jakarta metropolitan region and sits among mountain ranges about 60 kilometres south of the capital.
With a population of about three million, it is bordered by the extinct volcano Pangrango (Mt Pangrango National Park) and the somewhat dormant Gede volcano, which last erupted in 1957 and has seven craters.
However the dominant feature is Mt Salak, a dormant volcano range that last erupted in 1938 and overshadows the landscape in the traditional cone shape with a “bite” taken out of the top.
Bogor is an historic region with links back to early Dutch East Indies in the 1700s and 1800s, including one of Indonesia’s Presidential palaces (which is filled with more than 500 deer that started with two pair), and the famous Bogor Botanical Gardens.
In addition to its modern resorts and corporate complexes, much of the region retains its traditional village atmosphere with street stalls and a maze of traffic constantly weaving in ever-increasing lanes along the roadways.
Tip: Don’t drive in Bogor – the experience is great, but take a taxi or other form of transport because even locals who have been away for a few years say it is hard to adjust to the driving conditions (chaos to outsiders) when they return.
With a population of about three million, it is bordered by the extinct volcano Pangrango (Mt Pangrango National Park) and the somewhat dormant Gede volcano, which last erupted in 1957 and has seven craters.
However the dominant feature is Mt Salak, a dormant volcano range that last erupted in 1938 and overshadows the landscape in the traditional cone shape with a “bite” taken out of the top.
Bogor is an historic region with links back to early Dutch East Indies in the 1700s and 1800s, including one of Indonesia’s Presidential palaces (which is filled with more than 500 deer that started with two pair), and the famous Bogor Botanical Gardens.
In addition to its modern resorts and corporate complexes, much of the region retains its traditional village atmosphere with street stalls and a maze of traffic constantly weaving in ever-increasing lanes along the roadways.
Tip: Don’t drive in Bogor – the experience is great, but take a taxi or other form of transport because even locals who have been away for a few years say it is hard to adjust to the driving conditions (chaos to outsiders) when they return.
Bogor Botanical Garden
Sponsored by the Indonesian Ministry of Tourism to assess the burgeoning golf resorts in the region, we were fortunate to also enjoy a half-day tour of the Bogor Botanical Gardens (Kebun Raya Bogor), which includes a major research centre for agriculture and horticulture and is the oldest botanical gardens in southwest Asia.
These gardens cover more than 87 hectares (210 acres) in the city centre and link directly with one of a number of presidential palaces.
Whether you are simply a nature lover, a highly qualified botanist or just someone who enjoys beauty in nature and would like to see plants from all over the world, this is a place you should visit.
Managed by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, it is a living, breathing research and development complex that attracts specialist from around the world.
Unlike many other botanical gardens, where you can wander around and see only other tourists, Bogor is a beehive of activity with hundreds of workers constantly undergoing maintenance and tidying the grounds.
It is also constantly visited by dozens of school groups, which are hardly noticed due to the sheer size of the area.
The Bogor Botanical Gardens are creatively planned to feature species from around the world, such as the French rose garden; the water garden featuring lilies and multiple other water/swamp plants that create a thriving habitat for fish and birds; the desert plants in the Mexican garden; and of course Indonesia’s own national plants.
My favorite was the orchid garden, which features more than 500 mainly wild orchid species not found together anywhere else in the world. It has open glass houses where you can wander freely and let your senses take over, as well as a specialised Orchidarium for breeding orchids.
Note: Make sure you devote at least half a day or longer when you visit the gardens.