Many visitors to Jakarta, or indeed, Western Java, have no idea that the oldest and largest Botanical Gardens is just a stones throw away. Kebun Raya Bogor is just down the road from the thriving metropolis of Jakarta, and is easier to reach than you would think. With public transport running all the way from Central Jakarta, almost to the front gate of the Gardens, a trip to Kebun Raya Bogor is perfect for anyone looking to take a short break from the concrete jungle of the big city.
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Table of Contents
- About Kebun Raya Bogor
- What to expect
- Things to do at Kebun Raya Bogor
- How to get to Kebun Raya Bogor
- Where to stay
- Summary
- Interesting Statistics
About Kebun Raya Bogor
Kebun Raya Bogor, also known as the Bogor Botanical Gardens, is located in the city center of Bogor, and is about 60 km south of the CBD of Jakarta. It encompasses 87 hectares, and its location in Bogor provides daily rainfalls. These, along with frequent tropical storms make it the perfect location for cultivating and maintaining tropical plants.
The Gardens themselves are the oldest Botanical Gardens in South East Asia, originally founded in 1817 by the Dutch East India Company. Over the years they have been presided over by many famed and talented Botanists. Their expertise and influence is still starkly apparent, as each have contributed to the Gardens that exist today.
The modern version of Kebun Raya Bogor are maintained and run by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences, and is home to nearly 14,000 specimens of trees and plants. One entire corner of the Gardens belong to the Presidential Palace of Bogor, and itself is home to a large herd of deer that can be seen grazing within the grounds.
What to expect
The best place to enter Kebun Raya Bogor is via the main gate. There are several gates in total, but the main gate is the best and most logical place to start from. Head up the stairs and into the entrance hall where you will find the ticket office, toilets, and a bank of lockers if you want to leave a few bags behind and not lug them around the gardens with you.
Take note here that there is a ban on Drones and DSLR Cameras at Kebun Raya Bogor. This is due to the fact that the Presidential Palace resides in the Grounds of the Gardens, and like other such structures around the world, they don’t take too kindly to being viewed from above, or with a telescopic lens! If you have your drone with you, leave it in the lockers provided, or take it with you into the grounds. Just don’t try to use it!
The entrance price is cheap
The price of entry is only around $2.50 USD (at time of writing) which is extremely cheap for a day out. To make it easier, make certain you have small money, or pay with credit card. Once you have paid, head through the turnstiles and out into the Gardens.
Hire a Bike!
Not far from the entrance (and this is the same for most entrances) you will find a place to rent a bicycle. I highly recommend this option for getting around the Gardens, simply because they are so huge! Bicycle hire is only about $2 USD an hour, and realistically you will only need it for a few hours at the most.
Other options to get around inside is to walk, (take a LOT of water), or you can even hire small golf carts with a driver that will take you around. This is the more expensive option, but if you have a large group and some who might struggle physically to walk or pedal, could be the best choice.
The Botanical Gardens Bogor themselves are amazing. You can tell right away how old they are simply by the size of the trees and maturity of the flora that surrounds you. Some of the trees even have small signs on them, displaying the date they were planted. Right near the entrance there is one that states it was planted in 1850!
Are you interested in really old, amazing and absolutely COLOSSAL trees. Then check out THIS article about Kayu Putih in Tabanan, Bali. It still ranks as one of the most amazing trees I have ever seen!
Things to do at Kebun Raya Bogor
When you visit Kebun Raya Bogor, finding things to do would not be at the top of your list. It is, after all, a Botanical Gardens. Wandering or cycling around and taking in the plants and trees seems pretty straight forward. But there are plenty of things to see in the oldest Botanical Gardens in South East Asia. Especially when they cover 87 Hectares.
Lets’s take a look at some things to do at Kebun Raya Bogor.
- Check out the Presidential Palace. Just down the road from the main gate you will see the rooftop of the Presidential Palace. You can’t get up close and personal, but you DO get a great view across a nice little pond where you can relax on the grass and get some great photos.
- Have a DIY spooky cemetery tour. The gardens were opened way back in 1817 by the Dutch East India Company, and there is a small Dutch Cemetery just across the road from where you will take photos of the Palace. The graves are super old, and surrounded by large pockets of bamboo which the Indonesians believe ghosts like to hang around in. This provides a dim and almost chilly atmosphere as you wander past the graves reading inscriptions. When we were there, a soldier from the Palace rode past wide eyed at the fact we were going in there, and called out to us to be careful. Of what, we still aren’t sure…
- Have a taco at Taman Meksiko. One of the strangest things (to me anyway) was that in a Botanical Gardens in Indonesia, of all places, they decide to put a Mexican Themed Garden. Complete with Cacti and other Mexican style plants and surrounds, you can actually grab a seat at a table by a brightly colored restaurant and chow down on tacos and Nachos. Oh well, when in Rome….
- See the Giant Lilly pads. Not too far down the road there is a pond by a wide open grassy area that has giant Lilly pads. These monsters would be about 1 meter in diameter. I didn’t hang around to see the size of the frogs!
- Stroll across the Red Bridge. Kebun Raya Bogor is split in two by Ciliwung River, and has several bridges that span it. The most famous is the oldest, and is known as Red Bridge due to its color. Any locals that visit the Gardens are immediately on the lookout for it as they have been seeing photos of it all their lives. Some come to visit JUST to see it.
- Visit the Orchid House. A New addition to the Gardens at the end of 2021, this amazing place is sure to charm any orchid lover into giving up hours of their day as they stroll around its interior in amazement. Ask the staff and they might even point you toward their famous Orchid that has made it into the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest and tallest Orchid in the world!
- Ask about the Bunga Bankai. This flower only blooms once every 3 years and has a very pungent smell. It last bloomed at the beginning of 2020, so it will be getting ready again soon. Who knows, maybe you will get lucky!
- Have lunch at Kubu Cafe. This cafe is just up the hill from the Lilly pads, and commands a great view as you have coffee or lunch. The menu is great, and is a must, even just for a break as you tour the grounds.
- Feed a Reindeer. The Presidential Grounds are home to a large herd of reindeer that graze peacefully around the Palace. They were actually on the grounds long before the President, so can safely call it their home. Unfortunately you cannot see them from INSIDE the Gardens, however if you walk around the perimeter fence line outside the Palace, you will see them on the other side of the fence. Buy some carrots off the local sellers there and you can feed the Deer through the fence and get some nice photos.
TIP – If you catch the train to Bogor, then wander up the road toward Kebun Raya Bogor by foot. When you reach the fence outside the palace the deer will be right in front of you! You can then follow the fence anti clockwise to find the main gate past the Palace.
How to get to Kebun Raya Bogor
Getting to Kebun Raya Bogor is actually rather easy. If you are in Bogor, then you will most likely find that it is walking distance from anywhere you might stay. In fact, most of the best places are adjacent to the Gardens, but I will cover that a little later in the article.
Private Transport or tour
Coming from Jakarta you have a couple of options. First is private transport, and it is pretty straightforward to get to Bogor by just following Google Maps. Simply put THIS location in, and you will be taken straight to Kebun Raya Bogor.
Train is a good option
When I visited, though, I took public transport in the form of the train. This was easier than I expected and actually quite pleasant. From where I was staying in South Jakarta, the trip only took about 40 minutes, and trains came regularly at 10 minute intervals. You can buy a ticket at the counter (about 30c) or if you have a toll card you can use the “tap on, tap off” method at the turnstiles. The trains are clean and comfortable, and if you are a single female traveling alone, the front and rear carriages of most trains are actually set aside for female passengers only.
Once you get to Bogor, you can walk to the Gardens, which are only about 500 meters away. You will have to walk a bit around the perimeter to find a gate to enter. The other option is to take an Angkot, which are famous in Bogor. Basically they are a small mini van that travel around the city like small buses, ferrying passengers all over the place. A ride in an Angkot only costs about 30c USD and is also quick and easy.
Each Angkot has a number on the windscreen that indicates where they are going to. If you grab a number 02 Angkot you should be right to get to Kebun Raya Bogor, but just ask the driver first. This will also be the right number to get you back to the train station again at the end of the day.
Where to stay
There are several options for places to stay in Bogor. Although you don’t necessarily have to stay there to see Kebun Raya Bogor, as it is easily accessed from Jakarta. If you want to spend more than a day there, however, then staying may be on your agenda. With nearby Sentul also amazing for hiking and waterfall hunting, Bogor is a great place to stay anyway, and certainly a good option away from Jakarta itself.
Here are some great hotels nearby.
Amaris Hotel
Located right across the road from one of the side gates that will put you right near the Kubu Café upon entry.
Ibis Styles Bogor Pajajaran
Another one right across the road and not far from the Amaris.
Favehotel Pajajaran
A budget option only a few meters walk away.
Onih Hotel Bogor
On the other side from most on this list, the Onih is a bit more expensive but has a great pool and good facilities.
Sahira Hotel
Not far from the Onih, the Sahira also boasts great facilities and a good view of Mount Salak.
Summary
Kebun Raya Bogor is an amazing place to visit, even if you only have a passing interest of trees and plant life. There is plenty there to keep anyone occupied and interested, along with cafes and other attractions. It is a wonderful day out, and I would highly recommend you visit if in the area.
Interesting Statistics
Here are a few interesting and random statistics about Kebun Raya Bogor.
- The Gardens cover 87 Hectares
- They are home to nearly 14,000 specimens of trees and plant life.
- They were first opened in 1817 by the Dutch East India Company
- The Gardens were extended in 1852 when they opened a branch at Cibodas and then again in 1959 with an opening in Bali.
- There are 42 Graves in the Graveyard, with the oldest being from 1784.
- The Mexican Garden is home to over 100 species of Cacti and Succulents from Asia and the Americas.
- The Soedjana Kassan Garden has plants at its center arranged to form the Indonesian national symbol of the Garuda.
- The adjacent Bogor Zoology Museum covers 1500 meters and is home to preserved collections of over 10000 insects and 2000 other species of Fauna.
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