Bogor and Cisarua, a weekend away from Jakarta
Living in a city always takes lots of energy out of our own body. This is why we tend to spend weekends away, to relax, recharge and keep going.
Jakarta is such an interesting city. There are so many opportunities photography wise . There are areas, like Glodok, where I could spend hours with street photography.
I love visiting Jakarta however I need also a break from time to time. Indeed, I know what you are thinking, getting away from the madness traffic of the city.
It is a capital city and, as it happens in many capitals around the world, moving from A to B is not an easy thing to do.
If you are visiting Indonesia your first port of arrival will most likely be the Jakarta aiport. I personally suggest to spend at least 2 days in Jakarta and than start visiting areas close to the capital.
But where to go for some easy time?
My suggestion is to go south in the area of Bogor and Cisarua.
The vegetation there is just magnificent.
Bogor Botanical Garden
The Bogor Botanical Garden is around 2 hours drive from the capital and miles away from the hustle and bustle of Jakarta.
The garden covers over 87 hectares of land and you can literally get lost for a day.
Walking there is just magnificent. Every single turn presents you a new and memorable sequence of trees, plants and birds twittering as loud as ever.
There are over 500 orchid species, all native of Indonesia, a show of mother nature. The Centre of Plant Conservation is putting a great effort of resources to maintain and improve the garden. You can read more information here about their work and the plant collections.
The center of the garden is dominated by a lake with the Istana Bogor in the foreground. This is the Bogor Palace, one of 6 Presidential Palaces in the country. It can be visited before, or after, the walk in the garden. I would definitely suggest it to people interested to the history of Indonesia.
Trekking in the Pangrango National Park
If you drive another 1.5 hours south of Bogor you will find yourself with the view of the Mount Gede in the Pangrango National Park.
From Cibodas you can even walk up to the summit of Mt Gede and Mt Pangrango. There are treks with stairs and clear signs that will help you all the way through.
It’s not an easy climb though, so make sure you have done a bit of training before attending this trek which my take up to half or the full day, based on your fitness conditions.
A spectacular dense forest covers most of the trek.
Remember to take your own garbage back home 😉
A walk in the Puncak Tea Plantation
Unfortunately the Gunung Mas Tea Factory was closed 2-3 years ago however this should not discourage any visit to the the plantations area, which is still run by the local producers, always very very friendly.
The best way to visit the plantation area?
Just walking through, as easy as that. Pass the old factory and scroll through the many paths in the tea fields.
Stop in one of the many tea and coffee shops for a taste and don’t be shy to ask the owners about a bit of history of the area.
Taman Safari Indonesia
The Taman Safari is a beautiful animal sanctuary that is absolutely a must visit for families with kids, and not only 🙂
You will encounter elephants and other wild animals just inches from you, very exiting.
There is also a baby zoo dedicated to the small kids where you can easily spend an hour. And if not enough there are available rides with ponies and camels.
Don’t miss also the theme park, free and included in the ticket price
Where to stay
A good place to stay is right in the middle of all of the above and it’s called the Royal Safari Garden
The hotel has one of the most spectacular design in Indonesia, that will surprise you starting from the check-in area.
Location is just perfect, right in the middle of all the above attractions.
