Trip to Bogor I: Botanical Garden (Kebun Raya) and the Presidential Palace

Bogor is a popular place for Jakarta people to escape hectic city life in weekends and holidays.It's also a great place for tourists to relax after a long flight.

Bogor - Kebun Raya (Botanical Garden):

Kebun Raya is really full of beautiful (huge and old) trees, plants and flowers from many different areas in Indonesia and also from abroad (for example cactus from Mexico). Some trees have a name tag, but if you're not a plant expert, don't expect to learn a lot. Information is very limited. You can also see Bogor Palace from the Botanical Garden, which is one of the six presidential palaces in Indonesia. The palace is open to public tour groups, unfortunately not to individuals.

Kebun Raya is a quiet place during weekdays, but can be (very) crowded during weekends and holidays (same for the roads between Jakarta to Bogor). 

Here is the general information map:

And some photos to give you an impression of the Botanical Garden (Kebun Raya):

 

Old trees in Kebun Raya...

Several ponds with beautiful water plants (like water lilies)...

Beautiful flowering plants and trees in Kebun Raya, all year long...

 

 

The dirty river through the Botanical Garden...

Kebun Raya is close to Jakarta, a huge city with a very high population density in a developing country. Many people are not aware of environmental issues and it's also obviously not one of the governments' priorities. That's why you see a lot of littering in and around Kebun Raya...

Bogor - Outside Kebun Raya:

If you want to explore Bogor and taste 'real Bogor life', just walk through the streets around Kebun Raya.

You may also like to read my article about Traditional Food & Shopping in Bogor for more info and tips