A garden from 1817
Among the world's oldest.
Talaborn — Public domain · Vysotsky — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Anton Ardyanto — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Pradana Aumars (talk · contribs) — CC BY-SA 4.0
One of the oldest and most famous botanic gardens in the world, founded by the Dutch in 1817 in the heart of Bogor, covering some eighty-seven hectares with thousands of tropical plant species from Indonesia and around the world. For a century and a half it was a global centre of tropical botany, and from here oil palm cultivation spread across Southeast Asia. Visitors walk among giant trees more than a century old, palm avenues, ponds of huge water lilies, an orchid house and an old Dutch cemetery. Its most famous plant is the giant corpse flower, whose rare blooms draw people from everywhere. At the garden's edge stands the white Bogor Presidential Palace, with spotted deer roaming its lawns. Entry is a token fee of around twenty-five thousand rupiah at the local rate, possibly more for foreigners, and electric carts can be hired to get around. The presidential palace is an official residence visited only on organised dates, but it can be seen from the gardens. Allow half a day; the gardens are shady and pleasant for walking. Bogor is known for heavy afternoon rain, so come in the morning and bring an umbrella. It lies on the way from Jakarta to Puncak.
Among the world's oldest.
A rare bloom.
The presidential palace and its deer.
Central Bogor, about 60 km south of Jakarta
It is an official presidential residence, open only on set days with prior registration. But the deer and the palace front are clearly visible from the adjoining botanic gardens.