The Rain City of Bogor - Our Guide To What To Do And Where To Stay South Of Jakarta
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Bogor, we'll forgive you if you haven't heard of this Indonesian city, but bear with us. It’s definitely worth your time.
Located just south from the 'Big Durian' of Jakarta, Bogor is known more commonly as the “Rain City".
Don't let this put you off though, it just means the air is clearer and everything feels all that much fresher. Surrounded by the volcanoes of Mount Salak and Mount Pangrango, Bogor is just an hour and half away from central Jakarta.
This city in West Java is a fantastic escape and has plenty to keep backpackers and travellers happily occupied.
Where Is Bogor?
Lying just south of Jakarta. Bogor is located in West Java. It is connected to the Capital by road, rail and other good transport links.
The city of Bandung to the east is only a three hour drive away. The west coast surf spot of Cimaja beach is two and a half hours drive.
How To Get To Bogor?
Having been assimilated by the giant sprawl of Jakarta, Bogor lies to the south of the city. The nearest airport to Bogor is the Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta which is an hour and half drive away.
We wouldn’t recommend attempting to travel by this plane!
Getting To Bogor By Car
It should take you around an hour and twenty minutes from central Jakarta depending on Jakarta’s famous traffic jams.
Getting To Bogor By Train
Take the red commuter line from Jakarta Kota railway station all the way down. Bogor is the last station on the line. Trains run frequently and the journey will take you around an hour and a half.
Buying train tickets to Bogor
Buying train tickets in Indonesia is easy. For the Jakarta to Bogor journey (and vice versa) you will need to buy a KCI Commuter Card. If you're from London these are similar to Oyster Cards but can only be used on the Commuter Line. You can purchase this at any station the commuter line serves. They cost 10,000 IDR to buy and come with 30,000 IDR credit so a total cost of 40,000 IDR (£2.12 or $2.60) to purchase. The commuter line trains are very reasonable - the journey to central Jakarta to Bogor costs 3k per journey. Just tap at the gates upon entry and exit of the journey.
Getting To Bogor By Bus
You can take the MO6 bus that leaves every twenty minutes from Kampung Rambutan in South Jakarta.
If you're arriving in Bogor from any where in Java including other Javanese cities (e.g. Bandung or Jakarta) you can book tickets online and in advance via 12GO.
Getting To Bogor By Taxi
Another, slightly more luxurious option, is booking a private taxi all the way to Bogor. You can book your ride via Bluebird / Grab / Gojek and this should set you back between 250k and 350k IDR (£13.25 / $16.25 to £18.55 / $22.75).
If you're travelling by road, Jakarta is rightly notorious for its traffic, so bear in mind your journey may be considerably longer than planned! Also be aware of the “odd/even” licence plate restrictions in Jakarta city (read more here), that can also complicate your journey.
How To Get Around Bogor?
Despite being a “suburb” of the Big Durian, Bogor is a large city. Depending on where you stay, you may be slightly outside of walking distance from where you want to be.
To get around you can use Grab, Bluebird or GoJek, or do as the locals do and flag down an Angkot.
Angkot’s are cute! Don’t let their size fool you though, you can pack a lot of people in them!
These little green mini vans are the local bus equivalent, each running specific routes or zones denoted by a number on their front. When you know what route you want, flag down the correctly numbered angkot and hop in.
The price is roughly 5000 IDR per half hour, although if you have large bags, expect to pay a little bit more. Just pay the driver when you get to your destination.
Where To Stay In Bogor?
There is lots of accommodation to choose from in town, ranging from high class multi-national chains through to guesthouses and backpacker hostels.
We can highly recommend staying at the Rion Bogor Hostel.
The hostel was centrally located and was within walking distance of the Botanical Gardens as well as Chinatown, malls and lots of food.
The hostel offered both private and dorm rooms. We stayed in one of the private rooms which was clean and comfy and the en-suite shower was piping hot. The hostel also has a rooftop cafe serving food and drinks and even a swimming pool! If you’re staying at Rion Bogor Hostel and arriving by train, you’ll need to flag down a number 3 angkot and ask to be dropped off at Jalan Sambu.
To book your stay at Rion Bogor Hostel click here.
For all other accommodation choices available to book in Bogor, check out the map below:
What Is There To Do In Bogor?
Bogor Botanical Gardens (Location)
The most popular of Bogor’s attractions lies right in the heart of the city. Bogor’s Botanical Gardens are the oldest botanical gardens in South East Asia. The Dutch officially established a garden and palace on the grounds in 1744, however there has been a much longer history of intentional gardening on this site.
As early as the 1470s, a man made forest stood on this site deliberately stocked with rare tree seeds. After the fall of the Sundanese Kingdom, the forest was reverted to nature until the Dutch East Indies Company established their presence. After the British invasion of Java in 1811, Stamford Raffles (of the Singapore Sling fame) took over residency in the palace. Under Raffles, the gardens took on a new persona, that of an English landscaped garden.
The Botanical Gardens as it is now, came into being following the Anglo-Dutch treaty where a Dutch biologist teamed up with two Englishmen from Kew Gardens to found Bogor’s Botanical Gardens in 1817.
The Botanical Gardens of Bogor thrive due to the unique microclimate of the area. The “Rain City” means that the gardens are constantly green and lush. The garden now serves as a research hub for agriculture and horticulture as well as a beautiful place to explore.
Visiting the Gardens:
The main entrance to the gardens is opposite Lawang Suryakencana, the gate to Bogor’s Chinatown (https://maps.app.goo.gl/kk9U8DAyGQPNmgJ79).
Tickets cost 15,500 IDR each on weekdays (£0.81 or $1.02) or 25,500 IDR each on weekends and public holidays (£1.33 or $1.68).
As the Presidential Palace sits within the garden grounds, you are not allowed to bring in anything that resembles a weapon. This unfortunately includes telescopic lenses for cameras as well as drones for obvious reasons.
Once you’ve bought your tickets you are free to roam through the gardens. The gardens are a quiet contrast to the busy streets in Bogor’s Chinatown, especially if you visit on a weekday as we did. Tall trees line the paths, colourful butterflies and dragonflies flutter through the flower beds and water flows and spouts up through fountains in the central lake.
If you head to the left hand side as you enter the gardens, you’ll reach the Bamboo Garden, with secluded sections shaded by the thick bamboo forest. In a corner of this forest, the remains of the Dutch cemetery rise up bright white against the dark forest greens. Near to the cemetery are the European rose gardens and the entrance to the Presidential Palace.
Sadly, the glasshouses were closed when we came to visit, but they were very impressive structures from the outside. Near to the glasshouses were the orchid gardens. These were amazing but not for the reason you might think. There were very few orchids in bloom, but what there was, was an almost magical dusting of white fluffy blossoms. It coated everything like cottony snow. It was strange to be walking around in 30 plus degree heat, but feeling like we were wading through snow drifts. On the downside, John discovered it was not a day to wear black trousers as he came out of the enclosure looking as though he had befriended several very hairy cats.
It’s like it is Christmas, except its August and 34 degrees centigrade!
As you round the perimeter heading back to the entrance, you find yourself in Mexico as you stumble upon the Mexican Gardens. Full to the brim with Central and Southern American cactuses and flowers. In amongst this, you even see a colourful casa, alongside secluded nooks and green spaces that look perfect for a picnic.
The gardens are well worth a visit and you can expect to spend a full morning wandering around. We’d recommend visiting in the morning before it gets too hot and before the rains set in.
There is a restaurant on site as well as a few cafes. The restaurant was buffet style and very expensive but did have a great view down to the lakes. The coffee was pricier than outside the gardens but a lovely energy boost nonetheless.
For cheaper eats, there are some stalls set up just outside the glasshouses and orchid gardens selling instant noodles and other snacks. We would recommend either bringing a picnic or dining outside the park as Bogor has so many great eateries within walking distance.
Bogor Presidential Palace (Location)
The Presidential Palace of Bogor sits in the heart of the Botanical Gardens. Although it’s not possible to visit in person, you can still admire the building through the gates. With elegant lawns leading towards the large white palace and towering flag poles. On top of the palace sits a small golden dome.
If you’re lucky enough you may even spot one of the many deer that live in the palace grounds roaming around. We passed the palace grounds multiple times during our stay and looking through the gates at the deer, it felt as though we were looking at London’s Bushy Park!
Kujang Monument (Location)
The Kujang Monument is a towering icon of the city, set into the centre of a roundabout. This monument was constructed in 1982 and was built to look like a traditional weapon used in West Java.
When we visited a week after Indonesia’s Independence Day, the tower and its surrounding colonnade had been decked out in Indonesian flags and colours to celebrate.
Museum of Zoology (Location)
The Museum of Zoology is located to the left of the main entrance to the Botanical Gardens. The museum houses fossils, skeletons, insects and even a blue whale!
We didn’t have time to visit the museum on this trip as we were too hungry after spending the morning at the gardens, but it’s on the list for next time.
The museum is open everyday from 8am to 3pm, but do check opening times on public and national holidays.
Pasar Baru, Chinatown Bogor (Location)
Those who know us, know we just love wandering around and getting lost in a city. The winding alleyways of Bogor were perfect for this and it was a day walking aimlessly where we spotted the bustling and colourful market stalls surrounding Pasar Baru Bogor.
Selling everything from exotic fruits to live birds, this market seemed to be where everyone in town was gathering. Colourful vegetables jostled with homewares and spilled out across the street. Street carts laden with plastic bags, inexplicably filled with live goldfish, trundled up and down the lanes, whilst a group of young men danced with a Chinese dragon.
It was chaotic, vibrant and everything you could want from a local market.
Definitely try the snake fruit while you’re there, it’s easy to spot just look for the fruit that… looks like it’s covered in snake skin!
To eat, you just peel the snake like skin off the fruit and eat the soft, snappy, slightly tart fruit within.
Snake fruit tastes like the lovechild of a plum and apple. It is also pretty cheap when bought from a market!
Just Walk Around The City
Bogor is a great town to just walk around. If you’re staying at the Rion Hostel, then take a walk down by the river onto the village like islands in the middle. These colourful little enclaves are full of shops, small eateries and friendly locals. These little islands are a colourful warren full to the brim with colourful decorations and street art. You’ll never know what you’re going to find, from a tiny mosque overlooking the river to a family of chicks hiding from the sun underneath a street cart. When we visited Bogor it was just after Indonesian Independence Day and it was especially colourful.
Further Afield - Day Trips Outside of Bogor - Mount Salak and Mount Pangrango
Bogor is surrounded by the towering volcanoes of Mount Salak and Mount Pangrango. Both volcano peaks are an oasis for hikers, nature lovers and those looking for fresh air from the cities below. We did an excellent hike to the crater of Mount Salak which led us through the jungle up to the bubbling sulphur. You can read more about this day here. There are also lots of campsites leading up the mountainside so you easily get your glamp on!
What To Eat In Bogor?
There is no shortage of street food stalls, warungs, cafes and restaurants in Bogor. Everywhere you look there seems to be some form of establishment catered towards serving food. Whatever you fancy, this city will cater for you.
We especially enjoyed the street food and restaurants found along Jalan Suryakencana in Bogor’s Chinatown.
We had an exceptional bowl of Soto Ayam from Sunda Barokah (Location). A light, coconutty chicken broth, with a leg of chicken, fried shallots and garlic, tomatoes and greens were accompanied by a steaming pile of rice.
It was light, yet full of flavour and only cost 20,000 IDR per bowl (£1.04 or $1.32).
As night falls in Bogor, small makeshift shift restaurants and street carts pop up almost on every street corner.
We loved eating at the stalls on Jalan Ciheuleut (Location) where we had some excellent plates of Nasi Goreng and Mie Goreng (fried rice and fried noodles). Both plates were hearty and delicious and were even better when you crushed the Keropok (crackers) on top. Just be careful if you order it spicy as it definitely is just that!
Each plate cost only 15,000 IDR each (£0.78 or $0.99).
For those after a sweet treat, you can’t go wrong with the Michelle Bakery (Location) which basically sold bread in any form from banana to chocolate, cinnamon to pandang and even bread with smoked beef or pepper chicken. The baked goods make a great portable breakfast if you have an early start the next morning.
How Long Should You Stay In Bogor?
Bogor is a refreshing break from the busy and crowded cities of Jakarta and Bandung. We’d recommend at least two full days here; with one day dedicated to exploring the city and its attractions and at least one more, to get out to one of the surrounding National Parks and volcanoes.
If your itinerary doesn’t allow you to stay in Bogor, you can do quite a lot as day trips from Jakarta. As we’ve mentioned, the city is only an hour and half away so you can stay in Jakarta and visit on a day trip. Check out below for some ideas for guided experiences from Jakarta to Bogor which will include transport to and from your accommodation in Jakarta.
Where To Go After Bogor?
If you’re travelling from east to west through Java, then your next stop is probably the capital of Jakarta.
If you’re travelling west to east, Bogor has great links to the city of Bandung, or if you’re looking for some more national parks, Cipanas is close by as well as the surfing beach of Cimaja.
Conclusion
Often overlooked as just being a suburb of Jakarta, Bogor is a fantastic getaway. There is enough to keep you occupied, and the whole place is charming and fun. Start your Indonesian trip a little differently and make sure not to miss out on this beautiful little city.
Thanks for reading,
John & Ellie x
#adventuresofjellie
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