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The next time an Indonesian asks if you want to come and see his garden,
don’t be so sure you’ll see flowers and garden vegetable plots.
Private gardens or “pekarangan” as they are called usually
grow fruits, medicinal herbs and other useful plants such as bamboo.
Gardening concepts come closer to Western orientation in the bigger
“pelataran” gardens that are usually found surrounding the
homes of aristocracy and social elite of Java. High walls to maintain
the residence’s privacy usually surround these gardens.
But don’t fear. Similar to the pelataran is the “alun alun”
or town squares. These are usually found in front of the house of
royalty or the residence of the highest local government administrator,
the Bupati.
Indonesia also has some of the most beautiful national and tourist parks
in the Southeast Asian region. Perfect not only for conservation and
research, but also for leisurely walks and quiet meditation.
The Bogor Botanic Gardens
Sixty kilometers south of Jakarta are the Bogor Botanic Gardens,
which have captured both international acclaim and renown.
Originally laid out at the orders of British Lieutenant Governor Sir
Thomas Raffles together with experts from Kew Gardens, the gardens at
present boast of 87 hectares of land covered with more than 15,000
native and foreign plant species including the giant Rafflesia,
which blooms only once a year.
rafflesia
Its branches include the Cibodas Mountain Garden and Purwodadi
Gardens in East Java, the Eka Karya Garden in Bali, and the
newly independent Sibolangit Garden in North Sumatra.
Orchid Gardens
 Commercial
orchid gardens are found in Jakarta at Slipi and the Taman
Mini Park. The most exotic orchid species are grown in Indonesia.
Among these is the exotic black orchid (bualagna pandurata)
which grows in the Kusik Luway reserve at East Kalimantan.
Zoos
The Rangunan Zoo at Jakarta is just about the best zoo to visit in
Indonesia, providing close to natural habitats for its tenancy of more
than 3,600 animal species. Exhibits include Kom odo
dragons, orangutan apes, and babi-rusa.
Next to the Rangunan zoo is the Surabaya zoo in the Wonokramo district.
Similar to the Rangunan with its near complete collection of animals in
Southeast Asia, the Surabaya zoo also boasts of a special section of
nocturnal animals, which is definitely worth a visit.
Rhino at Rangunan Zoo
People’s Recreation Parks
Game stalls, folk theater performances, and handicraft souvenir stalls
may be found at the community recreational parks to be found at
Indonesia’s bigger cities.
Puppeteer at a park
Taman Mini Park
A park dedicated to the display of Indonesia’s cultural and ethnic
diversity. Life size pavilions built in traditional Indonesian
architecture showcase special products, dioramas, costumes, and pictures
of the region it represents.
The park also has its own aviary with roughly about 600 native bird
species and an orchid garden displaying more than 3,000 species of
orchids.
Visit beautiful Indonesia today! |
