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Cibodas National Gardens & Gunung Gede National Park

If you’re a naturalist, a hiker, a camper, a seeker of spiritual powers, or if you’d like to see a rich variety of animal and plant life, then this world-famous national park is one for you.  Declared a conservation and research center as early as 1830, it was officially declared the Gunung Gede National Park in 1980, and has since been named a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve.  In 1861, co-founder of the theory of evolution and world famous naturalist Alfred Russel Wallace made this awesome testimony: “By far the most interesting incident in my visit to Java was a trip to the summit of the Pangerango and Gedeh Mountains..."

• Twin Peaks
  The twin peaks register in at about 3000 meters, and visitors can discover waterfalls, small lakes, fast-flowing rivers, the rich diversity of the lower montage forest or the tranquility of the high elfin woodland.  Bird watchers visit the park from around the world, and orchid experts are treated to 200 species or about a third of those found on Java.  On a crystal clear day, standing on the summit will even allow you glimpses of both the north and south coasts, and some have even claimed to see the southern tip of Sumatra. 

• Closed From Jan to Mar
  The Park is actually closed from January to March, but is well worth the visit throughout the rest of the year.  Whether it’s the legendary Suryakencana grass meadow on the saddle between the peaks, discovery of the 60 meter high rasamala trees, hearing the growl of one of the parks 60 leopards (not one instance of attack in the park’s history), sightings of stick insects, a mushroom that emits light, or a 10 meter plus reticulated python (again, no instances of attacks), or simply to have visited one of Indonesia’s most celebrated national parks, we encourage you to visit this legendary place.  You’ll need a permit 2 days in advance and should probably hire a guide for your first time visit, so call ahead and make your preparations.  The National Park office can be reached at 0263.512.776.

• Cibodas
  If you’re not up for a serious trek, you can also take your car and drive through the Cibodas national gardens, which are stunning in their own right.  The gardens feature a comfy guest house that dates back more than a hundred years, lots of beautiful trees, clear-water streams, a waterfall, and lots of places to picnic and take refuge from the frequent rains. 
  
  This offshoot of the Bogor Botanical Gardens was founded in 1862 to study mountain flora. The cinchona (a tropical tree belonging to the madder family) was first brought from South America in 1854 and later cultivated here. The collection now showcases 5,000 mountain plants acquired from around the world. At an altitude of 1,200 meters, the serene pastures stretch more than 80 hectares and see cool temperatures averaging 18 degrees Celsius. The charming mountainside panorama adds to the tranquility. This is a gateway to the Gede-Pangrango National Park, Mount Gede and Mount Pangrango.