Bogor

Bogor is a city in the Bogor Raya region of Western Java, Indonesia. With almost a million inhabitants, modern Bogor is the 6th largest city of Jabodetabek (Greater Jakarta metropolitan area) and the 14th nationwide. In the Middle Ages, the city was the capital of Sunda Kingdom under name of Pakuan Padjajaran. Its name changed during the Dutch colonial period to Buitenzorg, meaning "without care" in Dutch. The city changed its name to "Bogor" during the Japanese occupation.

Originally a mountain resort town, it is now a densely populated city that is part of the Greater Jakarta metropolitan area. The city is most famous for its presidential palace and the extensive botanical gardens (Bogor Botanical Garden), which is one of the oldest in the world. The city is also famous nationwide for its education, especially in Agricultural Science.

Understand
Some 60 km south of Jakarta, Bogor is the "bo" of the massive Jabotabek conurbation. The city has a population close to 1,1 million (2018) people, and the regency that surrounds it has a population close to 5.1 million people (2014). The town was the capital of Indonesia during the brief British occupation, and under the name Buitenzorg was also the summer capital of the Dutch in the hot dry season. Located 290 meters above sea level, Bogor is noticeably cooler than the torrid lowlands, and the place where many of the Indonesian elite have their villas. Once a place of beauty, rapid development has turned central Bogor into the same congested mess as every other Indonesian city, but there are still rivers, canals, red-roofed houses, mosques, churches, trees, flowers and views of nearby Mount Salak.


 * Bogor Tourist Information Centre, ln Kapten Muslihat N0. 51 . Open daily from 08:00 - 19:00

History
What is now Bogor and its surroundings has been inhabited for centuries. According to a 5th-century stone inscription (Prasasti Ciaruteun), the Bogor region was part of the ancient Hindu kingdom of Tarumanagara, the earliest known kingdom in Java and one of the earliest states in present-day Indonesia.

After Tarumanagara was defeated by the neighbouring Srivijaya, the kingdom was succeeded by the Kingdom of Sunda. The kingdom reigned over much of western Java, and Bogor was chosen as its capital under name of "Pakuan Padjajaran". In old Sundanese, the name "Pakuan Padjajaran" means "a place between the parallel [rivers]".

It was one of the largest cities in medieval Java, with well over 48,000 inhabitants. After Sunda was defeated by the neighboring Sultanate of Banten, most of the area became neglected and remained mostly uninhabited for decades.

In the middle of the 17th century, the Sultanate of Banten was brought under the control of the Dutch East India Company (VOC). The first temporal colonial settlement was a camp of lieutenant Tanoejiwa, a Sundanese employed by the VOC. Due to its relatively fertile soil, the Dutch transformed Pakuan into a plantation area. In a relatively short time, several agricultural settlements appeared around Pakuan, and, in 1701, these settlements were merged into a single administrative district. In 1744–1745, the residence of the Governor-General (now Bogor Palace) was built and became the seat of government during the summer.

In 1746, by the order of the Governor-General Gustaaf Willem van Imhoff, the Palace, a nearby Dutch settlement and nine native settlements were merged into an administrative division named Buitenzorg (Dutch for "beyond (or outside) concerns," meaning "without worries" or "carefree". Buitenzorg became the main summer getaway for Dutch colonials because of the beautiful plantations and surrounding mountains, and also because it was (and is) noticeably cooler than VOC's capital, Batavia (present-day Jakarta). Buitenzorg grew rapidly during the following years, and this growth was partly stimulated by the temporary occupation of the Dutch East Indies by the British in 1811–1815. The head of the British administration, Thomas Stamford Raffles, re-landscaped the garden near the palace into an English-style garden. This garden later became what is now known as the Bogor Botanical Garden. Raffles also moved the administrative center from Batavia to Buitenzorg and implemented new and more efficient management techniques.

Buitenzorg, along with the rest of the formerly Dutch colonial possessions they had occupied, were returned to Dutch rule under the Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824. The Dutch continued to develop the regency and by the end of the 19th century, Buitenzorg became one of the most developed and Westernized cities in Indonesia.

During World War II, Japanese forces occupied Buitenzorg and the rest of Dutch East Indies. The city's name was changed to "Bogor" in an effort to gain support from Indonesian nationalists.

Today, Bogor has a significant role in the cultural, scientific and economic development of the country and West Java in particular – in part due to its colonial legacies such as infrastructure. Bogor also become a center of education, especially in Agricultural Science.

Local people
Bogor, like many parts of western Java, is inhabited by ethnic Sundanese people.They are overwhelmingly Muslims, but some pocket of ancient Javanese Hinduism still survives. More traditional Sundanese still adhere to Sunda Wiwitan, an ancient belief system. Their native language, the Sundanese language, is practically spoken by everyone here, along with Bahasa Indonesia. However due to the bilingual nature of the locals, learning Sundanese is not essential to communicate. Other ethnicities include considerable numbers of Betawi, Javanese, Chinese and others, often mixed ethnicities.

People in Bogor are extremely friendly and will go out of their way to help you. Be polite and smile, and it will get you far. English is not prevalent, but basic English is spoken by many in restaurants and in the local warung food-stalls.

If you are a Westerner be prepared for Indonesians asking you for a photo. Do not be shy. They just enjoy visitors to Bogor, and posing for a photo with a smile can make someone's day.

Climate
Bogor's epithet is Kota Hujan, meaning "City of Rain". Statistically, it's the rainiest city on Java, and locals jokingly advise getting any sightseeing done in the morning because it's guaranteed to rain in the afternoon. Then again, tramping through the Gardens can actually be more pleasant in a cool drizzle. Lovers of Bogor will tell you that most of the time it is dry; normally, the rain falls only in heavy bursts late in the day.

By plane
The nearest major international airport is Jakarta's Soekarno Hatta International Airport. There are direct Damri buses from there to Bogor Rp 55,000 every 30 min (1-2 hours, depending on traffic). If you charter a helicopter from Soekarno Hatta airport, you can request in advance for permission to land at Atang Senjaya airport, Bogor. This airport is a military base, but it may be used for civilian flights in the future.

By train
Bogor is the southern terminus of the yellow and red lines of Jakarta's commuter rail network (KA Commuter Jabodetabek). Both lines run from Jakarta via Depok to Bogor, with the red line trains originating at Kota station in West Jakarta, and the yellow line trains originating at Jatinegara station in East Jakarta. Trains of both lines call at several stations in South Jakarta as well, while red line trains call at Gondangdia station in Central Jakarta, near the famous backpacker's street Jalan Jaksa.

Daily intercity trains between Jakarta and Sukabumi (2h 15m, economy and executive class) call at Bogor Paledang railway station. In the mid 2020s a new LRT system will connect Bogor to Bekasi.



By bus
There are direct Damri buses from Jakarta's Soekarno Hatta International Airport to Bogor for Rp 55,000.

Buses also go to Bogor from Jakarta, Bandung, Sukabumi, Yogyakarta and even further cities like Malang.

Buses from Jakarta depart from Lebak Bulus, Kampung Rambutan and Kalideres bus terminals and take about 1-2 hours depending upon the traffic. There are two types of buses available: Executive (air conditioned) and Economy.

Buses from Bogor to Bandung takes about 3 hours. Executive buses use the Cipularang highway route while the Economy buses are still using the old route via Puncak Pass. During weekends they may take a loop through Sukabumi, adding an extra hour.

By car
The easiest way to get to Bogor is to hire a car and a driver; this is relatively cheap. Or, you can rent a car. There is more than one road to Bogor, and the minor roads are often the most interesting and congested. With Tol Jagorawi, Bogor is about 40 minutes to 1 hour from Jakarta. During traffic jam (rush hours), it may take significantly longer, and during weekends and holidays, the trip from Jakarta to Bogor may take even up to 3 hours. Tol Jagorawi is 48 km, and the exit to Bogor is at, or approximately, KM 40.

By taxi
You can take metered taxi to Bogor from Jakarta. The cost will be approx. Rp.250,000-500,000, plus toll road fees of about Rp.30,000. The trip may take up to 3 hours on old roads and 40 minutes to 1 hour on Tol Jagorawi, depending on the traffic. Be cautious during the rainy season (Nov - Mar) because the route to Bogor is subject to flash flooding. It's better to use bigger companies like the Blue Bird Group because with the biggest fleet between Jakarta and Bogor they are the most reliable.

Get around
There are many pleasant traffic-free walks in Bogor, alongside rivers and canals.

The traffic in Bogor is chaotic. There is a daily traffic jam in Bogor from early in the morning to late in the afternoon. On weekend and holiday, people from Jakarta often go to Bogor with their cars.

By minibus
The easiest way to get around Bogor is by angkot, little green minibuses, hordes of which infest Bogor's central streets. Any trip from anywhere to anywhere costs Rp 2,000, paid when you get off.

The downsides to using angkot are that the drivers are reckless and theft is all too common (guard your belongings). Also, some angkot like 02 or 03 only depart from their pangkalan (terminals) when full &mdash; 10 min on a good day on a busy route, 90 minutes on a bad day on an unpopular one.

By horse cart
Horse carts known as delman can be found in central Bogor, and it could be an option if you want to cruise around and take a look at the city. The poor beasts aren't very comfortable in the traffic scrum, though.

By taxi
Blue Bird Taxis operate in Bogor but prepared as they generally can turn up late or sometimes not at all, make sure you call 10 min after ordering to check it is coming. Allow an extra half an hour for your airport taxi. Ride-hailing-app services such as Go-Car (from Gojek) and Grab are also available.

See




Monuments

 * Tugukujang.jpg

Tourist mini bus
A half side open tourist minibus with capacity of 25 persons is called UNCAL or Unforgettable City Tour at Lovable City run a circle of Botanical Garden in one way direction for free. Start and finish at Botani Square.

Walking
There are many traffic-free walks by the side of rivers and canals. One is reminded, if one squints, of Venice in earlier days. One is likely to encounter colourful little houses and gardens, children flying kites, people bathing, vendors of snacks and spectacular views of Mount Salak. On the edge of Bogor one can walk beside rice fields and fruit orchards.

Markets
Most exciting are the traditional markets, filled with cheap clothing, toys, fruit, vegetables and the like. You should come every Sunday morning in Sempur for "in the morning" shopping while you have exercise. Tons of things and food for breakfast.

Shopping malls

 * Bogor Trade Mall, Jl. H. Juanda. Food court.
 * Eka Lokasari Plaza, Jl. Siliwangi 123. Food court.
 * Pangrango Plaza, Jl. Raya Pajajaran. Food court.
 * Bogor Plaza, Jl. Surya Kencana. Food court.
 * Bogor Plaza, Jl. Surya Kencana. Food court.

Eat
Bogor's local specialities include pickles (asinan) and grilled bean sprouts (tauge goreng).


 * De Daunan, east side of Botanical Gardens. Formerly Cafe Botanicus, serves up a mix of Dutch and Indonesian favorites, with lazy ceiling fans and a breezy veranda on a small hill looking over the garden. The rijsstaffel set is popular if a bit pricy at Rp 45,000.
 * Sotomie Ciseeng. Jl. Suryakencana No. 302. A type of noodle with beef tendons and deep fried chives.
 * Ngohiong, sold along Jl. Suryakencana. An originally Chinese dish (五香 wǔxiāng) made from flour and scraps of pork, deep fried and then served with tofu, fried potato wedges, a thick sweet sauce and pickles. Halal (non pork) version of the dish may also be available.
 * Gang Selot, at Jl. Ir Juanda, next to SMU Negeri 1 Bogor. This is a good place for a food lover. Various food outlets with very cheap price.

Drink
Indomart, Alfamart, and Circle K convenient stores are selling beer, and you can find one on almost every street. The sale of spirits of any kind in a retail establishment is against the law. Circle K is your best bet for a cold beer, and you may have to ask at the counter at Alfamart, which has been known to hide them on shelves in the stock room.

Stay safe
Bogor is called the 'rain city' due to the fact that Bogor gets more rain than all other cities in Java. Strong winds can occur once or twice a year with speeds of more than 100 km/h for one or two minutes, but never exceeding 200 km/h. Beware of collapsing trees. In January 2015, 4 people died and 21 people were injured when an 8-m long tree, 1.5 m in diameter tumbled and struck employees of one company when they were gathering in Kebun Raya Bogor.

Connect
The telephone area code of Bogor is 0251.

Go next



 * Puncak &mdash; highlands and tea plantations along the road to Bandung.
 * Citarik River - there are two white water rafting companies on this river about 2 hr out of Bogor on the Cikidang Road (turn right off Jalan Sukabumi after the petrol station). These companies are on the way to the beach in West Java, at Pelabuan Ratu. Great river all year round, but peak season is strangely the dry season (May–August), it gets more fun in the wet season, but more unpredictable. Great boats and good fun to be had, plus some bungalows by the river for sleeping.
 * Taman Safari (20 km east of Bogor towards Bandung) has an impressive drive-through zoo with lions, tigers, hippos, rhinos, zebras, giraffes, as well as plenty of other animals is well-kept large enclosures. There are also some amusement park attractions for children, a water park, a baby zoo, as well as conventional zoo exhibitions including penguins, snakes, kangaroos and Komodo dragons. A very well maintained zoo and a much better than other zoos found in the region. Admission is around Rp 100,000 per person. When visiting with children reserve a full day, but 3 hr is sufficient.
 * Sukabumi
 * Pelabuhan Ratu