Bogor Botanical Gardens reopen to public

Back in business: Ticketing officials from the Bogor Botanical Gardens in Bogor, West Java, greet visitors at the entrance gate on July 7 as the gardens reopened to the public after more than three months of closure due to the COVID-19 outbreak. (JP/P.J. Leo)

After being closed for three months because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Bogor Botanical Gardens in Bogor, West Java, have reopened.

According to Hendrian, head of the gardens’ Plant Conservation Research Center (PKT), the tourist destination is applying health protocols, which include online ticket purchases and cashless transactions within the facility.

“This is to ensure that COVID-19 prevention protocols are implemented accordingly,” he told kompas.com on Friday.

Other measures such as wearing masks and maintaining physical distances will also be implemented, with consistent reminders throughout visits.

Bogor Botanical Gardens will also limit the number of visitors to avoid overcrowding and members of the gardens will get priority. Group visits are allowed but members are limited.

Tickets to the gardens are available on the website.

Other public spaces in Bogor such as malls, restaurants and places of worship have also been reopened with health protocols in place.

The Bogor Botanical Gardens are a favorite for holidaying families, who mostly come to enjoy the lush greenery in the heart of Bogor and for picnics. Guided tours are also popular.

The gardens are known for their vast plant collection and historic buildings, landscape and landmarks. It boasts 400 species of palm trees, 5,000 trees and an orchid house containing 3,000 varieties of the flower.

In January, a rare corpse flower bloomed at the Plant Conservation Research Center. It was 1.94 meters tall and had a diameter of 1 m.

In the same month, a bamboo orchid also bloomed. A rare species, this gorgeous, tiny white flower that lives on bamboo clumps is known for heralding the end of the dry season whenever it appears. (JakartaPost)