A place for hiking on Mt. Salak
HIKING & BIKING at VILA BOTANI

 
HIKING & BIKING
 
Vila Botani is highly suitable for hiking and biking.
  • Waterfalls – Two waterfalls can easily be reached on foot, while a third lies further up the slope of Mt Salak.
  • Hiking in open terrain – Extensive open fields are found on the south side of Vila Botani. These fields are only lightly settled, and can easily be explored from Vila Botani.
  • Hiking in the forest – On its north boundary, Vila Botani adjoins some 6000 hectares of forest in a national park on Mt Salak, thus providing a perfect basecamp for exploring that forest.
  • Climbing Mt Salak – Mt Salak has six summits, the nearest of which, Summit 6, can be climbed directly from Vila Botani.
  • Biking – Cyclists can also use many good footpaths in our vicinity, in and outside forest.

These attractions make Vila Botani the perfect place to get fit while immersing yourself in the verdant tranquility of Nature.

 
"The mountains are calling, and I must go." John Muir (1838-1914), Conservationist.
WATERFALLS

Make sure to visit any of the three mountain waterfalls -- two nearby and a third far above us.
  • Curug Pelangi lies at an easy 60 minutes on a level road through open country to the south south east of Vila Botani. This major and abundant waterfall is usually flowing even at the height of the dry season. Take a cool dip in the natural pool at its base.
  • Curug Cimuncang is about 20m tall and is found at an elevation of about 800m in the pine forest above Vila Botani, a hike of only about 30minutes. There is abundant flow at the height of the rainy season.
  • Another waterfall of similar height lies much further up the same creek, at an elevation of about 1000m. A good trail leads to the fall, by way of a steep climb and descent into a canyon.
HIKING IN OPEN COUNTRY AND FOREST
 
Vila Botani provides an ideal base camp to explore the verdant Indonesian countryside on foot. As Bogor is known as the rainy city, the landscape is a rich green nearly all the time, even during a prolonged dry season such as that of 2015, when some creeks ran dry. [Mod = moderate, Stren = strenuous].

  • Explore on your own or with a guide the open country to the south and southeast. You may venture out on your own if you like, as it’s hard to get lost.
  • A popular destination on mostly level ground is the walk to a major and abundant waterfall, the Curug Pelangi, which lies on a rough road to the south-southeast. The only challenge is the steep descent on stairs leading to the fall. [Easy to Mod]
  • A bonsai nursery belonging to Pk Ferry is a picturesque site above the road to Curug Pelangi. [Easy]
  • Further up the same ridgeline (Pasir Gowok), climb in open country to within sight of the extensive pineapple plantation belonging to Pk Suleiman, above 900masl. Cross the scrubby valley to Pasir Walu (to the northeast) and descend to Vila Botani by way of the Lembah Salak property. Broad views of the valley below partly planted in crops, and the peaks behind. [Mod]
  • Prosperous dairy farm of Pk Enoh in Kmp Tajur Halang. The kampong has long had its herd of dairy cows and you may order fresh milk. [Easy]
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    HIKING IN THE FORESTS OF THE NATIONAL PARK

    • Go on guided walks or explore on your own the vast forests of the Halimun-Salak National Park, a northern neighbor of Vila Botani. We can provide you with a guide. Here a beginner would face more risk of confusion when venturing on his or her own, but the risk is still small. If you feel lost, simply descend by the clearest available trail until you reach a road or a kampong.
    • Stroll in the neighboring pine forest, occasionally glimpse an eagle soaring between trees.[Easy]
    • Visit and douse yourself in 20-meter waterfalls on Cimuncang creek, adjacent to Vila Botani. There are three waterfalls, two nearby and a third far above us. [Easy to Mod]
    • Take well-shaded circuit hikes of 4-5 km climbing above the pine forest and crossing over to Pasir Kopeng where you will find puspa hardwood forest and many other tree species; such a forest is more congenial to wildlife. Climb to nearly 1000 or nearly 1100 masl. Descend Pasir Kopeng to return to Vila Botani. [Mod]
    • Head north northwest in rain forest, crossing the Ciapusvalley, to reach a popular camping area in pine forest called Sukamantri. There is an easier route and a more difficult one at a higher elevation [E or Mod].
     
     
    BIKING

    You may also wish to explore the countryside on a mountain bike, as do many visitors in small groups on weekends. The pine forest offers cool shade.

     
     
     
    CLIMBING MT. SALAK