On warm days, take a cool dip in the Vila Botani swimming pool. The pool is fed by a mountain spring without recirculation, so that cool mountain water (about 22°C) enters from the top side and exits from the bottom side. Although the pool is only 2.5m wide by 8m long and 1.6m deep, it is perfect for kids to swim and play about, and for adults to immerse themselves in the cold fresh water.

Far from the nearest kampong, Vila Botani provides privacy for our guests to have fun as they like. Some use the opportunity to make music and dance, as did an employee group from PT Pilot Darat in October 2015, who set up a solo organ and drum, played their own dangdut favorites, and sang and danced. Another option would be to commission adegung performance by a traditional Sundanese orchestra from the neighboring village of Tajur Halang.

Many families and groups of families and friends have found Vila Botani a place to relax and enjoy nature. They find our Jungle Lodges suitable for relaxing and interacting in an extended group. Families from the Intercultural School of Bogor often come to Vila Botani . On one weekend in 2015, a group of dads brought their kids to Vila Botani to spend the time together and away from the ordinary family routine. The dads cooked and enjoyed playing unaccustomed roles.

Enjoy a picnic or barbecue on the extensive grounds of Vila Botani or in the adjacent pine forest. Our staff can prepare a campfire or carry your food to a clearing of your choice in the forest. Another option is to roast a young lamb over an open fire at Vila Botani. Throughout most of the year, lambs and kid goats are available for sale from our organic farm.

Religious groups have chosen Vila Botani for their retreats. We have had several church groups from Jakarta, Tangerang and Bogor, as well as a group of Buddhist youths from the Vihara Niciren Syosyu, Bogor. Muslim groups have come for their pengajian.

Non-governmental organizations have chosen Vila Botani for their meetings.Vila Botani can arrange for a screen and projector, as needed. These NGOs include Alliansi Organis Indonesia, the Institute for Sustainable Agriculture and Rural Livelihood (ELLSPAT), Koperasi Lestari, Green Radio and others.

Vila Botani can provide an In-Focus projector, a sound system, and a viewing screen for meetings.

Business groups enjoy coming to Vila Botani to relax and reconnect with one another. Visitors have included Panen Tour, PT GS Battery, and PT GS Pilot Darat. A group of young travelers called Share Travelers has also chosen Vila Botani for more than one visit, and described their visit in this blog.

Visitors who come alone or as a couple often wish to hike. Another option is to use Vila Botani as a relaxing place to cloister one’s self to do creative work or finish a research paper. Silent Retreats are especially conducive in the more remote Cempaka House which is perched above the other Lodges.

Take a stroll through the organic and ornamental gardens of Vila Botani and inhale the fresh country air. You may catch the beguiling song of the cuckoos or the cry of a Javan hawk eagle soaring overhead. Climb up through the arboretum to watch the mist roll in from the mountain and wind around the trees. As the day draws to a close and the sun sinks down into a fiery, orange sky, listen closely to the hidden tonggerets (a species of cicada) rattling in the branches above you.

Pond fishing is another activity at Vila Botani. It can be arranged by appointment, as we need to stock a particular pond for this purpose.