Bogor - The Raining City

Situated 60 kilometres away from Jakarta, Bogor is part of the JaBoDeTaBek (Jakarta-Bogor-Depok-Tangerang-Bekasi) Megapolitan region. Today, Bogor is home to three millions people. The local ethnic is Sunda. Bogor with its massive territorial land area and close proximity to Jakarta, has become a popular choice among many Jakartanese in choosing their residential homes.


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The historical trail of Bogor itself can be traced back to few centuries back. In the early years of history, Bogor was under territorial regime of Tarumanegara and Siliwangi Empire. During the British colonial era, Bogor was chosen as the interim administrative capital due to its strategic location and moderately cold temperature all year round.

What makes Bogor a unique destination is its location that is surrounded by a belt of mountains and volcanoes - Mt. Gede, Mt. Putri and Mt. Salak. While in Bogor, one will constantly be reminded of our smallness. Regardless of where you are, turn 360 degrees and you will see shadows of the gigantic mountains. If you know your way, you can take a stroll down one of the many rivers that cuts across the Bogor city while the breeze of fresh air cuts across your weary soul.

Bogor is commonly known as 'The Raining City'. Years back, the occurrence of rainfall is so frequent that some locals equate the experience of seeing a dry afternoon as that seeing a blue moon. Once upon in time, local recommendation for visitors is to pack all sightseeing activities in the morning as it is almost guarantee to rain in the afternoon. Mass influx of spill-over immigrants from neighbouring Jakarta has intensified the city development and changed the local landscape somewhat. Though the occurrence of rainfall has dropped, the amount of rainfall in Bogor is still relatively higher compared to other cities in Indonesia. The soothing temperature all year round of twenty degree Celsius still makes Bogor an ideal destination for a short escapade from the hustle and bustle of city living.

Combination of several gifts from nature - fertile soils, flat plateau, high rainfall and moderate temperature - makes Bogor an agricultural paradise. This natural advantage is best showcased at Bogor Botanical Garden where amazingly diverse collections of living species - birds, trees and plants - are found. Over the years, Bogor Agricultural Institute (Institut Pertanian Bogor) has established itself as one of the best in the world. Various breakthrough in agricultural techniques and discovery of new species decorated the many achievements and accolades of the Institute. A visit to Bogor is never complete without a trip to the Bogor Botanical Garden.

While in Bogor, do drop by at one of the local wet markets. You can hunt for fruits and vegetables - from carrots to tomatoes, from bananas to avocados, from yam to jicama - mostly grown organically. Growing almost any kind of trees or vegetation requires little effort due to the high soil fertility. As and when money is running out, the locals simply need to pluck out the fruits from their backyard, bring it to the local markets and the money earned will be sufficient to last them for some time. So the next time you shop at one of those local market, remember to make your ends of the bargain.