Botanical Gardens

Way up in the central mountains which reach gradually but surely up to the skies, lies a popular yet quiet mountain hideaway Bedugul. Tucked into the long settled rim of an old volcanic creater and on the edge of a large serene volcanic lake, this cool, slow-paced village is a world away from the hustle and bustle and the heat and humidity.

At 1500 meters above sea level, Bedugul contrasts greatly with the lowland plains of Bali in term of architecture, customs, dress, crops, and general vegetation. And at the heart of this mountain hideaway is the beautiful Botanical Garden, Bali of Eden.

An idylic location

Travelers will often pass through Bedugul on their way to the northern coast when they sometimes drive to the coastal beach towns of Singaraja and Lovina.
Other travellers also choose to come to Bedugul as an alternative to the easrtern mountain areas, such as Kintamani and Penelokan, which are heavily frequented by tourists. Either way, visitors are often surprised at what they find at this unusual location.

Coming from the south, you literally ascend to the peak of the crater before descending into the village valley, and as you descend into the valley the complete scenic panorama opens up vefore you. The lake is dotted with small hotels and lodges offering a meditative mountain experience. A beautiful old temple juts out into the water of the lake adn becomes a significant feature of the lake's serenity.

Origin of the Gardens

Located on the side of tapak hill and reaching out of Candikuning village, the Gardens was first estavlished in 1959 as abranch of the National Botanic Gardens Association of Indonesia. This garden retreat was actually the first Batanic Gardens set up by the Association as a purely Indonesian initiative, but is now one of four Indonesian Botanic Gardens found around the archipelago.

The Gardens initially housed a range of conifers stretching over 50ha of land, but its development was affected by the military coup of 1965, and development did not resume again until 1970. By 1976 the Gardens covered 129.2Ha.

Since its humble beginnings, this area has grown tremendously in beauty and in popularity. The Gardens now include 154.5ha, and displays a collection of plants from eastern Indonesia's seasonally wet-dry montane. The high altitude and high moisture levels of the mountains make it an ideal habitat for the diverse range of plants. With over 1180 species rapresented from over 545 genera and 150 families (approximately 14,500 plant specimens in total), there is no shortage of unique samples to explore.