MEKARSARI AMAZING TOURISM PARK – LIFE JOURNEY

The Largest Tropical Fruits Park

On last annual family gathering, July 6, 2008, PVC – 2 plant members decided to go to Mekarsari which is one of the most famous places to visit by family, especially during the holiday season. It was very terrific vacation I’ve ever had. Why? Not knowing the description of this garden and what are in there (we just know that we can pick some fruits), we left for Cilegon at 07.30 am and arrived at destination at 01.00 pm. That’s long and very tired trip, bad traffic jam, children cried & hot temperature. Oh, thank God I didn’t drive the bus!

As the bus entered the gate (the ticket is very cheap, only Rp. 10,000 or about USD 1!) and parked in the parking area, most of us very confused. That’s very large area, where to go? The leader told us that the given time to walked around only 3 hours, after take ashar prayer, all of us should gathered again in the parking area. Didn’t care about the time, just looked for the meal first, since it was lunch time. We walked along the side which there was flags from around the world displayed at the flagpole.

My wife was very frustrated, since she must carry our restless-little daughters. I though they were very hungry too. So, I decided to go to the nearest food stand. The only nearest is Kentucky Fried Chicken, and it was so long queue. After an hour, we could get some eat.

After got some eat, it’s time for traveling! Wait! It very crowded! Look at the map site, the nearest place is “Family Garden” which near to 4D theater and mosque. Curios what in side, we took ticket for only Rp. 5,000 or USD 0.5/person. In Family Garden, we found the traditional villages nuances. There is an area for planting paddy, plow paddy field, bathing buffalo in the mud pool, vegetables garden, fishing pool, mini zoo, chickens coop, riding a horse, cows, and also there is large grass field completed with gazebos to take a rest.

Honestly, for me, whom grew up in the village, it is not really exciting. However, my daughters love to play around in the Family Garden. They were very excited, rolled over their body in the grass, run over the grass, climbed the tree, and enjoyed lied down in the gazebo.

Having a looked at the two of them, happy, run and chase after each other in a large green grass field, I feel the freedom in their mind. Although, just for a moment and not had a chance to visit all area at Mekarsari, I just already knew what kind of holiday or place that my children will enjoy. I promised I will take them as much as I can to introduce the Indonesian culture.

Oh, by the way, for everyone who want to go to the Mekarsari for not having experience like me, here the all about and tips.

Mekarsari garden is the largest conservation center of tropical fruits biological variety in the world, especially prime fruits collected all over Indonesia. It is also the place for research of agronomy and plant breeding. Mekarsari is built in ex rubber plantation in Cileungsi, Bogor, West Java. The area is around 264Ha, 70-80 meters above the sea level. It can be reached about one hour from Jakarta.

What are in side the Mekarsari? The area is divided in 5 zones and here they are:

1. CENTRAL PARK, there is waterfall building named Puri Tirto Sari, Camping Ground for camp activity, picnic Park covered by green grass.
2. FAMILY WALK ZONE, in the family walk zone there are: Garden Center located in front area where you can find variety of fruit prime seeds, flower plant, medicine herbal, etc. You can also ask for consultation from the officer all about planting. In family walk zone there is also Paradiso Park where you can enjoy the nature nuance surrounding by green fruit plants, it is best for gathering with your family. In Family Garden you can find the villages nuance, you can make a lot of activity with you kids here, learn how to plant paddy, learn how to plow paddy field, bathing the buffalo, fishing, riding a horse, pick fresh vegetables, etc. Dewi Sri 4D theater located also in family walk zone, you can enjoy the 4D film, Countryside, Wiratama Lake where you can have a sail by boat go around 20 acres lake, Fruits & handicrafts/souvenirs shop where you can buy fruits and souvenirs from your family at home
3. GREEN LAND ZONE, you can find the center of nursery (variety prime seeds), greenhouse melon, the zalacca palm and its fruits, star fruit, etc.
4. WATER ZONE, Lotus Park where you can find lotus covered and bloom in the water park providing beautiful scenery, Water Sport Activity like water bike and water ball, Outbound Area where you can feel your adrenalin raise with vary of outbound activities like flying fox, cargo net, monkey bridge and it is also available for kids, in the water zone also a park for gathering.
5. MEDITERRANEAN AQUATIC ZONE, here you can enjoy Mediterranean Park and can enjoy sleeping in tree house called house of Leo.
6. FESTIVAL POINT, here is the center of bazaar, festival, and sometime there is famous band or actress perform in the stage. During the holiday season, there is also parade of clown or puppets of many characters that kids usually like, e.g. puppet of Dora the explorer, puppet of Barney, puppet of fruits, etc.

You may say it is very large area to visit!

Of course it is. Mekarsari is the largest breeding of tropical plants in the world, remember?

Well, firstly you can take tour by train that provided for seeing around, it is cheap enough. When we pass by the greenhouse melon, it is suggested to stop by for a while. We can pick up directly the melon when harvest season. There are a lot of varieties of melon here, like golden light melon, jade flower melon, glamour melon, golden langkawi melon, etc. After satisfy seeing around with the tour train, we can rest in the waterfall building, this building is very unique, from the top of building water flow as real as waterfall.

Mekarsari Tourism Park has already collected around thousand plants from species variety. Beside the real seed, there is also cross breeding seed which created in the Mekarsari Laboratory, like Nangkadak, Cempeka, and Pedakka. The three of this are cross breeding between jackfruit and Cempedak (it is another kind of jackfruit), the taste is sweet like Cempedak but the shape is like jackfruit. If you interested to buy the seed, they are provided in the Garden Center.

If you are still confused not know where to go, it is suggested to pick a tour package. Mekarsari provided a lot of packages to easier us in enjoying this largest fruits park area in the world. There are a lot of tour packages, picking up the fruit, children fun play, outbound, education tour, planting paddy, camping, plant tissue culture, etc. The package price is varying, around Rp. 50,000 – 100,000 (USD 50 – USD 100).

For your information also, in this park there is giant flower, Amorphophallus Titanum!

TIPS visiting Mekarsari Tourism Park:

1. Call the information center hence before, for getting information of the best time for visiting the park, what fruits are harvest, etc. because not all season the fruits are harvest. You don’t want feel disappointed only to see plant without fruits hanging on the trees, do you?
2. Don’t forget, the park only open for public every Tuesday - Sunday at 09.00 am – 16.00 pm, west zone Indonesian time. Remember, Sunday is closed!
3. Wear t-shirt or the clothes that made from cotton.
4. Don’t forget to bring umbrella or hat, unless you want to walk around with the heat of the sun directly at our head.
5. Finally, don’t try to go Mekarsari at the kids holiday season, it is around end of June until the middle of July, you won’t find anything fruits to pick up, beside it will be a terrible traffic jam. However, you can visit it early in the morning, if you lucky.
6. For you who love adventure, why doesn’t try to stay a night at Leo tree House.

Address : Jl. Raya Cileungsi Jonggol KM. 3, Cileungsi, Bogor.
Telp. : +62-21-823-1811/12/13
Fax : +62-21-823-1475
Email : sales@mekarsari.com
Website : www.mekarsari.com