Taman Safari
Buena Vista Boutique Hotel
For our very last stop we ended up in a little place called Cisarua, near Bogor on the Indonesian island of Java. We got a bus from Jakarta which took about and hour or two and from the main bus station we got a taxi to out hotel in Cisarua - which should have only taken about 40 minutes or so but because of the INSANE traffic took us almost three hours. Not something I would like to experience again, especially as our taxi driver seemed to think he was driving a motorbike and tried to weave through oncoming traffic. Not. Fun. But we finally arrived at our hotel - The Buena Vista Boutique Hotel. It was super late by now so we went to bed soon after a warm welcome from the staff, bringing us sweet tea and some food. Honestly this hotel was the best place I stayed in throughout our travels. The staff and owner - Dr Robbie - are some of the nicest, friendliest and most helpful people I have ever met. When I met the owner he showed me all around the hotel to the different deluxe rooms which are all beautifully decorated with amazing views, and also showed off some of his brilliant artwork. He doesn't mind sitting down and chatting with you for ages and honestly is a fountain of knowledge and a really interesting guy! He ordered special food for us and even sent some tasty local treats to our room which was amazing. The hotel itself is insanely beautiful, with winding paths down to the pool and little shed and huts located all over the grounds in case you get tired walking through what seems like a rainforest! I really can't put into words how brilliant our stay at Buena Vista was, and I would 100% go back to Cisarua just to get a chance to stay there again!
While in Cisarua we also visited the Taman Safari which is a huge touristic draw for the area and is also really beautifully done. When you enter the park you can hop on a bus for free which takes you around the "safari" part of the park - where the animals are roaming free(ish) without being stuck in tiny cages. This was so cool as in the areas without any dangerous animals you can reach out the window and feed carrots (which you can buy on the road to the park) to zebras and llamas! It was really cool to get to see lions and tigers just outside your window, and see them be as free as possible in this situation. After the safari you are dropped off to explore the rest of the park which is just like any other zoo, and is absolutely huge. There are restaurants and shops there, there are shows and entertainment for children, and all in all it's a great day out if you're in the area! Plus I HUGGED AN ELEPHANT.
After our stay in Cisarua the Doctor so, so kindly drove us back to Bogor - with a quick stop for some local speciality - a coconut flavoured pudding/cake/dessert which is a leftover from the Dutch colonial times and is insanely tasty - where we drove through the Botanical gardens which are really nice and also worth a visit for a full day if you have the time. After this he dropped us to the bus station, we bussed all the way back to Jakarta and hopped on our flight home!
