Samarinda Botanical Garden

Samarinda Botanical Garden

Samarinda botanical garden is a unique tourist object because it integrates recreation and education about the nature and environment. The whole breadth of this botanical garden is 300 hectares. In the beginning, this botanical garden was HPH area of CV Kayu Mahakam owned by Ali Akbar Afloes. In 1974, the owner gave 300 hectares in Mount Kapur area to the head of Mulawarman University at that time, R. Sambas Wirakusumah, to be a conservation forest. The support given was shown by giving Instruction of East Kalimantan Province Governeor and the head of Forestry office of East Kalimantan. In 1997, the Mayor of Samarinda supported this program by functioning this botanical garden as an educational forest and a botanical garden for academic activities of Mulawarman University.

Since it was declared as an educational forest, this area is often used as a place for students‘ activities, research location, and fieldwork practices for students. Not only the students of Mulawarman University who are permitted to access this area, but also the students from outside Mulawarman University or foreign students. They are also permitted to do their research in this area. Since the cooperation between Mulawarman University and the Government of Samarinda City had been signed, the name of this area changed into Samarinda botanical garden. In the next years, 62 hectares from the total breadth 300 hectares has been functioned as road facility, artificial lake, sport facility, and entertaining stage. This area is also developed intensively and functioned as a tour object and recreation. For example, there are zoo, swimming pool, bird park, flower garden, tour boat, and camping ground.

When entering the botanical garden area, visitors will feel the forest has cool atmosphere. To reach the main area of the botanical garden, visitors need to walk around one kilometer. Along the way to the main area, they can see and enjoy the thick trees which most of them have been given a label and name of the species. Although the road is full of hills, visitors can be amused by the sound of birds and monkeys which is loudly heard.

One of the specialties in this botanical garden is the existence of a wide zoo. In the zoo, there are amount of orangutans which are released intentionally, but they are already tame, so visitors can interact directly. Other animals live there are a couple of cobras, hornbills, cockatoos, horses, paradise birds, crocodiles, mouse deers, and porcupines. But, visitors have to climb the hill stairs which are pretty high. However, this condition seems to be attraction for visitors from many areas, included outside East Kalimantan.

Visitors can also enjoy the wide artificial lake. In this tour object, visitors can rent boats which have various forms. The rent price is 15.000,00 IDR per 15 minutes with 3 adults in maximum capacity.

Where Samarinda Botanical Garden Location?

Samarinda botanical garden is located in the north of Samarinda City, province of East Kalimantan, Indonesia. Visitors who want to reach the location can use land way, either two-wheel vehicles or four-wheel vehicles. The distance from Samarinda City is 20 kilometers or about 30 minutes on the way. As a note, to reach the main area of botanical garden, visitors have to use private vehicles because there is no special transportation which are provided, or they can go there on foot. The price of the entrance ticket is 3.000,00 IDR for both adults and children. This price is already included for vehicles to enter inside the botanical garden area. There are amount of other facilities which can be enjoyed by the visitors, those are car games or remote control motorcycles special for children, fishing area, reflection road, and open stage which is often used for music concert programs and so on.