Taman Safari Bogor

Taman Safari sits at Cisarua, on the cool slopes below the Puncak pass, on land that was tea plantation before the park opened in the 1980s. The first part is done from your own vehicle, on a road that loops through large open enclosures holding zebras, bison, deer, elephants and, behind proper barriers, big cats. Animals walk up to the windows, and carrots are sold at the gate for the herbivore sections. Beyond the drive there is a conventional zoo area with primates, a baby animal section, shows, rides and places to eat. It is the best known family attraction in West Java and is busy accordingly.

What you actually see

• The drive-through enclosures - a slow loop past zebras, deer, bison and elephants that come to the car.
• The big cat sections - tigers and lions in fenced areas along the same route.
• The walk-through zoo - primates, birds and a baby animal area beyond the drive.
• The Puncak setting - tea slopes and cool mountain air on the road up from Bogor.

When to go

Weekday mornings are the only sensible time. At weekends and on public holidays the Puncak road is managed with one-way flow and the queue to the gate can take hours. The drive section is best early, when animals are active and the loop is not a traffic jam. It is cool at this altitude and afternoons often cloud over.

Honest expectations

Standards here are better than at many Indonesian zoos, but hand feeding from cars and the animal shows will bother anyone who dislikes that kind of thing. Weekend traffic on the Puncak road is genuinely awful and can double the journey. Tickets, parking and rides are charged separately and add up. Without a car you need a tour or a hired driver.

Nearby

The Puncak tea estates, Bogor and the Cibodas mountain garden are close.