Bantimurung National Park, Maros, South Sulawesi, became one of the most popular touristm place in Indonesia, for both local, national and foreign tourists.

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The National Park is a natural park that people of South Sulawesi proud of. Its location which is in the valley with a steep limestone hill and tropical vegetation create good environment to enjoy. Not surprisingly, this area also became a limestone mining area as a cement raw material. Unfortunately, this kind of activity, if continued would be very damaging the nature and the tourism itself.

Bantimurung Nature Park is also famous for its waterfalls, caves, and the butterfly. Some unique species found only in Sulawesi, which is Troides helena Linne, Troides hypolitus Cramer, Troides haliphron Boisduval, Papilo adamantius, and Cethosia myrana.

In 1856-1857 Alfred Russel Wallace spent most of his life here to examine different types of butterflies. Wallace said Bantimurung is ‘The Kingdom of Butterfly’ (the kingdom of butterflies).
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Visit to Bogor with the family was not complete if not visit Mekarsari Park. Even for those who already have children, the park is well suited to introduce the eco tourism and biodiversity in the world’s largest tropical fruits park, in particular, the types of fruits that were collected from all regions in Indonesia.

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This tourism park that was established since 1995 are also doing cultivation research (agronomy), the glorification of (breeding) and the multiplication of seeds for later distributed to farmers and the public.

mekarsari waterfall building photo by Chika Nadya.?

In the area of 264 hectares is also equipped with facilities for tourism. The fruit garden is supported with various facilities so that visitors will be closer to nature, such as: Family Garden, Recreation Lake (20 ha), Baby Zoo, Deers park, Garden Center, watermelon Greenhouse, Outbound, Flowers park, Kids Fun Valley with View Tower , and the Waterfall Building (Puri Tirta Sari).

Activities that became a favorite for visitors include: company gathering, family picnic, fruit and vegetables pick tours, barbeque, morning gymnastics, and fruitwalk (a walk in the orchard).

To enter into Mekarsari Park, you are only required to pay the entrance fee for IDR 10,000 for adults and IDR 9,000 for children. As for the the entire orchard tour, you can use a train for IDR 3000 per person.

With the train, you and your child may stop at the tourism attractions you want and move on to the next train with free of charge. If the visited orchards were harvested, visitors can purchase directly by picking fruit on the tree. Meanwhile, if it is not harvest time, visitors can buy fruit at a stall in the garden or in the fruit shop in the area namely Krida Graha Sari.

Fruit Garden Mekarsari provide learning facilities to plant for children. Children will be given a pot, planting medium, planting equipment, and trees that will be planted. Children will be taught how trees are planted in plastic bags (polybags) was transferred to the pot. After that, the tree can be brought home.

Melon in Mekarsari photo by Reine_Erryn

Your children can also visit a small zoo and ride a horse, or playing in the playground. Mom can pick vegetables in the vegetable garden, such as eggplant and beans, while the father could be fishing. Entrance to this family park IDR 3,000 per person, rental equipment for fishing and bait IDR 6000. Vegetable and the fishes cought are then weighed to be paid and brought home.
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