The Park was declared nature conservation area in 1889, although prior to this the Cibodas Botanical Gardens was already established here in 1830, where cinchona (quinine) and coffee were first cultivated to become Java?s most prominent exports in the 19th century. In 1977 UNESCO declared the Gunung Gede-Pangrango National Park a Biosphere Reserve. Located in the province of West Java this Park encompasses the peaks of Mt. Gede, Mt. Pangrango.? Around these peaks are tea plantations, recreation parks, waterfalls, hot springs, lakes and accommodation facilities within the park as around its periphery.

Among many points of interest in the park, Bodogol Conservation Education Center offers wide variety of interests. Hanging twenty-five meters above ground, a canopied walkway is one of the park?s best attraction although extra precaution should be taken at several points in which the walkway?s condition has deteriorated. Temperatures vary on average around 18?C at Cibodas, cooling down quickly to 10?C at the mountain peaks. When you intend to climb to the peak make sure that you wear warm clothing and sturdy shoes because in the evenings temperatures can be freezing cold. Because of the high rainfall here during the rainy season, the Park is closed between December through March when heavy fog and clouds cover the peaks and strong winds prevail especially during February and March. Best time to visit and make the exhilarating climb to the craters is during the dry season between June through September. This is the best time too for holiday in Bali and find a Bali villas for rent.

The view from the Summit and crater of Mt. Gede is stunning both at sunrise or sunset. From here one can see Mt. Krakatau and Sumatra, and below the towns of Cianjur, Sukabumi and Bogor. Here are three active craters ? the Lanang, Ratu and Wadon craters, united in a single complex at an altitude of 2,958 m. The craters are a five-hour hike from Cibodas. There are four types of primates in this Park, including the Java Gibbon which is endemic to Java, the Surili which lives around the Cibodas waterfall but is rarely seen as it is shy, the long-tailed macaque monkeys and the Javan langur. There are also leopards, wild dogs and wild boars. The Park boasts a wide variety of bird species, 251 of the 450 species on Java inhabit this Park, including the Javan hawk eagle and the owl. Article by Bali private villa