Eka Karya Botanic Garden 3.09

The Bali Botanic Garden is the largest botanic garden in Indonesia and is located in the mountainous region of Bedugul, central Bali, around 90 minutes drive north of Denpasar. The Garden was established on 15 July 1959 and is situated around 1300 metres above sea level overlooking Bratan Lake and the Ulun Danu Temple on the slopes of Tapak Hill.The Garden is a centre for botanical research, conservation, education and recreation. It is operated by the Indonesian Institute of Sciences .The Garden has an area of 157.5ha and daytime temperatures range from 17 - 25 °C and 10 - 15 °C at night. The humidity averages around 70-90%.The Garden contains more than 21,000 living specimens belonging to 2,400 species, representing various species from mountainous areas of eastern Indonesia: Bali, Nusa Tenggara, Sulawesi, Maluku and Papua. In addition its herbarium contains 10,000 preserved plant specimens ranging from algae to flowering plants.Apart from plant collections that include orchids, ferns, cacti and carnivorous plants, there is also a traditional Balinese style guesthouse that functions as a guest house for visitors. One of the world's largest displays of begonias is also on display in the conservatory building.HistoryThe Bali Botanic Garden was first established on 15 July 1959. The Garden was first known as the Eka Karya Botanic Garden, where "Eka" means first while "Karya" means creation in the Balinese language, referring to the garden's status as the first Indonesian botanic garden to be established after independence.