TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Batam Botanical Garden in Riau Islands will not be officially opened for public until December, but it is already attracting thousands of visitors.
The garden has a vast collection of around 3,000 plants from various types of maritime plants. It was built in 2014 and has two parks, one comprising of palm trees and the other has an abundance of colorful plants and flowers.
"Our plan is to open this garden officially on December 18, which is the 189th anniversary of Batam City,” Eryudhi Apriadi, head of the Batam City Housing, Settlement and Landscaping Office, said on Monday, October 22.
According to Eryudhi, although the garden is not officially opened yet, visitors have come to visit, including foreign tourists. Every weekend, the vicinity receives around 800 visitors.
The garden complex also houses several buildings such as a compost house and a planting nursery.
"We also have glass houses for orchids, a water reservoir, a water treatment plant, a ring road, and other facilities," Eryudhi said.
ANTARA