Tawangmangu, Home of Herbal Plants and Medicine

TheIndonesia.id - Indonesia has 7,000 herbal plants and spices often used to maintain health, fitness, and cure. The tradition of making herbal plants into medicinal herbs has existed in Indonesia since ancient times. Herbal plants are also used for body and beauty treatments.

Currently, several tourist destinations in Indonesia focus on wellness tourism and herbal tourism, such as Tawangmangu. Located on Karaganyar, Central Java, Tawangmangu has a herbal health center belonging to the Ministry of Health.

At least, there are 800 types of herbal plants cultivated in Tawangmangu. The entire collection of medicinal plants in Tawangmangu is effective in preventing and treating various diseases. For example, Sambiloto (Andrographis paniculata); to prevent diabetes, Tempuyung (Sonchus Avensis); to unleash the urine, and Handeuleum leaves; to treat hemorrhoids. 

Here are four herbal tourism destinations you can visit in Tawangmangu:

1. Hortus Medicus Jamu Research House

The Hortus Medicus Jamu Research House is located on Raya Lawu Street Tawangmangu, Karanganyar. The place is created based on the Regulation of the Minister of Health regarding the Scientification of Jamu in Health Service-Based Research. Jamu is a traditional herbal drink made of all-natural ingredients. 

Hortus Medicus Jamu Research House provides Jamu as a substitute for chemical medicine. The Jamu provided is in the form of capsules or decoctions, created from Simplicia concoctions, powders, and medicinal plant extract.

The visitors don't need to worry about drinking the Jamu because the medicinal plants have been researched for safety, quality, and efficacy. 

2. Hertus Medicus Jamu Museum

The Hortus Medicus Jamu Museum houses various collections of Indonesian medicinal plants atlases, traditional Jamu production equipment, and pictures of Jamu making. 

You can also see the raw materials and the making tools of traditional medicines across Indonesia. Visitors can visit the museum from 7.00 AM to 11.30 AM from Monday to Thursday. On Fridays, visitors can come from 7.00 AM to 11.00 AM.

3. Greenhouse Conservation of Medicinal Plants

The Greenhouses has a collection of medicinal plants, including red betel leaves, cumin leaves, giant kencur (aromatic ginger), tabat barito (Ficus Deltoidea), and sambang darah (Excoecaria cochinchinensis). The greenhouse that functions as a preservation room has 102.12 square meters of area. The greenhouse is located at 1,800 meters above sea level.

4. Rumah Atsiri Indonesia

Rumah Atsiri Indonesia has opened for tourists in 2018. The place offers a number of attractions and facilities such as essential plant gardens, laboratories, production houses, training centers, restaurants, shops, and boutiques. The place used to be a refining factory for citronella oil established in 1963.

Currently, Rumah Atsiri Indonesia is home to various activities related to oil extraction education. It is a place for research, development, and other production activities related to essential oils. Rumah Atsiri Indonesia is located on Watusambang Street, Tawangmangu, Karanganyar. You can visit the area every day from 6.00 AM to 5.00 PM.