Karanganyar is among the most popular tourist destinations in Central Java, Indonesia. Located near Magetan and Sragen, the regency is well-known for its cold climate and picturesque mountain sceneries.

One must-visit attraction in Karanganyar is Rumah Atsiri Indonesia, a fully integrated aromatic wellness playground with many facilities inside, including gardens, research lab, production house, training center, museum, restaurants, shops and many others. The 23,660-square-metre center was actually a citronella oil factory back in 1963, built as a bilateral partnership between Indonesia and Bulgaria.

The manufacturing plant was then privatized in 1986 and stopped operating 29 years later due to the scarcity of citronella oil. Instead of abandoning it, PT. Rumah Atsiri Indonesia took over the operations and revitalized the factory into what Rumah Atsiri Indonesia is today. In May 2018, the attraction was opened to the public.

Source: Travels Promo

Interestingly, the structure of the building remains the same, so visitors can sense a strong 1960s feel inside. Of course, the function of each room changes — what used to be a workshop is now a restaurant, the boiler room is converted into a museum today, and the distillation room becomes a merchandise shop.

In the garden, Rumah Atsiri Indonesia now has a collection of more than 90 species of essential oil crops out of the 400 available globally. These include cloves, sandalwood, citronella, lemongrass, rosemary, vetiver, and other plants. Visitors can then feel the experience of smelling, touching, and processing a plant into essential oils. A guide will also be on standby to take visitors to explore various rooms and keep them company while they are doing various activities.

Like many other popular tourist attractions, it is best to visit Rumah Atsiri Indonesia on weekdays to avoid crowds on the weekend. For more information about Rumah Atsiri Indonesia, visit their website or Instagram.