Apart from the hot springs, Cipanas was also a hill station for the then Dutch East Indies Governor-Generals, as it was a popular getaway from the intense heat and humidity from the low-lying lands area (including Jakarta).

Maintaining its legacy to present day, Cipanas continues to become a popular destination for holiday seekers mainly coming from Jakarta and its surroundings, as the district saw a recent boom on villa complexes and rental houses.

[2] The area already had a history of village dwellers since Sunda Kingdom and Banten Sultanate, long before the time the Presidential Palace was erected by a Dutch landlord named Van Heots in 1740.

The reputation of the area for clean, fresh and cool mountain air led to the building being made into a resort for the Dutch Governor Generals.

The garden, extending over 23 hectares (0.23 km2), hosts a wide variety of worldwide flora, and possesses a maze, giant clock and tower.