04 FRIDAYNOVEMBER, 2016

Kuala Lumpur’s best green escapesWith soaring towers, condo complexes and mammoth

malls crowding the streets and skyline of Kuala Lumpur(KL), it’s reassuring to know that Mother Nature contin-

ues to have a significant stake in and around the Malaysian cap-ital. What other city, for example, has a pocket of primary rainfor-est at its heart that’s home to a troupe of silvered leaf monkeys?

04 FRIDAYNOVEMBER, 2016

KL Forest Eco ParkIt was just under 160 years ago that 87 Chinese prospectors

paddled up the Klang River in search of tin deposits, thusestablishing the settlement that would become KL. If theghosts of those men returned to the city today, the one spotthey would likely still recognize is the KL Forest Eco Park, alush island of primary forest surrounded by some of the city’smost expensive real estate.

The park occupies 9.3 hectares of Bukit Nanas, a hill thatonce was the location of a long-gone Malay fort and is sonamed because pineapple (nanas) trees once grew around itsbase, their spiky foliage providing a natural defensive wall.Today visitors are very welcome, with a paved road leading tothe summit crowned by one of the city’s top tourist attractionsand visual icons, the Menara Kuala Lumpur.

Having taken in the 360-degree panorama of the city andits surrounds from the 421m telecommunications tower, don’t

rush off as the park is threaded with several short hiking trails.There’s also a new canopy walkway that puts you at eye levelwith the tops of the soaring trees, such as Jelutong andMerawan Batu, some of which are as old as KL itself.

Go in search of the herbal and orchid gardens behind theForest Information Centre (located on Jln Raja Chulan at thesouthwestern base of the hill), and you’re also likely toencounter the resident troupe of silvered leaf monkeys.Watching these animals as they swing between the branchesand nonchalantly groom each other to a soundtrack of chirp-ing insects and twittering birdsong, you’ll get a sense of whatthe area was like when the rainforest stretched as far as theeye could see.

Tun Abdul Razak Heritage ParkNature tamed and shaped into pleasing, tiger-free vistas

was what Alfred Venning, Selangor State Treasurer, had in

mind when he gained permission from the colonial adminis-tration to create a botanical garden around the Sungai BrasBras stream. That 1888 project resulted in the Lake Gardens, a101-hectare green district now officially known as the TunAbdul Razak Heritage Park, after Malaysia’s second prime min-ister.

At the park’s heart, the Perdana Botanical Garden remains ashowcase for local flora and fauna with sections dedicated tomultiple varieties of hibiscus and orchid flowers. You’ll alsofind a small enclosure that’s home to mouse and spotted deer,a boating lake and a creatively designed kid’s playground.Fanciers of feathered friends should fly straight to the park’sfabulous aviary, the KL Bird Park. Alongside ostriches, eagles,flamingos and parrots, you can also see a pair of rhinoceroshornbill, Malaysia’s national bird. One of them is often foundhopping among the trees close by the balcony of the HornbillRestaurant, a great spot for close-up photography.

FRIDAYNOVEMBER, 201604Titiwangsa Lake Gardens

KL’s second lake gardens park, Titiwangsa capitalizes on itssetting on the northeast fringe of the city. The views across themirrored surface of the lake towards the distinctive outlines ofthe nearby theatre Istana Budaya and, further away, the PetronasTowers and Menara KL, are stunning - particularly at dusk, as thecity’s night lights flicker into life. Westwards, there are also grand-stand views of The Capers @ Sentul East, a wavy-shaped pair ofcondo towers which stretch up 40 storeys. Popular with courtingcouples who come to stroll around the lake edge, Titiwangsa alsohas a jogging track, exercise area and plenty of options for float-ing on the lake from regular rowboats to giant transparent spher-ical balloons.

Forest Research Institute of MalaysiaAt Kepong, 16km northwest of central KL, is the Forest

Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM), established in 1929 to con-duct research into the sustainable management of the country’srainforests. Covering 600 hectares, this lush compound includesthe remains of an old settlement of the Orang Asli, the indige-nous people of Malaysia, arboretums and a pond that’s home to agiant araipama, a South American freshwater fish.

FRIM is a justifiably popular location for casual strolls underthe shade of soaring trees, as well as more strenuous hikes suchas the one that ascends a steep hill to reach a 200m-long canopywalkway that hangs 30m above the forest floor. To calm yournerves as you traverse the swaying footbridges between thetrees, keep your eyes peeled for birds and monkeys as well as thedistinctive KL skyline in the distance.

The Quartz RidgeSuperb panoramic views of the city in one direction and of the

Klang Gates reservoir in the other are the reward for summitingBukit Tabur, on the northeast fringe of the city near TamanMelawati. The hill is 386m high, but it’s a challenging hike as itfollows the world’s longest pure crystal quartz outcrop. Takingaround three hours, the trail is not for the unfit or faint-hearted,with potentially lethal sheer drops off the mountain trail into thedense surrounding forest and short sections where you’ll beclinging to ropes to negotiate the steeper sections of rock.

Following a couple of fatal accidents on the trail in recentyears, a hiking permit is required from the Selangor TengahForest Office, although in practice hardly any hikers arrange this.It is a good idea, however, to tackle the trail in the company ofexperienced guides or those who know what they are doing: ifyou go at the weekend - especially on a Sunday - you won’t bealone, as the hike is a highly popular form of exercise. Go early inthe morning for the clearest views and the coolest temperatures.

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