Taman Botani Putrajaya, Part I

Another weekend, I simply asked my buddies to visit the Taman Botani Putrajaya. With a "yes", we drove off to the botanical garden early morning. The morning was kind of misty, as we thought it would be a good day. In fact, it was just another hazy day. The parking lot was quite empty and you could see no more than five cars in a glance. It was very different compared to my visit to the Taman Botani Shah Alam. Maybe it was Saturday morning or the park is not popular yet.
As amateur photographers, we deployed the stop-snap-go process as we came across interesting subjects. The park was well maintained as we could see gardeners doing their job. The only thing they need not to do was watering. The automatic watering system was easing their work but it was a trap to us photographers.
The park is a good place to visit, for exercising, sight-seeing, or family and friends outing. Bicycles are available for rental so visitors can travel around the park with ease. However, I felt that the park was still a bit empty in terms of flora diversity. It may be more attractive if the authority can make the park crammed with all sorts of tropical plants.

Taman Botani Negara Shah Alam

It was just another Sunday. We got along and had a visit to Taman Botani Negara Shah Alam. The botanical garden was used to be called Taman Pertanian Bukit Cherakah in 1986 and Taman Pertanian Malaysia Bukit Cahaya Seri Alam in 1991.



A good place to spend in weekends with family and friends, get sweaty and release all the pressure from daily life. Getting here is quite easy (MAP), just follow the direction to Klang with Federal Highway and look for signboard directing to Taman Pertanian Bukit Cahaya or any other names mentioned above (some road signs using different names, so don't get confused). Parking space is quite sufficient. Admission fee for adult is RM3.00 while children RM1.00.

You can either walk or rent a bicycle to venture through the park. Free shuttle bus service is also provided to get around the park with ease. There are many activities for visitors too. Kayaking, flying fox, Skytrex, camping, paintball; just make your choice. One of the main attraction is the four-season house (temperate climate) where the theme will change every three months. Unfortunately, it was under maintenance during our visit. Other than that, there are also lakes, animal garden, herbs garden, cactus garden, and also tropical orchard.





From the attractions mentioned above, you can enjoy the biodiversity of the park. Animals like horses, deers, rabbits, and birds (cockatoo, pigeons, peacock, etc) are fenced or caged for viewing. If you are patient enough insects and bugs are just in front of your eyes. Botanic enthusiasts will enjoy the trees and flowers all around the park.

Morning will be the suitable time to visit the park but you may have to spend the whole day for a complete visit. Bring along a cap and shades or sun lotion for the afternoon session. When the sun gets mean, it is really mean. Unless you are prepared for an uneven tan. :P


I gave an 2.5 out of 5 rating for the park. The park could be more attractive if they put more efforts, especially the themed gardens. The cleanliness was still acceptable. We can't expect more when a place is crowded with human.


Until next time, we might be coming for the extreme activities.



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Bukit Gasing, Part II

Since the last visit to Bukit Gasing, it's been a few months this blog was left inactive. Due to the difficulty of gather up the group and also lack of interest, we can't really organize visits as often. Anyway, I decide to go alone this time.

This is the continuation of Bukit Gasing where I travel the upper part of the forest area. I come around 9.30am and it gives me a bit of creep. The fallen tree and the quiet surroundings isn't the way it should be. It is not as lively as the last visit where people came in and out, butterflies hovered over your head. Well, mostly because it is a weekday, can't expect much from that. This time, I take another detour from the last visit, which lead me to the untravelled part of the forest and also the suspension bridge.

Not much difference from the other part of the forest. The main trail is well defined but sometimes branches out to smaller ones. Unless I have the time and also not alone, I might went deeper into the forest. For now, I'll just stick to the main trail. This trail is longer than the last one as the signboard states it is a 80-minute-walk (another one is ~30 minutes). Some parts are muddy because of the rain while some have steep incline/decline. However, it is not that strenuous and suitable for everyone.

Occasionally, I come across some joggers/hikers and I wish I can be one of them, traverse through this forest everyday. It is a good place to exercise, better than conventional ones. First of all, it is close to nature and the level of pollution is low. The air we breathe-in is totally clean. Canopy of the trees blocks most of the sunlight and we don't have to worry about sunburn or the hot weather.

I read about Bukit Gasing being a rubber plantation estate half a decade ago and I found proof. Look at the photo of this tree trunk. See the V-shape grooving? It represents the tapping by workers. The size of the trunk, more than double of the one for tapping, suggests it must been here for a very long time. What a great tree.






Still remember the yellow flower tree, Simpoh Air (Dillenia Suffruticosa)? It is a common tree found in Malaysia tropical rainforest. This time I spotted its fruit opening up into a star, exposing its seeds for dispersion. What a surprise.

Near the exit, I finally arrived the long expected suspension bridge. Unfortunately, it is out of service. Mostly because of safety reasons and also without maintenance routine, it must be prohibited to visitors. What a disappointment.







Well, that is the end of the visit. I make a wrong decision of walking back to my car under the scorching sun and the distance is not short. Here's a photo of a dog sunbathing. Look how enjoy it is.

 

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Hutan Pendidikan Bukit Gasing

A forest, part in PJ, part in KL.

This forest is situated at the border between Petaling Jaya and Kuala Lumpur where is around southwest of KL. Back then, I knew this place as a favourite spot for joggers and people looking for exercise activities, but knowing the existence of a rich forest. It caught my attention when I was setting up eXP and doing some information gathering.

Here is the simple profile of Bukit Gasing forest.

Once a rubber plantation and left idel for 50 years.

The PJ side of the forest is ~36 hectares and being gazette in 1961, but the KL side remains unprotected.

The entrance is easily being spotted as there will be a signboard as long as you know how to get to Jalan Gasing through Federal Highway or Old Klang Road. After getting into Jalan Gasing, look for a primary school (SMK La Salle) and turn into that road. Drive straight into the last junction and start to look for parking space. Then, follow the crowd or ask around for the entrance. Park accordingly in the neighbourhood.  

There is a forest map at the entrance (photo above). Taking a photo snap or a simple sketch will guide our way through the forest. The place was not that crowded but we still can see people going in or out from the forest. I guessed most them were coming to exercise. Maybe because it is near to the residential area, the area around the entrance has a well-managed garden with some ornamental objects and structures. You can see dragonflies or damselflies hovering around the pond and the stream. The surrounding is really refreshing.

As we went in further, the forest trail started. We did not follow the forest map but choosing the path instinctively. At the beginning, we went up the stairs and came to a main detour with a signboard (see photo on the left, sorry for the overexposure). The left path is connecting to the exit and also Trail 2 while the right path is to Trail 1. We took the right path. Trail 1 will lead you to the watchtower and also around the lower part of the forest. As for Trail 2, it will be covering the upper part of the forest and also to a suspension bridge.

The trail is an easy one, just a typical forest trail. Most of the terrains are flat and have enough space to examine the plants and insects or even taking photos. As for the elevation, the steepness is not bad. As long as you get a good hold on the ground and also maintain a wide body base, there is no worry about it.

The watchtower is a key spot for Bukit Gasing. You can have a break and enjoy the breeze. You can see the telecommunication tower just opposite your place. Down the watchtower is just the vast area of forest. As for the far view, you can see Old Klang Road. Anyway, the view is not spectacular. During our visit, the hazy weather across the city worsened the landscape.

When I came across signboards stating the direction to a stream, I had a picture of a large flow of water gushing through rocks and we might have to carefully cross it. I just could not wait longer to see the stream. As we got closer, I heard the sound of children playing and I guessed it must be a nice stream. After walking out of the trees, I paused for a while and the excitement went off like a puff. Well, it was just a tiny little stream. Despite of the disappointment, I was still glad with the crystal clear water of the stream. In my mind, I wished to take a gulp of the water. From the stream, you can either go upstream through the stream or continue the trail along the stream. Anyhow, both will lead you back to the entrance.

In this forest, there are many surprises of flora and fauna. With patient, keen eyes and a little luck, you can spot many fascinating plant that you never see before. For us, we spotted lizards, a white-skinned frog and giant ants we never saw before. The size of the ants is really terrifying. Other than that, there were varieties of fungus, yellow, brown, white, black, on dead trunks. Let the photos tell the story.

As we walked through the trail, there were many detours to smaller trails. To be safe, we just followed the main trail. Even if we wanted to traverse all of them, time would be never enough. That was why we did not go to the upper part of the forest where there is a suspension bridge. I hoped a revisit in the future will let us complete the whole forest. A nice forest, suitable for a weekend visit and for exercise activities.




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Kwang Han
eXP

Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve

 A forest in a big city, under a tall tower

This forest reserve is situated at Bukit Nanas which is also the foot of Kuala Lumpur Tower (KL Tower). Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, was used to be tin mines near the rivers and forests. Its name directly means “muddy estuary” due to the mines. Now, it is a well-developed city and still growing. Most of the people just know about Kuala Lumpur as a prosperous city with buildings all around the region. But, they do not realize the existence of a forest residing the heart of the city.

Here is a brief history of the forest reserve.

1906 – gazetted as Bucket Weld Forest Reserve

1934 – recognized as a wildlife reserve and bird sanctuary

1950 - ~5 hectares was declared as Virgin Jungle Reserve

Now – the area is ~10.5 hectares  

The main entrance to the forest is just by the parking lots of KL Tower. For those who take the train service, it is easier to access the forest through the side entrance (via MTIB Wariseni Gallery). Anyway, the whole forest paths are interconnected so I will start from the main entrance.

At the entrance, there is a forest map (photo above). Having a sketch or a photo snap of the map will easily guide you through the forest and identify some of the attractions. Two paths are available here. One is the Sindora Track and another is the Arboretum Trail. It is better to take the Sindora Track first then only backtrack to Arboretum Trail. This will directly lead you to another area of the forest. The Sindora Track is just pavement with staircases and will lead us to the Herbs Garden and the Wild Orchid Garden. Unfortunately, the Herbs Garden was still under construction so there is nothing to see for the moment. As for the Wild Orchid Garden, it is just an enclosed caged with some orchid plants. Nothing was really attractive. At the end of the track is the information center where you can ask about the forest and also get a brochure.

The Arboretum Trails is more interesting as you truly walk inside the forest. The trail is easy and the path is obvious. The only concern is mosquitoes, lots and lots of mosquitoes once you step into the forest. It is advisable to bring along insect repellant. Because it is a walk more than trekking, we could spend more time to look for unusual insects or animals. So far, we spotted a centipede in a dead bark, a lizard, an unknown insect hanging on a thin lining of silk, and a squirrel. We also saw some monkeys loitering around. It is best not to interact with them as in giving food or harassing them. This trail is a circle so we were back at the entrance.

By following the tarmac road, it will lead you to another area of the forest. You can choose either the Hopea Track or the Penarahan Trail. We did not enter the Penarahan Trail but choosing the track. Nothing much about the track until the Bamboo Walk. It is not what you imagine of a bamboo forest but a pavement with few bamboo plants at the side. After that it is another detour. Jelutong Trail or Shorea Track. Due to lack of time, we took the track.

The Shorea Track is just another usual track. It will lead to a hall and an exercising compound. The end of the track will the side entrance as mentioned above with MTIB Wariseni Gallery over there. After backtracking to the detour just now, there will be a large compound which is a camping ground. Here, you can see the tower clearly. Passing the compound is the suspension bridge which connects to the foot of KL Tower. That is all about the forest.

Upon exiting, there is a small bird park. However, visitors need to pay to enter. The last place to visit is the Jelutong century tree next to restaurants and cafes. A signboard states that the tree is around 95-year-old and RM 430,000.00 was spent to conserve it during KL Tower construction.

Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve is a good place to escape the city. However, constructions and roads around the forest disrupt the harmony of the forest. You can still hear cicada ‘singing’ but the pounding sound of piling machines and vehicles ‘roaring’ through the streets ruin the environment. I was a bit disappointed not to walk in the Penarahan Trail and Jelutong Trail because of the lack of time. Maybe a revisit in the future to finish both of the trails.