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.More photos on Facebook.
Kwang Han
eXP
