Forest in the city
Big trees and streams.
Stress 043 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Saintwong — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Stress 043 — CC BY-SA 4.0 · Stress 043 — CC BY-SA 4.0
An urban forest in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, on the hills between the National Monument and the historic quarter, covering about twenty-seven hectares with more than five kilometres of trails. In British times the area was a residential quarter for officials; it has since become a protected forest for walking and learning. Working with the Forest Research Institute Malaysia, more than a thousand trees have been marked for protection, and native species are raised in nurseries within the park before being moved into the forest. Colour-coded trails branch off, from short easy loops suitable for children to longer routes that climb and dip among big trees and streams. Entry is free, and it opens daily from seven in the morning to half past six in the evening, with last entry about an hour before closing. Maps are available at the trailheads, and early morning is the best time, before the heat. It is a quiet green escape a few minutes from Merdeka Square and the botanical gardens, so combine it with the neighbouring National Monument, and bring water and insect repellent.
Big trees and streams.
Short for children, longer too.
An early-morning walk.
Jalan Tersusun, between the National Monument and the city centre
National Monument (Tugu Negara)A fifteen-metre bronze group of seven soldiers, one raising the Malaysian flag a4 minutes walk4.6
Kuala Lumpur Butterfly ParkA netted butterfly garden in the heart of the Perdana Botanical Gardens, coverin10 minutes walk
St Mary's CathedralAn elegant small Anglican church at the northern end of Merdeka Square, one of t12 minutes walk
Perdana Botanical GardensKuala Lumpur's oldest public park, laid out by the British in the 1880s around a12 minutes walk4.4
KL Bird ParkYou do not look at the birds through cages here; you walk among them. The park s13 minutes walk4.3Yes, there is a short trail of about a kilometre through the nursery that is easy and family-friendly, and longer trails for those who want more.