What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of Kuala Lumpur? Isn’t it the Petronas Towers? Bet it is! In fact, a trip to Kuala Lumpur is considered incomplete without paying a visit to these magnificent towers. While the city offers a brilliant view of the towers as well as all things commercial, there is a quiet side to it too. You must visit the botanical gardens for a relaxed holiday.

Exploring the Lush Gardens

Which gardens are we talking about? Well, we’re talking about Perdana Botanical Garden, also fondly called Lake Gardens of Kuala Lumpur. It boasts of tranquillity and closeness to nature in a busy city. During our recent trip to Kuala Lumpur, we decided to explore it a tad differently. We adopted the green approach. When travel gets on you, you need some respite and we found solace in this quick expedition to the gardens.

Why Go There?

Well, these gardens work well for all age groups – for the children and adults alike. If you’re looking for a quick tour, you can visit any two gardens within the compound. The different tour types can be broadly classified into the following categories, depending on your budget and time in hand.

Kuala Lumper – Perdana Botanical Garden PIC: AS

The free entry: There is no entry fee to enter the garden as such. However, individual parks within the garden have their own entry fee. If you do not want to shell out anything, the kids can play in the play-area and you can stroll along the beautiful canopies and flowers or sit on benches and watch pigeons gather at different spots.

Kuala Lumpur – Park Wildlife

The dedicated parks: There are smaller parks dedicated to different flora and fauna, such as the deer park, butterfly park, bird park, hibiscus park and orchid garden, sculpture garden and more. Alternatively, you can take a quick Segway ride around or head to the National Art Gallery or the famous blue-domed National Planetarium. Make sure to catch the timing of different shows, like the bird show at the amphitheatre, prior to the tour.

Kuala Lumpur – Park Flora

Have a good dining experience: Most of the individual parks have their own little restaurant or ice cream section. However, the one at the Bird Park is noteworthy. It’s called the Hornbill Restaurant and serves some of the best platters of both Malay and Western food.

Visit the museums: The Islamic Arts Museum is totally worth a visit. Set two hours aside for this and pay a visit to all the sections. It is believed to be the biggest museum of its kind in Southeast Asia. Lying close to the National Mosque and Planetarium, it contains various exhibits, like furniture, clothing, accessories, books, paintings, notebooks and weaponry, from famous mosques across the globe. If you go down south, you can visit the National Museum of Malaysia, which shows the art and history of Malaysia You can take English or French tours as per convenience.

Kuala Lumpur – Fauna

Time

Completing a detailed tour of the gardens is not possible in a single day. In fact, it will require three days to see the whole area. Thus, use the tram to move around, get a sneak peek of the entire garden and decide which parks you want to visit.

Kuala Lumpur – Park Sightings PIC: AS

Getting Around

Navigating within the huge park is no problem at all.

On foot: You can walk a little and sit on the benches at regular intervals. There is no better way to explore every nook and corner of the park than on foot.

Take the tram: Get into the tram that runs around the park and stops at dedicated stations every now and then. You can hop on and off at any time if you buy a ticket. The ticket is valid for an hour.

Go fuel-free: Besides the tram, you can rent a bicycle. The best way to go about it is to rent one from outside as you won’t find cycles for rent inside the park.

Taxi ride: To avoid all the hassle and waiting, simply hail a taxi plying within the garden. Towards the Islamic Museum, you can easily spot a Grab Car or Uber too.

Kuala Lumpur – Butterfly PIC: AS

Have a Good Time!

As you can see, people head to these gardens for different reasons and during different times of the day. It is advisable to check individual ticket prices before entering as well as public holidays in advance. Most importantly, just have a good time!

Check out more of Aditi’s work at Lyf and Spice.