Botani Perdana

It had been a while since we went to the park. We hated going there mainly due to the traffic situation, often not finding a proper spot to park not to mention the aggro when there were a small lane opening while you were trying to pass.

The old Botanical Gardens, Lake Garden or Tasik Perdana has now been renamed Taman Botani Perdana. A lot of new infrastructure were being built, making the whole area - the Bird Park, Butterfly Gardens and Orchid Park seems more connected.

Irfan organising the drinksIdlan with his strap-on rubbery shoes ....Walking from the carparkLooking at the multistorey carpark from the groundFollowing our trip to the new Restoran Rebung, we learned that there was a new multistorey car park being opened. So, we parked there and walked across to the new area of the park where Panggung Anniversary used to be - there were renovations being done on the pavilion at the moment.

It was right pleasant and the place, being a Sunday afternoon was filled with joggers, cyclist and young families, some carrying picnic baskets and playing football.

Directions ....I want to roll down the hill on that grass ....Walking with dinosaursWalking onThe place was well kept and the walk across from the car park towards the children play area and the lake felt like a breeze. Pleasant weather and fresh air. We stopped for photos, quick drinks and fed the koi fish when we reached the lake, white people were running around having a good time.

Next stop, the lakeFeeding them turtles ...The crowd soon build up ....Ironic that people playing football by the sign ....Anita wished that she carried her picnic basket with her. But there were plenty enough seat for us to sit and have some ice cream while enjoying the surrounding.

The hard part was walking back to the car park - uphill mind - rushing there before sunset. But I must say we were pleasantly surprised with the day out and would definitely be coming again.

Enjoying the scene while doubling back ....Panggung Anniversary being rebuiltAlmost back to the carparkI was sure in the months to come, more attraction would've been ready, including the newly refurbished Panggung Anniversary. Looking forward to that.

Sunday Afternoon Park Trip

We got our wish for an afternoon in the park today. Right after arriving home from my photowalk, we packed up and left for Taman Tasik Perdana. Getting there early was the ticket. It was just after 4 in the afternoon when we arrived at the car park.

It wasn't too hot when we roamed around. Equipped with the badminton racquets and basketball, we just ran around. We were soaked half an hour later, had a quick snack on the grass and continued on.

By half past five, we were already making our way back to the car as the cloud gathered, threatening to rain. Luckily it didn't and we continued on, this time at the playground.

After we were done, it was straight for dinner at KLCC.

Taman Tasik Perdana had some of the area upgraded and the place was a treasure in the middle of hustle and bustle of KL. As usual, many newlyweds were there, having their ceremonial wedding photographs taken.

The flowers were very well-maintained on the most part. The herb garden was reopened, and was well worth a visit. The whole place was clean and the grass were cut and looked after well. The lake was unfortunately still in a state. Plenty needed to be done there. Ironic wasn't it that the place was called there Lake Garden for the lake, and it was a site sight.

Parking could also be organised better. It wasn't made easy by the fact that there was only a single entry point if you drive in, and mazy cars were parked illegally. A pain if you were to arrive during peak hours. A separate entrance and exit would make a world of difference.

Some extra benches would also be great. Better still, a designated picnic area. They had a food court which was about to open. Great vision by the City Council.

One of the island there was undergoing some renewal work, but the part which were opened certainly looked great. Well manicured grass and all. visitbe frank, the Lake Garden area was a hidden gem. The butterfly and bird park were just around the corner if you plan for a whole day's outing. There was also the orchid garden not too far away. Well worth visit.

Back to Tasik Perdana

We spent the afternoon at the park at Tasik Perdana. The weather was kind even though it had been threatening to rain for the couple of hours preceding. It held up, and the boys had their dose of playground for the week.

For a reason, the place was quite quite. Maybe because everybody was worried about the rain. That did not deter a few of the brides-to-be in their wedding dresses posing for the camera. I counted at least 5 couples.

We then had some tea and ice cream by the boathouse. A nice place although it was a shame that the boats had been out of commission for the last couple of years.

By the time we were about to leave, the heaven opened. just in time .....

Outing and a Half - Taman Tasik Perdana

Let's do it!We had enough of going to shopping malls ending up spending money. We decided to go for strolls instead. To get the boys some fresh air - if you can have any in Kuala Lumpur. We were lucky since it was not raining yesterday afternoon nor was it too sunny. It was overcast and we decided to go to Tasik Perdana. Puan Anita has been reading about the parks and hidden perks there from the magazines but we never got around to explore them. I was very familiar with the area, frequenting the Orchid Gardens, Butterfly and Bird Parks, but never actually stop by the public park at Tasik Perdana.

Rangers on their horsesThe playground area - Dino Park!Irfan bouncingAnd now it was Idlan's turn

We reached there just after 4 pm, driving past Panggung Aniversari which was being renovated and modernised. From what it looked from the outside, it was certainly awesome what they were constructing. We got some to some space to ark just outside the Lake Club and quickly made our way to the playground. After about 30 minutes of running around, we decided to walk by the water fountains and herbal gardens just round the corner. There were, I counted four couples having their picture taken for their wedding albums. It was certainly a popular spot and the backdrop were actually not bad at all. We then noticed, a shuttle service taking visitors round the parks. We took one and then we discovered the other lakes and parks in the surrounding area that we did not know about. One can enjoy paddle boat at one of the lakes, there was also a dear park, a small little lake which they called ‘the Oasis’ and a Dear Park. For 50 sens per head, the ride took us up the hill to the planetarium, around the bird and butterfly parks, which we can stop at if so we wished. We decided to take a round trip back to the playground and walk around to a cafe for a quick drink.

Taking a breatherA quick cool downDaddy refuelingAfter some snacks, the boys did some more running. We strolled around a bit more, let the boys do more climbing. We finally called it a day at around 6.30. It was a really nice outing. Guess what? When we first arrived there, I heard somebody familiar calling my name. It was my Boss. She was having a quick walk - she was heavily pregnant - with her maid and son Ee Wan. That was certainly a surprise!

More runningNewlyweds having their pics takenTime to leaveAll in all, the park was very clean by Malaysian standard. Bins were available everywhere. There were always cleaners and rangers nearby to lend a hand. The public toilets and facilities were very well kept and clean. The paddle boats sure looked aged, but the safety equipment were intact and there were supervisors overseeing things all the time. The food served to public were reasonable at the stalls. My boys enjoyed running on the grass going up and down the hills. The public park area were closed to cars, so one should not worry about kids running around and being hit by traffic. The sidewalks were wide enough for joggers and parents taking strollers around. The playground equipment were also old but appeared well maintained with all the swings and ropes in working order. The lake next to the playground were not really cleaned up and was rather too close for comfort to the benches and some of the slides. Maybe it more attention given to this particular stretch of water, maybe developing it into an area for fishing or boating. Some of the gardens and pagola needed a make over, but as the park was free to the public, maybe funding was an issue. A highly recommended place to take a young family. I found this to be more appealing than Tasik Titiwangsa as a place to jog.

Slideshow for the outing was posted here.