Friday, June 6, 2014

Family-friendly Parks in KL

Me and hubs love walking and occasionally trekking. Before we had Naila, we already had a momentum going with the park visits. The first few months after baby, we were just trying to get the hang of the new ‘normal’. Every outing is a big event and requires a minimum of two manpower, so we never really thought of resuming the park outings.

Then the time came when Naila got just a little bit bigger and a bit easier to manage. There was the time when my parents went to the park and it sounded nice and we went. Never stopped since then.

Post-baby is a little bit different though. There’s the stroller, the heat and other things you gotta think about. So here’s my personal review on the parks around KL!

Taman Tasik Titiwangsa

This was the first park we took Naila to, and it’s really nice (partly because I myself have nice memories running wild as a kid in this same park). It’s stroller friendly, with wide lanes to maneuver. When it gets too hot, there’s shade everywhere. Also this is the park to try out a lot of things, like kayaking, tennis, badminton, in line skating. At one time there was a Zorb ball. This park has the most kids running around so I would say this is the most fun park for families with children. Babies have a lot to see. Not forgetting to mention there’s a cafĂ© too.

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Baby friendly rating: 8/10 (points deducted for noise and heat)

Kid friendly rating: 10/10

Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)

Our favorite spot on weekend mornings pre-baby. So how does it fare post-baby? The walkways are decidedly small, but we manage to make a big round with our stroller without any problems. We haven’t tried hiking with the baby yet—that’s a whole different planet to consider. It feels humid but we’ve always loved the natural shade provided by the canopy of trees. Once we got here at 10AM when the sun was already high, but inside FRIM it felt like 7AM! This park has a totally different vibe from Tasik Titiwangsa. You’ll see bicycle enthusiasts in full gear zooming past, going up the jungle tracks; people jogging lost in their mp3 players. There aren’t that many children, must less activities because they cater more towards the hikers. But we love the natural jungle setting.

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Baby friendly rating: 9/10 (walkway could be a bit wider)

Kid friendly rating: 6/10 (could be more, depending on what you expect of a park)

Taman Botani Putrajaya

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We heard soo much about this place prior to going there ourselves. One thing people always mention about Taman Botani is their bike ride. Sadly that’s the one thing we can’t do yet with baby.

We loved the wide walkways that are wide enough for bikes AND for joggers and walkers and strollers. There are shady trees, really good spots for photos and an eatery. We’ll definitely be back.

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Baby friendly rating: 9/10

Kid friendly rating: 9/10 (run wildly, cycle wildly)

Taman Wetland Putrajaya

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Wetland is a little bit hit and miss. I don’t know what it is, maybe it’s that time of the year or maybe it’s just the rainy season. Maybe it’s the landscape. Pros: wide walkways like Taman Botani, information centre. Cons: SO much mosquitoes. Poor baby was swarmed by mosquitos, the horror. Otherwise it’s a nice recreation place. I’m not sure if we’ll be back though, because Taman Botani is just 5 minutes away.

Baby friendly rating: 5/10

Kid friendly rating: 9/10 (run wildly, cycle wildly)

Do you love hanging out at the park? Do you take baby? What are the preparations that you do before heading out? Surprising necessity is actually an insect repellant!

Till next time.

1 comment:

Hidup Haira Je said...

So, which one Naila like best? (^^,)

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