A beautiful swarth of greenery known as Bukit Kiara, lies just five minutes from Sri Hartamas and Mont Kiara. Bordering with Taman Tun Dr Ismail, there are several entrances to this park, but the closest one to us, is behind SMK Seri Hartamas. Come, let us take you on a hike!
We love hiking in Bukit Kiara because it’s close to where we live, has lots of paths and we meet lots of other nature lovers in there, including cyclists and joggers. Do stop to chat if you need help, but watch out for those bikes.
How to get there?
Simply park at the school at Jalan 48/70A, Desa Sri Hartamas. Put on your mosquito lotion, bring a water bottle and your phone -so you can read our directions- and off you go. Early morning would be best, since it will still be cool. Follow the path next to the highway, until you get to the greenery behind the school.
Climb up the slippery slope and be careful of red ants on the low bushes. There is a gentler option for those with bad knees, just a little way down the highway. Once you’re up, follow the path until you come to a split. Follow the right split where you come to a fenced area and a sign with a QR code – scan the code and you’re in!
There are many trails in Bukit Kiara. I highly recommend you take a guide with you for the first time, especially if you have a tendency to wander. But for those familiar with Kiara, have a look at the route we take.
Hiking in Bukit kiara: can you take some directions?
To the brook
Follow the path straight until you see a road with a barrier on your right. Continue that road left until you see a slope up – scramble up the 3-4 steps and you will see a path downwards. Keep going until you see a u-turn on your right and a bit further on you see a lovely little brook.
Through the jungle
Follow this winding path around until you climb a steep bit. When that steep bit finally levels out, walk straight until you see a gravel road. If you go right, you will come to a tarmac road to TTDI. Don’t go this way. Take the left and go down the rocky path. At the bottom you will hear a lovely stream – take the u-turn left before this stream and start climbing up again. You will eventually end up at the tarmac road. Turn left, and take the jungle path on your right. Follow this path left – don’t take the small slip left. Keep following the path, till you end up at the fenced area again.
With small legs and a leisurely pace, it took us about an hour to cover four km. It’s very shady and cooling and very accessible, even in the heat of the day. The only hot part where we needed our hats, was for the entry and exit, walking along the highway. This walk is suitable for 6-70 year olds, as long as you don’t have bad knees, as there are some steep bits along the trail. Look out for ants nests on the ground, and bird nests in the trees.
Friends of Bukit Kiara
There are some brilliant trail keepers in Bukit Kiara who maintain and nurture the trails, build bridges for the rest of us to enjoy and keep paths clear of debris. To find out more, join Friends of Bukit Kiara on FaceBook here.
Friends of Bukit Kiara are organising a trail walk each month now. Check out their FB page for more information on the next walk on Sunday 4 October at 7.30am.
Care for a drink or lunch?
A great restaurant where you can sit down with the kids after the hike for a coconut drink and some roti canai, would be Hamza Cafe on Jalan Sri Hartamas 7. They have shady trees to sit under, which can be very pleasant, but watch out for bird poo…
If you’re thinking of buying outdoor material, have a look at the products from PTT Outdoor! It doesn’t cost you extra, but we get a small commission if you buy something, which is a great help in running our site.
This article is written by Phillipa Yoong. She is a mum of two girls, one dog and two cats. Pipa for short is Malaysian/English and she loves the outdoors, all things sporty, and most of all, getting the kids away from the dreaded iPad.
