Cars and motorcycles fly by while skyscrapers reach to the sky in Kuala Lumpur. One typically wouldn’t associate a forest in the center of a major metropolitan space and even fewer would expect to find jungle. However, only a few minutes from premier attractions in Kuala Lumpur, you have the opportunity to hike Bukit Nanas Rainforest, and disappear into the jungle just steps away from the posh city.

Hike Bukit Nanas Rainforest In Kuala Lumpur

Our second visit to Kuala Lumpur was far easier and more enjoyable than our first time. It’s not that we didn’t enjoy Kuala Lumpur our first time, but that we were in such a great, central location our second time. Our Airbnb was on the edge of Bukit Bintang, with a great view of the KL Tower, Petronas Towers, and Bukit Nanas.

We wanted to hike Bukit Nanas when we were first here, but we just weren’t able to make it there due to our location. Our second time around though, it was literally just a two minute walk from the front door. If we lived in downtown Kuala Lumpur, we would probably make it a near daily routine, just to indulge in the nature.

A Rainforest In The Middle Of The City

Bukit Nanas, formerly Bukit Gombak, is the only virgin tropical rainforest remaining within the city of Kuala Lumpur. City planners decided to preserve the jungle and turn it into a public forest reserve. It is essentially a large and elongated hill, at the top of which resides KL Tower. At the main entry, you can find a visitor center with a mini museum.

First Stop, Canopy Walk

We made our way to visit it in the late afternoon – be careful, it closes at 5 pm – and really enjoyed our time. Our main interest was the canopy walk, which is a sequence of bridges and platforms suspended in the jungle canopy which you can walk across the park on. It provides great views of the jungle below and the surrounding city-scape rising above.

A storm was rolling in as we walked through, and as we descended the canopy walk into the jungle, the rain began to set in. We came prepared though with umbrellas and we enjoyed our times in a real rainforest. Trails run throughout the park, and are quite easy to navigate – some are paved and others are just dirt. The park is home to monkeys, monitor lizards, birds, and snakes. We saw none though, most likely due to the storm.

Trek Through The Rain

While we didn’t have the time to fully hike Bukit Nanas – there are also various gardens and pavilions – we did get the chance to walk through the bamboo forest, which was enjoyable.

Keep in mind though, that mosquitos are abundant in the park. I normally don’t find the need to wear insect repellant, and most of Kuala Lumpur is well controlled. But if you want to hike Bukit Nanas, you should consider having a bit of protection. Also, rains in Kuala Lumpur can be torrential at times, so while it may be fun to explore the jungle in the rain as we did, be prepared in case you hit a sudden flash flood.

Bukit Nanas provides a great nature reprieve in the concrete jungle of Kuala Lumpur. If you find yourself in the area, it’s well worth checking out. To get there, just head to the KL Tower and you’ll see the signs.

Prepare for you Hike!

Even though this hike is smack in the middle of bustling Kuala Lumpur, it is still very much a jungle, and this leisurely walk still constitutes a hike in our book. Although the likelihood of getting lost here is a bit lower than some of our other destinations, that doesn’t mean you don’t want to be prepared. Below, we’ve got some of our recommendations to keep your hike as enjoyable as possible.

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• Water Bottles – Collapsible Water Bottles – These are some of our favorite items to bring with us. They’re really light-weight and you can also roll them up so you can store them away easily. If there is one item that is most important to bring with you, it is water.
• Hiking Clothes – It can be really tempting to just throw on your regular day clothes and march out into the jungle but more and more, we’re finding that putting some thought into what you wear on the trail can really improve your experience. This trail takes you through very steamy jungle, and bugs are certainly buzzing around. But with the proper gear, you can hike in comfort. A recent addition to my wardrobe has made a big difference so that I can be protected and comfortable. For him | For her
• Headlamps – Getting caught in the jungle at dark can be frightening, or downright deadly depending on the location. This trail was short, but the jungle is dense – during the height of the downpour the jungle was exceptionally dark – so we recommend these. Foxelli Headlamp Flashlight
• Raingear – This is a tropical rainforest after all, and storms in Kuala Lumpur don’t mess around. Keeping dry can mean the difference between happy and miserable. I really like this jacket because it’s light enough to wear without getting hot, but if it’s cool out – it will also keep you from getting chilled. As a plus, it can be folded into itself making it very easy to carry around or pack. For him | For her
• First-aid Kit – You really need to be prepared for anything when hiking, which means you need to be prepared for injury. We don’t often get hurt, but we have. You never know what could happen so you should always carry a basic first aid kit to be able to patch up whatever may happen. First-Aid Kit
• Bug Repellant – As one might imagine, the jungles of Southeast Asia just might be full of mosquitos and other nasties that bite. Actually, we got bit a ton here. No one wants to come down with malaria, dengue, or any of the other awful diseases these bugs bring. Unfortunately, there is no way to deal with these really other than to be proactive. Off! Deep Woods Towelettes

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