KL Forest Eco Park and the canopy walk

A patch of real rainforest in the middle of the city, with a canopy walkway above the trees and a tower view over it all.

Area

KLCC & Bukit Bintang

Start from

Central Kuala Lumpur

Distance

walking distance, trails of 1–3 km

Time needed

half a day

Best season

All year; early morning

Difficulty

Easy

Transport

Monorail to Bukit Nanas, or walk from KLCC

Tickets & rules

Forest park is usually free; KL Tower observation deck needs a ticket

Why go

It is hard to believe, standing at the busy junction near the Bukit Nanas monorail station, that a few steps away is primary rainforest. Yet here, on a low hill in the middle of the city, a small reserve of ancient trees survives, with giant buttress roots, rattan palms and strangler figs, and the sound of traffic is replaced by cicadas.

The highlight is the canopy walk, a series of metal bridges suspended about 20 metres above the forest floor, which lead you through the treetops, close to orchids and ferns growing on branches. On a quiet morning you may see dusky leaf monkeys, squirrels, monitor lizards or bright birds like bulbuls.

Above the forest rises the KL Tower, 421 metres tall to the top of its antenna, with an observation deck and glass boxes over the edge. You can combine the forest and the tower view in a single morning.

The story

Bukit Nanas, meaning ‘Pineapple Hill’, was protected as a forest reserve in 1906, which makes it the oldest permanent forest reserve in Malaysia. In the nineteenth century the hill was a fortified stronghold during the civil war between Malay chiefs over the tin trade, and pineapple plantations once grew on its slopes, which may explain the name.

The reserve has shrunk over the century, but its core is a rare example of lowland dipterocarp forest within a capital city. The park was renamed KL Forest Eco Park and reopened with a new canopy walkway in 2017.

The KL Tower was completed in 1996. During construction, engineers changed the plans to save an old jelutong tree on the site, building a retaining wall around it, a small story that locals still like to tell.

The tower also plays a role in the religious calendar: it is one of the places where the new moon is observed to set the beginning of Ramadan and other Islamic months.

Getting there

Take the Monorail to Bukit Nanas station and walk up Jalan Raja Chulan to the park entrance. From KLCC it’s a 15–20 minute walk, or a short taxi ride. The KL Tower shuttle runs from the park entrance to the tower itself.

A suggested plan

1. 8:00Enter the forest park when the air is still cool and the animals are active.
2. 8:30Walk the canopy bridges slowly, then follow one of the short trails like the Jelutong or Pulai trail.
3. 10:00Walk up to the KL Tower for the observation deck.
4. 11:30Head down to Bukit Bintang or KLCC for lunch.

Where to stay

Any hotel in KLCC or Bukit Bintang is within walking distance or a short monorail ride.

Good to know

• Wear proper shoes; the trails are steep in places and can be slippery.
• Bring water and insect repellent.
• The canopy walk may close in bad weather or for maintenance; check before you go.
• Opening hours are usually from morning until early evening.