Malaysia Agriculture Park
(Taman Botani Negara Shah Alam)

Entrance to Malaysia Agriculture Park

Introduction

Lookout Tower

I like Malaysia Agriculture Park (now known officially as Taman Botani Negara Shah Alam). I suppose you could describe it as a plant-themed leisure park on the northern edge of Shah Alam, Selangor.

Much of the park's hard landscaping (bridges, lookout towers, pathways, gazebos and so on) is looking a bit run down and dilapidated. The park opened 25 years ago and time and the climate have taken their toll. This is not an international standard resort and it is not intended to be. Most of the visitors are locals, especially students and families.

But I still like it. The jungle vegetation, the trees and gardens are self-renewing and remain pristine. The air is clean. The only sounds are insects, laughing children and monkeys thrashing about in the treetops. And the park is huge - its 817 hectares (that's over 2000 acres) contain 422 different species of plants and trees acting as a conservation centre and laboratory for Malaysian plant life.

Confused about the name?

The park goes by many names. When it opened in 1986 it was known as Bukit Cerakah but usually referred to as Bukit Cahaya Seri Alam. Later the name was changed to Malaysia Agriculture Park (Taman Pertanian Malaysia in Bahasa). In 2011 it was renamed again as Taman Botani Negara Shah Alam which translates as National Botanical Garden Shah Alam.

Now that the new name is becoming more widely known I should probably stop calling it Malaysia Agriculture Park.

Attractions

This flying fox did not seem to be operational during my visit.

What are the attractions of Malaysia Agriculture Park? There are many.

Paintball Valley at Malaysia Agriculture Park

Paintball Valley

There seemed to be quite a big crowd at Paintball Valley and they have a cosy looking outdoor restaurant/sitting area. The forest conditions must be good for paintball simulations of jungle warfare.

These guys seem to be too busy having fun to maintain a website but I learned that the minimum price for a session is RM80 which includes lunch and drinks and 200 'splats' going up to RM350 for 2000 'splats'.

Porcupines at Animal Garden, Malaysia Agriculture Park

Animal Park

The sign at the entrance to this area says "Nature's Beings In Gentle Custody" which is a nice way of describing a zoo. It is supposed to cover 72 hectares and contain parrots, eagles, pigeons, turkeys, chickens, guinea fowl, mascoby duck, timorensis deer, civets, tortoises, terrapins, peacocks, porcupines and horses. I only saw a few of these creatures though I certainly did not cover 72 hectares. There are plenty of pleasant picnic spots here.

 

Ornamental Garden with Four Seasons House in the background.
The flag for Kahera (Cairo) looks wrong and is Rio really in the opposite direction to Buenos Aires?

Spice and Beverage Garden

This is a 16 hectare area where you can see many famous tropical trees, plants and spices growing such as tea, coffee, lime, pomelo, lemon, cocoa, carambola, starfruit, black pepper, nutmeg, lemon grass, tamarind, chilli and cinnamon.

Arboretum

A 40 hectare section containing over 45 different species of local trees and shrubs.

That's what I call a rubber plant!

Fishing

Fishing for red tilapia and other fish is possible at Sungai Baru Dam and Sungai Air Kuning Dam and Pool C. There is a charge of RM5 per rod, payable at the main Park entrance.

There is supposed to be a mysterious 323m long tunnel built long ago under a hill at Sungai Air Kuning Dam. I will have to explore that area on my next visit to the Park.

Hiking

If you still have energy left, try hiking up Bukit Sapu Tangan, a 200m high hill from where you can enjoy a fine view over Shah Alam and the surrounding countryside. You can see some photos on my Thrifty Traveller blog. 

Only the bravest kids would try this scary looking rabbit slide.

Other Attractions

These include a Cactus Garden and aTropical Fruit Garden. Kayaking is possible at Pool C. Kayak Rental RM 23 (1 hour) per kayak.

Defunct Attractions

I noticed that a few of the attractions had become overgrown or appear to be abandoned. These included the orchid garden, a flying fox across a lake, rabbit farm and an amphitheatre. The paddy field near the entrance was also looking rather overgrown perhaps because there was some construction work going on nearby.

Accommodation

With Malaysia Agriculture Park being so big you might well wish to spend more than one day there and fortunately there are some interesting accommodation options available inside the park.

Negeri Sembilan House at Kampung Idaman
Kampung Budaya

Kampung Idaman (Idyllic Village)

Here you have an opportunity to stay in one of ten wooden houses built according to traditional architectural practices typical to each state in Peninsular Malaysia. So there is a Perlis house, a Kedah house and houses from Penang, Perak, Negeri Sembilan, Melaka, Johor, Terengganu, Pahang and Kelantan.

They look spacious enough to accommodate large families but I imagine the facilities are extremely basic (more like indoor camping).

They are cheap too:

RM120 per day (weekdays)

RM150 per day (weekends).

Kampung Budaya

This is a similar facility in another corner of the park with traditional style chalets and air conditioned rooms available.

RM 250 per day (weekdays)

RM 300 per day (weekends).

Camping

There are a number of camping sites within the park starting at RM5 for a tent site to RM20 for an A-frame hut. 

Free shuttle bus service

Getting Around Malaysia Agriculture Park

There is a free bus service which ferries people around the main attractions in the Park. There is a bus stop next to the Park Entrance. During my visit (a weekend) the buses were very crowded.

Bicycles can be rented from a shop near the entrance. For adults they cost RM15 for the first hour and RM1 for each subsequent hour.  With long distances and plenty of hills, cycling can be quite tiring especially for young kids.

Taman Botani Negara Shah Alam map

Walking round Malaysia Agriculture Park is enjoyable. You are bound to see long tailed macaques playing alongside the roads. Remember though that the Park is big. I have been there twice - the first time I explored the western half of the Park by bike. The second time I explored the Eastern part on foot. I walked for about 5 hours but still could not cover all the main attractions in that area.

There are plenty of snack shops where you can buy simple meals, ice creams, drinks etc.

Opening Hours and Admission Charges

Open Tuesday - Sunday from 7.30am to 4.30pm

The park is closed on Mondays except during school holidays or public holidays

Adult ticket (12 – 54 years): RM 3

Children ticket (6 – 11 years):RM 1

Senior citizens (60 years and above):RM 1

Visitors aged 6 years and below, orphans and the Disabled: Free Entry.

How To Get To Malaysia Agriculture Park

Address:

Taman Botani Negara Shah Alam (Malaysia Agriculture Park)

40000 Shah Alam

Tel: 03-55106922

03-55107048 (for bookings)

Email: tbnsa@kpkm.gov.my

Driving (or Taxi) is the best way. From the map below it appears that there might be access to Malaysia Agriculture Park from the E1 Expressway but there isn't. You must drive into Shah Alam and take the Persiaran Kayangan to Seksyen 8 then turn right onto Jalan Liku 8/1 which goes over the E1 Expressway and up to the Park Entrance.

There is a large car park in front of the entrance gate. 

Parking Car/Van RM 5

Motorbike RM 1

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