Agro tourism is all the rage now, with Malaysians wanting to reconnect with nature after a life spent in the concrete jungle of the urban Klang Valley.
But forget travelling to the lush forests of Sarawak or the vast national parks of Pahang, for Klang Valley residents have a large array of destinations to visit during these last weeks of the year.
Selangor is home to several agro parks that offer various fun activities, so make plans to visit them once the Conditional Movement Control Order (CMCO) is lifted.
1. MAEPS Agro Tourism Park
An ideal agro park where you can bring your family to enjoy nature in all its splendour, the park allows city folk to experience life on plantation and agricultural zones.
Befriend goats and camels at the “House of Kambing”, or choose to feast on a delicious meal of Nasi Kukus Kambing Bakar instead.
For the more curious, there are agricultural sites situated throughout the park that educate visitors on herbs, paddy, pineapple and fishes.
The G2G Animal Garden is a great place to bring youngsters, with visitors encouraged to feed and play with the animals housed there.
Spending a night here is possible, with the Nafas Cube offering a unique cabin and tube concept to accommodate holidaymakers.
- Entrance fees: RM65 without IC, RM45 with IC, RM35 student
- Operation hours: Monday – Friday (8.30am – 5.30pm)
2. The National Botanical Garden, Shah Alam
An agro tourism park designed for leisure as well as research purposes, the garden features a green, serene and refreshing environment.
Tourists are drawn to this place by its famous four-seasons house where you can experience spring, summer, autumn and winter.
For now however, the four-seasons house is closed until early 2021.
But in the meantime, there are other sights to explore, including cactus, orchid and spice gardens as well as an animal park and fruit gardens.
- Entrance fee: RM3 for adults, RM1 for children below 12, RM1 for senior citizens, free for OKU
- Operation hours: Tuesday – Sunday (7.30am – 4.30pm)
3. Selangor Fruit Valley, Kuala Selangor
Fruit lovers certainly should make their way here as visitors can enjoy the produce of the various local fruit farms.
Among the fruits you can expect to gorge on here are starfruit, guava, papaya and rambutan; all local delights.
But it’s not just fruits that one can find here, as there is also a mini petting zoo, a kayaking pond, a deer farm, traditional houses and a kelulut honey farm.
A tram service can take you across the park in no time, though you can also choose to take a stroll around the park to enjoy the fresh, untainted air.
And after a long walk, what better way to relax than to kick back and quench your thirst with fresh coconut water.
- Entrance fee: RM8 for adults, RM4 for senior citizens, RM4 for OKU and children, free for children below 5
- Operation hour: Every day except Friday (9.00am – 4.00pm)
4. Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Kepong (FRIM)
Occupying a 600-hectare area, FRIM is surrounded by the Lagong Hill Forest Reserve.
It used to be a mining site, but has since been turned into a forest and research centre opened to the public.
The Sky Walk is one of its latest attractions, but FRIM is also the perfect picnic spot and camping site. There is also a hiking trail, cycling path, canopy walk and jogging path.
Plants and trees of all kinds, some of which are incredibly aged and/or rare, can be found here.
- Entrance fee: RM5 for adults without IC, RM1 for children without IC, RM1 for adults with IC, free for school students and OKU
- Operation hours: Monday – Friday (8.00am – 5.00pm)
5. Kuan Wellness Eco Park, Hulu Langat
A particularly interesting destination, visitors can enjoy the refreshing environment of the gardens that has a natural ecological health tourism theme to it.
The park’s exhibits include a mini zoo where visitors can feed rabbits and ducks.
Aside from visiting the tropical fruit farms, visitors can also watch the process of bird’s nest production, a lucrative industry due to the value of the birds’ nests.
Shutterbugs should also visit simply to capture some photographs of the beautiful landscape found here.
- Entrance fees: RM3 for bird’s nest showroom, RM5 for mini zoo
- Operation hours: 9am – 5pm daily