Weekend Activity: Taman Botanic Negara Shah Alam @ Bukit Cerakah

Sun, 13 September 2015 @ Bukit Cerakah

Refer to the above date, please note that this is a throwback story and let's start with some intro. This activity was happened last few weeks ago which the haze that time still considered mild in Shah Alam. The idea of coming to this place came out when my mom watching Wanita Hari Ini TV3, showing that they have refurbished this place and it looks good to go bring my kids along for exploration. Just for your information Bukit Cerakah or Taman Cahaya Sri Alam currently is known as Taman Botani Negara Shah Alam but whatever re-named they cameout, I still prefer to call it Bukit Cerakah just like i used to be. Since my SIL keeps complaining that she doesn't know where to go every time the weekend come, so I set with her and Nurul, to come here for cycling and. Not to forget to bring some snacks each of us.

Old time stories

Actually during my childhood, mak pernah bawak jenjalan kat Bukit Cerakah ni. Time tu memang popular kot tempat ni. Dulu2 bukan macam sekarang, berlambak shopping malls, theme parks, pilih aja mana yang suka. So, dapat jalan2 kat sini kira dah best dah, rata gak kitaorg jalan2, yang paling tak lupa, kitaorg ada lawat jelapang padi. Tu je pun yang ingatnye, lain2 dah hilang ingatan.

Second visit masa join camping anjuran sekolah menengah, 3 hari 2 malam. So, activity sekolah tak de la jalan2 dalam tu. Nama pun kem motivasi, ikut je la activity yang telah dijadualkan.

Then, Dulu masa belajar degree menyewa kat seksyan 8, tak pernah berkesempatan pun nak masuk. Kalau ada pun takat lalu2 je. Tak pun, lepak bersendirian kat jejantas sebelum masuk bukit cerakah melayan frust putus Cinta...ngeh..ngeh..ngeh.. without fail, bila lalu kat jejantas tu, terus flash back... 

Parking & Entrance fee

I don't want to brief about this place, please google yourself, what I can say this Botanical garden is quite huge and as what my sis has said who is the 1st timer visiting here  she never knew and imagine there is a such a big jungle in Shah Alam. OK, whatever.

First of all, memang set nak datang awal2 pagi, sebab hasil goggle cakap, kene queue panjang to rent the bycicle. Lagipun tak mo la tengah hari sangat, Panasssss.... pagi2 baru best cycling. Yes, we arrived as per schedule, around 8.30 am, entering the parking entrance, bayar parking. Parking penuh okay on that weekend, ada event larian kat dalam tu. So mana yang nampak kosong terus park which is quite far from main entrance. Saqlain sangat seronok, sebab this time dia dapat berbasikal dengan bebasnya, yes he brought his own bicycle. On the way to main entrance, nampak parking kosong, we stopped and stood up on the lot on purpose to book the parking lot while Mr. hubby returned back to our car and re-park at where we stood. Dekat kot, balik nanti tak yah jalan jauh2, confirm penat balik nanti.

Nurul and SIL's belum sampai lagi, but I proceed to enter first sebab cepat2 nak dapatkan basikal. Tiket masuk RM3 per person dewasa. Rumah 4 musim was closed due to work in progress for season change from summer to Autumn, kind of frustrated though.

Basikal & insiden Mak jatuh basikal

FYI, entrance fee & bicycle fee need to pay separately. As you entered the park, you may see the bus stand and the bicycle canopy just located opposite to the bus stand. Since the other group has not reach yet, i booked for all of us just to save the time. Luckily the queue was not that long yet. Sewa basikal RM10 for the 1st hour dan tambahan RM1 untuk setiap jam seterusnye. Untuk mereka yang bawa anak kecil, basikal yg attached with baby seat juga disediakan dengan kadar sewa RM12.

Masa tengah2 queue, mak sibuk pilih basikal dan cuba mengikut kesesuaian Mak. Tengah2 cuba tu, mak terjatuh. Macam mana keadaannye masa tu, i had no idea coz i wasn't near to her. Got to know from a man who informed me that Mak was felt off from the bicycle and I immediately come to her. Her injury was quite bad, luckily ada pesan mak suruh bawak minyak gamat, just in case. So now it happened, sapu minyak gamat kat lukanya. Then brought her to the hut nearby. 

Seriously, this time i didn't know how to react with this situation, whether should move on or just go back. If we were alone, probably we will just go back. Tapi mak cakap she's fine and asked us to go while she will stay sitting there. I wasn't feel good anymore, feel bad, I should stop her from the start. Mak memang biasa berbasikal, so mak sangkakan dia mampu untuk berbasikal di Bukit Cerakah. Rupanya, sangkaan mak meleset sama sekali, semua basikal yang disediakan tidak sesuai langsung untuk orang2 seperti emak tambahan pula dengan keadaan lokasi tersebut yang berbukit, i don't think she's afford to ride it.

Kami Berbasikal

So proceed with cycling. Shu nak advice, before start cycling please look at the map before you regret macam Shu. Shu tak cukup buat research, tau ada banyak checkpoint kat sini. Tapi kalut sangat, so main jalan je. Refer kat map bawah ni, from starting point ada 2 jalan, kiri (laluan B) dan kanan (laluan). Actually, laluan A yang bayak point of attraction, nak sangat bawak the kiddos to taman Haiwan, rupenye taman haiwan kat while kitaorang ikut laluan B yang tak berape banyak point of attraction. Sigh!!!

Tengok daripada 

Map
Source: TBNSA website

Laluan B sangat berliku-liku, berbukit2 dan jauh sangat nak sampai ke point of attraction. Frankly speaking, most of the time, shu lagi banyak berjalan daripada berbasikal. Asalkan naik bukit je, turun dari basikal dan jalan. Bila turun bukit, get ready dengan basikal dan turunnnnn. The best part memang time turun bukit la. Yuhuuuu.... syok giler... Saqlain, kasi Mr. Hubby handle, lets Mama enjoy the moments. Yippie!!!

On the way, jumpa satu pondok, we had our breakfast here with the snacks we brought from home

Sampai kat sini, my SIL and brother tak sanggup nak terus berbasikal, diaorang berpatah balik, nak naik tram katenye. Yup, tram disediakan for free, bertabah je nak beratur. Ok jugak diaorg patah balik, dapat gak temankan mak dan bawak mak naik tram.

Syok tau jadi Ajwa, duduk je dalam baby seat tu, Mama penat mengayuh

Puncak yang paling tinggi kat Taman kaktus, yes 

Saqlain memanjat almost semua bukit batu kat Taman Kaktus ni, running from one another. He really had so much fun

Lepas puas kat Taman Kaktus, rasa penat sesangat, tak rasa  nak teruskan lagi perjalanan, then we decided to patah balik. Tapi nak patah balik pun jauh jugakkkk... hadap je la. The first half day kitaorang habiskan masa untuk menyelusuri Laluan B. Supposedly, another 2nd half of the day needed to explore Laluan A. Unfortunately, Mr. Hubby kene pergi kedai. Since dah promise sampai tengah hari je, lepas pulang balik basikal, lepak kat warung berdekatan lepaskan dahaga, pastu chow!