Created by Alfred Venning, the British State Treasurer in the 1880s, Lake Gardens is Kuala Lumpur's most popular park. It was the first time since my youth that I returned to this nostalgic park, my favorite oasis in the heart of the city. This time we stayed in one of the twin hotel towers overlooking the lake, the new KL Hilton, from which we could see the beautiful panoramic aerial view of the entire botanical gardens and surrounding structures. The modern architecture did change the feel of the place. Nevertheless, it was still the serene park that I knew years ago. Some distinctive flora punctuated the 91.6 hectares of lush greens. The fountains perked up the otherwise lazy and quiet park atmosphere. The presence of a magpie robin and the spotting of a monitor lizard added to the serendipitous experience of the day. If we had the time, we would love to tour the Orchid Gardens, the Hibiscus Gardens, the Butterfly Park, and the KL Bird Park, the largest in Southeast-Asia.

So much remained the same in the immediate park area that I felt time had stood still. It was nice to bring my family to this serene place where I had many fond memories of my youth.