Ride me: Bicycles to rent are available throughout Putrajaya.

While bike lovers in Jakarta fight their way through the city’s asphalt jungle, a huge concrete jungle in one of Indonesia’s nearest neighbors is promoting itself as a wonderful place for cycling tours for the entire family.

That place is Putrajaya, a federal territory 35 kilometers south of Kuala Lumpur that has served as Malaysia’s seat of government since 1999.

Putrajaya is easily accessible from Kuala Lumpur — which still serves as Malaysia’s capital city and main business and commerce hub — by road. Travel between the two is merely a 30-minute bus ride or a 20-minute train journey using KLIA Transit.

While cycling tours amid tall government buildings and sprawling concrete — which, admittedly, can get pretty hot on a sunny day — may sound unappealing, just wait until you actually step foot inside Putrajaya.

With its wide streets, easily accessible sidewalks, designated bike lanes, numerous parks and city squares and relatively little road traffic on the weekends, the city may just be a dream come true for urban cyclists.

The easiest cycling route in Putrajaya would be the one through the Persiaran Perdana (Putrajaya Boulevard), a 100-meter-wide, 4.5-kilometer-long thoroughfare that runs right through the heart of the city.

Picturesque: Tourists on a leisurely cruise along Putrajaya Lake snap photos.

The route starts from the 300-meter-wide Putra Square, where tourists can view the majestic Perdana Putra building, which is the office of the Malaysian prime minister. Other buildings surrounding the square are Putra Mosque, the Promenade and Putra Bridge.

From the square, cyclists pass through Putrajaya Boulevard and various government buildings, including the Palace of Justice, the Ministry of Finance, the Putrajaya Corporation office complex and many others.

At the end of the boulevard is Seri Gemilang Bridge. Beyond the bridge just over a nearby hill sits the magnificent Putrajaya International Convention Center (PICC), which was constructed in the early 2000s and hosted the 10th Organization of Islamic Conference (OIC) meeting in 2003.

On top of the hill at the PICC’s yard, tourists can enjoy a striking bird’s-eye view of Putrajaya.

Short detours from Putrajaya Boulevard bring cyclists to other famous buildings in Putrajaya, including the Wisma Putra Foreign Affairs Ministry’s office, the Melawati Palace — a royal retreat for Malaysia’s head of state, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong.

Many of those buildings are easily accessible by bike and each of them is beautifully designed. Bringing a camera and setting aside some extra time to take pictures would be a smart thing to do.

Trafficless: The 100-meter-wide Putrajaya Boulevard stretches more than 4 kilometers through a concrete jungle of government buildings in the heart of the city.

Aside from the beautiful building, Putrajaya also has numerous city parks for those who want a refreshing dose of nature.

Just north of the prime minister’s office and near Melawati Palace, you can find the Putra Perdana Park, which is one of the best places to enjoy a panoramic view of Putrajaya.

A little further away to the north is the 200-hectare Putrajaya Wetlands Park, promoted as the first and largest constructed freshwater wetlands in the tropics. It also serves as a wildlife sanctuary for a huge
variety of animals.

Just south of Putra Square across Putra Bridge is Wawasan Park, which is bordered by the manmade Putrajaya Lake on one side and Putrajaya Boulevard and the Ministry of Finance on the other.

Other parks in the city include the Botanical Garden, Warisan Pertanian Park, Rimba Alam Park and Southern Park.

Horse riding enthusiasts may also scream with joy at a visit to the Putrajaya Equestrian Park, which offers riding courses for visitors aged seven and above.

Those looking for a more challenging trail can visit the 9.1-kilometer mountain bike trail at Putrajaya Challenge Park just south of the PICC.

Admission to all the parks is free, but tourists will have to pay to join the various riding courses at the Equestrian Park.

All in all, some 40 percent of Putrajaya’s 49-square-kilometer area is preserved as nature parks, giving the city’s residents and tourists a lot of space to breathe and enjoy green scenery.

What’s more is that all the parks are not only easily accessible by motor vehicles, they are also interconnected by an exemplary city-wide network of bike lanes, in tune with the city’s motto “Bandar Raya Taman, Bandar Raya Bestari” (Garden City, Intelligent City).

Tourism Malaysia offers various cycling tour packages in Putrajaya, some of which even include accommodation at the numerous hotels in the city.

You can bring your own bikes or you can rent one at Putrajaya Central Station at an hourly rate of MYR 4 (US$1.30) on weekdays and MYR 6 on weekends. Bikes can also be rented at Wetlands Park, the Botanical Garden and Challenge Park, but can only be ridden within the respective parks.

For a perfect end to a tiring day of cycling through Putrajaya, take a leisurely cruise on Putrajaya Lake. Two types of cruises are available: Using the small dondang sayang boats, which seat seven, or the sightseeing cruise boat which accommodates up to 76.

A ride on the dondang sayang takes approximately 25 minutes and the bigger cruise around 45 minutes. Rates range from MYR 20 to MYR 50 per person. The cruise boats depart every hour from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.

If visiting the city with a group of 30 or more, consider taking a lunch or romantic dinner cruise on one of the three dining cruises available. Lunch cruises are available daily from 1 p.m. to 2:30 p.m., while romantic dinner cruises are only available on Fridays and Saturdays from 8 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.  

A Malay buffet menu is available on the lunch cruises and a fine-dining Western menu can be enjoyed on the dinner excursion ones, with rates varying according to the menu chosen. Reservations must be made seven days in advance.

In a nutshell, a trip to Putrajaya is a must for foreign tourists visiting Malaysia. A cycling tour in the city may serve as a cheap and refreshing alternative to the glittering lights of the Petronas Twin Towers, a splurge at the Bukit Bintang shopping arcades in Kuala Lumpur, or an expensive vacation at the Genting Highlands.

— Photos by Iman Mahditama

 

Putrajaya landmarks
• Perdana Putra building (Prime minister’s office)
• Seri Perdana (Prime minister’s official home)
• Sri Satria (Deputy prime minister’s official home)
• Palace of Justice
• Ministry of Finance
• Wisma Putra (Foreign Ministry)
• Melawati Palace
•  Dahrul Ehsan Palace
•  Putrajaya International Convention Centre
•  Putra Mosque
• Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque (Iron Mosque)
• Putra Square

Putrajaya city parks
• Putra Perdana Park
• Wetlands Park
• Wawasan Park
• Botanical Garden
• Warisan Pertanian Park
• Rimba Alam Park
• Southern Park
• Equestrian Park
• Challenge Park