BROGA HILL

"last week with my housemate!"

Bukit Broga, also known as 'Bukit Lalang' - after the local species of grass that grows abundantly here, is a hill in Semenyih, at 400 meters high and 40 minutes away from Kuala Lumpur on the trunk road to Broga. It can be reached a short distance later after University of Nottingham, where the entrance starts at left from an oil palm estate opposite a rabbit park. Famed for its incredibly panoramic views (especially at dawn) along with easy accessibility on foot, the hill is a popular tourist attraction among locals; the estate owner cashes on the glut of visitors during weekends and public holidays by charging RM 3 per vehicle that parks on his grounds.

From the peak, visitors get a spacious view of the plains, coated by a mixture of rainforest, oil palm plantations, villages and towns, along with distant mountains. At dawn, mist rising from the ground from the warmth of the sun envelops the landscape in a carpet of white, evoking a surreal atmosphere. The hike while steep is relatively easy, taking anywhere between 20 and 45 minutes to reach the highest peak depending on one's fitness level, or photo stops. There are three peaks in total, each one ascends above the other through a clear path fringed by tall grass at each side. From the summit, a proper jungle trail leads through primary rainforest to Gunung Tok Wan (675 meters), a roughly one and a half hour hike on meandering slopes.