Putrajaya Wetlands Park

Putrajaya Wetlands Park in Putrajaya, Malaysia is believed to be the largest constructed freshwater wetlands in the tropics .It has a total area of 3.35 km². Putrajaya Wetlands consists of Wetlands Park (Taman Wetland) and the other Wetlands areas. Taman Wetland is also a wildlife sanctuary which attracts a huge variety of animals to the combined terrestrial-aquatic wetland environment. The park's lake is also home to a pair of hippopotamus from Africa.

Parks and gardens feature prominently in this Garden City. One of them, the 85ha Botanical Garden at the northern entrance to the Government Precinct, wills thousands of local plants species and an ornamental garden.

In addition, the 62.4 ha. Taman Putra Perdana acts as the urban green lung while the Perdana Walk, a 4.7 ha. linear park will link Persiaran Perdana with Dataran Putra. Taman Rimba Alam and Taman Jati which are designed to be sustainable recreational forest parks will have nature trails, cycling paths and camping sites. The following are some of the most attractive parks and gardens in Putrajaya.

Marshland bird at Putrajaya Wetlands Park

Several species of local marshland birds and water birds including the Little Egret, the Little Green Heron and Cinnamon Bittern, and migratory birds form Northern Hemisphere have been spotted there. Binoculars will come in handy for bird watching. The visitors can also enjoy a leisurely walk, jog or cycle along its bicycle track.

Covering a total area of 335ha, the wetland environment comprises Taman Wetland (138ha) and the wetland areas (197ha). One of the most popular tourist attractions in Putrajaya, the wetlands consist of 24 wetland cells built along the arms of the Chua and Bisa rivers.

Marshes and swamps were developed in there cells by transplanting more than 70 species of wetland plants form the Putrajaya Wetland Nursery. Twenty-four species of indigenous fish were later introduced into the wetland cells to enhance their biological diversity.

Lake at Putarajaya Wetlands Park

A good starting point to explore Putrajaya Wetlands is to visit Taman Wetland. As the gateway to the wetlands area, Taman Wetland house a Nature Interpretation Centre and a 25 meter high look-out tower which offers a bird's eye view of Putrajaya. Within the park, there are two marked trails with interpretative boards, a flamingo pond, picnic areas and other public amenities.

Taman Wetland is also a wildlife sanctuary, attracting a wide variety of animals to the combined terrestrial-aquatic wetland environment. Several species of local marshland birds and water birds including the Little Egret, the Little Green Heron and Cinnamon Bittern, and migratory birds form Northern Hemisphere have been spotted there. A pair of binoculars will come in handy for bird watching. Visitors to the park can also enjoy a leisurely walk, jog or cycle along its bicycle track.

In the Nature Interpretation Centre, there is a souvenir shop, a wetland diorama, wetland handicraft displays, an AV room and Wetland Café. The Centre, being the focal point for public education on ecotourism, provides information about the wetland plant bed filtration system, conservation of wetland habitats and also focuses on the uses of wetland products.

Putrajaya Wetlands, believed to be the largest constructed freshwater wetlands in the tropics, is the first one of its kind in Malaysia. Where geology, hydrology and biology have created natural wetlands, the Putrajaya Wetland carved out from rubber and oil palm plantations is the result of human ingenuity and technology.

The opening hours of Putrajaya Wetlands to the public are from 9.00 am - 6.00 pm daily.

Seri Bestari Bridge

Seri Bestari Bridge, also known as Jambatan Seri Bestari, is a large bridge in Putrajaya, Malaysia. The eastern end of the bridge starts in Precinct 16 and the western end starts near Wisma Putra on Core Island.

The bridge has a total length of 152.6 meters with a main span of 60 meters.

Seri Gemilang Bridge

Seri gemilang Bridge

Seri Gemilang Bridge is a ceremonial bridge in Putrajaya, Malaysia. It connects Heritage Square with Putrajaya Convention Centre.

The bridge has a main span 120 meters (394 ft) long, with a 60-meter (197 ft) span at each end, for a total length of 240 meters (787 ft). There are six traffic lanes, each 3.5 meters (11.5 ft) wide. The deck level above the water is 36.75 meters (121 ft) at the center of the bridge.

Seri Perdana Bridge

Seri Perdana Bridge is a 370m long bridge which is built across the Putrajaya Lake in Putrajaya, Malaysia's federal administrative centre. It is based on royal Islamic architectural design. This bridge contains eight unique balconies / rest areas for visitors to enjoy the panoramic sights of the surrounding lake area. The bridge is made up of seven central spans of 75m and two end spans of 55m. There are two separate carriageways over two twin cell box girder. In the cross section, the overall width between extreme ends of two box girder is 23m. The foot path is flanked by railing and the road's median is lined by decorative street-lighting.


Seri Saujana Bridge

The Seri Saujana Bridge is a main bridge in Putrajaya, the Malaysian federal administrative capital. The bridge's design is unique cable-stayed arch bridge. Seri Saujana connects the Core Island (Precinct 4) to the Precinct 7 on Lebuh Sentosa highway and is strategically located at the main entrance into the Core Island from the south via the upgraded

road (now Putrajaya-Cyberjaya Expressway ) and Kuala Lumpur-Putrajaya Expressway.

It is a new concept of the cable-stayed arch bridge. The bridge is controlled by the principal design parameters to reflect a transparent, elegant and futuristic slender looking structure, with an overall single span of 300m and total width of 32m. There are dual three lane carriageways. The deck level varies from RL 35.25m at abutment to RL 35m at centre of the bridge.

The builder of this bridge was Road Builder (M) Sdn Bhd at a cost of USD20 million. It was completed on 31st May 2003.

Seri Wawasan Bridge

The Seri Wawasan Bridge is one of the main bridges in Putrajaya, the Malaysian federal administrative capital. This futuristic cable-stayed bridge which has a sail ship appearance, connects Precinct 2 on the Core Island to the residential area of Precinct 8.

The concrete bridge is a combination of cable backstays and structural steel tie back. It is a dual three lane carriageways of 18.6m width each, comprising 3 x 3.5m width lanes, 0.5 m hard shoulder, 0.5m marginal strip. The median is 4 m wide and walkway cum cycle track width is 5.1m giving a total width of 37.2m at the centre of the bridge.

Seri Setia Bridge

Seri Setia Bridge

The Seri Setia bridge also known as Jambatan Seri Setia. This bridge is the link between Presint 4 on the Core Island and Presint 19 . Its location at the south-eastern end of the Persiaran Perdana makes it a landmark and the main route to the core island from the south-east.

The bridge design consist of seven spans of 30m between pier centrelines. It is dual three lane carriageways of total 10.5m width each and 0.5m width of marginal strip. The median width is 3m and walkway with cycle track. The following features of the bridge help embellish its beauty:

Precast fascia panel

Planter boxes on the median

Railing with architectural features

Illumination with decorative lighting

Seri Bakti Bridge



The Seri Bakti Bridge also known jambatan Seri Bakti is one of the main bridges spanning the protocol route. The bridge links the secondary road to the Deputy Prime Minister's Residence, connecting the Government Presint in the north to Presint 16 in the south.

The concept design was developed from several shorter span, with a precast pretension "Super-T" beam slab deck with spans up to 35m. The total structure length is 270m. There are dual two lane carriageways, 2m median, walkway and cycle track.

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MUSLIMS working and living in Putrajaya can now perform their prayers at another awe-inspiring landmark, the newly-opened Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque in Precinct 3.

Named after the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, the mosque is expected to be officially opened in September.

In a symbolic but low-key ceremony on Thursday, the mosque was handed over by Perbadanan Putrajaya (PPj), represented by its president, Tan Sri Samsudin Osman, to Islamic Religious Development Department of Malaysia (Jakim) director-general Datuk Wan Mohamad Sheikh Abd Aziz.

The ceremony was held at the mosque’s multi-purpose hall.Samsudin said the RM208mil mosque catered to 20,000 worshippers and was completed on time.

“We were often asked why build another mosque when the Putra Mosque in Precinct 1 is deemed big enough. We estimate the future working population on the Core Island to number 28,000 so the Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque will cater for this,” he said at a press conference.

According to Wan Mohamad, 565,408 tourists visited the Putra Mosque last year.

“Besides catering to worshippers, the Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque will also draw tourists. Therefore, I urge the mosque management not to run things military-style by restricting access to Muslims alone.

“This amazing mosque has many features. Yes, there are places where non-Muslims are not allowed but at the same time, we can be more welcoming so as to tell others about the religion and answer any queries they may have,” he added.

Impressive:This is office building area nearly to the mosque

The entire structure built on 4.04ha comprises the mosque (3.32ha) and the soon-to-be opened Kiblat Walk (0.72ha). Funds from the Eighth Malaysia Plan (RM8) were used for the overall construction, undertaken by KLCC Projeks Bhd.

The main prayer hall houses the Mihrab Wall that directs worshippers towards the “kiblat” (the direction of Mecca). The Mihrab Wall is inscribed with Quranic verses in the Nasakh calligraphic-style.

The khat is inscribed onto the back of the anti-reflective glass, giving a sense of verses floating down from the sky. The Sahn is the overflow prayer area outside the main prayer hall and the entrance to this is via a gateway called the Internal Iwan. It features stainless steel grilles, based on Islamic motifs and mirrors traditional Islamic architecture in a contemporary manner.

• Selera Putra, Dataran Putra (next to Putra Mosque), [For more information]. Popular (for Putrajaya) air-con food court offering various Malaysian eats. Try the nasi kerabu at Kelantan Delight. Open 10 AM to 7 PM weekdays, 9 PM weekends.

• Taman Warisan, An agro-based food stop where you can dine and shop for fresh fruits at the same place.

• Medan Selera, Presint 8 & 9. An open air & spacious Food court catering to the residents of the community and government staff offering mostly local dishes at a fairly cheap price. You can also try the western menu at Harris's Bistro on the upper level of the food court. At RM 9 for a plate of chicken chop serve with fries,coleslaw either with black pepper sauce or barbecue sauce, it is enough to satisfy your hunger pang. Harris's Bistro is open daily from 12:30 pm till 10:30 pm.

• Taman Putra Perdana, Presint 1. Pleasantly landscaped (and usually very quiet) hilltop park connecting the Shangri-La towards the Putra Perdana building, with some of the best views in town. At the center of the park is the Putrajaya Landmark (Mercu Tanda), which resembles a wizard's hat rolled from tinfoil.

• Millennium Monument, Presint 2. 68-meter pillar in the shape of a hibiscus flower, with a walkway around it documenting the history of Malaysia.

• Putrajaya Boulevard, a 100-meter wide, 4-kilometers long boulevard flanked by government offices and the mainstage for National Day parade.

Alamanda, [For more information]. As indicated by the logo, alamanda is a type flower commonly found in Malaysia, Putrajaya's premier (and only) shopping center.


The concept behind Alamanda is simple: a shopper's paradise, right in the heart of Putrajaya. Be it shopping, food, entertainment or leisure, there's more to Alamanda than just great design and landscape; it's a shopper's destination providing endless shopping madness, fun & exciting entertainment and mouth-watering range of treats. With Carrefour and Parkson Grand as anchor tenants and along with 150 other tenants, take pleasure in strolling around and enjoy the best deals.

This lifestyle shopping mall has a variety of shops, restaurants, bowling alleys, food court, and soon, movie theatres. The centre also features Malaysia's first travelator within a shopping complex that will connect retail outlets and provice access directly to car parks. Another feature is its unique two level design that allows even distribution and smooth flow of shopppers within its well-spaced premises. Alamanda Putrajaya has 750,000 sq ft of retail space, two dedicated car park buildings with approximately 3,000 carpark bays.

Cruise Tasik Putrajaya, tel. +603-8888-5539, [For more infomation]. Offers cruises around Putrajaya with sightseeing stops (RM30/person), both in small 4/6-seater gondola-like perahu boats and a large 76-seater air-con boat. On weekends only, dinner cruises depart from Jeti Putra at 8 PM and cost RM120/head (reserve one day in advance).

• Perdana Putra, Presint 1. The gargantuan complex of the Prime Minister's Office. Open to the public Mon-Fri 8 AM to 12:30 PM, 2 PM to 4 PM, plus every 2nd and 4th Sat in the morning only. Free entry, but ID is required (passport for non-Malaysians).

• Putra Mosque (Masjid Putra), Presint 1. Pretty in pink, this mosque has a capacity of 15,000 worshippers and its 116-meter minaret is the tallest in Southeast Asia. Free entry, open every day from 9 AM to 5 PM. Non-Muslims may not enter the mosque building itself during prayer hours.
  

• Putrajaya International Convention Center, Presint 5. Dominantly located at the end of the Putrajaya Boulevard, this showcase squashed UFO of a building, designed to resemble a Malay belt buckle, was built for the Organization of Islamic Countries conference in 2003.
  

• Wisma Putra. Houses the Malaysian Foreign Ministry.

• Istana Melawati and Istana Darul Ehsan, the official residences of the Paramount Ruler of Malaysia and the Sultan of Selangor respectively.

• The Diplomatic Enclave, housing foreign embassies and missions — at least in theory; as of 2008, only the Iraqis have even started construction here.

• The Perdana Leadership Foundation, holding the offices of previous Prime Ministers, currently occupied by Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

Public transportation within Putrajaya is woefully inadequate, as distances are long and you need wheels to get around. Occasional Nadiputra buses putter about from the train station at random times in random directions, but your best bet is probably to enquire at KLIA or KL Sentral about organized tours. There are also public two-hour tours at 11 AM and 2 PM, departing from the tour desk at Selera Putra, that charge only a token RM 1 for the bus.

Nadi Putra bus

By taxi

Coupon taxis from the Transit station charge RM8-10 to most points in Putrajaya. Other taxis are limited and it's best to book by phone at +60-3-5512-2266. Other taxi hotlines include: Putrajaya Cyberjaya Radio Taxi at +60 03 8888 4000, which operates 24hours. The meter starts ticking from RM4, but many cabbies are reluctant to use theirs. Chartering starts from RM30/hour, negotiable downwards.

By monorail

Construction of the Putrajaya Monorail has been halted until the occupancy of the Core District becomes higher.

By plane

The nearest airport is Kuala Lumpur International Airport. A coupon or metered budget taxi to or from KLIA will take 30 minutes and cost around RM60. Alternatively, you can take the KLIA Transit from the airport to Putrajaya station and transfer to a taxi.

KLIA airport

By train

For public transport the fastest choice is the KLIA Transit connecting Kuala Lumpur's Sentral train station to its airport, which stops halfway in between at Putrajaya. Trains run every 30 minutes, take 20 minutes and the list price is RM 9.50 one-way, but the RM15 Putrajaya return ticket (valid for one month) is better value.

Note: KLIA Ekspres services do not stop at Putrajaya.

ERL train

By taxi

Coupon taxis from Kuala Lumpur's KL Sentral cost a fixed RM35, but otherwise you'll have to try out your bargaining skills - figure on RM30-50, and expect to pay more at night.

Taxi

By bus

Bus service is provided from 6:30am until 10pm to and from Cyberjaya, Putrajaya, Serdang commuter station and Sinar Kota in Kuala Lumpur. The bus fare for one-way is around RM 3.50 and takes about 30 minutes-one hour, depends on the traffic flow. Usually, on non-working days the time the buses take to arrive at Putrajaya will be much faster, but the frequency of the buses will be accordingly reduced.

Metro & Rapid kl bus

The new Express network by Rapid KL links KL Sentral to Putrajaya with only RM 5 for an unlimited daily pass.

Shuttle buses to/from KL are provided by some hotels for guests, such as Shangri-la.

Introduction

Putrajaya , an "Intelligent Garden City" and the federal administrative capital of Malaysia, is a showcase city under construction some 30 km south of the capital Kuala Lumpur. Her adjacent sister city, Cyberjaya, is built along the same lines, but is aimed at attracting the IT industry. The area was formerly known as Prang Besar.


Putrajaya covers a vast sprawl of 4,931 hectares, which were mostly palm plantations before the federal government purchased the lot from the surrounding state of Selangor. The city's masterplan is designed along an axial tangent which runs from the northeast to southeast, with gently undulating terrain. About 40% of Putrajaya is natural, but the landscape has been extensively reworked by man: lush greenery and botanical gardens are spread across the landscape, crisscrossed by large bodies of water and wetlands. Five confluences meet at the north forming a main waterway, the Putrajaya Lake, which flows across the city area.

History

The project was started in 1993 and the federal capital officially moved in 1999, although the site is still far from complete. Putrajaya became a self-governing federal territory (wilayah persekutuan) in 2001, the third in Malaysia after Kuala Lumpur and the little oddball island of Labuan.

The name literally means "princes' (putra) success (jaya)". Officially, the site is named in homage to Malaysia's first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra.

Ever since the Asian economic crisis of 1998 development has slowed down markedly, and while there aren't any of the rusting half-built concrete shells that still litter KL and Bangkok, the careful eye will spot more than a couple of once cleared and dug-up but now abandoned fields (often with a crane or two stuck in the mud too). Basically, the infrastructure is largely in place but the buildings and occupants aren't, leading to the impression of a giant swath of hilly jungle crisscrossed by 8-lane highways with no other cars on them, and the occasional beautifully sculpted lake garden with no people in sight.

That said, the area remains under heavy construction and both people and companies are slowly moving in. As of 2006, the population has surpassed 50,000, although there's still a long way to go to the targeted 300,000. Inevitably, development isn't always occurring in expected ways: Cyberjaya has to date mostly succeeded in attracting call centers and data warehouses, not R&D laboratories. The new twin cities may look very different in 5-10 years' time.