Introduction
Located within the Kuala Langat District of Selangor, Banting is a sleeper town with plenty of estate, mountain terrain, and home to fairly-remarkable seashore and beaches of Selangor.
When to visit
ANYTIME, go as long as it is good weather.
How far from KL?
About 45KM from Klang Valley, though very close proximity if you are staying in the neighboring Puchong, Kota Kemuning, Klang, Serdang, or Rimbayu.
Places to Visit
1. Bukit Jugra - Paragliding On Top Of The Hill With Spectacular Langat River View
Back in the late 1800s, Jugra was the royal capital of Selangor; its well-preserved buildings are good examples of the artistry and grandeur of its glamorous past.Today, Bukit Jugra or Jugra Hill is still very much a popular venue, albeit for different reasons. Its undulating terrain and scenic views make it an excellent spot for outdoor activities such as hiking and paragliding.
The area around Jugra Hill is surrounded by Hutan Simpanan Kekal, or Permanent Reserved Forest. Hike or drive to the lighthouse at the top and be treated to great views of the Straits of Malacca.
One of the best places to start your hike is from the entry point near Masjid Al-Muttaqin in Kampung Permatang Pasir. It takes 1 to 1.5 hours to reach the lighthouse at the top and the trail is suitable for beginners.
Lighthouse
There are actually two lighthouses on the summit of Bukit Jugra: a colonial era tower and a shorter 25 metre concrete tower built in 1976 with lighting systems to facilitate navigation in the Straits of Melaka.
Paranomic View on Top
Once on top, the view on top of Bukit Jugra provides a scenic paranomic view over the Langat River. The river was nestled among the thick tropical forest of Kuala Langat, giving a vibe of the famous Amazon river in Brazil.
As the view is spectacular, visitors can just sit by the hill and relax, while watching other people takes on the paragliding activities.
Paragliding
Paragliding in Jugra is conducted off the base of Bukit Jugra lighthouse, a towering structure built in 1976 that rises 146 meters above sea level.
This is a Tandem Paragliding (2-person) Experience. It is designed for flying with up to 240 kg of load. You will sit in a comfortable harness, attached to the paraglider and our instructor will take care of everything.
You may be able to control the paraglide yourself or just enjoy the view and take some photos. It is easy to launch, control and land.
Paragliding depends heavily on wind conditions, with March to September is the best time to soar through the air in Malaysia.
Flight duration:
a. 5-10 minutes (Subject to weather & wind condition).
2. Istana Bandar Jugra / Jugra Palace
The Istana Bandar is a historical palace in Selangor. It is located in Jugra near Banting, Kuala Langat region, Selangor, Malaysia.If you are somewhere near Klang or Banting and are keen to see old architecture of buildings, this is one of the place that you should consider going. It used to be the royal capital of Selangor when Sultan Abdul Samad decided to move there and make it his residence in 1875.
History
Bandar Palace Jugra belongs to Sultan Sir Alaeddin Sulaiman Shah, the fifth Sultan of Selangor. He lived here for many years until his death in 1938. His grandson, Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, who was to be the eight Sultan of Selangor, was born in the palace in 1926.
Today, the palace is a historical gallery and site - open for visit to public, with no entrance fees.
The double-storey structure has many rooms, including a royal bath (Kolam Mandi Diraja), throne room (Balai Rong Seri), banquet room (Kamar Santap Diraja), bedrooms (Kamar Beradu), audience halls (Balai Mengadap), verandah (Sotoh), kitchen (Dapur) and a “forbidden garden” (Taman Larangan).
In fact, Istana Bandar is one of the most astonishing palaces in the country. It is also one of the oldest Malay palaces that still retains its original design.
Visitors can spend hours marvelling at the intricate woodwork of the palace through these different rooms. It’s easy to be enthralled by the beauty of the place once you walk into the grounds of the palace.
Bandar Palace Jugra fell into disuse after independence, when the administrative center of the state was moved to Kuala Lumpur. It was later used as a craft center and a center for studying the Quran, the central religious text of Islam.
It is usually visited together with Bukit Jugra, Makam Diraja Sultan Abdul Samad (Royal Mausoleum) and the yellow-coloured Masjid Sultan Alaeddin, which is located next door.
3. Banting Beach #1: Pantai Kelanang Beach
Located not too far from Bukit Jugra, Pantai Kelanang is one of the closest beaches to Kuala Lumpur it is not that well known and less visited than its near neighbour, Morib Beach.
The coastline here, 7km away from Morib, is fringed with pine trees (casuarina) and mangroves. The trees provide good shady spots for picnics and camping.
There are facilities like public toilet and food stalls near the beach, as well as a children playground.
The beach gets popular at weekends but if you go on a weekday outside of the school holidays you might find you have the place to yourself. The downside of going on a weekday is that the facilities such as toilets might be padlocked and the food stalls and beach item shops may not be open.
The sea is a rather murky brown colour on low tide, but the better time to visit would be during the higher tide in the evening. It is natural for the coastline on this stretch of the Strait of Malacca to be brown as the mouth of the Langat River.
Low Tide:
High Tide
Wild monkeys are seen loitering in the area so beware of your belonging especially if you are bringing food for picnic.
There is a large car park in front of the beach so parking should not be a problem.
There is also a campsite nearby that you can set up your tent to spend overnight. Please do note that the beach is a little secluded so we don't recommend staying until late into the evening.
4. Banting Beach #2: Morib Beach
Yes, the famous Morib Beach! The go-to beach for Selangorian hungry for beach sands and dippers in the sea. It’s just 10 minutes drive away from Kelanang Beach above (7.6 KM away), Morib Beach is a popular recreational spot surrounded by whispering Casuarinas and swaying palms.
Morib Beach has a shoreline spanning approximately 3 km, shaded by whispering Casuarinas and swaying palms.
At low tide, the shore stretches far into the Straits of Malacca. Visitors can watch small crabs that scuttle away and disappear into the sand.
During low tide visitors can walk 1km to 2km towards the sea. Make sure you bring a cap and sun glasses as the weather is usually hot and humid in the afternoon.
During high tide, the beach becomes an ideal place to dip into the sea water to cool the day off. Children can enjoy themselves by the shore but do watch out for the tide and waves.
This is also a good spot for picnic. Bring your own food and have picnic under the casuarina trees. There are benches and tables that you can use.
Alternatively, you may buy local food fromt one of the many stalls here. Most of the stalls are opened through the evening, during the peak season when it is a public holiday.
Dataran Pantai Morib
Part of the beachfront has been converted into a seaside promenade and recreational park, but there are still stretches of sandy beach towards the northern end that extend into the ocean during low tide.
The beachside park here is spacious and equipped with basic facilities, including gazebos and pavilions, playgrounds, gasing (traditional tops) spinning arenas, multi-purpose stages and food stalls.
Popular activities include beach football and volleyball, kite-flying as well as golf at the seaside Sri Morib Golf Club.
History of Morib
Lovers of history will also discover that Morib contains a wealth of historical sites such as ruins of old government buildings, royal graves and an abandoned palace.
You will notice that there is a small monument built to commemorate the landing of a company of Indians on 9th September 1945. They were from the 46th Battalion of the British Marine chosen to defend the place from the Japanese Army during World War II.
Since both Kelanang Beach and Morib Beach are in close promixity, why not visit both. If driving from Bukit Jugra, we do recommend that you visit Kelanang Beach first, then Morib Beach – to get the best out of both beaches. They are both the nearest beaches to Kuala Lumpur.
Before heading back to KL, be sure to finish your trip with a feast of seafood for reasonable prices. As a quiet town that surprisingly has it all, Banting is an ideal spot for city dwellers in search of a quick weekend getaway by the sea, and magnificent view on the mountain terrain that looks and feels just like Amazon. Plan your visit to Banting today!
