Taman Saujana Hijau – Best Picnic Spot in Putrajaya?

With RMCO (Recovery Movement Control Order, aka Malaysia’s version of lockdown) being extended until end of the year, our country’s border is still closed and any oversea travel is still prohibited. After months of travelling domestically, you may probably start to run out of idea of where to go. With places like Cameron Highlands, Langkawi, Penang, Ipoh and Melaka crossed off the list, some of us started to find things to do in KL instead. And picnic is fast becoming a popular weekend activity. And when we talk about picnic, one particular park in Putrajaya is getting lots of attention lately. 

Taman Saujana Hijau

Taman Saujana Hijau

Occupying a 48 hectare land in Putrajaya, Taman Saujana Hijau in Precinct 11 Putrajaya is a park covering a ridge and three rolling hills. Initially famous for wedding photoshoots, this park has now gained popularity as a photogenic picnic spot. There’s also a 2.8km jogging track that stretches throughout the park, so there’s something for everyone here. 

The landscaping is different from other parks in Putrajaya as it is planted with more pine trees, junipers trees, thuja trees, other conifers and less tropical planting. This creates a visual illusion of being in a Malaysian Highlands, while the floral flourishes that line the track fill the air with fragrance reminiscent of an English summer. However, in actual fact, we are still at elevation of between 75 and 135 metres above sea level, and the weather, like the rest of Putrajaya, is blazing hot and oppressively humid. 

The park is divided into 3 zones (hills):

European Garden - This garden is the highest of the three hills and provides excellent views over Putrajaya. There is a small pavilion in European style which stands alongside an open lawn.

Oriental Garden - This garden is crowned with a Chinese-style pavilion and has greater use of tropical vegetation. The shelters in this park have been equipped with a lightning protection system (basically a tall mast) and visitors are warned not to stand next to the masts during a thunderstorm.

English Garden – This garden is the most popular for picnic and there is an attractive gazebo surrounded by sunflowers, lovely English-style flower beds, creeper plants and juniper trees. 

How To Get To Taman Saujana Hijau

Address: Jalan P11, Presint 11, 62000 Putrajaya, Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya
Operating hours: Daily from 7am – 7pm
Admission: Free (free parking as well)

Note: There are several entry points to Taman Saujana Hijau but the main entrance is by the carpark. The 2.8km jogging track however begin officially near the water pump house entrance.

Our Picnic Experience

The whole picnic was an idea of Terry’s friends and I ended up tagging along. I was 26 weeks pregnant at that time and we had yet to announce our pregnancy to his friends so we thought it was a perfect opportunity to break the news. My big baby bump does all the work for us as they noticed immediately upon seeing me. 

26 weeks pregnant

We planned our picnic to start at 9am, but I would suggest starting much earlier at 7am at the very least. Although the pine trees in the park gave off a climate vibe, we are still in the heart of Putrajaya and the weather is hot all year round. Starting at 9am would mean the sun is out and you will enjoy the picnic less. Besides, it also gets extremely crowded on weekend as the park had gained much popularity as a picnic hotspot these days. 

We parked at the water pump house entrance

The main carpark was full when we visited that day but we were lucky to find a spot near the water pump house entrance. Many cars were however parked along the main road (the main road in front of the police station. As they parked on the car lane and were obstructing traffic, the policemen were saw issuing summon to those cars. So peeps, please park at designated parking!

Many vehicles parked at the road side and were issued summon from the police 

As Terry parked near the water pump house entrance, we entered straight into English Garden which is said to be the most beautiful one among the three (English, European and Oriental). Although there were plenty of visitors that day (some were there for running/jogging but most were there for picnic) the park is huge enough that we didn’t have any problem finding a spot to lay our picnic mat. We initially picked an open space but later switched over to a spot under a pine tree which was a much better choice. Otherwise, we would be roasted under the sun. 

The food we prepared for the day

So, what did we bring for our picnic?
- nasi lemak
- fruits
- fruit salad
- lox bagel
- butter cake
- chips
- coffee and tea
- drinking water
- camping groundsheet to serve as our picnic mat
- plates, cups and cutleries
- ice box

Hubby preparing bagels for the bunch

Lox bagel

Delicious

Close up

While our picnic were just basic, we saw many other groups going extra miles to make their picnic super instagrammable. We saw a group of teenagers bringing beautifully decorated tarts and finger food, wooden pallets as their picnic table, dried flowers for decoration and even wooden plates and trays. Other groups were also dressed in matching colours or themes. So go ahead and crack your head to make your picnic setting as creative as you could. You can also engage an event company to set up your picnic for a fee (We saw one which charges RM150 for 2 hours). 

Some decorated picnic set up

Dress in theme

RM150 for 2 hours, not bad for special occassion

We finished eating around 10 plus and we then started exploring the garden for some photos. It was scorching hot by then and we didn’t make it to Oriental Garden and European Garden and decided to leave instead. This is why I would recommend to start early before the sun gets too hot for walking around the park. Nevertheless, we enjoyed our picnic that day, and I am looking forward for more picnic in the future. 

Here’s some photos we took that day:

Final thoughts

So, is Taman Saujana Hijau the best picnic spot in Putrajaya? Unfortunately, this is the only picnic I had in Malaysia, hence I would not be able to conclude. But… is this a good picnic spot? Definitely!

The place is huge enough to accommodate large crowds and the beautiful pine trees and greeneries make it a very photogenic spot. It’s no wonder many came here to have their pre-wedding photoshoot. And the best part? It is clean, well maintained and largely litter-free. 

Will I ever return? I would say, yes! 

Would I explore other parks in Putrajaya (or KL)? I would love so. Let’s hope my motherhood journey is going to be smooth and I would have the time to do another picnic. Perhaps bring my baby along when she’s a little older. *wink*

If you find no parking in Taman Saujana Hijau and would love to go elsewhere for your picnic, here’s other parks in Putrajaya for you to choose from:
- Taman Botani Putrajaya
- Taman Wetland
- Taman Warisan Pertanian
- Taman Seri Empangan
- Taman Cabaran Putrajaya
- Taman Ekuestrian Putrajaya