SCENIC PARKS IN THE KLANG VALLEY

Much has been written about the developed and urbanised the Klang Valley is. However, this region also contains many green havens, or scenic parks. From metropolitan green lungs to sprawling reserves, the scenic parks of Klang Valley offer visitors rich opportunities for recreation and relaxation.

Grand dame of them all The oldest park in Kuala Lumpur is the Perdana Lake Gardens, a 92-hectare garden that houses a serene lake. This popular park is situated near the Parliament building, in an enclave of the British elite during colonial times, and offers many delights in one vicinity - the Perdana Lake Gardens encompasses a Butterfly Park, Deer Park, Orchid Garden, Hibiscus Garden and Kuala Lumpur Bird Park, Southeast Asia's largest bird park. Boats can also be rented on weekends. Serene haven with abundant delights The Titiwangsa Lake Gardens, located in the northern part of Kuala Lumpur (near Istana Budaya), is equipped with facilities for jogging, canoeing, aqua biking and workout stations. A floating restaurant allows you to indulge your palate while enjoying the idyllic scenery.

Forest reserves within the city Kuala Lumpur city itself contains three forest reserves, namely the 10.52 ha Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve, Bukit Sungai Putih Forest Reserve (7.41 ha) and Bukit Sungai Besi Forest Reserve (42.11 ha). Bukit Nanas is the country's oldest gazetted forest reserve and one of the oldest virgin forests in the world within a city. These rich reserves are home to a number of fauna species particularly monkeys, tree shrews, squirrels and birds. Rich heritage The Selangor Heritage Park, a sprawling 911.45 sq km park southwest of Kuala Selangor offers rich experiences in bird watching, monkey watching and exploration of trails, mangrove walkways and observation towers. Managed by the Malaysian Nature Society, the park is a place to enjoy nature, an educational resource, and a sanctuary to many species of flora and fauna. The nearby Kampung Kuantan is home to one of the largest colonies of fireflies in the world.

Luxuriant landscape Whatever your level of fitness or adventurous spirit, the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (better known as FRIM) will have a trail just right for you. This 600-ha reserve in Kepong, northwest of Kuala Lumpur, is a favourite haunt of picnickers, joggers, cyclists, tourists and nature study groups, as well as a popular site for family day events, treasure hunts, camping, birdwatching, jungle trekking and nature photography. Highlights include a 150m-long, 30m-high canopy walkway (entrance by prior arrangement only), waterfall, river and wetlands area. Wealth of greenery to explore These are but a few of the rich scenic parks in the Klang Valley. Other green havens include the ASEAN Sculpture Garden, Kuala Lumpur City Centre Park (KLCC), Taman Tasik Permaisuri (Queen's Lake Gardens), Bukit Kiara Botanical Gardens, Bukit Jalil International Park and more. These nature-based treasure troves are worth exploring one by one, over many weekends. Remember to take only pictures and leave only footprints - and fill up at your nearest PETRONAS station to get there and back in one smooth, safe trip!

Luxury Hyundai sedan wins car of the year as Toronto auto show gets underway

Maurice Cacho, cp24.com

Members of the media check out the 2009 Ford Fiesta (European edition) that's slated to go on sale in North America in 2010. (CP24/Maurice Cacho)

The 2009 Canadian International Auto Show kicked into gear Wednesday, with the Hyundai Genesis being named the Canadian Car of the Year.

The 375-horsepower luxury sedan from Hyundai (pronounced like sundae) is available for as little as $37,995 in Canada.

Audi roared the show to an open by unveiling its R8 5.2 supercar, powered by a new V10 engine. The German automaker also touted other more sensible vehicles in its product line that are now available with economical Diesel engines.

Audi officials stressed that while the market is in a challenging spot, it will be important for automakers to look to the future.

An executive at the company says he sees future vehicles as being smaller, more versatile and more efficient.

While this year's show is still full of shiny new cars and bright lights, the fanfare one would have seen in previous years is watered down, reflecting a tough time for the market.

The Chevrolet Volt -- a hybrid gas-electric car -- was the centre of attention at GM's press conference. Although the company used the occasion to say the car will be going into production in late 2010, there was little "new" to come from the Detroit-based automaker. Just several announcements about an expanded hybrid lineup.

GM also says it will be introducing nine new hybrids this year, which it claims is more than any other manufacturer.

Marc Comeau, GM Canada's VP sales and marketing, was grilled by reporters over looming layoffs, and why GM wasn't quicker to unveil hybrids.

Mercedes-Benz unveiled its new high-performance SL65 AMG, and a 10th-anniversary smart fortwo ultra-compact car tuned by the company's performance wing, Brabus.

Around the rest of the show were several other attractions.

The sixth generation of the Volkswagen Golf made its North American premiere at the event. While it won't appear in Canadian showrooms until the fall, the next-gen Golf retains styling cues VW has incorporated into the Golf model line since its inception in 1975, such as the signature shape and hatchback design.

At the extreme top end of the automotive spectrum, the Audi R8 5.2 made its Canadian debut at the Toronto show.

The new Audi has been fitted with a 5.2-litre V10 engine that pumps out 525 horsepower to all four wheels - enough to propel this Audi from a standstill to 100 kilometres per hour in a mere 3.9 seconds.

Ford gave us a look at its tiny European 2009 Fiesta, even though it's not quite the same model we'll see when it goes on sale on our side of the Atlantic in 2010.

Ford expects to begin selling this small and quirky car here in about a year, and the vehicle has already received positive reviews from European media outlets.

There was also a push for "green" models at the show. Honda introduced the all-new Insight gas-electric hybrid, which goes on sale this spring.

Expect vast improvements over the original incarnation of the 2000 Insight, which was the world's first mass-production gas-electric hybrid vehicle. The new model is a functional five-door family sedan.

Not to be outdone, Toyota marched into the show with the 2010 Prius, also a gas-electric hybrid scheduled to go on sale this spring.

While BMW had been touting hydrogen fuel-cell-powered models in the past, it showed off a hybrid gas-electric model at this year's show.

On the other hand, Honda unveiled the FCsport concept car, which is designed to run on hydrogen fuel. The only thing this car emits is water.

There was no shortage of bling at the show, with vehicles from Ferrari, Lamborghini, Maserati, Aston Martin, Lotus, Rolls-Royce and Bentley crowding out a corner of the south convention centre. Sadly, these cars are only eye candy for the average visitor - you can look but you can't touch.