In a city where modern buildings and roads sprout up as fast as jungles, the Lake Gardens, a lush 80 hectare green lung in the middle of Kuala Lumpur, is a magnet for individuals, couples and families.There are countless reasons why there are more regulars than first timers at Lake Gardens. Here are ten of them.

1. Get a breath of fresh air
As far as many of us are concerned, this is the main reason to keep coming back. Here you are surrounded by nature's filters and one deep breath will show the difference. Jogging, biking or simply walking in the city usually means dragging in lungfuls of pollution-coloured air, darting among vehicles (pedestrian-seeking missiles), and harsh city sounds, but here the most you will meet is other people on foot, usually smiling, and the loudest sound is the singing of birds.

2. Work out
I mentioned the jogging and biking - Lake Gardens has several scenic paths that are closed to motorised traffic. You can also peddle in the lake. That's right, peddle, not paddle. At the weekends you can rent a peddle-boat or canoe from the boathouse. At RM3 for half an hour, including life-vests, this is a better deal than your gym's exercise machines will ever give you. The view is much nicer as well.

3. Learn about the birds and the butterflies
THE WORLD'S LARGEST FREE FLIGHT AVIARY houses more than 3,000 BIRDS AND 200 SPECIES FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD. KL's Bird Park is also THE MOST EXPENSIVE ATTRACTION IN LAKE GARDENS but most people who pay the hefty fee enjoy their visit, especially the Feathered Friends Photo Booth, where you can have your picture taken with the park's most colourful and obliging residents. Another dip into your wallet gains you access to the adjacent Butterfly Park.

4. Get spacey
Visit Stonehenge. Really! The Ancient Observatory Park, near the National Planetarium has a replica that's quite a bit smaller than the original, but this one you can step right up to. If you want to take in something more modern, the Planetarium houses a replica of the International Space Station (also smaller than the original). The planetarium is strictly for kids and usually full of them. Some of the displays and activities look fantastic but you'll never get a turn so step back and let the young 'uns go wild.

5. Travel through time
Malaysia's Islamic Arts Museum is the museum to visit if you are in KL. The building itself is gasp-worthy, and it is filled with amazing artifacts from across the continents and centuries. Its architechural hall has miniatures of some of the world's most famous mosques. There is a lovely indoor cafe if you need a break from the tropical sun.

6. Eat out
There are so many things to do in Lake Gardens you may as well spend the day. When the family starts feeling peckish, there are dozens of picnic tables as well as large open areas, ideal for spreading a blanket on the grass.

7. Get cooking tips
In most of the park the air smells fresh. In the Herb Gardens, it smells delicious. If you can read Malay or have an interpreter, you can learn about the traditional uses of local edible and medicinal plants.

8. Tire out your kids
At the best playground in KL children can use up some of their boundless weekend energy on the slides, swings, hanging bridges and castles. In the way kids do, they will likely make dozens of new friends along the way.

9. Cross the street
There is more than enough to keep you busy in Lake Gardens, but just across the roads enclosing it is Malaysia's National Monument, the ASEAN Sculpture Gardens and the magnificent old railway station.

10. Make and keep memories
There is a reason you will see so many brides around you. The Lake Gardens is a beautiful backdrop for memories. Whether your thing is family photos, close-ups of nature or the architecture of the National Mosque, just click, point and end up with a reminder of the gorgeous Lake Gardens.