Taiping's centrepiece is a 64-hectare expanse of lagoons and grassland east of town. Created in 1880 on the site of an abandoned tin mine, the gardens owe their lush greenery to Taiping’s annual rainfall – thought to be the highest in Peninsular Malaysia. These artificial lakes are a pleasant place in which to picnic beneath a century-old tree, watching for the monitor lizards that glide through the algae-rich water. Alternatively, hire a paddleboat (RM10) and bob around.