Malaysia – Kuala Lumpur 12/5/16 – 17/5/16
An amazing flight from Bali to KL, even if it did mean getting a taxi at 3am. Once in KL it was an easy transit to the city on the X press train, and one there you buy a taxi ticket then go outside an give this to the taxi driver, who takes you directly to your hotel. Very civilized indeed, and no way of the taxi drivers ripping you off. We arrived at our hotel to be informed that they were having electrical faults on our floor, therefore they had booked us into another hotel. They transported us there and after looking at 3 rooms, decided we were not going to stay there. The hotel was called The 5 Elements, and please if your booking a stay in KL don’t book this hotel. The rooms were smelly, quite small, filthy and the 4 pillows in each room were disgusting and badly stained. So we returned to our original hotel, complained and low and behold, we were able to get into our booked room. Very nice, clean and stylish. Our hotel is the Arenaa Star. By this time it was around 3pm, and we were both really tired, so after a quick scrub up I fell asleep. I didn’t wake until 7am the following day!
Today we decided to catch the Hop on hop off City Bus Tour. The loop took 2.5 hours to get around, so that should tell you just how massive KL City is. We jumped of at the KL Tower. An amazing place, it cost NZ $50 per person for entry and to 2 viewing levels. The first being nearly at the top, (over 100 meters up), this viewing deck was an external one. The other was lower done and it being an internal viewing deck. Both outstanding views of the city. Within the price was also 4 activities:- a) 6D simulator, Aquarium, a mini zoo and a Formula 1 racing car simulator. All were stunning and great fun. We hadn’t realized that this had taken us hours to get round, so we hopped on the bus again. Next stop being Buket Bintang, where all the shopping malls are gathered. What a great area, we went in all 8 malls, which were all unique in their own way. One was for the highest designer gear you could imagine, with security guards in each doorway. One was for eating, we decided on the Japanese floor where we over indulged on roasted duck, yummy. Some of the malls were 7 or 8 stories high, with magnificent views from the ground floor looking up. A great experience. We then got back onto our bus, and before long we were passing our hotel, hoping the bus would stop. It didn’t of course as there are on 23 designated stops along its route. We has to travel a couple of kms along the road until we reached our original boarding stop at Central Market. We didn’t get a chance to go in this morning as it was closed, and by the time we had got back to it, we were both shattered, so just walked back. The whole journey today took us about 10 hours.
Next day after breaky, we went to find the free city bus, but before we knew it we had reached our destination. The city, according to the free bus routes, is devised up into 4, each with its own colour system. Purple, green, blue and red. Our hotel is on the purple route, they fly passed our hotel every 10 minutes or so. However crossing the roads to get to the stops takes a genius as the traffic is huge day or night. This morning we went in search of a particular shopping plaza, namely Central Plaza in Times Square. Like I said, within 30 minutes walk we were there. This mall is HUGE, it has an East and West wing, it’s 14 stories high, with a huge theme park in the middle which stretches between floors 5 and 9. It’s brilliant and I just had to have a couple of goes on its roller coaster, which twists around all 5 floors and looping the loop right bang in the center. At its highest, just before the 360’ loop it bends slightly to the left, and as I was in the front seat, you could see right down to the Lower ground level, which is the car park. It’s a Def finale must do attractions for the roller coaster buffs out there. Following this we caught sight of the monorail outside, so at level 1 in the mall, we bought tickets to the end of the line on the monorail. This place was called Titiwangser! And we had to go just to see what’s there, (we posted this on FB and a friend of ours commented if we went to see any titties or wangers, bless Maggy). English is spoken widely here in KL, however the monorail guard couldn’t speak a word of it, nor could we speak Malay, so he just pointed at an automated ticket machine. It was Saturday lunchtime, lots of people queuing up, so we joined them. We managed just, however the other 4 machines each had half a dozen people buying their ticket before we managed ours. Never the less we managed it.
After this we got off at a stop, which I thought was near our hotel, to find we were in the middle of nowhere! The midday heat was resent less, and after walking a few 100 meters in all 4 directions after exiting the monorail station, we were totally lost. As they do, a taxi driver hailed us and asked if we wanted him to take us somewhere. And yes taxis are the way to go in Bali, but not in Kl, as they do not have meters and we have read they will charge upto 10x the fare for Westerners. So we declined he asked where we were going so I just thought of our original destination thus morning, to which he pointed us in the right direction and we were there within a couple if minutes. From here we decided to take the purple line bus, and a very kind local lady, informed us where the bus went from and how many stops it was. Remarkable really, cos we were only 3 stops away from our hotel. A great experience for the 2 of us.
It’s now Sunday, and we’ve got the hang of the free buses. So hop on purple bus, get off at Pavillion, wait at Pavillion and hop green bus and hop off outside the Petronas twin towers. Easy and it only took 15 minutes for the whole trip. What independent travellers we are! So where at the towers and go to get our e-tickets, wait until 10.15 and then we go up to the glass walkway between the 2 towers. Great views as we’re over 160 meters up, and the glass bridge is said to be over 500 tons. The guide stated there is movement on the walkway as it’s not connected fully, (to let it swing when there’s a bit of a wind brewing), GULPPPPPP and we both had baked beans for breaky!!!!
Viewing done and where in the lift going up to floor 86 out of 88. This viewing deck is not for the faint hearted, as it’s almost in the clouds. I felt totally sick and couldn’t go to the edges. Tina however was buzzing round taking all sorts of pictures whilst I sat in the middle facing inwards. It’s soooo blooming high. Each tour has its own colour system and your trundled along every 15 minutes to the next stage.
The towers are next to a very exclusive shopping plaza, so we made full use of its facilities, before catching the green bus back to Chinatown for a wonder. We then went to the iconic blue building named Central Market. This was huge and full of many stalls selling all kinds of craft products made from silks, wood, copper etc. We spotted it’s annex and wondered up to the 2nd floor. I had read that somewhere in KL was a 3D Art Museum and it was recommended to visit. So on the 2nd floor we found it by chance. Entrance fee paid and we were in. Inside you ate encouraged to take photos and interact with the paintings. I lost count after 50 paintings. Not sure if you’ve ever come across 3D paintings before, but they are the ones artists paint on pavements and from a certain angle they protrude out of the ground, giving the 3D prospectus. Well this museum has loads of them. It took us a while to get around the place as it covered 4 floors, and we had so much fun, lying on the floor, snuggled up against the walls, balancing on a corner of a picture. It is so impressive when you come out and look back at the photos you’ve taken. Out of the museum a turn to the right, a short walk, then a left turn and we were back at our hotel. So getting used to this city now.
That night we decided to hit the town, so headed for Bukit Bintang. A few streets away was the bustling night life area of KL. WOWWWWW this area is so cool. Bar after bar after bar, all with happy hour from 5pm to 10pm. So buy one cocktail and another free seemed to be the drinking pattern of the night. I lost count after the 12th cocktail. One bar “Why Not” had a promotion of buy 1 pint of cocktail get another pint free. So we just had to oblige this promotion. What a pub crawl it was including KLS biggest and best Irish Bar, according to Trip advisor, and they weren’t wrong. As you do when your drinking at some point we got peckish and so we found this great area selling street food. After this we can’t remember much other than more cocktails and dancing in this night club to mostly Bangra music. I knew the free bus finished at 11.30 so at precisely 11.15 we headed to the bus stop. Once on it, it appeared we were on the wrong bus, this time it was the blue line! We’ve never been on this one so not sure where we was and quickly got off at the next stop. We woke around 8am, (in our hotel room), but with no idea how we got there.
The next day we had a trip booked for Sunway Theme Park, which is stated by Trip Advisor as being the largest theme park in Malaysia. Once there we noticed it’s actually 6 theme parks in 1, and it’s pretty massive. With the biggest shopping plaza next door, the Pyramid Plaza. Great day out. Tonight were off for some posh nosh at KL Towers 360’ revolving restaurant before going to the airport at 3am as we fly to Hanoi Vietnam at 6am.