Kuala Lumpur take 2: The Petronas Towers

Having already had 3 nights in KL, our second visit was quite a relaxed one. This time, we spent 2 nights at Submarine guesthouse just round the corner from Central Market, and close to Agosto Inn where we stayed previously. Submarine was my favourite of the two, just for the slightly bigger rooms and nicer bathrooms. Both evenings, we went back to the Indian food court just by the market; yummy and affordable food!

We spent our last day in Malaysia wandering through the many shopping centres in the ‘golden triangle’ area, along with watching the thrilling Non Stop at the cinema and treating ourselves to a Nandos. This was all before our main touristy event of the day: climbing the Petronas Towers.

We booked tickets online in advance, saving us any agro of queuing as we collected them 15mins before our slot, with no issues. The tour itself is pretty well organised. We watched a short briefing film before spending 15 mins on the famous skybridge and then another 15mins on the higher viewing deck. The footbridge felt more exposed, but from the viewing deck we were able to get some photos of the other tower that we could see.

Playing with the interactive screen up the towers

Going up at 7pm we were lucky enough to see the sun set whilst we were up there, and see the lights come on across the sprawling city. But, at £18 a pop, was it worth it? I definitely had a better time eating cake in the HCMC skydeck, but I guess Petronas is something we did simply because it’s the thing to do in KL. Having done it once, I wouldn’t bother again. I can’t imagine queuing for 2 hours to get tickets on the day, as lots of people do. Book online!!

We had a good view of the lit up towers when we came back down, and we timed it perfectly to watch the fountain show in the lively square at the bottom, afterwards.

Fountain show by the towers

We opted for skybus to get to LCCT airport this time, which goes directly from KL Sentral every 30 mins and takes 1 hr. This was a better option then the train to KLIA followed by a transfer bus. Overall it tooka similar amount of time, the bus was a comfy coach, and it was cheaper. Malaysia, you have been fun. It’s off to Indonesia we go!

KL x2: 21-23/03/14

KL: 3 Nights In The Gateway To Malaysia

After a fortnight of relaxing by swimming pools and on beaches in Ao Nang on Thailand’s southwest coast and nearby Ko Lanta- a small, relatively unspoilt island in the Andaman Sea two hours by boat from Krabi- we flew to Kuala Lumpur and into the fifth country of our odyssey.

Just a few minute after landing, it dawned on us that we had not checked our etickets: we had flown into a domestic terminal located some 30 minutes by bus from the international airport – and our train connection to KL Sentral station. Rookie error. Hopes of a 9pm arrival at our hostel quickly evaporated. However, the 60km train ride to Sentral station was ultra-rapid and pleasant.

We’d booked three nights at a hostel featuring high on trip advisor’s list of B&Bs, Agosto Inn. This is a small hostel ideally situated on the cusp of Chinatown and Little India and a stone’s throw from skytrain station Pasar Seni. For 75 RM (£14/$22) per night, you’ll get a small double room with a shared bathroom and a simple, DIY breakfast of toast and jam and tea or coffee and also plenty of tourist information from the ebullient owner.

Although we found the heat of Kuala Lumpur stifling and the streets amd bridges nigh on impossible to negotiate without resorting to public transport, we enjoyed our two days exploring our immediate surroundings: ornate Masjids Jamek and Negara, the fascinating National Museum of Islamic Arts, cooling oasis of the nearby Bird Park and also the culinary experience of an afternoon at Little India’s markets – the highlight being an exquisite biryani and lassi at a restaurant at the front-left side of the main shopping centre near Masjid Jamek India.

We postponed visiting the Golden Triangle and Petronas Towers until our return in two weeks’s time, partly because we heard entry to the viewing platform was restricted to a certain number of tickets per day and that it’s advisable to bool a ticket online a few days in advance instead.

Highlights of our visit:

FOOD – from Teh Tarik to Mee Goreng, from biryani to the delicious syrupy dessert we tried in Old China Cafe, there is plenty in KL to keep your tastebuds busy.

MUSEUM OF ISLAMIC ARTS – for an almost nominal entry fee, this place is crammed full of great exhibits, such as ancient weaponry and models of mosques around the world. It is also displaying some great calligraphy (never thought I’d use those two words together!).