Looking down at KL from top of the world

The Petronas Towers in Kuala Lumpur apart from being Malaysia’s tallest building and the World’s tallest building till 2004 offers visitors a day of fun filled wholesome enjoyment. Apart form the awe of visiting the world’s second largest building and walking across the sky-bridge on the 41st and 42nd floor, the twin towers are full of activities that will keep the traveler occupied.

Perhaps the most well known attraction is the crescent shaped Suria KLCC shopping mall that features six stories of stores, cafés and food courts. Most Malaysians will tell that it is the most hi and happening up-market shopping mall in Kuala Lumpur. Another crowd puller is the Aquaria KLCC; it is a world class aquatic exhibition spanning over 60,000 square feet and features more than 150 species.

Galeri PETRONAS is chic art gallery that exhibits paintings, sculptures, and works of art on paper, fabric and other medium throughout the year. For those who prefer a bit of cultural stimulus, a world-class concert hall known as the Dewan Filharmonik. The architectural design of the hall incorporates Malaysian motifs one of the most acoustically sound in the world. It regularly hosts concerts of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra as well as traditional and jazz musical shows.

Strategically located amongst other Kuala Lumpur Hotels, The Petronas Towers are only two kilometers to the north east of the Grand Millennium Kuala Lumpur. It is a Kuala Lumpur luxury hotel that offers guests five star amenities with easy access to sights and sounds of Kuala Lumpur top enjoy an unforgettable experience in Malaysia.

Malaysia – Essential Visits

Located in South East Asia, bordering Thailand in the north and Singapore in the south, Malaysia achieved its independence from British rule on the 31st of August 1957. With a population of approximately 23.5 million (58% Malays, 24% Chinese, 8% Indians and 10% others), Malaysia is rich in differing cultures and traditions. The uniqueness of Malaysia is that all these differing religions live alongside each other in harmony and peace.

You may be asking “What’s there to do in Malaysia?”. Malaysia offers natural beauties in tropical rainforest, scuba diving; Shopping haven in all major cities; Friendly citizens across the country. Whatever you want to do, ranging from being a potatoe couch at the hotel to extreme adventures, Malaysia has it all.

Having said that, I will now point out to you the essential visits that you should take part in order to make your trip whole (in no particular order):

Petronas Twin Towers

Towering at a height of 452 metres (1483 feet), the Petronas Twin Towers is the highest twin towers in the world. Built to 88 storeys and 32000 windows, the towers are connected via a skybridge. You must book your time to access the skybridge for an excellent birds-eye view of the Kuala Lumpur city. The towers were featured in the movie Entrapment starring Sean Connery and Caterine Zeta Jones. When visiting the towers, take a stroll at the KLCC park (20 hectares or 50 acres) located adjacent to the towers and indulge yourself in shopping at the Suria KLCC located inside the towers.

Pulau Pinang (Penang Island)

Affectionately known as Pearl of the Orient, Penang is famous for its natural beauty and exotic heritage. Located at the northern part of Malaysia, Penang, a bustling island, has a large variety of culture, people and food within the 285 square kilometres enclave. So diversed, you will be able to find churches, Chinese temples, Indian temples and Muslim mosques all within a five minutes walk. Colonial buildings still exist and are constantly being restored to its former glory. When you are at the Pearl of the Orient, you must sample the hawker food found at abundance, take a ferry ride (especially at night) and stroll along the beaches of Batu Ferringi.

Sipadan Island

Located on the north-eastern part of Borneo Island, Sipadan is one of the world’s best dive spots. White sandy beaches borders this 12ha island. The island was formed from a undersea volcano and is raised 650meters from the sea floor. Sipadan is famous for its reef wall, rare reef creatures and the regular appearance of sea turtles. If you are a diver, this is one place that you would not want to miss.

East Coast Islands

On the east coast of Peninsular Malaysia, an abundance of idyllic white sandy beaches. To escape the hustle and bustle of the city, hop over to the east coast, put on a sarong, grab yourself a coconut, relax and enjoy the pounding of the waves. Out in the sea, islands such as Perhentian, Tioman and Redang are famous for their dive spots and family getaway.

Cameron Highlands

This 1800 meters above sea level region is a popular getaway from the tropical heat for Malaysians and tourist alike. Cameron Highlands was discovered by a British surveyor named William Cameron in 1885. This highlands resembles England as old English inns, chalets and bungalows still exists today. Attraction in Cameron Highlands includes mountain and jungle hikings, tea plantations, fruits and vegetable farms, flower nurseries and its people. Cameron Highlands has two golf courses if you are game.

Proboscis Monkeys

Living exclusively in Borneo island, proboscis monkeys have the largest nose amongst all primates. Reaching up to 17.5cm long, the reason for the elongated nose is unknown. Another distinctive feature of this unique creature is its pot belly. The proboscis monkey is an endangered species and is listed under the IUCN Red List. Visiting these creatures in its natural habitat is well worth the journey.

About The Author

Mij Gnow is an avid traveller who is infected with the travel bug throughout the year. Weighed down by the corporate world to earn a living, Mij continues to write articles in preparation for his future travels.

Mij is also the creator and administrator of Travel Corridor, http://www.travelcorridor.com; a site containing essential visits around the world.

How to make your travels memorable

Memories are what you make them and no matter how you record them, there’s only way your memories will last forever.

My best tip to make travels memorable is to make the most of them: get out there, away from the tourist spots and see what the real country’s like. Take in some real local culture rather than the one offered by the hotel or holiday company. Anyone can sit in a room and watch pre-planned entertainment, but the real memories are those which show the locals doing what they do without all the hype around it.

Every country also has some excellent natural scenery and other sites which are unique to that area. So whether it’s the animals or the amazing sunset, the mountains or the lakes, or even the city sights, these are the things that make a holiday special and memorable.

I think it’s also nice to do something distinctive, whether it’s a meal or an excursion. These are the trips to that special place which you’re unlikely to do again. So my wife and I have been to Canada and seen Niagara Falls, we’ve been to Kuala Lumpur and had a meal in the Petronas Tower and been to Borneo and seen the orang-utans. These things made a trip around the world just that bit extra special.

There are different ways to record these memories, whether using the latest technology or the more traditional methods. You might decide to use a camcorder or digital camera, which you can look at again and again or download to your computer. Or you might opt for keeping a diary of events; maybe emailing friends and family back home if you can find a PC.

But I think by far the best way to make travels memorable is to soak up as much of the experience as you can. My wife and I often think of different holidays we’ve been on and can sit for ages talking about the sunset, or a certain city the sort of memories that nothing but our own heads can record. And it’s not just these memories which we talk about there’s also the things like taking a boat along the river in Bangkok and being refreshed by the lack of health and safety precautions, or laughing at the way our surname is pronounced in different parts of the world. Some things just can’t be documented easily.

So other things might help us recall certain things but our memory can last forever, even after photos have faded, the PC has crashed and your DVD has been scratched. Let’s face it, we don’t rely on batteries, interfaces or cables to look, listen and remember.

Kampung Baru – Where You Can be Satisfied All the Way!

 

An enclave comprised mostly of the Malay Muslims in heart of Kuala Lumpur, Kampung Baru is among the oldest Malay settlements in the area since the early ages. In 1900 Kampung Baru was considered as Malay Agricultural Settlement under British administrators in consequence of which, it was developed into a higher economical standard and modern-city living turned it into a political symbol of Malay culture.

 

Kampung Baru, which is one of the most valuable land areas in Kuala Lumpur, is worth about 1.4 billion US dollars and various kinds of vendors and restaurant can be seen on both sides of the streets. People from various parts of the world get attracted to this commercial area in order to satisfy their diverse needs such as tasting variety of cuisines at fascinating restaurants or feeling the utmost of night life entertainment or acquiring excellent health care.

 

In this area, Malay wooden and brick houses can be seen everywhere accompanied by modern skyscrapers such as Petronas Towers, known as world’s second tallest structure. Kampung Baru is very famous for its “Bubur Lambuk” which means “rice porridge” in Malay and which is cooked at the local mosque and distributed for free During Ramadan. More over one can enjoy almost all kinds of traditional food items such as Tauhu Sumbat, Kuih Cara and Putih Naga etc.

 

Also in this land which is about 250 acres, racial clashes have took place between ethnic Malays and Chinese in 1969 and the rebellions began when Chinese opposition parties protested in the village during general elections in the year. Especially, people who belong to each different ethnic group in this area respect and protect their culture and traditions very strongly. In spite of the past the people in current Kampung Baru get along harmoniously while preserving their own ethnic Malay lifestyles.

 

For any tourist who seeks comfortable stay at an affordable price, there are a number of budget hotels in Kuala Lumpur which offer great comforts and convenient access to these landmarks.

Petronas Twin Towers (timelapse color)

Kl Tower – Malaysian Technological Excellence

Tour the Best Places in Kuala Lumpur With City Park Hotel

Petronas twin towers