My Kuala Lumpur, in a Nutshell by Ciki
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My Kuala Lumpur, in a nutshell By Ciki Mei a.k.a. Ciki is a Malaysian Food and Travel blogger who writes for her blog CC Food Travel (http://cumidanciki.com/) as well as for Visit Britain -Tourism UK’s blog (http://www.visitbritainsuperblog.com/) . Mei has lived in Kuala Lumpur for more than 20 years. This city is her home. Follow her on this trail and what you will get is a foodie cum traveler’s perspective of the fascinating city that is Kuala Lumpur. This is her 3 + 2 days Weekend Guide to Kuala Lumpur. Kuala Lumpur 1 Contents 1. Background Information on Kuala Lumpur 2. Day 1 in Kuala Lumpur a. Masjid Jamek b. Bukit Bintang 3. Day 2 in Kuala Lumpur a. China Town b. Central Market c. Ampang – Saloma and Zouk 4. Day 3 in Kuala Lumpur a. Petronas Twin Towers b. KLCC c. KL Bird Park d. Skybar Traders 5. Day 4 in Genting Highlands a. Genting Highlands 6. Day 5 in Batu Caves then back to Kuala Lumpur a. Batu Caves b. Changkat Bukit Bintang 2 Kuala Lumpur,view of the Petronas Twin Towers Some things you should know before you arrive: Background Kuala Lumpur often abbreviated as K.L., is the capital and the largest city of Malaysia in terms of population. The city proper, making up an area of 243 km2 (94 sq mi), has a population of 2 million as of 2010. Greater Kuala Lumpur, also known as the Klang Valley, is an urban agglomeration of 8 million. It is the fastest growing metropolitan region in the country, in terms of population and economy. Kuala Lumpur started off as a tin-mining town, but today, KL has evolved into a 21st- century metropolis, dominated by the tallest skyscrapers in Southeast Asia and flush with the proceeds of international trade and commerce. Over the years, KL has faced its share of challenges but nothing has succeeded in suppressing the determination of locals to make KL, a leader among Asian tiger economies. The most striking thing about KL from a visitor’s perspective is its remarkable cultural diversity. Back then, ethnic Malays, Chinese prospectors, Indian migrants and British colonials all helped carve the city out of the virgin jungle, and each group has left its 3 indelible mark on the capital. Today, KL is a multicultural hotpot where Malays, Chinese, Indians, Eurasians and foreign expats live together in perfect harmony, and call this place home. Eating, shopping and nightlife are undeniable highlights of any visit to KL, but don’t restrict yourself to the city – there are numerous parks and monuments dotted around KL that make easy day trips for a break from the hustle and bustle. When to Go KL’s temperature ranges from 21°C to 33°C and the average humidity exceeds 82%. Although there’s rain through the year, March to April and September to November are the wettest months. Money You’ll seldom be far from a bank/ATM. Money changers offer better rates than banks for changing cash. They take travelers cheques too. The good news is that money changers stay open even on weekends, and they can usually be found in shopping malls. Moneychangers and banks are found on every other corner in KL. Rates are fairly consistent, though private moneychangers sometimes offer slightly better rates for cash than banks. Most banks and shopping malls provide international ATMs, typically on the ground floor or basement level of the building. Useful places to change money include the following: Maybank Forex Counter (Jalan Hang Lekir, Chinatown; 10am-6pm) RHB Bank (Ground fl, Suria KLCC; 10am-7pm) Dangers & annoyances KL is generally very safe, but it pays to watch for pickpockets on crowded public transport and also snatch thieves in the more crowded, touristy parts of town. Ladies should opt to not carry obvious handbags as these are all easy targets for snatch thieves who zoom past on their motorbikes and drag the person and their bag to the ground. Road works can be an irritation, so be careful where you walk so that you don’t end up in a monsoon drain. People in KL tend to jay-walk so don’t count on cars stopping at the zebra crossing for you. Opt to use the overhead bridges as these are a safer bet. Flooding can also be problem, particularly during the monsoon – carry an umbrella and be prepared to roll up your trousers to wade through giant puddles. Transportation: 4 To get around Kuala Lumpur it is advisable to rent a car, as places of interest can be scattered. With a GPS, one can self-drive pretty easily. The traffic in KL is by no means as bad as Shanghai traffic but beware of errant motorcyclists. They tend to drive like daredevil lunatics, and hardly signal when turning. You’ve to go learn to anticipate their moves! With KL you can chose to take the LRT/RapidKL or the monorail that connects the shopping area in the Bukit Bintang district. Bukit Bintang Station Monorail About the Monorail system: The station is situated at Bukit Bintang, a shopping hub in the Kuala Lumpur Golden Triangle commercial district. Erected over Jalan Sultan Ismail (Sultan Ismail Road), the station is located directly south from the Jalan Sultan Ismail - Jalan Bukit Bintang (Star Hill Road) intersection. The station has three exits: The northwest exit leads to the west side of Jalan Sultan Ismail, while the southwest and southeast exists directly lead into the BB Plaza and Lot 10 shopping centres, respectively, via pedestrian bridges. Similar to the nearby Imbi station, the Bukit Bintang station is also directly within walking distance from various other shopping centres (including the StarHill Gallery, Low Yat Plaza, Pavilion, Farrenheit 88, LOT10, Imbi Plaza and Sungei Wang Plaza). About the RapidKL: The largest public transportation operator in Kuala Lumpur and the Klang Valley is RapidKL. Since the take over from Intrakota Komposit Sdn Bhd, RapidKL has redrawn the entire bus network of Kuala Lumpur and Klang Valley metropolitan area to increase ridership and improve Kuala Lumpur's public transportation system. The management of 5 RapidKL has adopted the hub and spoke system to provide greater connectivity, and cut down the need of more buses. RapidKL is also the operator of three rapid transit rail lines in Kuala Lumpur, namely Ampang Line, Sri Petaling Line and Kelana Jaya Line. Dresscode: Shorts and t-shirts for most places. You many need trousers and long sleeved shirts if you are going into the temples or mosques. Also proper shoes, a dinner dress or smart casual clothes for the evening if you intend to have a nice dinner and visit the night-clubs. The Petronas Twin Towers 6 DAY1/FRIDAY 09:00 am Start off with breakfast at Jai Hind, near Masjid Jamek. Jai Hind mainly sells Northern Indian and Punjabi food where you can have a choice between chapatis, naan or selecting your food from a counter filled with dishes, that are eaten with rice. This is a great place for breakfast and watching the men churn out the Chapati right in front of you. Address: Jai Hind, 15 to 17, Jalan Melayu Kuala Lumpur (Directions: In front of the covered bazaar in Masjid India and right behind Masjid Jamek LRT Station. Opens from 8 am to 9 pm) 10:00am After breakfast , head to Masjid Jamek so start KL’s heritage sightseeing on foot. This walk can be covered in 3 hours and starts and ends at the Masjid Jamek STAR/PUTRA LRT Station. Masjid Jamek From the Masjid Jamek STAR/PUTRA LRT Station, walk to Masjid Jamek (Friday Mosque), located at the confluence of Sungai Gombak and Sungai Klang. It is from here that the history of Kuala Lumpur began. You are allowed to enter the compound of the mosque, but are advised to dress modestly. You may have to don a jubah, a traditional robe, if you come in shorts. Once you’re within the mosque compound itself, you will be a little too close to get a good shot of the mosque. A better spot is on the opposite bank of Sungai Klang. 7 Masjid Jamek Sessions Court Building With Masjid Jamek on the left, walk along Jalan Tun Perak. On your left is the Mahkamah Session & Majistret (Sessions & Magistrates Courts). Unfortunately, it's now rather difficult to get a good view of this building, as the view is now blocked by the STAR LRT line that runs overhead along Jalan Tun Perak. Panggung Bandaraya Building At the junction between Jalan Tun Perak and Jalan Raja, turn left. On your left is Panggung Bandaraya, the city theatre that was formerly the old City Hall of Kuala Lumpur. Diagonally in front of you is the new Dewan Bandaraya Kuala Lumpur (Kuala Lumpur City Hall), a white skyscraper. Old High Court Building Adjacent to Panggung Bandaraya is the Old High Court, now the Criminal High Court & Civil Sessions Court of Kuala Lumpur. This building is located along the banks of Sungai Gombak. Sultan Abdul Samad Building Cross the bridge over Sungai Gombak, and in front of you is one of the most distinctive landmarks of Kuala Lumpur, the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. Walk around this building in clockwise manner, starting off along Jalan Mahkamah Persekutuan, on the banks of Sungai Gombak. In doing so, you also get good views of the Old High Court and Masjid Jamek. 8 Sultan Abdul Samad Building Industrial Court Building At the junction of Jalan Mahkamah Persekutuan and Jalan Mahkamah Tinggi is the handsome Mahkamah Perusahaan / Industrial Court, on the left side of Jalan Mahkamah Tinggi.