Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – 6 to 10 April, 2007
We boarded the bus in Cameron Highlands about 8:00 for our 4 hour trip to KL. Like the trip up to the Highlands, the trip down was full of scenic vistas and sharp curves. About half way the terrain flattened our considerably, and we were on a main highway towards KL. On arrival the bus stopped somewhere in the middle of town but not far from one of the major bus terminals, and we were left on the street with no clue on exactly where we were. We did have a hotel reservation that we made over the internet while in the CH, so we hailed a taxi and headed towards the northern outskirts of town near the KL World Trade Center.
We didn’t realize it before planning our schedule for Malaysia, but when we arrived in Penang we found the Malaysian Grand Prix would be run in KL at the same time we were planning on being there. As a result, many hotels were booked, and those that had rooms had jacked up the prices. Before we left home we joined Hostelling International thinking it may be useful if we wanted cheaper accommodations. Fortunately they had a location in KL that seemed to check out OK, so that is what we booked. Once of the reasons we booked it was because the reviews said it was more like a hotel than a hostel, and that is exactly what we found. The room was somewhat basic but it had everything we needed and while it was on the edge of the city, it was next to the WTC station on the Star Line train which provided easy access to all the sights in town.
After getting settled, we went out for a walkabout of the WTC area. The first thing that hit us was the temperature. After enjoying the cool of the highlands, we were scorching in KL with the temperature in the mid 90s F. We hadn’t gone far around the area when we needed a break from the heat, and any city area in Asia isn’t far from a mall or shopping center, so that is where we headed for the AC.
The next day we decided to see the city sights so we headed next door to the LRT (Light Rail Transit) station. We bought a day pass which allowed us to travel across town all day on two of the main lines that cover most of the city. We first headed to the Petronas Towers where we hoped to take a free ride to the observation area. Unfortunately all the tickets for the day were already gone, so we walked around the shopping area inside, and then walked around the lake and park just outside the towers. After that walk we had to return to the shopping area again to cool off. While there we came across a display of the BMW Grand Prix team which is sponsored by the Petronas Towers. They were selling tickets for the race as well as overpriced souvenirs, and we briefly considered buying tickets for the final race the next day. We then considered the hassle of getting there and back, the crowds, and not least the heat, and figured we would be better off sitting in an air conditioned area watching it on TV if we really wanted to see it (which we didn’t). It may have been the opportunity of a lifetime, but not being race fans we were not disappointed with our decision.
From the Petronas Towers we again boarded the LRT for a short hop of only two stops to visit the Telecommunications Tower. We had been told that you can get a much better view of KL here than the Petronas Towers, because the PT observation area is a sky bridge between the two towers and not that high. The observation area in the TT is way up there towards the top. The TT was at one time the tallest telecommunications tower in the world, but it now only a lowly fourth tallest. It does provide for excellent views of the city however.
When we got off the LRT the TT could be seen on top of a nearby hill, and we decided to take the scenic route to it through a national park/forest area. This route involves a climb up a very steep and long stairway to the top of the hill. We regretted our decision before we got halfway and were drenched in sweat. We finally made it, and enjoyed the AC and view once we got to the top of the TT. As we left the TT they were setting up for a huge party the next day which was related to the Grand Prix. There were covered areas for thousands of people, and speaker columns that would surely vibrate the TT itself. Instead of taking the trek down the stairs going back to the LRT station we took the long route down the access road and around a few blocks. That was another long trek, but at least it was downhill to flat, and we did get to see one of the Ferrari cars on display along the route.
The next day we decided to get another day pass on the LRT as it was also good for certain busses and we wanted first visit the National Telecom Museum in the city and then try and get to the Bird Park on the outskirts of town. We found the museum in town easily, and it was very interesting. The only drawback was it was not air conditioned, so we did rush through a few areas. We then tried to get to the Bird Park, but in the end the busses didn’t seem to stop where they were supposed to, and we ended up overheated once again. Instead we decided to ride both the LRT lines to their ends to see what the outskirts of the city looked like and also to enjoy the AC on the trains.
After seeing many parts of the KL outskirts from the LRT, we headed back to our home stop and dinner in the food court of the shopping center next door. We arrived just in time to see the checkered flag fall in the Grand Prix which was being shown on the TVs throughout the food court.
Our final day in KL was spent with a leisurely stroll to a large local market not too far from our hotel. As usual, we enjoy seeing all the fresh produce of different kinds, as well as the fish and meats. We then decided to catch the SkyTrain at a stop near the market to ride to the KL Sentral train station. We wanted to purchase our train tickets to Singapore as we had not traveled on long distance trains anywhere on our trip and besides being tired of busses we wanted to add a new form of travel to our experiences. It was then back to Starbucks in the shopping center for a $4.00 equivalent latte so we could use the “free” internet to catch up on mails and book a hotel in Singapore.
Next stop Singapore.
