My 1st Kuala Lumpur Trip           21st to 29th November 2006
 Bahasa Malaysia write up by Wong Chun Xing     English reference guide by the father

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22-11-2006    Wednesday - First sight of KL

Good morning Kuala Lumpur ! We reach KL Sentral (KL Center) at 7:00am. To making the most of our trip to Kuala Lumpur  we  determine our main interest in sightseeing and discovery. Things that we are unable to see and experience in Sabah.

There are two mass transit systems in Kuala Lumpur the Subway system and Monorail system.  The subway system run under ground while Monorail runs over KL City. The  monorail that always runs up in the air made it an excellent means of sightseeing of the city.

These  systems are operated by 2 different companies and do not interchange. At first I did not know about this and thus greatly puzzled why did I have to Exit the station and reentered (at another entrance) the station again.

Both transportation systems are easy to use and well directed with rout-maps at the stations. Tickets are sold from automatic ticket dispense machines. Make sure to have coins with you. The stations are clean and bright.  I worked several years in Hong Kong in the early 1990s and liked very much the mass transit system in Hong Kong  city. Until recently, I did not realized Malaysia also have such an effective system. Malaysian mass system is more comfortable to travel with less congestion then the Hong Kong.  A couple of times I was offered seats inexpertly by the junior (I am 53 and with white hairs)  which caught me in surprise. I would not expect this if I were in Hong Kong.

KL Sentral  is the rail transportation hub for rail systems include KLIA Ekspres, KLIA Transit, KTM Intercity, KTM Komuter, PUTRA LRT and KL Monorail.

KL Sentral is also served by other transportation modes such as city buses, feeder coaches and taxis and is one stop away from the historic original railway building.

Kuala Lumpur Sentrak (KL Center) became the center point of our trip for the next 7 days.  This is not only the point we arrived at from the airport, it also the starting point to almost any where we go for the next 7 days.  The information counter, the green booth in above photo, became our most resourceful  travel information counter.  The understanding and helpful counter staff help and directed us to where we want to go. These friendly young officers speaks good English.

Today is the first time my 12 years old son experienced  the efficiency of a Mass and Rapid transport system. He was greatly puzzled why such a huge vehicle jammed with passengers can moves from one station to another without a driver.

To enhanced his first experience with a high-tech train raid, we did not get out Pasa Sine instead we continued with a free raid with the rail right to the last station and remain seated and follow the same train back again.  This delighted extra free raid gave us a valuable first views of  Kuala Lumpur City that remain in our memory... the Twin Towers in morning light,  modern tall building construction in progress, modern housing, all races of Malaysia people in a same train, smartly dressed young people rushing to work.....

8:40AM We finally arrived China Town.  The street is still quite with few people passing by. Here we look for a traveler inn to put up for the nights.

9:15 AM We had our first breakfast in a back lane in Petaling Street. It a bowl of 'Fish Head soup Bee Hun'
In the morning and evening Chinatown is filled with aroma that  permeate along the lane and main street of Petaling Street , tempting a passerby to stop, look, and try.  Beside the food hawker stall where we eat a Chinese man is doing his daily routing of roasting pork for distributing to surrounding food stall.  He make 2 types of roasted pork : Char Siew and Siew Bak (Red BBQ Pork and Roasted Pork).  The 2 type of roasted pork are common favorite of Chinese and I love very since childhood. Only until today I seen how the BBQ pork are processed and roasted:

This is Siew-Bak (Roasted Pork)

With a thick crispy skin and a layer of fat.

This is Char-Siew (Red BBQ Pork)

Pure lean meat roasted with honey. Good Cha-Siew is always soft and tender with fragrance BBQ smell.

One of my favorite dim-sum is Char-Siew Bao  - Bun with Red roasted pork.

9:30 AM we finished our bowl of bee hun and begaan a short walk alone the back lanes to explore sight that once so familiar to me but new and unusual to my son.
Afternoon we went to Mid Valley Megamall to see the Biggest Bookstore in Malaysia. Mid Valley is South-East Asia’s largest shopping mall. It is a popular landmark in Kuala Lumpur that offers a one-stop shopping destination, with something for everyone under its roof.

MPH Bookstore  (Malaysia Publishing House) G/F, Mid Valley Megamall - the largest bookstore in Malaysia has a branch store here in KLCC. MPH has branch stores through West Malaysia and Sarawak except Sabah.

(MPH opened its first outlet in East Malaysia on 28th February 2008 in The Spring Mall in Kuching)

We spent one and half hours inside these bookstore.

We also visited Popular Bookstore near to China Town. Popular Bookstore  is part of a chain of bookstore in Malaysia, Singapore and Hong Kong.

This  largest Chinese bookstore in Malaysia is noted for its Chinese books.  .Popular Bookstore is the place to find Chinese books that not available elsewhere.
Visiting the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre is effortless thanks to an efficient public transport  infrastructure that includes taxis, express trains and light rail transit services.  Access by Air
Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) is only 28 minutes from the Kuala Lumpur city. It is located 75 kilometers (35miles) south of Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC); an hours drive by direct motorway link or 28 minutes on the KLIA Ekspress Rail Link (ERL).

KLIA is served by 47 airlines operating to over 100 scheduled destinations and this number is increasing. Direct mid to long haul access is provided to 5 Australian and 5 Middle East cities, 7 North American and African cities and 9 European cities plus the Asian regional and domestic network - please refer to the flight schedule overviews for some of the flight times from major points.

Malaysia Airlines has a wide network coverage to fly delegates from more than 100 destinations across six continents and 35 domestic destinations on a fleet of 110 aircraft flying over 3,000 flights a week and carrying over 40,000 passengers per day.

Taxis
A fast, safe and relatively economical way to get about, especially if you are a first time visitor. Make sure that the meters are on as soon as you get in and avoid negotiating fares upfront. Surcharges apply after midnight and during heavy rain.
ERL KL CAT
 
KLIA Ekspres Rail Link (ERL) is an express service that exclusively serves travelers between Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) and the city. The journey takes 28 minutes one way and terminates at KL Sentral, the nation's main rail transportation hub. A one-way adult ticket costs RM35. (US9.21)

 

 Located within KL Sentral, this modern airport terminal is an extension of KLIA. Check-in time is at least 3 hours prior to your departure. Once you've checked in at Kuala Lumpur City Air Terminal (KL CAT), you will be issued your boarding pass and your luggage will be transferred through to your flight at KLIA. Currently available for all MAS, Cathay Pacific and Royal Brunei flights
   
KLIA Transit Airport Taxis 

Not to be confused with the KLIA Ekspres, KLIA Transit is a high-speed transit service designed for commuters and airport workers. The entire journey takes 35 minutes, with 3 stops along the way, and terminates at KL Sentral.

 

 
Airport Limo (M) Sdn Bhd offers a 24-hour budget and premier airport taxi service toand from KLIA. You may purchase tickets at an official counter, situated just inside the exit doors of the arrival hall. Prices are fixed according to destination. The journey to Kuala Lumpur takes approximately one hour. Tickets are purchased at an official counter– the premier service is RM92.40 (US$25.00) and the budget is RM67 (US$19.00).
   
Putra LRT KL Monorail
The PUTRA Light Rail Transit (LRT) service offers a direct connection between KL Sentral and the KLCC LRT station, with an air-conditioned pedestrian walkway linking directly to the Concourse Level of Suria KLCC.

 

 

 With a total of 11 fully elevated stations, each between 600 to 1000 meters apart, the KL Monorail service is a cheap, convenient and enjoyable means of sightseeing within the busier parts of the city. The locations of the stations are especially ideal for leisure and shopping. Trains run from 6am to midnight, every 2-5 minutes during peak hours and 5-10 minutes off-peak.

 
   
Star LRT  

The STAR line is an elevated, driver-operated rail service. Operating from 6am until near midnight, it offers another cheap and convenient means of getting around the city while taking in the sights.		  
   
To KL Aquaria we walked through an air-conditioned pedestrian walkway at the Centre Court of Suria KLCC to the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. It is delightful walk on this walkway with such experience we experience and feeling we could not easily find back home. My son apparently attracted to the posters of Incredible India. To our amazement, in the next 6 days, Indian tourists from India would become our close traveling companions on journey forward.
Teacher (with a cane in right hand) : "I already told you not to disturb the little penguins...."

Boy (crying) : "...Yes Sir ! .......I will not disturb any animal from  now on..."
Boy (very proud) : "Look ! Here I  am, at  the marvelous Taj Mahal  in India. We came here by camels ..... camel riding is more exciting than our Kota Belud's hose riding...."
Boy (shivering) : "Finally I reached Mount Everest .... so high and more difficult to climb then Mt Kinabalu ..... and it is incredible cold here. ....."

Aquaria KLCC

http://www.klaquaria.com

Map : http://www.klaquaria.com/map

 

• 10 minutes walk from the Petronas Twin Towers    

• 5 minutes walk from Suria KLCC connecting tunnel    

• 8 km from KL Sentral Station, 80 km from KLIA International Airport

“ ocean of discovery ” at the Aquaria Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in Kuala Lumpur City. It is the first commercial aquarium in the KL and a wonderful place to spend the school holidays with the family.

It's a RM60 million aquarium featuring some 5,000 aquatic and marine animal exhibits of over 150 different species from Malaysia and around the world – some caught, some sourced and some given. Boasting of an area spanning two levels and covering over 5,500 sq m, making it the largest aquarium in the world, the Aquaria has 19 tanks with various environments to keep and display fishes from various parts of the world.
Hawksbill Turtle Green Turtle

INDEX : Kuala Lumpur Trip  7 Oct 2008   October 07, 2008 02:55:26 PM

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