Malaysia is located on the Malay Peninsula and the Island of Borneo. The South China Sea separates it from the Philippines and Vietnam. While the country has a very diverse topography, ranging from mountains to rainforests, coastlines and islands, we will just be visiting Kuala Lumpur (KL).

Our flight from Tokyo to Kuala Lumpur was on Malaysian Airlines. During the 8 hour flight, we were treated well, with good food, drinks and entertainment. Also, the female flight attendants’ uniforms were lovely (the men looked great too).

To enter Malaysia, you must complete a Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) online within 3 days prior to your arrival. With this form and our Canadian passport, our entry into the country was very quick, just scanning our passport at an automated gate.

Malaysia has a history of influences from the ancient Malay kingdoms followed by Portuguese, Dutch and British colonial periods. The country gained independence in 1957 and today is a thriving nation with a blend of Malay, Chinese, Indian and indigenous traditions.

Malaysia has a tropical climate, with high humidity and temperatures ranging from 25C – 35C throughout the year,

Kuala Lumpur is located in the western area of Malaysia known at Peninsular Malaysia. The name, Kuala Lumpur, means muddy confluence in Malay as it is located where the Klang and Gombak rivers meet. KL was previously the capital of Malaysia. In 1999, Putrajaya became the country’s administrative capital but KL with its population of close to 9 million people remains the financial and commercial centre.

We arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport and were greeted by our cousin, Ron. Ron lived and worked in KL for many years. Now he is back residing in Alberta but he still visits KL for a few months each year. We are very excited to see the city from his viewpoint.

Ron had booked a SkyLimo van for our travel to the hotel – a comfortable way to make the ~1 hour journey.

The Intercontinental Kuala Lumpur is an IHG hotel and it is wonderful. The room is very large with everything you could need, including the biggest bed I have ever seen!

On our first evening, we opted for a light dinner at Bentley’s Pub in the hotel. The Tiger beer and smoked salmon pizza hit the spot after a busy travel day.

Day 1 – We started the day with the incredible breakfast buffet at the hotel. This may be the best breakfast we have seen in our travels. I must remember to take some pictures!

We met Ron and headed out to explore the central area of the city, commonly referred to as KLCC, which actually stands for Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, not city centre.

The Suria KLCC shopping centre is spread over six floors. It hosts a range of high-end international stores as well as specialist retailers and restaurants. It is also home to the Petronas Philharmonic Hall, which was hosting an event on our visit so we couldn’t get a glimpse inside. There are a number of other attractions, including an art gallery and a science discovery centre. The mall was decorated for this month of Ramadan.

Next to the shopping centre is the convention centre and the Aquaria KLCC, a state of the art aquarium.

In front of the the complex is the lush KLCC Park. Featuring over 1900 native trees, the park contains a lake with fountains, a paddling pool and a children’s playground. On a Sunday late morning, the park was surprisingly quiet.

The Petronas Twin Towers are two identical towers of 88 stories, and soaring to a height of 451.9 metres, they are KL’s most recognized site. Planning for the towers began in January 1992 and excavators began digging down 30 metres below the surface of the site in March 1993. The construction of the superstructure commenced in April 1994 after passing multiple rigorous tests and simulations of wind and structural loads on the design. Finally in June 1996, the Petronas Twin Towers were completed and from 1996 to 2004, they were the tallest buildings in the world.

It is advisable to book tickets in advance to visit the Twin Towers. At your allotted arrival time, you are whisked by elevator to the Skybridge on the 41st floor. At 170 meters, this is the world’s highest two story bridge. The skybridge functions as a crucial design feature facilitating movement between the two towers during high winds. It also acts as a safety device, so that in the event of a fire or other emergency in one tower, tenants can evacuate by crossing the skybridge to the other tower. The views of KL from the Skybridge were excellent.

After visiting the Skybridge, you board another elevator that brings you to the observation deck on the 86th level. Here you again take in the panoramic views of the city below you.

After touring the area in the heat and humidity that we are not used to, it was time for a rest at the hotel. We then chose to dine again at Bentley’s Pub where we enjoyed traditional pub fare.

We will continue our exploration of Kuala Lumpur. Stay tuned!

Cheers,

Bev & Harvey