Malaysia Diaries - Malacca - The World Heritage Site

This time it's Malacca!!

How to get to Malacca:
We booked the Transnasional bus tickets online to Malacca from Puchong for just RM 15. The travel time is 4 Hrs and buses ply every 2 Hrs starting from 8 AM in the morning. The central bus station in Kuala Lumpur is the Terminal Bersepadu Selatan, but we were lucky enough to figure out a bus-stop near Puchong Tesco where we stayed.You really gotta bargain the taxi rates at the Malacca Sentral station to your hotel - else you could be taken for a ride. We did the same thing - bargained and bargained and finally landed a deal of RM 25 from Malacca Sentral to Jonkers Street.

Where to stay:
Jonkers Street is the life of Malacca - the most happening & centrally located place. We also booked a hotel right across the Malacca River - an icing on the cake :o)
Check out www.agoda.com for some really cool deals and plethora of lodging options from bunkers/hotels/motels to luxury resorts at really cool rates and discount coupons for your next stay.


I fell in love with Malacca the moment we entered the city. It so reminded me of my favorite hill-station Ootacamund (Ooty) in South India - I sure will write a post on Ooty someday but back to Malacca now. The gorgeous place reeks of history, is a multi-cultural melting pot with influences from the Dutch, Portuguese, Chinese, Malay and the Indians and all this is reflected in its architecture, food, culture, people, climate and the overall ambiance of this tiny city. Malacca is also a UNESCO World Heritage site - carefully being restored, maintained and improved. There is so much to do so much to see, two days were just not enough for me.

A Local Kampung Meal

Christ Church

The famous Trishaws

Hard Rock Cafe

Uphill Malacca

The famous Bullock-Cart

Trishaw Ride

St. Paul's Church Ruins

St. Paul's Church Ruins

Trishaw

Malacca River in the night

The Jonker Walk

Jonker Walk

Malacca Sultanate Palace

The beautiful painted houses/motels alongside the Malacca River

Malaysia Diaries - Batu Caves and the city of Kuala Lumpur

     After a successful Day 1 in the Kuala Lumpur city, we woke up determined to explore the rest of the city. I dressed up in a red top inspired by the city that donned the color red - be it in the Chinese temples, the Chinese lanterns, the mall decorations, restaurants, kebayas and the list goes on.

6. Batu Caves

How to get there:
Train is best option if you do not have a car to drive around the city. We took a taxi to the KL Sentral Railway Station to board the KTM Komuter train to Batu Caves. There are trains to and fro Batu Caves every 15 minutes between 6 AM till 11:30 PM. You could buy a ticket online or pick it up at the station itself for as cheap as 4 RM.

Batu Caves is one of the most distinctive site to visit in Kuala Lumpur - easily accessible by trains. You need to climb 272 steps to get to the awe-inspiring natural caves! 272 steps!! Yes, It almost gave me cardiac stress!! Needless to say the climbing of steps was worth the effort as the mesmerizing beauty of the natural caverns blew me away. The cave houses the world's tallest Murugan statue - the 140ft high statue took almost 3 years to construct and was unveiled in the year 2006.

Lord Murugan and the 272 Steps

Inside the Caves

7. Masjid Negara - The National Mosque of Malaysia

Our next destination was Masjid Negara (at a walkable distance from the KL Sentral Station). We were given purple colored wardrobes - abaya - as we entered the mosque. A walk inside the mosque is a feeling out of this world - it almost felt like I was on my Haj pilgrimage. The mosque has a capacity of accommodating 15000 people. The minaret is about 70 mtrs high and has 16 pointed star shaped roof opening up like an umbrella. The mosque is painted in blue/turquoise blue and white - some respite from the 'red' color.

Masjid Negara

Interiors of the mosque

Tourists clad in purple abaya

8. Islamic Arts Museum

Located adjacent to the Masjid Negara is the Islamic Arts Museum,  a source centre for Islamic studies and beautiful showpiece for the best artisanship with Islamic books, replicas of Islamic architectural collections, traveling exhibitions and a gift shop for those who would love to adore their home with Islamic art and crafts. What struck me were the many unique inverted domes built inside the museum and the lovely roof carvings - like the one you will see in the photos below.

A replica

Inverted Dome

The holy Quran

Inverted Dome

9. Menara Kuala Lumpur Tower

Menara KL Tower I am told is the 6th tallest communication tower in the world - with a base for experiences including bungee jumping, Adventure, Culture, Food and Nature. Most importantly, I loved the breath-taking view of the Kuala Lumpur Skyline at about 270 mtrs above the ground from its observatory deck - an experience I will cherish all my life.

Menara KL Tower

KL Skyline view from the Menara Tower

10. Putrajaya

Putrajaya is the administrative capital of Malaysia taking over from the city of Kuala Lumpur and comes across as a modern city with progressive infrastructure and is also a hub for Technology companies. The streets are elegantly designed with a European feel, and the government buildings are a blend of modern cum Islamic architecture.

Malaysia Diaries - The city of Kuala Lumpur

    

     As the all-girls vacation beckoned, my excitement had no limits. It was a dream come true - a holiday with the Amigos for a week in Malaysia!! I still cannot believe how we dreamt about turning a fantasy vacation into a reality which almost became an item in our bucket list - especially after watching a hindi flick 'Zindagi na milegi dobara' which means you will not get to live your life twice. Whew - bollywood sure does inspire you :-)

Su and her hubby picked me up from my humble abode to drive us to the BIA. As we bid him goodbye, Su and I landed in KL at midnight to be greeted by humidity and of course our best friend S and her hubby at the airport. We couldn't stop giggling, laughing, chatting as we met and drove down to Puchong where S lives with her cute little family. Puchong is one of the most peaceful residential locality I have ever seen. We have traveled back and forth to Puchong a zillion times since then that I know the address by-heart and can even say it out in my sleep :D

A quick chai before we hit the sack that night as we had an exciting itinerary awaiting us the next day. Woke up to meet the cutest Junior S the next morning. He is simply adorable - the ever smiling gorgeous baby I have ever met. S is the first one among us to have got married and to have a baby. Junior S sure is precious to all of us. Leaving him in the safest hands of his papa, we headed out to explore the KL city. Kuala Lumpur was an experience to cherish -  and not to mention, it was total fun and frolic with the two best friends for company.

How to get there:
Keep a tab on the AirAsia.com for some really excellent deals - especially the popular Friday night deals that last only for a few hours before getting sold out. We booked return tickets from Bangalore to Kuala Lumpur on Air Asia for just $185.

The GO KL City Bus: The air-conditioned pink-colored GO KL City buses ply at every 5-15 mins interval cruise two circular routes covering many of the main sight-seeing attractions in the heart of the Kuala Lumpur city operating between 6:00 AM till 11 PM. Click here for the routes

Here's my list of 10 things to do/must-visit places in the KL City:

1. Suria KLCC and the Petronas Twin Towers

Our first destination - Suria KLCC -  a premier shopping centre at the base of the Petronas Twin Towers. The mall hosts one of the trendiest shopping outlets and given we traveled during the Chinese New Year holidays, the mall was fully decked up with the traditional red Chinese lanterns to floor the visitors. We quickly strolled the mall before heading out to witness the world's tallest twin buildings - the Petronas Towers. I just could not get enough of the twin towers. You could just sit at the lawn gawking at this majestic gigantic architectural beauty the whole day and night. Alas, if my camera could do justice to the beauty that the naked eye witnessed.

SURIA KLCC MALL

SURIA KLCC MALL INTERIORS

Traditional Chinese Lanterns adorning the SURIA KLCC MALL

PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS

2. Bukit Bintang

We boarded one of the Go KL City buses to our next destination Bukit Bintang - one of the most acclaimed must visit destination in the city that is centrally located and easily accessible by public transportation. Bukit Bintang is the ultimate one-stop place which boasts for all sorts of dining, entertainment, shopping, attractions, nightlife, glamour, premium malls, specialty outlets with young bustling crowd thronging the place. Bukit Bintang has plenty of places to eat which caters to a whole range of budgets. We explored almost everything here including the night life.

Monorail

Foot Massage Parlour

Chatime Galleria

Chatime Galleria

Pavilion Mall

A Bukit Bintang Restaurant

Manhattan Sea Food

This was yummm ;-)

Malaysia is truly a food paradise

And more seafood

Bukit Bintang at night

The Pavilion Mall

BUKIT BINTANG

3. ChinaTown

Our third destination for the day - China Town symbolizing the rich history and culture of China. Accessible by the Go KL City buses, China Town is apparently known as the area that never sleeps and is far more colorful, crowded and bustling than KLCC or Bukit Bintang. It's main market area, the Petaling street is undoubtedly a place where you can find all sorts of stuff and more importantly imitation goods at bargainable prices. You should not miss the Chinese Temple located in this area for an extremely different divine experience.

Petaling Street

Petaling Street

Chinese Temple in Kuala Lumpur

Chinese Temple

Candles at the Chinese Temple

Joss Sticks at the Chinese Temple

  

Spiral Incense sticks

A devotee at the Chinese Temple

4. Central Market

Our fourth destination - Central Market - a centre for Malaysian Culture, Heritage, Art and Craft.  Established in 1888 as a wet market, Central Market continues to be a prominent landmark even today. Kasturi Walk an outdoor pedestrianised lane running alongside the main Central Market building is lined with kiosks and stalls, adding a vibrant ambience to the Central Market Kuala Lumpur shopping experience. I went berserk hunting for souvenirs and Chinese dresses for my little niece.

Central Market - Kuala Lumpur

Kasturi Walk - Central Market - Kuala Lumpur

Malaysian Kebaya

Souvenirs at Central Market - Kuala Lumpur

Central Market - Kuala Lumpur

Masks at the Central Market - Kuala Lumpur

5. Dataran Merdeka in central Kuala Lumpur

Our final destination for the day - Merdeka square (walkable distance from Central Market) - It was here the Union Flag was lowered and the Malayan flag hoisted for the first time and has been the usual venue for the National Day parade. The Merdeka square is surrounded by mesmerizing architecture, Islamic architecture to be specific. You will be amazed at the unique architectural style of the Masjid Jamek, Sultan Abdul Samad building, Royal Selangor Club, St. Mary's Cathedral, Textile Museum, Wisma ekran and the KL Railway Station to mention a few. What caught my attention were the cute street lights decorated with red flowers as you can see in one of the images below.

You will find the remaining 5 must visit places in the KL City in my Malaysia Diaries-2 in the following post.

Until then, Selamat Tinggal..!

Work work work work work and more work!!

Are you alive? A question my friends/colleagues have been asking me these days. I have no time to eat, not enough time to sleep, I have forgotten what weekends are, I have not spoken to my friends in the last few weeks, I have no time for water-cooler moments at work, I do not know what the world has been upto in the last few days, no time for news articles, blogs, facebook, twitter, I had not read newspaper until this morning, I am always rushing - rushing from home to work - work to home for calls/meetings/deadlines, I do not have time for my green tea, I am lost, exhausted, frustrated, irritated, bogged down, boy - I am in a mess!!

So what changed my world you would ask? WORK WAS NEVER THIS CRAZY!! I got a new demanding job and a difficult boss at that.

Can I complain enough?!