Doing research before a trip reaps
benefits indeed. On our second day in KL, instead of the “mandatory” touristy
trip to Petronas Twin Towers, we saved ourselves the time and trouble and got a
much better deal at the KL Menara Tower.
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| KL Menara Tower from afar |
Before the trip we made a reservation
for a lunch buffet with its rotating restaurant the Atmosphere 360. The
restaurant, located at the 88th floor offers stunning 360-degree view
of the whole city of Kuala Lumpur. For just the price of P1200 per person, you
get to enjoy its buffet lunch and a free view at the top! (www.atmosphere360.com.my)
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| Register Here |
We arrived a bit too early for the
buffet. (too excited, lol). We registered at the 2nd floor counter
and were given entrance tickets to the restaurant. They were strict with the
schedule and would not allow anyone to go up unless it’s time. While waiting, one
can walk around and check out the shops there. My companions bought honey,
souvenir magnets and some scarves.
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| Colorful Scarves |
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| Honey Haven |
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| For tired (or lazy peeps) there is an air-condioned audio visual room (refrain from snoring!) |
If shopping is not your thing, there are many attractions in this tower to keep you entertained: Blue Coral Aquarium, Animal Zone, F1 Simulator Zone, Observation Deck (not recommended if you have already booked a dining session at Atmosphere 360), and KL Menara Eco Tourism. If you're lucky, you may chance upon their activites like the KL Tower Base Jump and Towerthon Challenge (fancy a stair climb?) (www.menarakl.com.my)
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| Blue Coral Aquarium |
Back to our favorite topic! Lunch at Atmosphere 360 is served in
2 sessions. (11:30 am to 1:00 pm and 1:30 pm to 3:00 pm). You have more than
enough time to eat, take pictures, chat before they turn off the rotating
mechanism. (TIP: If you got more moolahs to spare, the dinner buffet would be a
better choice to enjoy the romantic night scene!)
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| Dining area rotates |
Food served was International but focusing more on Malaysian, Indian and Chinese Cuisine. Dishes were not too many but considering the price and the view, the rate was a steal! (Wallet Dent: 88 Malaysian Ringgit per person)
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| Buffet area is stationary. |
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| View from the top (the other twin was camera shy) |
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| Atmosphere 360 |
To lose the many calories that we just consumed, our scheduled activity in the afternoon was a city tour. We took a cab ride (20 Malaysian Ringgit) to Masjid Jamek / Little India Area. We planned to visit the Masjid Jamek Mosque but sadly it was already closed for the day!
I
got disappointed as I was really looking forward to my first mosque visit. So
what’s a girl got to do? Just imagine a girl with nose pressed to the iron gate,
rapidly snapping photos with a pair of trespassing arms. Yeah, you get the
picture.
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| Masjid Jamek Mosque |
There are also certain dress codes to remember and follow when entering places of worship.
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| Dress Code |
Our next stop, the Sultan Abdul Samad
Building which known for its Moorish architecture. Take time to walk around and feel its majestic presence. Fronting the building are some
posters explaining the history of the buildings in the area. Read to learn
something about them.
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| A picture-perfect Sultan Abdul Samad Building |
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| Sultan Abdul Samad Building and Textile Museum |
Our next stop was the city gallery.
For this you may just stop by for 15 mins just to learn more of the city’s
history. It is a small museum with a nice gift shop. There is a nice photo spot
at the entrance.
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| City Gallery |
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| Shop til you drop! |
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| Artsy crafty stuff to love |
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| Oriental decors for your home |
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| Snack all you want! |
It was nearly dinner time when we left Central Market. Our
last stop for the day: Petaling street in Chinatown which was just a few minutes walk away. But again we were warned by some pedestrian to keep an eye on
our belongings. Nearing Petaling, we heard the buzz and high energy of this
street. Lots and lots of stalls sell souvenirs , clothes and snacks. Tourists
and locals flock to this place. We bought some souvenir shirts (Size L at 6 Malaysian Ringgit) then looked for
a restaurant for our dinner.
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| Almost there.. |
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| People, why are you all here?! |
We chose a traditional Chinese
restaurant called Kim Lian Kee. I had their Tom Yum noodles and it was delicious. Pared with a HK style milk
tea, it was a perfect ending to my “little foodie trip.”
(Wallet Dent: Dinner for 3 at 28 Malaysian Ringgit)
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| Dinner Time |
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| Slurp! |
Back at the hotel (for the hotel review, click here) while my companions
bought beers from the 7-11 across the street (don’t bother inquiring on the
hotel’s exorbitant liquor prices), I had my “2nd dinner” from the
food cart on wheels just outside the hotel entrance. (Still not as good as that
of Hong Kong’s sorry.)
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| Food cart outside Furama Bukit Bintang Hotel |
We stayed by the food cart and had a chit chat
with the cart owner when we suddenly saw some guys shouting and running after a man. Every bystander's face was that of confusion. Later, it
turned out that those were policemen in civilian clothes ambushing and running
after a thief (a car-napper, if I understood correctly). They got him in under 2
minutes. (Wow, that was efficient!) We all stood there gaping at the scene then went on our own businesses
after it ended, but one nosy girl attempted to go near the handcuffed thief! (looking for something to post on facebook, maybe? :p)
