The surge of low budget airlines in Southeast Asia has made travel easy and spontaneous. Airlines like Cebu Pacific, Air Asia, and many more offer fares as low as fifty dollars for a return ticket. Bought my ticket on a promo few months ago with no check-in luggage, just carry on backpack good enough for a quick trip.
It's not the first time I've been to Kuala Lumpur. I watched the 2009 Malaysian Grand Prix live and went to Sunway, Genting Highland and KLCC Twin Towers that same year. This trip i'm planning to try out the Bungy jump in Sunway since it wasn't available back then.
For this trip i purchased a Lowepro Fastpack 250 which easily stores a DSLR camera and a 15 inch laptop with enough room to put a few clothes
in the top compartment.
Brunei International Airport departure area.
When arriving at the airport (LCCT) quickly go to the bus terminal to catch the bus going to KL Sentral. If it's your first time, it would help to know the bus name on your ticket because there is more than one bus company operating at the airport. For Airasia passengers, the bus name would be Skybus. Grab the advantage of paying online for the ticket while booking your flights.
Skybus to KL Sentral
Ok,
back to my trip. My friends welcomed us for dinner at a Korean
Restaurant in Ampang (Little Korea) where the owner is my friend's
English student. Quite a nice place plus it serves pork, which isn't
quite common back in Brunei.
Ampang.
The very polite and friendly owner. Koreans take the opportunity to talk to their customers and practice conversing in English.
It's nice to see old friends, catching up, recounting fun times from our trips back then. A great ending for our first night in KL. September 15, 2012.
Day 1: September 16, 2012 (Sunday)
Starting the day with complimentary breakfast from our backpackers inn which consisted of orange juice, toasted bread, butter and jam, my friends picked us up and drove to our destination for the day, Sunway Lagoon.
Paradiso Bed and Breakfast.Right at the heart of Bukit Bintang.
In front of Paradiso Bed and Breakfast.
After a few toll booths and 30 mins later, We got to our destination. It still looks like the same Sunway that I visited last 2009, with the same fun atmosphere but this time, I might be a bit nervous for the Bungy Jump.
My friend and his lovely wife, taking time to drive us around KL.Much Thanks.
Sunway Pyramid entrance guarded by mini Sphinxes.
Inside Sunway Pyramid.
I was expecting to buy freeride wheels for my longboard, but shops only sell Sector 9 sets. The real skate shops aren't found here.
Sector 9 Jay Bay around USD$400. give or take a few.
Saw some surf boards at Rip Curl. The shortboard sells around 1,000.RM
Aerial view of Sunway Lagoon from the Quicksilver shop.
The wave pool was closed to prepare for The Wanted's concert the next day. But what caught my eye was the Flow Rider in the middle. Now i couldn't wait to get inside.
Waiting in line for our pass.
Aside from paying RM100. for the all park pass, Separate fees for Karting,G-force and Bungy.
Inside the water park.Beautiful scenery.
Prepare to get wet!
Signing waivers for G-force X.
Getting ready for the slingshot bungee ride.
Here is the video footage which you can get from the Sunway crew after the ride for RM20. I added my own GoPro footage on the lower left to show another angle.
OK!!! That was fun and quite scary. Felt like falling from the sky forgetting that i was actually inside a metal cage attached to posts. I walked away trembling but still laughing out loud. Now i did sign up for Bungy/G-force combo so can't wait to try the jump. But still a bit shaky from this one so decided to go around the park first and relax.
One of the activities included in the Extreme park fee.
My favorite ride in Sunway was the Flow Rider. Included in the water park fee. Can just have around three wipeouts then your turn is done.
One of the many animals at the park in a glass cage.
Eating area. It is prohibited to bring in outside food and drinks.
A map of the whole Park. It is possible to get lost in here.
Entrance to the very long bridge.
One of the world's longest suspended pedestrian bridge.
Feels a bit scary stepping on metal bars.
So after walking around the park, I finally felt it was time for the bungy jump. It's only 21 meters they say, but when you're up there, freaky man! Imagine jumping from the world's tallest in Macau(might be my next,who knows). The crew was kind enough to help me tie my GoPro camera to the bridge for my footage. These guys really know how to let you relax, take your time then jump at your own will. There are no refunds if ever you change your mind by the way.
Notice how puny Mae is from here. (the tiny dot below the metal bar right under my left hand.)
The most difficult part was just standing with nothing to hold on, then deciding to jump, plus the bridge swayed a lot and sometimes tilting because of the weight of onlookers waiting for me to leap. An odd feeling which was new just standing on a plank then letting go with nothing to grab or save me...except of course the cord attached to my leg. It doesn't do much help mentally though. HAHA.
Archery still included in the Extreme Park. I must admit it was my first time to hold an actual bow and arrow.
Sunway mascots.
Karts, which is already pay per ride even if you pay for the All-park pass.
Pirate's Revenge. Pretty scary when it stops in mid-air, UPSIDE DOWN!
With the Bungy and G-force X Sunway Certificates.
Terminator wasn't this tall, or somebody's just too short.
There's so many other rides and attractions too many to mention, at the end of the day, it was well worth every second. This place is the perfect getaway for the family. Fun for all ages! Don't forget to visit Sunway Lagoon whenever you're in KL.
View of Sunway Pyramid from outside.
So we opted to take the bus back to KL for some little adventure. One must cross to the other side using the overpass, then wait for a bus which passes the Monorail Station. Cheaper than a taxi for sure.
At the KL Sentral Monorail Station after the bus ride from Sunway Lagoon waiting for our ride back to Bukit Bintang. Costs around RM 1.50 only.
Took time to sit and watch people. Can't find pedestrians in Brunei! Everybody drives back there.
Very relaxing, like a picnic at the park.
The gold guy. There are at least 3 of them in Bukit Bintang wearing full costume just standing and waiting for somebody to have a photo with them. By the way it's RM2.00 pero photo.Stolen shots doesn't count.
So after a long day, we decided to rest for the next day's events. Before going to sleep, had a peek from our window and see what's outside.
Now i know what the back of a billboard looks like.
Day 2: September 17, 2012 (Monday)
Malaysia Day is held September 16th every year. Well, that was yesterday, and today (Monday) is a holiday. 5:00 AM. We woke up too early for that complimentary snack err breakfast from Paradiso to purchase tickets for Genting Highland from the bus station at KL Sentral only to find out that the counter opens at 7:00AM. Taxi drivers knew the buses would be full and tried to convince us to go Genting their way, but I insisted we wait for the ticket counter to open. It did open, oh no, and yes, the taxi drivers were right, the next bus was at 11:30 AM. Luckily I met this man in his thirties (i make it sound like he's old when i'm 30 myself), going up as well with his mom to spend the holiday and asked them if they wanted to share a taxi which cost One Hundred Ringgit and we could divide it to twenty five for each person. Boom! So we were on our way early. Right on schedule.
The bus terminal at KL Sentral early dawn.
When you arrive, buy tickets for the gondola. It's not free, which is good, helps keep away bums trying to lure unsuspecting tourists into giving them stuff.
On the way up one can't miss the pungent aroma of random dried fruits and who knows what else. I'm sure they taste really nice.
Gondola platform to Genting.
The magnificent view going up. Feels like the gondola has natural air conditioning with even just a window open. If you're afraid of heights, you might find the 20 minutes plus ride to the top nauseating.
At the top.
Genting platform. Finally.
Resorts World Genting Casino. No cameras allowed, quick security guard. pose!
Tired. Early morning after breakfast.
It's very easy to get lost in Genting. So many places to go like a city within a bunch of buildings. So after breakfast at KFC (I didn't bother to take a pic) we tried to look for the Amusement Park with no signs pointing where, we just walked and walked until everything seemed familiar.
And i think this must be the way to the park.
Down we go, through the tunnel to the Theme Park.
This must be it.
Bonjour Paris. NOT. haha
We arrived a bit early. The booth opens at 10:00 AM. Even at 9:30, there was a queue of at least 20 people already, so I quickly secured my spot to purchas the All Park pass, which is RM66.00, not bad for a whole day's running around.
Ticket booth.
OK, so there has been no sign of Hershey's Kisses sold in Brunei for the past few months and have no idea why. Must take at least one pack home.
Being Asians and all, the slightest drop in temperature is considered cold, for the women must get at least a scarf. Guys don't mind, we love the fresh breeze!
Classic London double decker.
Outdoor park entrance. Here's the link for the attractions.
I'm thinking, should i ride this? Definitely!
I was excited to try my first ride, well, not this one. Too many kids my height queuing.
Parents punishing their baby. Of course i'm kidding. Jealous because i'm too big to fit this time.
Mae sees something she likes. yes you may anak.
boom! that was fast.
Lovin' it!
Another chocolate place.
It wasn't made of chocolate.
If we win, will it fit in our bag? haha.
Now i see something i like. Up the magic mountain i go.
Aerial view of Genting from the Space Shot. Click here for the description. Not for the faint
hearted. 185 feet drop. Felt worse than the bungee jump because feels like your butt is being sucked by gravity. Sick!
A foggy day at Genting. Seriously hoping it won't rain. The park closes if it does.
Getting ready for the pedal boat.
Life jacket + boat + shades. Couldn't resist.
Ok it's time to ride this.
It was dizzying.
After spending the whole morning outside, we figured it was time to go to the Indoor Park. I was already feeling a bit tired from the adrenaline rush from yesterday's Sunway trip and our day had just started.
Back inside Mae was still full of energy to go around the whole Indoor Park which was now filled with people. The lights made it feel like Christmas.
Christmas in September
Random T-Rex and Car. Stuck in the wall for no reason.
Skin art anyone?
I couldn't believe it wasn't included in the All Park pass.
After a few hours of walking around, we finally decided to go back early and catch the bus at 4PM. The Indoor Park rides are mostly for kids and it started to rain really hard, so the Genting Sky Venture was temporarily closed til the sky cleared as they had to suck in air from outside for it to work. The ticket i bought for the trip back was for the 5pm ride but the driver let us in anyway and arrived in KL Sentral to catch the monorail again to Bukit Bintang.
Tip: If you're not into kiddie rides, buy the Outdoor Theme Park pass only.
It was still early so we decided to go Putrajaya, which my friend kindly drove us again. I wasn't sure what to expect as i haven't been there before. All i knew was Putrajaya had a lot of buildings. So off we went, for around 30 kilometers from KL.The roads were great so it was a breeze.
Beautiful wide open spaces of Putrajaya.
Panoramic view.
Again, couldn't resist...haha!
The fresh breeze and calm atmosphere with great architecture is so relaxing. Not that i know anything about buildings.
So the day ended with good food back in KL. Ayam Penyet.
Day 3: September 18, 2012 Wednesday
I felt the need to wake up late today, at least only at 9 AM. So agenda would just be window shopping at Times Square which is just connected with a monorail station a few stops from Bukit Bintang, a place called Imbi. It's like ten floors of cheap shopping where in some shops can buy 2 tops for women at RM15. I bought a shirt for RM12. and that was that.
Times Square Imbi, all budget shopping.
This would be my lunch. I wish Subway shops for everyone in the world...and world peace.
So after a walking the building from top to bottom, We figured (i let my aching feet decide) it was time to visit Batu Caves. Back to KL Sentral for the train ride, which cost RM1. per person.
Buying tokens for the monorail ride from Imbi to KL Sentral.
So from the monorail station, to get to KL Sentral just cross the road to the next block then up the stairs from the bus station.
Caught the brand spanking new train one minute before it left.
The first statue when you pass from the train station side.
I have always wondered what the back of a big statue looks like.
A popular spot for rock climbers. We didn't meet any that day.
The cult of Magnum.
The stairs and the statue.
I look like an ant from this angle.
Ready to go up.
Count the steps!
Do not carry food and drinks up the stairs if you do not wish to share. These monkeys will take anything, one took my water bottle, another took Mae's popsicle from here hand!
Mr. Big Cojones.
I leave you to figure this out.
Party!
Finally.
That round thing in the center is a 'donation box'.
Stalactites
Dead end. Not too late for donations.
Resting from the long climb.
Monkeys again.
Intricate
I did not go in that part of the caves. Check it out for me when you go there will you?
Random tourist from Turkey asking around if it was ok to smoke.
Kids on a field trip.
So after spending like two hours climbing , enjoying the sights and sounds, we felt it was time to go back and do some more window shopping in KLCC. My foot was aching like hell, luckily I brought along Mae's girly flip flops which she bought in Sunway to wear during swimming.They were three sizes smaller, even so, it felt like Christmas morning,
finally feet were on vacation after wearing flat shoes for most of the trip. I felt energized probably powered by awkward stares at my feet. Limping to the train station, we caught the train from Batu Caves back to KL Sentral.
From KL Sentral, Take the Monorail to KLCC. It will stop right below the place.
Monorail token from a vending machine.
Monorail station underground tunnel to KLCC
The familiar ambience of a mall.
Right outside. Waiting for night time.The fountains usually have colored lights.
Just outside.
Metal Fish
No shoes allowed. you have to take them off to go across.
Autographed Kelly Slater stuff at the Quicksilver shop.
The fountain at night.
More fountains. This one you can walk in between.
Corny pose time.
So after a long day, it was dinner time.My friends took us to this awesome place in Bukit Bintang called Ben's where the design and furniture was simple yet very well thought of. Like wood planks with a frame made of angle bars placed properly in the room looked very modern. Even the menu was hand written, or if not, made to look like it was.
Plain wooden table with angle bars. Waiting area.
'Handwritten' menu.
We got seated at the balcony which had a nice view of Bukit Bintang.
The street below.
View on the other side.
The food was great.
Rubbing alcohol not included.
'Til next time.
Our backpackers inn was kind enough in booking us a taxi to take us to KL Sentral and catch the first bus to LCCT(Airport) at 3 a.m. with enough time to check-in for our 6:55 a.m. flight back to Brunei. I thank God for a safe and smooth trip. There are still a lot of reasons to go back and visit KL in the future. I hope you enjoyed reading and looking at photos of my trip and has inspired you to go on your own adventure.Cheers!
