When I got to know that I will be traveling to Malaysia I was enthralled. I have been promoting the destination in India for under six months and was keen to see the country which is billed as "Truly Asia" (this is also its tourism tagline).

Just few minutes before landing at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) after a journey of nearly 5 hours, I peeped outside the window and saw the sunrise, yellow and golden streaks of the sun were piercing through the dense cloud cover, how beautiful that was. Unfortunately my camera was in my check-in luggage, but I did manage to get a picture of the sky just after the sunrise.



KLIA was recently rated as one of the best airports in the world in 2007 according to a survey conducted by the UK-based aviation research organisation Skytrax.

Airports are gateways to countries and when the airport is a world architectural marvel you can imagine what to expect from the city. Malaysia was celebrating its 50th year of independence and that was the reason why we all were invited to witness the event. We were escorted by our very jovial Chinese tour guide, who took us around the place. I came for this trip with an open mind, and each day was a surprise in itself.

Kuala Lumpur (KL), the capital of Malaysia, has managed to retain its old world charm or pre-independence heritage sites along with its stunning skyscrapers. What a contrasting experience indeed. I was quite impressed seeing the amount of trees on the roadside, it wasn't just a concrete jungle but had vast patches of greenery as well.
The roads are magnificent, in order to understand what I am talking about, Formula 1 Grand Prix takes place in Sepang (KL) every year, but with the kind of roads they have, you can have a F1 race any where in the city.

Just outside Hotel Quality (where I was put up) I caught a glimpse of the Malaysian Independence day rehearsal parade with army troops marching past and tankers rolling down the roads, amid applause from the crowd watching them go by.



Attractions in Kuala Lumpur

The first stop in KL was the Handicraft complex at Jalan Conlay. As the name suggests its a one-stop shop for any craft-related activities and programmes.

The complex is huge with different areas like - The Craft Museum, The Craft Village, Craft boutique and Artists' Colony. The Craft Boutique is the place where locals sell Batik items, which Malaysia is known for.

Batik is a dyeing technique used on textiles, and you will find lot of Malaysians wearing clothes with Batik prints. They are composed of flower motifs, twining plants, leaves and buds, birds, butterflies, fish, geometric forms with patterns that are really colourful and pretty. Apart from textiles, the boutique also had items for personal adornment, interior decor, glassware, souvenirs etc.

I didn't really shop there, as I was more interested in exploring the entire complex. I came across these musicians making sounds through rows of bamboo sticks, or a long pipe, which was rhythmic and foot-tapping.
Malaysian Bamboo Music Artist

A walk around the complex and I came across some beautiful plants and flowers.




Then I moved into the Craft Village, where one can also learn about Malaysian handicraft through craft demonstrations & hands-on interactive sessions to draw batik prints.
It's a perfect place for kids as well to show their creativity.

From Handicraft Complex around 20 minutes away by road is Central Market. It is located along Jalan Benteng off Jalan Hang Kasturi, near the Klang Bus Stand. This sky blue colonial building was a major wet market for fresh produce in the early years. After undergoing renovation in 1980s it has become an arts and cultural centre.
Local artists exhibit their work by selling antiques, souvenirs like the famous Petronas Twin Tower miniatures, Asian artefacts, handicrafts etc. As you enter the market you can see the colonial architecture, which is very unlike a modern mall or a shopping complex.
I bought a t-shirt and Chinese print pants from here at a reasonable price, around RM 30 for the pants (approx Rs 360) and RM 20 (approx Rs 240) for the top. Prices are generally good for what's on offer.

The colourful buildings outside Central market.
After seeing the cultural sites, it was time to visit the most distinctive and prominent landmark of the country - The Menara KL Tower Amidst the city of Kuala Lumpur stands the majestically poised tower at a breathtaking height of 421 metres. This communication tower, which was constructed in 1995 to improve the quality of transmission and telecommunications, is the fifth tallest tower in the world, the other four being CN Tower in Canada at 553m, Ostankino Tower in Russia at 537m, Oriental Pearl Tower in China at 468m and the Borj-e Milad in Iran.

This is the view from the stairwell leading to the restaurants in the upper area.
Dinner was arranged by the tourism authorities in a revolving restaurant -Restorant Berputar Seri Angkasa - located at Level Two of the KL 'Tower Head'. (pic 88,90) This marvellous restaurant is at a height of 282 meters above ground level, and the view at night is simply stunning.(pic 92, 94) You get a bird's eye view of the city and also the imposing Petronas Twin Towers in the background.


A wide array of local food and continental cuisine is available here. The food was delectable with a lot of choices for non-vegetarians, I being a vegetarian had limited choices. I ate pastas, different kinds of cheese (as I love cheese) and bit of rice with some veg dishes.

Seeing the matchless view I was on my feet most of the time clicking pictures from different angles and attempting to get the right settings, as the lighting is dim and you have a glass cover in front of you.But that was fun, as I nearly moved all around the restaurant trying to get a picture of the Twin Towers. I saw many expatriates here enjoying their dinner and the ambience.

At night KL Tower becomes a spectacle with different coloured lights flashing on its facade.


Batu Caves

The following day after breakfast we headed to Batu Caves, the limestone caves situated 13 kilometres north of KL on the outskirts of the city. It is a major pilgrim centre for the Hindu community in Malaysia. They were discovered 100 years ago. At the entrance of the cave there is a huge 50-feet tall statue of Lord Murugan or Kartikeya, son of Lord Shiva.
The 400 meters long and 100 meter high limestone caves actually consists of three main caves and a few smaller ones.(pic 148) The biggest is the Temple Cave, it has a 100m-high ceiling, and features ornate Hindu shrines. To reach it, we had to climb a steep flight of 272 steps. Each step is numbered here.
On entering the caves I saw a Indian priest (pujari) performing some rituals. He asked me where I had come from and was more than happy to pose for a snap.On arrival you will be greeted by long tailed-macaque monkeys, some carrying their babies and some feeding on some snatched food. So be careful if you are carrying any food items with you. Our Chinese tour guide - Steven, gave us useful information about the caves and its significance among the Hindus mainly the Tamil community. Every year Hindus celebrate Thaipusam festival (January-February) at Batu Caves when thousands of devotees throng the place. The festival commemorates both the birthday of Lord Murugan (whose temple is in the caves), the youngest son of Shiva and Parvati, and the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a vel (lance) so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman.
As a form of penance or sacrifice, many of them carry kavadis (literally, 'burden' such as a pitcher or jug). These are large, brightly decorated frameworks, usually combined with various metal hooks and skewers which are used to pierce the skin, cheeks and tongue. By doing this the devotees expect fulfillment of their wishes or prayers. Read more on Thaipusam festival

However, this time of the year there weren't many people, except tourists. The main temple cave had several smaller temples with deities performing the daily puja or rituals. The place is sparkling clean with some unique rock formations.



I visited Lord Murugan's temple at the end of the cave, and offered my prayers. The place had a different feel to it, like there is a mystic energy flowing around the place.
Below the temple cave is the Dark Cave, near step 204. One has to take guided tours of 30-40 minutes to enter the cave as it is pitch dark, and you need to wear a helmet, head light and bootst. I got to know this only when I went to enter the cave and was stopped by a woman working for Malaysian Nature Society. People aren't allowed inside alone as there parts where you have to creep, crawl and slide. The cave has around 7 chambers, each with its own special features - stalagmite, stalactites, flowstone, cave pearls, curtain, column etc. Plus there are also different kinds of creatures who reside in the cave. It's worth experiencing the dark side, but due to time constraints I had to skip this. The cost of the tour is RM 35 (adult) and RM 25 (child below 10 years).



Next stop - Genting Highlands

Other posts on Malaysia:

Genting Highlands: A Misty Ride

Eye on Malaysia

Malaysia's Independence (Merdeka) Day

Aquaria KLCC - A Unique Experience

A Jungle Trek & a Cultural Show in Kuala Lumpur

Putrajaya & the International Fireworks Competition

Cameron Highlands: A Walk in the Clouds

Cameron Highlands - A Botanical Paradise