Malaysia Travel Information

GETTING TO MALAYSIA:
Malaysia is easily accessible with more than 30 major international airlines operating services to the airports of Kuala Lumpur, Penang, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching while Port Klang and Penang are its main entry points by the sea. There are excellent road and rail links.

ENTRY FORMALITIES:
Visitors to Malaysia must be in possession of valid passport/travel documents with a minimum validity of 6 months beyond the period of intended stay.

VISA REQUIREMENTS:

Commonwealth citizens (with exceptions) do not need a visa to enter Malaysia.
Nationals of ASEAN countries do not require a visa for a social and business visit not exceeding one month.

CUSTOMS:
Items such as video equipment, cameras, radio cassette players, watches, pens, lighters, perfumes and cosmetics are duty free in Malaysia. Visitors bringing in dutiable goods may have to pay deposit for temporary importation, refundable on departure.

AIRPORT TAX:
An airport tax RM5.00 and RM40.00 is charged upon departure for all passengers of domestic and international flights, respectively.

DRUG TRAFFICKING:
Trafficking in illegal drugs carries the death penalty.

BUSINESS HOURS:
Government offices are open from 8 a.m. up to 4.15 p.m on Monday-Friday and 8 a.m up to 12:45 pm on Saturdays with Sunday a day of rest.
Banking hours are generally from 10am up to 3pm from Monday to Friday and 9:30 am up to 11 am on Saturdays.
Department stores and supermarkets are open daily from 10am up to 10pm.

LANGUAGE:
Bahasa Malaysia is the national language but English is widely spoken. Other main languages are Chinese and Tamil.

CLIMATE:
Generally warm throughout the year with temperature ranging from 21C to 32C. Humidity is high all year round.

WHAT TO WEAR:
Light, cool and casual clothing is recommended all year round.

TIME:
Malaysia is 8 hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and 16 hours ahead of United States Pacific Standard Time.

NEW CURRENCY CONTROL LAW:
With effect from 1 October 1998, all travellers are required to fill in the Travellers Declaration Form (TDF) on arrival/departure.

Residents and Non-Residents are allowed to bring in not more than RM1,000 in cash and an unlimited amount of foreign currency.

TIPPING:
Most hotels and restaurants impose 10% service charge and 5% government tax on on their bills, so tipping is often not necessary.

Electricity & Water:
Electricity used is 22-240 volts at 50 cycles. Tap water is safe for human consumption.

Health Regulations:
Visitors from yellow fever-infected areas and several African and Latin American countries must produce yellow fever vaccination certificates.

Hawkers in Bukit Bintang

The next day was our flight going back home to Manila. Overall, Kuala Lumpur is the city I feel so comfortable and it's easy to get around there. The people, despite from different races (Malay, Chinese and Indian), has a very good harmonious relationship.

I can't forget the Chinese street vendors and hawkers in Bukit Bintang area. Actually at first, I had a certain preconceived notions about the outdoor setting. The place is crammed full everyday especially at night. The tables are right next to each other so practically there's no elbow room at all. (picture grabbed from travelasia)

This is not a flashy and fancy looking eatery. But Hawker stalls offer flavorsome variety of food, value for money (price ranges from MYR 8 to 10) and serves really fast. Surprisingly, I actually lve all the food that we ordered. And these are the reasons why we visited the place many times. Without doubt, Chinese street hawker has something to offer for every gastronome out there.

Next: Malaysia Travel Information >>>

BATU CAVE

Going to Batu Cave was "on-our-own" itinerary. We tried to follow the directions on the Lonely Planet guide, so we tried the public bus but unfortunately we spent our precious time wandering. Thus, we just decided to get a taxicab.

Batu Cave is located about 13 km. to the north of Kuala Lumpur. They are the sacred place for the Hindu's in Malaysia.

It took us roughly 20 minutes. When we arrived, we saw this large wooden frame posted at the main entrance arch...



The main ground of Batu Cave... there are many restaurants and souvenir shops around the area.

Batu Cave consist of three main caves and a number of smaller ones. The caves are made of limestone and 400 meters long and 100 meter high.

An Audio tour is available to visitors. At the base of the hill are two more cave templed, Art Gallery Cave and Museum Cave, both of which are full of Hindu statues and paintings.

The highlight of festivities held in Batu Caves is the annual Hindu Festival of Thaipusam, which attracts devotees and the curious tourist and spectator to the caves. Many devotees carry kavadis, large frameworks with various metal skewers and hooks, which are used to pierce the skin, cheeks and toungue. So, if you're feeling adventurous and fearless, go visit this place during the festival.

A sign is posted to alert the visitors (Beware of Monkeys)...



To reach the cave, we completed the 272 steps. Phew!


And I got quite nervous of all the long tailed-macaque monkeys greeting everybody at the staircase. I stopped frequently when I suddenly caught sight of a monkey looking at me intensely (as if he has a devilish plan ticking in his head). But thank God, his attention was diverted when someone came up. And I got the chance to fast snap shot some photos ( I was really holding my breath hoping he won't notice me, hehehe). Fortunately, this long-tailed brat was too busy munching...


and too busy looking for food...


These monkeys are very aggressive and a little mischievous, so be careful!


The best known and biggest cave is the Temple Cave or Cathedral Cave.



When we entered into the dark cavern, we suddenly saw a long vibrant streaks of light coming down from the cave ceiling.



There were several Hindu shrines and idols lining the cave walls on both sides, beneath its 100m vaulted ceiling. I saw Hindu couples carrying their child for some sort of religious ceremony or possibly a part of a purification ritual. And there were also many Hindus offering prayers to their revered dieties.

We climbed for another short flight of stairs to see the inner cave...



Address:
Batu Caves
13 km. to the north of Kuala Lumpur

NEXT: Hawkers in Bukit Bintang Area >>>

PETALING STREET: KL'S CHINATOWN

Petaling Street is Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown, where you can find all things pirated branded products, and large selection of local Chinese food and Chinese herbal and medicines. The area has dozens of restaurants and food stalls, serving local favorites. Traders here are mainly Chinese, but there are also Indian, Malay, and Bangladeshi traders.

The entire street is closed to traffic during the afternoons as vendors set up stalls to peddle various merchandise, food and electronics. The place is usually crowded with locals as well as tourists.

Since the area is frequently jammed, taking a train from any LRT station is recommended. You disembark at the Pasar Seni station and walk on foot for a few minutes to reach Petaling Street.

Ed and I had been here twice. Our last visit was around 7pm for the night market, and surprisingly the sun was still up. We were not able to buy goods because our 'Divisoria' market in Manila is far better than this one. And I had to master the "art of haggling" since a lot of vendors tend to double and even triple their price.

The night market (photo grabbed from sui sui) ...


I had to be cautious with my belongings too because the street tends to get crowded and snatchers might just be around. We even witnessed a snatcher being mugged by the crowd but fortunately the police came immediately and pacified the place.

Next: Batu Cave >>>

BERJAYA TIMES SQUARE

Berjaya Times Square is tagged as the 'World's largest building ever built in a single phase', with 7.5 million square feet of built up floor area.

Entering the main entrance, we were greeted by a modern and huge shopping mall. Generally the walkways are wide and spacious. It has 12 levels of unparalleled shopping (300 retail outlets, 1 department store & 1 supermarket), luxury accommodation, business, fine food and beverage of cafes, bistros, restaurants and fast food outlets.

And abundant entertainment such as bowling alley center, 9-screen cineplex, the largest indoor theme park located on floors 5,6,7 and 8, with the entrance on level 5, and Malaysia's first ever- IMAX 2D & 3D theater. Open from Monday to Sunday 10am to 10pm.

Berjaya Times Square was the first location that teams of The Amazing Race Asia 1 had to visit and complete a task of abseiling from the 8th floor of the mall.

Address:
Berjaya Times Square
No 1 Jalan Imbi,
55100 Kuala Lumpur

NEXT: Petaling Street-KL's Chinatown >>>

KL MONORAIL

The famous KL Monorail is too small and very cute to look at. We did get to ride the monorail on a few occasions and we just loved it.

The monorail connects KL Sentral with major hotels and shopping malls in the city. The starting point of KL Monorail is situated about 100 metres away from the KL Sentral Station. With a total of 11 fully elevated stations, the KL Monorail is currently capable of handling up to a maximum 5,000 passengers per hour per direction (PPHPD), operating at 3 minutes headway with 12 numbers of 2-car trains. Operating hours is from 6:00am to 12:00 midnight.

A train approaching the station...


The KL Monorail operation is semi-automatic with full fail-safe, train protection. Its vehicle is also designed to be highly resistant to fire, toxic fumes and gases. There is a Back-up power failure. All trains are operated by a driver positioned at the head of the train for passenger comfort and assurance. Nevertheless, the operations of these trains are monitored at each individual station and a Control Center equipped with full fail-safe train technology system. Straddly type monorail systems are inherently quiet therefore it is noise free.

Here I am at the train station...


The KL Monorail Fare is from RM1.20 to RM2.50 depending on distance. Commuters may use Touch 'n Go cards as an alternate method of payment to access monorail services.

KL Monorail offers RM20 and RM50 Stored Value Tickets which allows a last bonus ride with whatever remaining balance in ticket value. Tickets are available at all KL Monorail stations.

NEXT: Berjaya Times Square >>>

MENARA KUALA LUMPUR

Fourth Day (PM)

We spent a languid late afternoon at Menara Kuala Lumpur (known also as KL Tower). It is the tallest concrete tower in the world and the tallest communications tower in Southeast Asia.


Currently, Menara Kuala Lumpur is the fourth tallest telecommunications tower in the world after the CN Tower of Canada, Ostantiko Tower of Russia and Oriental Pearl Tower of Shanghai, China.

Acting as the country's main telecommunications and multimedia broadcasting tower, KL Tower is situated atop Bukit Nanas at 94m above sea level, on a higher ground than Petronas Twin Towers.


We admired the lavished intricate glass of Muqarnas architecture (the extravagant Islamic motifs), at the lobby entrance, lift lobby and soffit of the tower head.

After we bought our ticket, we went to the theatrette (ground floor), and we watched an interesting 15 minutes docu-video that covers everything about the tower's construction.

On the ground floor, there are also an amphitheater, a prayer room, ticketing counters, booths and several shops selling various souvenir items and 'a scene to believe' digital studio (amazing studio for simply out-of-this-world photographs).

After watching the film, we headed and took one of the four express elevators to the Observation Deck.


As soon we entered, the staff gave us an Audio guide that provides comprehensive information of the City Skyline. Currently the Audio Guide is available in nine languages, which is English, Bahasa Malaysia, Mandarin, Cantonese, french, German, Japanese, Arabic, and Thai.



The tower head has 8 floors that include an observation platfrom, a revolving restaurant, a telecommunication, a building service floor, a broadcast station and a meteorological station.

Radiating the city sky, the picturesque Menara Kuala Lumpur is the sparkling jewel above the city of lights.



At a soaring height of 421 metres and overlooking the glorious view of the rising metropolis of Malaysia.



There is a tower terrace in the ground floor, you can relax to the sounds of a cascading pool and mist fans cooling you down.




Admission: (as of 2007)
Malaysians: RM8 (adults)
RM3 (Children 4-12 years)
RM6 (Senior Citizen 55 years and above)

Non-Malaysians: RM20 (Adults)
RM10 (Children)
RM17 (Senior Citizens)

Free for children ages 3 and below.

Opening Hours:
*THE TOWER
9:00am - 10:oopm on Monday-Friday
9:30am - 10pm on Saturday, Sunday & Public Holidays

Restaurants:
Seri Angkasa Revoving Restaurant: Open daily
12:00pm - 2:30pm for lunch
6:30pm - 11:00pm for dinner

d' Tandoor: 12 noon-10:00pm
Chakri White Knight Caffe: 10:00 am -6:00 pm
Modesto: 12 noon - 10:00pm

ADDRESS:
Menara Kuala Lumpur SDN. BHD
Jalan Punchak, Off Jalan P. Ramlee,
50250 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
E-Mail: menara@menarakl.com.my

NEXT: KL Monorail >>>

PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS

Fourth Day:

Hubby and I skipped our breakfast and headed to Petronas Twin Towers early in the morning.

(photo: the towers viewed from afar)

We walked from our hotel to Petronas. We arrived around 7:20 am; we proceeded to concourse level (in front of Maybank). There were around 15 people in line already (good thing for us). But the Sky Bridge visit entry point was still closed. And before I knew it... queues for free entrance tickets start enormously forming early by 8:00 am.

Admission tickets are available on a first come first serve basis from 8:30 am. Only 1,300 tickets are issued per day. Each visitor is entitled to only one ticket, and one ticket entitles to only one admission. Visiting hours are from 9:00 am to 7:00 pm daily except Mondays. No tickets are issued for advance dates of visits.

After waiting for almost more than an hour, we finally got our chance to go up on this famous SkyBridge.


We were divided into groups around 10-12 people per session. We were brought on the bottom 41st floor, the sky bridge that connects the Petronas Twin Towers at KLCC.


While the top level is off-limits. Both were put in place for the safety of the workers, as it can be used as an escape route from one building to the other for the upper level employees.

We had a bird's eye view of the city (170 meters above the ground).

Here we are inside the sky bridge...

They gave us only 15 minutes to be up there, but it was more than enough time for us to catch a few great pictures without rushing it. Viewing starts at every 15 minutes interval from 9:00 to 9:15 to 9:30 etc...

From its front-central-base entrance.



Completed in 1996, the 88-storey PETRONAS Twin Towers stand tall at 452 meters above level. The structures are currently the tallest twin towers in the world.


The Towers are significant landmark symbolizing this progressive, modern city and representing the pride of the nation.

Here's how this skyscraper stacks up against the biggest skyscraper in the world. (height in feet)


Visiting the Petronas Twin Towers was the one thing that I was excited or anxious about in Kuala Lumpur! Aside from being the world-renowned icon of modern Malaysia, it has been featured in the most notably blockbuster 1999 film "Entrapment" starring Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta Jones.

Petronas Twin Towers at night.

Taken from the Menara Tower.

The front facade of the towers.

Outside the building is a park with jogging and walking paths, a fountain with incorporated light show, wading pools, and a children's playground.

A quote by the building's main architect:

According to Lao Tse, the reality of a hollow objects is in the void and not in the walls that define it. He was speaking, of course, of spiritual realities. These are the realities also of the Petronas Towers. The power of the void is increased amd made more explicit by the pedestian bridge that... with its supporting structure creates a portal to the sky... a door to the infinite." - Cesar Pelli, architect (1995)

Fast Facts:

• It took 36,910 tons of steel to build the Petronas Towers. That's heavier than 3,000 elephants!
• It takes 90 seconds to travel from the basement parking lot to the top of each tower.
• Together, the towers have 32,000 windows. It takes window washers an entire month to wash each tower just once!

Vital Statistics:
Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Completion Date: 1998
Cost: $1.6 billion
Height: 1,483 feet
Stories: 88
Materials: Concrete, Steel
Facing Materials: Aluminum, Stainless Steel
Engineer(s): Thornton-Tomasetti and Ranhill Bersekutu

After the tour, we visited the Gift Shop at the lower level, just opposite the Skybridge Visit Entry Point. It is open everyday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Then we took a taxi going back to our hotel. And sad to say, I forgot and lost my new Nokia limited edition cellphone at the cab. Aarrgh!

Next: Menara Kuala Lumpur >>>

PUTRAJAYA

Entering into Putrajaya is like visiting a totally new country of its own. This is one of the nicest place I've seen in Malaysia. Putrajaya is an awesome sight. The first thing I noticed the minute we entered Putrajaya, was the unique lamp posts on the street, the clean surroundings, the well-planned city's design and superb examples of architecture.

Putrajaya is an administration centre of Malaysia that is located in the Multimedia Super corridor (MSC) area. It covers an area of 4,931 hectares of land, situated 25 kilometers from the capital city of Kuala Lumpur in the north and 20 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) at Sepang in the south. The development of Putrajaya marks a new chapter in the history of modern city planning in Malaysia. It is set to be a model garden city with sophisticated information network base on multimedia technologies. Termed as Malaysia's first Intelligent Garden City, Putrajaya will become a vital development catalyst due to the role it will assume as a model city - as the nerve center of the nation and an ideal place to live, work, conduct business and engage in sports and recreational activities.

"Putra" means prince, while "jaya" means excellent or success.


The Putra Mosque, or Masjid Putra in Malay language, is the principal mosque of Putrajaya, Malaysia.

Situated inside Putrajaya, next to a lake, it incorporates Islamic architecture from countries such as Turkestan, Kazakzstan and Morocco. The mosque is huge! Consists of 116m tall minaret and can accomodate 15,000 people. One of the striking features of the minaret is that it was designed after the Sheikh Oman Mosque in Baghdad. It's five-tiers representing five pillars of Islam and its five calls to prayer. Within its premises are the VIP Room Gallery, the Al-Quran Manuscript Museum, a library, auditorium and exhibition hall as well as seminar room. It also has a large courtyard called the Sahn. Dedicated to commemorate the life of the Prophet. The main entrance to the mosque is patterned after the gates of Persia. Twelve columns support the 36 meter diameter main dome. In front of the mosque is a large square with flagpoles flying Malaysian state's flags.

Here we are in the courtyard of the Putra Mosque. We (women) were asked to wear these pretty-in-pink gowns in order to be admitted.


Free entry, open everyday from 9Am to 5PM. Non-Muslims may not enter the mosque building itself during prayer hours.


This Sri Wawasan Bridge, a two-tier bridge is based on the Islamic design of the Khaju Bridge at Isfahan, in Turkey.


This futuristic cable-stayed bridge which has a sail ship appearance, connects Precinct 2 on the Core Island to the residential area od Precinct 8. 280 metre in length, its upper tier is used for normal trafic flow while its lower tier is designed as a service tunnel, for light train transit system and a pedestrian walkway.


The Perdana Putra is a building complex in Putrajaya which houses the Malaysian Prime Minister office complex.


It is one of the most distinguished landmarks. Located next to the Putra Mosque, its over looking the main boulevard, the Putra Lake and also the Sri Wawasan Bridge. The structural design is is influenced by Malay, Islamic and European cultures such as Palladian and Neoclasscism.


The European styled Istana Darul Ehsan aka Darul Ehsan Palace is one the official royal residences of the Sultan of Selangor.


Although the exterior is plain grey in color, opulent, to the highest degree, the interior is done in gold, cream and subdued yellow. The grand doors open to a large lobby contructed in a semi-ceircle.

Istana Darul Ehsan is split into six storey and serviced by lifts. There are number of rooms within the palace including the sultans well-guarded private quarters and his personal library.

The grand lobby area of Istana Darul Ehsan, is made out of glossy marble floors offer a mirror image and are spotless clean. This building is not open to the public.


The Menara PjH, the Putrajaya Holdings Sdn Bhd Headquarters, is a stunning headquarters for the developer of the new federal administrative center.


Situated strategically in the centre old Putrajaya development area, just adjacent to the famous lake in Putrajaya, the building offers a beautiful scenic view to the tenant. Standing tall with 9 storey high and decorated in light brown color with unique glass windows.


Putrajaya has now become a very famous tourist attraction in Malaysia because of its uniqueness. This place really totally amazed me. I was often caught gaping at it in sheer fascination.

Public transportation within Putrajaya is woefully inadequate, as distance are long and you need wheels to get around. I suggest you join an organized and guided tour.

Next: Melaka, Malaysia >>>

Ripleys Believe It or Not!

Genting Highland Part IV:

I felt chilled and thrilled at the same time when we decided to try the Ripley's Haunted Adventure. We didn't know what to expect. And it looks unique because there was a wooden cage that was raised mechanically in a vertical shaft in order to transport people up to the top.

But unfortunately it was a little bit of a let down. It was just okay... nothing unique or different compared to other haunted houses. Entrance Fee is Rm18 for adults and RM15 for children 7-12 years old (Price as of 2007) .

Operating hours: 10 am - 10 pm daily

*******

Then, we went to Ripley's Believe it or not! Museum. There are works of art made from everyday objects, incredible collections and strange hobbies.


There are exhibits from the multi-faceted world of science and presentations of elaborate rituals from exotic religions and cultures. There are also illusions, state of the art technology, videos and special effects.

Here are just some pictures to show you the wonders that are on display in there....



The luckiest chair in the world, made of lucky horseshoes. May these lucky horseshoes bring us more blessings, good health, good fortune, good luck and protection. Amen!



The magic mirror...

Unbelievable Strength...