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Deciding on what clothes to pack for a long trip is always a careful and thoughtful process for me.
I usually start by putting together a pile of all the clothes that I would love to bring on the trip. More often than not, I end up with a pile too big to fit in my backpack. So, I start the process of eliminating less essential items or as I call them, “backpacking luxuries.”
I am guided with the lightpacking mantra, “If in doubt, leave it out!”
My clothes OC-ly folded into packing cubes.
Our short visit to Putrajaya was one of the most memorable moments during our Singapore – Malaysia overland trip last year.
The first time I saw a photo of Putrajaya’s Seri Wawasan Bridge, I was instantly drawn at the asymmetric design and elegant lines of its cable stays.
Why was there such a magnificent structure “hidden” at an unfamiliar place in Malaysia? My curiosity and lack of awareness inadvertently led me to discover this city called Putrajaya.
First view of the Seri Wawasan Bridge on the taxi ride to Putrajaya
The skybridge tour at the Petronas Twin Towers is actually offered for free. The problem was that a limited number of tickets was offered per day. To get these tickets, we’d have to be at the ticket booth really early in the morning. I’ve read that at 8am, the queue really starts to swell up and if we arrive later, there’s a high chance that we’d have to wait in line for hours just to have our 15-minute skybridge tour.
We set our alarm at 5AM. Really really early especially since we returned to the hotel past midnight leaving us barely 5 hours of sleep.
When I woke up, I was shocked to find out that it was already a quarter to 8am. Our attempt to get in line early was an epic fail. Much to our relief, our aunt sent us a message that she was already at the ticket booth waiting in line for us. Yay, we were still on track :) One person can reserve up to 5 tickets for the Petronas Twin Towers Skybridge tour.
Morning view of the Suria Mall and Petronas Twin Towers from across the fountain area
Seeing the colossal twin spires of the Petronas Towers from afar, it was undeniable that we’ve finally arrived in the city of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
When I had just developed a fascination for modern man-made megastructures, the Petronas Twin Towers held the spot as the tallest building in the world. Getting to see it in person was like a culmination of a childhood desire.
Although I’ve just briefly seen it behind the glass window of the bus and monorail ride, I was already appeased because we were already in KL and I knew it was just a matter of time before I could finally see it up close.
Welcome sight of the Petronas Twin Towers during the bus ride to KL
It was already a quarter to six in the afternoon. At this time, I’m usually scrambling for a good spot to take sunset photos. In KL (and the rest of West Malaysia and Singapore), however, sunsets happen very late in the day. The sky was still very bright, which afforded us time to travel from Bukit Bintang in Kuala Lumpur city center to the Batu Caves.
The Batu Caves is a limestone hill famous for being home to a Hindu shrine built within its spacious caverns. It’s one of the most popular tourist attractions in Kuala Lumpur. From Agora Hotel in Bukit Bintang, we took the KL monorail to Bukit Nanas Station then changed to the Rapid KL line at Dang Wangi Station and dropped off at the Gombak Rapid KL Station.
Yeah, caves were quite far from the city center. From Gombak Station, Batu Caves was a final 20 minute taxi ride away.
Witnessing the sunset at Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
After a quick walking tour of Melaka, we continued our journey to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
We waited for bus #17 at the Dutch Square (in front of Tang Beng Swee Clock Tower). The bus route looped between Melaka City Center and Melaka Bus Terminal, .
Travel Time took around 30 minutes (RM1.50 fare). On our way to Melaka Sentral, the bus passed by a few interesting spots outside the city center such as the Eye on Malaysia Giant Ferris Wheel and Chinese district with narrow streets lined with old shop houses.
We arrived in Melaka, Malaysia in the dead of night. It was only around 9 in the evening but the city looked like it had already gone past its bedtime. The shady city blocks drastically turned to a new light come morning.
Visiting Melaka was more of my idea. Given my liking for old cities, it was a place I’d totally prioritize if I were traveling solo.
We only allotted an hour (two hours tops) for an early morning walking tour of Melaka. It was too short, I know, but we wanted to leave early so we could spend as much time as possible in the capital, Kuala Lumpur, for our first time experience in Malaysia.
Early morning at the Melaka River in Melaka, Malaysia
As soon as we got off the bus at KLCC, we went straight to Suria KLCC Mall located at the base of the Petronas Twin Towers. Walking under the imposing twin spires was exhilarating as ever. I was still awed by the Petronas Twin Towers even though it has already been overthrown as the “tallest building in the world” and continue to drop in rank among the world’s tallest. I still marvel at its beautiful architecture - an awe-inspiring blend of steel and glass in a well-balanced fusion of curves and edges. We spent most of our time taking photos of the Petronas Twin Towers during our stop at the KLCC. There wasn’t anything remarkable with the mall itself. The Philippines has been blessed with best “mall experience” in the region, in my opinion.
Getting to Suria KLCC Mall in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
The KL Tower along with the Petronas Twin Towers are two of the most recognizable landmarks of Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Going up the skybridge of the Petronas Twin Towers was one of the highlights during my trip to KL last year. This time, I had the chance to go up the KL Tower observation deck. Kewl! Another chance to enjoy an aerial view of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
421-meter KL Tower, the 7th tallest freestanding structure in the world
In the Philippine Ilonggo dialect, ambot ah literally means "I don't know." After graduating in college, I decided to hold off pursuing my profession and embarked on a free spirited journey of adventure and self-discovery. My travels have led me to many places across the Philippine Islands and South East Asia. I don't know where this path will take me but I'm certain I'll get a lifetime of stories out of it.
