Malaysia is a Southeast Asian country occupying parts of the Malay Peninsula and the island of Borneo. It's known for its beaches, rainforests and mix of Malay, Chinese, Indian and European cultural influences. The capital, Kuala Lumpur, is home to colonial buildings, busy shopping districts such as Bukit Bintang and skyscrapers such as the iconic, 451m-tall Petronas Twin Towers.
Capital: Kuala Lumpur
Dialing code: +60
Currency: Malaysian ringgit
I had booked my flight ticket to Kuala Lumpur ahead of two months of my trip and got a best air fare from Air Asia. My flight AK 52 departed on time i. e. 11.30 pm from Bengaluru International Airport. After 4 hours of journey our flight landed at Kuala Lumpur International Airport Terminal 2 around 6.00 am. I had an E-Visa with me which I obtained from https://www.windowmalaysia.my/evisa/evisa.jsp. My visa was ready within 24 hours after submitting all documents through their site. The visa will be in two different formats so it can be easily accessed by Immigration officers at the port of departure and arrival. Although, there was a long queue at the immigration i patiently waited for my passport to be stamped. Once I am done with bio-metric at the same counter of immigration my passport was stamped. After collecting the luggage I walked towards the taxi stand at the basement. There are plenty of prepaid taxis from the airport to city costing around MYR 80. I would recommend not to book the taxi from the hotels as they charge you high price whereas, prepaid taxis from the airport are very convenient and budget friendly.
Kuala Lumpur, Bukit Tinggi, Genting Highlands, Putrajaya
After one hour of drive to the city i reached my hotel but I had to wait for an hour at the hotel lobby as they did not had any rooms to offer me as i arrived early morning. Therefore, its always better to check your flight timings and hotel check-in timings as you will be tiered and just want to hit the bed. The hotel staff managed to give me a room with out any extra charges for early check-in. My hotel Citin Seacare Pudu was located at one of the better locations which was accessible to China Market, Central Market and Pudu night street by walk. Even the metro station was nearby. I had booked Heritage and Cultural sightseeing from the travel counter at the hotel lobby. I felt that it was bit expensive as you might you will find some cheaper rates if you walk around the nearby streets, so I did not book other sight seeings from them as I got a better deal outside. On the first day evening I walked to the Central Market and got some nice shoes and bag. I also bought some souvenirs for my friends and colleagues as this a best place to buy things compare to other places and it was cheaper too. On the way you can also make a visit to China Market where you will find some China made clothes and accessories. After doing some shopping and a nice sandwich I came back to hotel and took a goodnight sleep.
On the second day, as I got up late I missed my free breakfast and I had to rush for my day trip. The driver was very friendly and took me to major tourist spots in the Kuala Lumpur such as Buddhist Temple, Royal Palace, India street, Batu Cave, Chocolate Factory, National Park, Freedom Monument and of course to the famous Twin Towers. I also went to the to the observation gallery of KL Tower. The view was breathtaking. After a delicious lunch I was dropped back to the hotel and took a nap for an hour or two. In the evening, I went to the famous Pudu night street where you will find plenty of outdoor food cafes, street performers, henna artists, live bands and many more.
Next day, I had booked a sightseeing to French and Japanese Villages located at Bukit Tinggi. It is a small town in the Bentong district of Pahang. This small town is located along Karak Expressway, notable for its famous restaurants that lure visitors coming from Genting Highlands. Japanese Village is a good place to view an interpretation of a Japanese Garden with a running stream like a small waterfall and Japanese Koi fish as well as the renting of Kimono for those who likes to dress up like the traditional Japanese for a photo shoots. Not very big and can complete viewing in less than half an hour on a very slow stroll and hike up the path. There is nominal fee to enter this village. After seeing the natures beauty our car headed towards the French village where you can see typical French buildings along with a tower at the end of the village. French Villages consists many restaurants I believe it is bit over priced. Our driver/tour guide gave me a better offer to visit Genting Highlands which is just few kilometers away from Bukit Tinggi. It was worth it, as soon we reached the cable car station to reach up on the hill my driver left me to tour alone and he waited at the parking slot until i finish my sight seeing. I took a ticket for standard Gondola for MYR 8 each ride. The cable car ride was awesome and it started raining as we were near to the last station. Once you reach at the last station on the top of the hill, the staff will guide you to the mall which consist a huge Casino. There is also a theme park but currently its under refurbishment. After having some delicious food from the food court I took a cable car to come down. My driver cum tour guide was very patiently waiting for my arrival at the car park .We headed towards Kula Lumpur as soon i got inside the vehicle, it was raining heavily. After freshening up at my hotel room I visited again the Central Market to watch some cultural dance and also to buy some more souvenirs as on the next day I suppose to take my return flight to Bangalore. I also made my last visit to the Pudu night streets and got a temporary tattoo on my arm and also tasted some local delicacy.
On the fourth and the last day of my tour, after eating a heavy breakfast at the hotel, I headed to nearby Catholic church named after St. Antony. As it was Sunday luckily I got a chance to attended the mass but it was in Malay language. Although it was summer weather was gloomy. The travel guide who was with me on the previous day agreed to take me to Putrajaya city on my way to airport with reasonable fare. Therefore, I checked out early and headed towards another tourist destination. Putrajaya is located at the south of Kuala Lumpur. It’s known for its late-20th-century architecture including the Putra Mosque, made from rose-colored granite with a pink dome. Nearby is the immense, green-domed Perdana Putra, which contains the Prime Minister’s office complex. The 3-tiered Putra Bridge is inspired by Iranian architecture, with 4 minaret-type piers overlooking the man-made Putrajaya Lake. After clicking some beautiful snaps of these locations my guide took me to Terminal 2 to catch my return flight.
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