KUALA LUMPUR CITY (MALAYSIA)

Location: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia City Land Area: 243 sq. km. (94 sq. mi.) Metro Land Area: 2,243.27 sq. km. (866.13 sq. mi.) Coordinates: 3.15785°N 101.71165°E Year Established: 1858 Granted City Status: February 1, 1972 Granted Federal Territory: February 1, 1974 Time Zone: MST (UTC+8) Mean Solar Time: UTC+06:46:48 Descriptive Summary: Kuala Lumpur is commonly known internationally as KL, dubbed as the Garden City of Lights. According to the MasterCard Global Destination Cities Index, KL ranks 8th based on air traffic of the cities as top ten most popular destinations of tourism worldwide in 2013. Kuala Lumpur is home to the tallest twin buildings in the world, the Petronas Twin Towers, which have become an iconic symbol of Malaysia's futuristic development.

My Kuala Lumpur trip is actually a part of my October 12-13, 2006 Malaysian Trip where I travelled from Singapore boarding Express 707 Tourist Bus heading to Kuala Lumpur. We passed through the borders of Woodland Immigration check of Singapore and Johor Bahru Immigration check of Malaysia. We arrived in Puduraya Bus Station of Kuala Lumpur after 6 hours of travel. I booked my hotel accommodation through on-line reservation, the other day when I was still in Singapore and since it was just walking distance I opted to have a leisurely walk to locate Hotel China Town 2 located at 70-72 Jalan Petaling Street.

The Petronas Twin Towers

I was impressed of Kuala Lumpur’s transportation system consisting of LRT, MRT , regular train system and buses. Drivers are disciplined and tourist desk officers will give you accurate information. It was so easy to move from one place to another as I was lucky to ask English-speaking Malaysian professionals where their giving of details was really that clear that I’ve got what I have asked for.

Part of the Petronas Twin Towers lush parks and gardens

I have only one thing in my mind when I included Kualu Lumpur in my trip’s list. That was to see and set foot in the famous Petronas Twin Towers. My idea then about these towers was quite limited into simply a tower. But roaming around, I discovered a lot of interesting things to enjoy there. The endless lush green parks and vibrant fountains were so relaxing. World-class boutiques inside a gigantic shopping mall is housed in the base of the tower.

In the foreground is the Petronas Twin Towers

My Kuala Lumpur has just revolved into Petronas Twin Towers and its vicinity. In Malay, it is called Menara Petronas or Menara Berkembar Petronas. According to the Council on Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH)'s official definition and ranking, they were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004. The buildings are a landmark of Kuala Lumpur, along with nearby Kuala Lumpur Tower. The following are its relevant information:

Tallest Building: 1998 to 2004
Preceded by: Willis Tower
Surpassed by: Taipei 101
Type: Commercial offices and tourist attraction
Architectural style: Post-modern architecture
Location: Jalan Ampang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Groundbreaking: January 1, 1992
Construction started: March 1, 1993
Completed: March 1, 1996
Inaugurated: August 1, 1999
Renovated: January 1, 1997
Cost: US$1.6 billion
Owner: KLCC Holdings Sdn Bhd

Height
Architectural: 451.9 m (1,483 ft)
Roof: 378.6 m (1,242 ft)
Top floor: 375 m (1,230 ft)

Technical details
Floor count: 88 (+5 basement floors)
Floor area: 395,000 m2 (4,252,000 sq ft)
Lifts/elevators: 78

Design and construction
Architect: César Pelli
Developer: KLCC Holdings Sdn Bhd
Structural engineer: Thornton Tomasetti
Main contractor - Tower 1: Hazama Corporation
Main contractor - Tower 2: Samsung C&T Corporation

Part of the Aquaria Museum in the basement of Petronas Twin Towers

I had somebody with me when I visited Petronas Towers, a Sri Lankan staff of my hotel who served to be my guide and photographer. After a 2-hour stroll in the whole of the towers, we dined at the Burger King where I paid RM20.88 for our packaged meals. I am not really a shoppoholic, but to see what is in store in this new place, we went around.

Part of the Aquaria Museum of the Petronas Twin Towers

My guide and I tried to visit the Aquaria Museum, a giant aquarium with a few in the basement of the towers where it showcases a collection of maritime living organisms. Visitors can enjoy a number of connecting glass tunnels and see these organisms in their improvised habitat. For the two of us, I paid an entrance of RM76.

For an overnight hotel stay in Kuala Lumpur, I paid RM78 for a single-bedroom in Hotel China Town 2. Meals can be available at a number of local restaurants at an average of RM5 every meal while McDonalds can have an average of RM7 every full meal. On the other hand, Maxis Simcard which can be used in any part of Malaysia costs RM10 while its topup mobile load can be purchased at RM10.