The most stylish cities around the world – Part 1

…….Style…….City? The mere sight of both words already gives me an eluding sense of adventure. No wonder Phileas Fogg, opted to take his tour ‘Around the World in 80 Days’. He must have known what he was in for; the sights he would see, the cultural variance he would experience, the pictures he would take (if he had a camera by then that is), and of course the woman he would meet (he did not know that part for sure)

When you talk about style, in the context of cities that fit best into it, there are definitely a good number that must not be left unturned, from the bubbly night life of New York, to the surreal seas of Malaysia.

Let’s begin our little tour with the enchanting midnight sun, while sailing along the coast of Alaska. Watch thousands of seabirds spend most of their time searching for food, in a fairytale-like manner, in the marine waters, and come ashore only to rest and breed. Cruise the inside passages magnificently adorned with glaciers, rugged shore lines and abundant wildlife habitat featuring humpback orcas and sperm whales, sea lions and otters. Enjoy a river rafting adventure in Chilkat Bald Eagle Preserve.A tour around the Alaskan coastline would not be complete without a long close look at the so many islands abound.

The forbidden city of China is a must see. For those that have doubts about one of the developing yet developed countries of the world, a visit to this ancient city will give you a feeling of something magical in the air. Standing within its 10meter high wall, and above its six meter deep moat, surrounded by some 9,999 buildings, reminds one of being a chess’ put in a domino’ town.awesome! The amazing colour diversity in this town, ranging from yellow, to bright red, to sky blue, to pale green and more, make the royal architectural wonders abound a beautiful and picturesque sight.

Take the warm and friendly scenery of the streets of Bangkok. As rural as it might seem, what more adventure could there be, without the warmness and hospitality of a people so rich in cultural heritage. They are so keen on advertising their variety of recipes, that as late as 9pm tourists flock round the food stalls, whether hungry or not. Try eating their chilli sauces on chicken and chips, and you will never go hungry again.

The Incredible India a quick visit to the Delhi capital, and you might just once consider relocating. Armed with a camera the pictures you would take there, could land you a place on the Times’ magazine.

Must see attractions in Malaysia – Part 4

I visited Borneo and Kuala Lumpur last year and being a massive fan of animals, myself and my boyfriend visited all the animal related attractions. One of these was the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park. If you are travelling to Kuala Lumpur then this is one attraction you shouldn’t miss!

Where Is It?

Kuala Lumpur Bird Park is situated in the Lake Gardens area of Kuala Lumpur which is close to the Orchid Gardens and the Tun Abdul Razek Memorial. The bird park is a little bit out of the main town in Kuala Lumpur as we did try to follow a map and find our way there on foot but after getting lost and asking a couple of locals which way we needed to go, they told us we would be better getting a taxi. So get a taxi we did and good job too because it was about a 15-20 minute journey to the Bird Park. The Lake Gardens area where the Bird Park is situated also have many other attractions such as The Deer Park, Orchid & Hibiscus Garden, Butterfly Park and some beautiful landscaped gardens so you can combine all the attractions and only pay the one taxi fare and make a day of it.

Opening Hours

The Bird Park is open all year except for any religious holidays. Opening hours are 9am 6.30pm every day including Sundays and Public holidays.

Admission Prices

Tourists pay higher admission fees than the locals do. Locals pay 12 ringets for an adult and 6 ringets for a child. Tourists will pay 22 ringets for an adult and 15 ringets for a child which is 3.30 for an adult and 2.60 for a child in English money. As you can see the prices were more than reasonable.

About The Bird Park

The KL Bird Park was opened in 1991 by the Queen of Malaysia, Tunku Bainun.

The Kuala Lumpur Bird Park is the largest walk in aviary in the world. The bird park is set across 8 acres of land and is certainly very picturesque. Over 9000 species of birds currently live in the bird park and you can see them in natural surroundings as they are all free to fly where they want due to the fact that the bird park is built in the style of a massive aviary so basically the whole area of the bird park is covered by netting. Of the 5000 birds, around 90% are native birds and 10% are imported from other countries around the world.

While the birds are allowed to fly freely, the incompatible species are confined in smaller Avery and specially designed open areas within the park so they all still have adequate space.

The Bird Park is divided into five zones to prevent different species (that do not

Taman Negara: the World’s Oldest Rainforest

Did you know that the world’s oldest rainforest is Taman Negara?

Taman Negara is a Malaysian National Park located in Pehang, Malaysia. This vast rainforest covers an area amounting to 4,343 square kilometers.

Also, found in Taman Negara is Gunung Tahan, the peninsula’s highest peak at 2,187 meters.

Taman Negara is one of Malaysia’s most visited destinations as tourists from all over the world admire its abundance in natural wonders. Taman Negara attractions include as Tahan River, Four Steps Waterfall, Orang Asli Settlements, Gunung Tahan, Canopy Walkway, Tembeling River, Lata Berkoh, Gua Telinga, and Gua Kepayang.

There are also many things to see and do while appreciating this nature’s gift. Activities include jungle trekking, rapids shooting, wildlife watching, camping, fishing, caving, and swimming.

With all these, it is no doubt that visitors would always want to stay for a couple of days or more to explore the entire region. Finding an accommodation in Taman Negara is easy. In this pristine area lies Taman Negara Rainforest Resort. It has cozy rooms, excellent facilities and services, and exciting activities for everyone. It also lets guests to choose from among its line of packages that include tours and recreation worth seeing and doing in Taman Negara.

Indulge in a one-of-a-kind experience in the world’s oldest rainforest. For bookings and more information about Taman Negara and Rainforest Resort Taman Negara, visit http://www.tamannegara-rainforest.com.

Singapore – a Perfect Vacation Spot With Affordable Singapore Hotels

Singapore offers perfect vacation spot for stressed out professionals of the modern world. You can relax in the quite surroundings amongst exotic vegetation unique to the place. Recently, many Singapore hotels have been in limelight for their luxury and attractive services at very competitive and affordable prices to the tourists.

Apart from being one of the busiest business spots, Singapore is also renowned for its parks and botanical gardens. National Orchid Garden has a remarkable collection of orchid. You can see more than 3000 orchid species in this well maintained garden. Some of these species
are native to Singapore. 

Singapore is situated at the south eastern tip of the Asian continent. It shares its borders with Indonesia and Malaysia. Singapore is connected with Malaysia through a set of bridges. Connection of Singapore to Indonesia is through the sea route. Ferry ports along the coast offer easy means of transportation. Sea coast of the Singapore offers wide choice of hotels for accommodation.

Singapore is one of the few surviving city states in the world. Over the years it has developed into major center of trade in the world. Besides trade it has also developed into a major tourist center. Keeping pace with these developments Singapore has done excellent work in modernizing and expansion of its infrastructure and air travel facilities. Air travel provides one of the easiest means of travel to the Island.

Vast virgin beaches of the Singapore are one of the main attractions for the tourists. Tropical climate of the island adds additional flavor to the vacations of the visitors. You can enjoy the beaches of the island through out the year. You will enjoy the warm and comfortable atmosphere at the beach anytime of the year. Rain may be the only disturbing factor. Romantic Rains adds one of the attractive features to the tropical climate. You can enjoy short spells of rain during autumn and winter and rarely in spring and summer.

Singapore is also famous for its open zoo. This happens to be world’s first open zoo. This zoo provides shelter to many species of animals from various locations of the world. This zoo or zoological garden in the island is one of the most popular attractions among the tourists. This zoo is open in the sense that animals in the zoo live in the natural surroundings and adequate precautions have been taken to keep the visitors at a safe distance from the animals. If you like you can find a great Singapore hotel of your choice in close proximity to the zoo. 

Besides these attractions there are many places of cultural and religious significance. These include Thian Hock Keng temple and shrines of Ma Po Cho. If you are not short of time, think of extending your vacation to neighboring Malaysia and Indonesia. Both these countries offer countless tourist attractions and excellent facilities for tourists.

What ever you choose all these places promise you a memorable vacation. You can use the online services to find out more details about Singapore hotels and available vacation packages.

Apartments in Dubai

The choice is yours but with the world getting smaller all the time, making holiday options overwhelming, think about a different type of holiday in the jewel of the Middle East, Dubai. Making headlines on a weekly basis with its huge tourist expansion programme and its fantastic new infrastructure and innovative architecture, Dubai has everything to offer visitors in this fantastic Emirate.

The climate, whilst hot and steamy in the height of the summer still doesn’t deter ‘Mad Dogs and English Men’ in July and August, and is absolutely gorgeous for the remainder of the year. It’s a safe bet for visitors at anytime without the aggressive weather patterns that can hit further eastern locations such as India, Thailand and Malaysia resulting in a diluted holiday season in these locations which could pose a threat to your holiday. The worst Dubai can throw at you is the odd sand storm which even holds some exotic attraction to the masochists among us!

Dubai excels and prides itself on its standard of accommodation and houses some of the most luxurious hotels, holiday apartments and vacations villas all situated either on or close to the fabulous Jumeirah Beach overlooking the azure blue seas of the Arabian Gulf.

Hotels in the U.A.E. and especially in Dubai are all designed to offer visitors a variety of fabulous experiences from Desert hotels, with camel safaris and falcon experts on site, to amazing beach locations all with their own unique style and all with fantastic customer service.

Whilst the hotels are stunning and well worth a visit, there is a shortage of hotel rooms with Dubai hosting so many events, such as the Dubai Gold Cup, Dubai Air show, Power Boat Racing, Dubai Shopping Festival, Exhibitions and many open air concerts. Dubai is also developing into THE major Business and Financial Arena in the Middle East boosting the economy but resulting in a shortage of hotel accommodation. Due to this, many investors in Dubai are offering their apartments and villas to the holiday villa and apartment rental market and maximizing on their investments. This bodes well for investors and visitors alike as the price-saving over hotel accommodation can be as much as 50% making this a really affordable place for families or large groups who want to have the full Dubai experience.

For families thinking of visiting Dubai, this is a fantastic location offering not only fabulous beach facilities with all the water sports you can imagine, but probably the best shopping in the world and plenty of activities to keep the kids amused and entertained. Try snow skiing in the Desert in the middle of summer or the famous Wild-Wadi Water Park overlooking the Burj Al Arab Hotel, or horse riding, Camel and Desert Safaris with Dune and Wadi-bashing in a 4 wheel drive, all with expert drivers who will give you the ride of a lifetime.

Whilst the hotels are truly amazing, the benefits of holiday apartment or villa rental are manifold. Dubai Planning Authorities have ensured that only the best locations are developed to make for a great lifestyle choice for investors in Dubai. Most accommodation has either a Lake, Marina or Sea view, most are equipped with swimming pools and gyms, are either on or within easy reach of beaches and without fail, all are within minutes of the best shopping malls in the world.

Holiday Rental companies in Dubai offer airport transfers, maid service and food parcels with some also offering a full Concierge Service taking the worry and the work out of visiting or staying in Self Catering Villas or Holiday Apartments in Dubai. Short term lets are now readily available and for far less than you would expect considering you could be located on the amazing Jumeirah Palm Island, the Arabian Ranches or fabulous Dubai Marina areas.

Dubai is a place not to be missed so if you are looking for a flexible and lower cost way of experiencing Dubai and are looking for a high quality Dubai Vacation Rental, Serviced Apartment, Beach Apartment or Villa Rental, all in the best locations and close to all the fabulous attractions that are part of this unique and stylish holiday experience, think again about the flexibility of a self-catering holiday but with all the associated hassles taken away. Dubai has the best Service Industry around and you would be hard pushed to lift a finger while you are here if you want to take advantage of the services on offer. So what’s it to be, hotels or holiday rentals? You can’t make a wrong decision but you can make a wise one!

10 Travel Adventures That Won’t Break The Bank

Dreaming of taking a Big Trip in 2007? Finances a bit tight? Well, take a look at the following destinations.

Magic, thrills and adventure, yes. But for the budget-conscious globe-trotter, what’s equally important is that these are places where your dollars will stretch a long, long way. As a travel writer, I’m lucky enough to have experienced all 10–but I’d love to revisit every single one as a vacationer.

Vietnam

Vietnam packs a lot into its borders. Highlights include misty Halong Bay with its fairytale seascapes of limestone outcrops and islands; the Mekong delta with its floating markets; the old Vietcong tunnels at Cu-Chi near Saigon–now officially known as Ho Chi Minh City. (Don’t worry about getting stuck: one tunnel has been specially widened for westerners.) Backpacker beds are exceptionally cheap, but decent hotels often cost less than $40. A filling bowl of pho bo beef noodle soup or six seafood spring rolls is less than a dollar. In local hangouts, Saigon Export beer costs 40 cents a bottle.

For the ultimate traffic tale to tell the folks back home, head for Hanoi’s old quarter. Any attempt to cross the road turns into a heart-racing adventure. Not only are you contending with psycho-cyclos (rickshaw bicycles), there are thousands of motorbikes and scooters whose riders regard a red traffic signal as a suggestion rather than an instruction. Best place to experience the utter chaos is from within a cyclo rickshaw.

Lithuania, Eastern Europe

The southernmost of the Baltic States, visitors usually couple Lithuania together with Latvia and Estonia. However, you can easily spend a week in Lithuania alone. Quirky cities like Vilnius and Kaunas are steeped in art, music and historical curiosities…mushroom-scented woods and farmers riding on haycarts…mysterious sites steeped in pagan traditions…the windswept sands of the Curonian Spit where you can beach-comb for amber.

Mid-June would be a great time to go. A national holiday in Lithuania, the old pagan festival of Rasos marks the summer solstice. It’s an all-night affair with singing, dancing, bonfire-leaping, hunting for “magic” ferns, and floating garlands down rivers. Despite some serious alcoholic partying, most people manage to stay awake to greet the sunrise. As for prices, how about $2.54 for three potato pancakes with smoked salmon and sour cream and $1 for a glass of Svyturnys beer?

Granada, Nicaragua

From the laid-back colonial city of Granada, you can do a lot in a week in Nicaragua: tackle volcanoes…take Spanish lessons…visit Masaya craft market and also the villages where rocking chairs, hammocks, and pottery are made…explore the Selva Negra’s cloud forests and coffee plantations…chat with expats in the beach surfing town of San Juan del Sur…go to colonial Leon, where you might get to meet indigenous Indians.

Settling into a rocking chair with a cold Victoria beer is a pleasure that generally costs under $1 and spending more than $7 on a meal is difficult. The Alhambra Hotel on Granada’s main square costs a mere $30 a night.

Goa, Southern India

India is beyond fascinating, beyond anything you’ll ever experience elsewhere. The easiest introduction to this teeming country is the seaside state of Goa. Baking below a tropical canopy of banana, coconut and mango trees, this drowsy world of Arabian Sea beaches, backwaters, and spice-laden breezes is stamped with more than a few reminders of Old Portugal. You’ll find sunrise yoga on the beach, full massages for $8, dolphin trips for about $6, and colorful hippie markets.

Including four beers, two people can eat in a beach shack for under $10. And if you want to cut your expenses to the bone, there’s accommodation in simple beach chalets for as little as $8 a night.

Porto and Northern Portugal

Famed for its port wine lodges (yes, they do offer free samples), Porto is Portugal’s second city. An historic Atlantic trading port, its warren of laundry-hung alleys plunges down to a waterfront of boats, nets and fish restaurants. Sheets of cod (bacalhau) hang outside grocery stores with original art nouveau tiled facades; the church of Sao Francisco has a gold leaf interior that would make King Midas salivate. Don’t miss the Bolhau food market or the Torre dos Clerigos, Portugal’s highest belfry tower. From the top, you’ll get great views over the jumbled cityscape of churches, bridges and red-roofed houses.

By EU standards, the price of dining, accommodation, and public transport throughout the region is astounding. Trains and buses are an affordable way to make exploratory day-trips along the coast and into the interior of terraced vineyards and green river valleys. Don’t miss Braga and the thousand-stepped stairway of Bom Jesus church. On holy days, some pilgrims tackle these steps on their knees.

Montenegro

After its split from Serbia, Montenegro is Europe’s latest holiday hot spot–and also the world’s newest independent nation. Along with three-course meals for $7 and rooms in private houses for $10, you’ll find a land of craggy mountains with a switch-backed Adriatic coastline of bays, beaches and villages of pale gray stone. The sea sparkles like blue topaz and medieval walled towns with crumbling fortresses and palaces are often emblazoned with the winged lion emblem of the Venetian Republic.

Now paint in monasteries slotted into mountain crevices and fishing villages of red-tiled roofs and deep-green shutters. Roman mosaics…olive groves…water-lilied lakes…deep canyons and the mighty Boka Kotorska, Europe’s southernmost fjord…the border town of Ulcinj with its minarets and tales of pirate slave-trading.

Austria

The Alps? There’s no denying that Switzerland is one of the most scenically gorgeous countries on earth. But unless you’re armed with an expense account, I can promise you that exploring its mountains, lakes and medieval towns will wreak havoc on your finances.

Winter or summer, neighboring Austria has just as much of the alpine wow factor…plus the city splendors of Vienna and Salzburg. And it’s a lot less expensive than you may think. For example, in the Tyrolean village of Fendels, you could rent a furnished apartment for two in a chalet next spring for as little as 175 euro ($230) per week. Surrounded by hiking trails, Fendels village makes an excellent base–the Tyrolean Oberland is close to the borders of Switzerland and Italy. (Go to the Austrian Tourist Board’s web site at http://www.tiscover.at and you’ll find plenty more self-catering accommodation at similar prices.)

Penang, Malaysia

A melting-pot of Malay, Chinese and Indian culture, Malaysia offers up powder white beaches and virgin rainforest teeming with wildlife; the bustling capital of Kuala Lumpur and the historic port city of Malacca; inexpensive seafood and inexpensive spa pampering; sailing, snorkeling, diving, fishing, golf and island-hopping.

With a distinct Chinese flavor, one of Malaysia’s star turns is Georgetown, capital of Penang island. You come across snake temples, arcaded shophouses and tiny workshops specializing in mahjong tiles and dice; kong-teik craftsmen who make funerary paper artifacts; fish getting dried like laundry in the open air. On the Weld Quay waterfront, around 2,000 fishing families live in rickety wooden dwellings on the Clan Quay jetties.

Chania, Crete

On the Greek island of Crete, Chania is one town that it would be criminal to miss. Crete’s former capital, its history goes back 5,000 years. In the Old Town’s skinny alleyways you’ll find icon workshops…lyres hanging in dusty musical instrument repair-shops…bursts of white jasmine cascading from archways…cats snoozing on balconies…the unlikely sights of a pencil-thin minaret above church towers and a mosque squatting on the waterfront.

Strung with garlands of colored light-bulbs, Chania’s old Venetian harbor at dusk truly is the stuff of romance. The water shimmers in waves of crimson, sapphire and emerald, the Venetian lighthouse sends out its beady wink, and stalls do a steady trade in pistachio nuts. Alleys that were afternoon-silent become thronged with locals taking the volta–the evening stroll. Even in July and August, you’ll find studio apartments here for under $40 a night…plus you can eat well for $10.

Bohemia, the Czech Republic

Prague teems with tourists but few people realize what the rest of the Czech Republic offers. One of its regions is Bohemia, blessed with a spellbinding mosaic of castles, frescoed houses and Rapunzel-style turrets straight from a sword-and-sorcery tale. At Cesky Krumlov you can peer into a medieval bear pit complete with bears. Sedlec, a suburb of Kutna Hora has a chapel entirely decorated with human bones, right down to its chandelier.

Many towns have stoupas…lofty “plague pillars” adorned with chained devils. They commemorate deliverance from the plagues, which swept Europe during the Middle Ages. Then there’s Karlovy Vary, the oldest of Bohemia’s grand spa towns. With spa water bubbling up all over town which visitors can collect for free, it’s a gorgeous place of baroque buildings in sugar-plum colors, flowery parks, and shops glittering with Bohemian crystal.

Sending Flowers to the Philippines

I was able to save more than two hundred dollars in my recent travel to Kuala Lumpur from the Philippines. Instead of boarding up for the week in a cheap hotel, I discovered the week prior to my leave that an old friend had migrated and taken an expatriate status in the Bangsar area of Kuala Lumpur, one of the better-looking districts of Malaysia’s capital. We weren’t really close to go out of our ways to see one another outside work but we were close enough to share a few rounds of alcohol.

So she told me to give her a ring when I arrived in Malaysia. From the Philippines I took a flight to Singapore for a conference and took the bus to Kuala Lumpur, a good five hour drive down the long highway connecting Singapore to KL. She had offered me her place to stay for the week long vacation I decided to take this opportunity to extend my escape from the Philippines, as I still fondly remember. As it turns out she would be leaving (for Singapore, also for a conference) and really didn’t mind entrusting her place to me for the time being. I would jokingly call myself “her kept man.” This was probably the kindest gesture someone ever did for me and there I was, in one of the nicest condominiums in KL for an entire week.

And it took days for me to figure out what to give her in return. You see the catch was that my flight to the Philippines and her flight back didn’t coincide. I would be left leaving an empty condominium, dropping the key into the drop box in the administrator’s office for her to pick up a day after I left.

I usually spent afternoons in the coffee shop a good five minutes away from the condo and right beside it a grocery store where I’d get my cereals for the day and wine for the night. Part of my “returning home gift” for her included me restocking her pantry with cereals, cheese, bread and a bottle of house wine. But there was still something missing. Looking around the furnished condo I knew I was missing that special touch. And then it dawned on me as I glanced at the counter near the television. I ran back to the grocer and picked up a fresh batch of assorted flowers. Back in the condo, I emptied the vase of old water with withered flowers and replaced them. Good as new, her place now had that special touch.

Days later she leaves me a message on the computer saying she was very thankful for the pantry gesture – and especially gleeful about the floral arrangement in the living room. It’s a great feeling to know that you can make someone so happy even when you are so far away.  Since she moved in, this was the first time that vase’s contents were replaced.

Petronas Twin Towers Kuala Lumpur

One of the most interesting places to visit in Asia is Kuala Lumpur and one of the major attractions there is the Petronas twin towers. These magnificent structures stand 458 meters tall and have 88 floors. The foundation of these towers stretches 120 meters underground. The towers themselves are made primarily of reinforced concrete and steel with a glass faade. Construction on these towers was finished in 1996.In a building this massive it would seem logical that the elevator system be huge and I can assure you that you will not be disappointed. There are 3 groups of elevators that together service all the floors in the building. The elevator cars are two stories, so one story handles the even floors and the other handles the odd floors. These elevators are also specially equipped with a number of safety devices. The one that is the most interested is the way that one elevator can go up beside another elevator and evacuate people from it if it gets stuck or jammed between floors.At the base of the towers there is a shopping plaza called Suria KLCC. It has a large number of shops featuring all kinds of different merchandise. On the 4th floor you will find the petroleum development centre.

Just outside the plaza is the KLCC Park. This park has jogging and walking paths, a wading pool, and a childrens playground. It has a very large water fountain with built in lighting that puts on a fantastic show, as the water blasts high into the air. Getting to the towers is easy. Take the Putra train right to the towers.

A look at the tallest buildings in the world – Part 3

The issue of tall buildings has proved contentious over the years. It is little wonder the whole debate has arisen since it’s fuelled by an undetermined measuring criteria that for years couldn’t decide whether the roof or the spire was the highest point of a building or indeed what differentiates a building from a tower.

The confusing issue led to many quarrels over which building was tallest, and more recently, those debates have been between various countries. For the better part of the 20th century America led the way for tall buildings, structures and towers. But since 1996 (when the Petronas Twin Towers opened in Kuala Lumpur), Asia has competed for skyline space.

The Council for Tall Buildings and Urban Habitat (CTBUH), who maintain the definitive guide to super-structures decided on a four-part criteria for measuring and therefore differentiating between tall buildings, towers and structures. This was based on the way the top of buildings were measured. For example, the newly opened Shanghai World Financial Centre has an occupied floor that exceeds the height of Taipei 101’s highest occupied floor, however, both Taipei 101 and Sears Tower are taller based on the height between ground level and their highest point. This is because both Sears and Taipei have antennas on their roofs that further their height. Instantly, you can begin to see where the confusion lies.

The CTBUH tried to simplify things. Therefore they define tall buildings by a four-part criteria first and then on usage determining type. A “building” has to have over 50% of occupied, usable floor space; below 50% and it is defined as a “tower”. Once a building or tower is defined, its height is then measured either to its architectural top, its highest occupied floor, its roof, or to the highest tip.

The CTBUH view the architectural top as including spires and other aesthetic design elements but not antennas, signage or flag poles. This is the most common way lists of tall buildings are compiled. The highest occupied floor has to be continually in-use by patrons or employees. The height of the roof doesn’t take into consideration spires or antennas measuring to the highest roof level, while the highest tip measures to the uppermost point regardless of architectural design, antenna or occupied floor space. We therefore get a few buildings vying for the tallest as they each have individual traits that single them out.

Until recently, Taipei 101 was the tallest building in all four categories

A visitors guide to the Petronas Towers, Kuala Lampur, Malaysia – Part 1

“The Petronas Twin Towers was designed to symbolise strength and grace using geometric principles typified in Islamic architecture.”

The 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers was designed by Cesar Pelli and Associates and currently houses Petronas Corporate Headquarters. It is currently the 2nd most tallest building in the world after Taipei 101 in Taiwan. The Twin Towers symbolises strength and grace using geometric principles typified in Islamic architecture. It is located at the former Selangor Turf Club, a 100-acre site in the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle.

Rising to 1,483 ft (451.9 m) like sentinels in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, this building cost a whopping US$1.2 billion. Completed in 1997, the Twin Towers are a striking glass-and-steel combination with floor plans based on an eight-pointed star.

The towers are joined at the 41st and 42nd floors (175m above street level) by a 192 ft-long (58.4 m) double-decker skybridge – linking the two sky lobbies and facilitating the movement between the two towers.

Getting There

By Bus

INTRAKOTA

Board from Star Hill at Jalan Bukit Bintang or from Jalan Chow Kit

CITY LINER

Board from Jalan Silang (next to Kotaraya Complex)

The drop-off points for these buses is Wisma Equity, Jalan Ampang (opposite the PETRONAS Twin Towers)

By Taxi

You can catch a taxi from anywhere around town to go to KLCC.

By Rail

Take the PUTRA LRT from Central Market (Pasar Seni) Station to KLCC.

Intrakota Bus – 23, 24A, 24C, 34A, 34D, 259, 270.

City Liner Bus – 176, 178, 182, 183, 185

MetroBus – 28

The PTT is easily accessible via taxi, bus or LRT. Board an Intrakota bus from Star Hill at Jalan Bukit Bintang or from Jalan Chow Kit, or a City Liner bus from Jalan Silang (next to Kotaraya Complex). The drop-off points for these buses is Wisma Equity, Jalan Ampang (opposite the PETRONAS Twin Towers). You can also take the PUTRA LRT from Central Market (Pasar Seni) or KL Sentral station to the KLCC station. Alternatively, you can catch a taxi from anywhere around town to go to KLCC.

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