Kuala Lumpur – 3 buildings of the Malaysian capital that are worth a “climb”

Kuala Lumpur is not only the capital of Malaysia but also the fastest growing metropolis in the region of South East Asia, both in terms of population and economy. It’s one of the most important business centers in the region, right after Singapore. And it’s just icing on the cake that the city is extremely safe!

 

An effervescent, diverse capital with many different nations and cultures that meet and mix together, that effect among other things the city’s skyline and architecture. Now I would like to focus on 3 buildings of modern engineering that I have been able take a close look at and I’d recommend to do so to everyone who wants to admire KL from above.

 

1) Kuala Lumpur Tower – in a glass cube over the city

 

The world’s 7th tallest telecommunication tower stretches in 420 meters towards the sky.

On the evening of our arrival to the city we went for a walk from KLCC (part of the city). As Dad has never seen skyscrapers before, he was overly amazed. We walked all the way to Kuala Lumpur Tower while wandering around. A young man – who has heard us speaking Hungarian – started a conversation with us and he advised that we go up immediately because basically the whole tower is almost empty, so we could enjoy some lone moments over the city. Well, we didn’t even hesitate and went straight away up to occupy the Menara (tower in Malay and Indonesian) for a good hour.

 

 

There are 2 desks to admire the views of the city from.

 

• Observation deck

Basically it’s a 360 degree large terrace surrounded by a glass wall, and it’s in the height of 276 meters.

 

• Sky deck

Above the Observation deck is an open Sky Deck with built-in (or rather built-out) transparent glass cubes through which the city looks even more spectacular, and it’s definitely more exciting taking in the sites, as you don’t only look to the sides and in front of you but you can also observe what’s underneath. The city literally lies under your feet. For those who have not yet been part of a similar experience, never walked on a glass bridge at a height of tens or hundreds of meters, standing on a glass plate can be frightening, specially thinking having a 300 meters deep gap and a good amount of gravity underneath.

 

 

I don’t know a braver, tougher and more daring person than my Dad, someone who has lived through a lot, who is not scared of almost anything and anyone and could easily survive on the top of an iceberg. Well, there in the few cubic meters of a small glass box he looked as frightened as a dog in the midst of New Year’s fireworks. But even if scared, it is worth getting into the glass cube because the feeling and the whole sight makes up for everything else. And indeed, after 9 PM we could have the whole deck almost only for ourselves, so we admired the dazzling Malay capital at our own space, not having to rush anywhere.

 

 

After we got down from the tower we noticed that we had forgotten the umbrella that we borrowed from the hotel and if we hadn’t taken it back, they would have charged us for it quite a high price. After my little panic settled I’ve explained to the guards working there what was happening. They quickly put their heads together and exchanged a few sentences on their walkie-talkies. Their good heart, kindness and hospitality (which is usually characteristic of the people of the country) could not be proven in a  abetter way than them going back up to look for our umbrella and returning it to us – doing this after closing hours not even asking for a dime.

 

 

Ticket prices: 

• Observation Deck:

Adult:                               49,00 MYR (11,00 EUR)

Child (4-12 years):          29,00 MYR (6,50 EUR)

 

• Sky Deck:

Adult:                               99,00 MYR (22,00 EUR)

Child (4-12 years):          52,00 MYR (11,50 EUR)

Tickets can be purchased online or at place.

 

Opening hours: 

Every day of the year between 9 AM and 10 PM.

 

2) Petronas twin towers – the iconic skyscrapers

 

These 452-meter high skyscrapers were once the tallest buildings in the world (1998-2004) and still holding the highest twin towers award. At a height of 172 meters, a two-story steel bridge serves as passage between the two buildings and to mention one more first, it’s still the world’s highest laying double-story bridge.

 

 

With its glass covers shining in bluish tones in daylight, majestically symbolises Kuala Lumpur and it’s worthy being called the “crown jewell of the city”. In night-time lighting it is nearly blinding and can be seen from almost any part of the city. 

 

 

After visiting the Menara KL we walked to the twin towers to take a closer look at them in the evening lights. Dad, even though he said he wasn’t interested in these huge buildings at all, he was amazed by them like a little kid looking at the tallest Christmas tree he’s seen in his life. We scrolled around them several times to examine each and every of their corners from every possible angle. And as there was some kind of a conference inside we walked through one of the front doors for a few minutes until being escorted out by the guards.

 

 

In addition, we lived in a nearby hotel that had a pool with views at the symbols of the capital and we’ve planned a day time visit inside the Petronas too.

 

 

If we want to get inside the Petronas, it’s worth purchasing the tickets in advance, as the number of visitors is limited and there are concrete time-slots for the viewings. In addition to online ordering, we can also buy the admissions at the ticket office on the ground floor, but there is no guarantee that we can get in right away. If we plan our visit within 24 hours, we only have the counter option.

We didn’t plan ahead so we took a short walk from the hotel to the towers on a nice sunny morning. We had to wait for about an hour to get in, so we got a slice of the beautiful panorama in a very good light . The time of the visit is around 45-60 minutes. The photos should speak for themselves.

 

 

Ticket prices: 

• Adults:                                 80,00 MYR (17,50 EUR)

• Children (4-12 ages):         33,00 MYR (7,50 EUR)

 

Opening hours: 

Tuesday – Sunday between 9:00 AM and 9:00 PM 21:00, last admission is at 8:30 PM

Monday: closed

Friday closed between 1:00 PM and 2:30 PM 

 

3) Heli Lounge Bar – having drinks a bit differently

 

I was told about this bar by a Malaysian friend of mine who has moved to Budapest but visits her hometown often, many times with her Hungarian husband. They love this lounge bar, because it really gives a feeling beyond reality. Its name is not a coincidence, it’s actually a bar on a tower building that has a helipad on the top of it. The helipad, 1 of only 5 in the city, is used in the daytime as intended, but it turns into a rooftop bar from around sunset time.

 

 

The bar is not specifically advertised, although many people are now aware of it. It’s still a bit cumbersome to find it. You need to look for the Menara KH building and take the elevator up to the 34th floor.

 

 

It’s worth going there to watch the sunset with a cocktail, wine or beer in the hand that has to be taken from the bar up to the helipad. A few years ago this place was really a hidden pearl of the city, but nowadays it has become extremely popular.

From 9:00 PM the bar is open for guests who order whole bottles of drinks (if you don’t want to drink too much it’s worth going earlier).

If you want to stay for concerts (usually on Thursday, Friday and Saturday), men will have to wear long trousers and closed shoes (no shorts with slippers allowed).

Opening hours: 

Sunday – Wednesday: 5:00 PM – 0:00 AM

Thursday: 5:00 PM – 1:00 AM

Friday – Saturday: 5:00 PM – 2:00 AM