It has many exhibits and sections covering an area of more than 70,000 square feet. You and your child will surely enjoy it.

In this blog post I will share with you the exhibits that I think are the most interesting and exciting.

After buying the tickets, you can go to the Muzika exhibition first. It is where the science of music comes alive.

Inside the exhibition includes a DJ section where you can scratch the disc like a DJ for a while.

The instructions will be given on a screen.

Then, you can play the air guitar. You simply hold an ‘invisible’ guitar and play it as if you were playing a real one!

It also has other 22 fun and exciting exhibits. The Muzika exhibition has been travelling around the world and has now arrived at Petrosains. It will stay until March 2010. So don’t miss it!

After that, you can go on to the Petrosains Discovery Center.

The dark ride will be the beginning of your journey, a fun and creative ride that will bring you through the rainforest of Malaysia, up to the peak of the mountain, and then into the sea. Finally, you will arrive at the Petrosains Discovery Center.

 
Below is a stick hologram at the first section of Petrosains. You can see it floating in mid-air but you cannot feel it or touch it. Amazing!

Here is a video of it.

Here is a hologram of a small toy car.

Holography is really cool! It appears to be real, but you can’t touch or grab it.

When you enter the Geotime Diorama area, you will be greeted by a giant model of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. You will discover stuff that is dated more than 200 million years ago. You will get to touch, feel and discover fossils and stones, and even have a whiff of ancient air!

Here’s a realistic replica of an ancient volcano. It even emits some smoke!

You can also experience what an earthquake feels like. Just sit on the bench and let it shake you. You can set the strength of the earthquake by yourself!

At Petrosains, you feel the fun in experiencing the hurricane wind in the tube below. Ideal for a hot day, because the wind feels very cold!

Mind you, the wind in the tube is really powerful, travelling up to 128 kilometers per hour (It will mess up your hair very much)!

This is the Sparkz section where everybody, especially kids, can have fun with activities like interactive arts (below), which will react to the actions of your shadow. It seems like you are the magician in command!

One karate chop of your shadow will make the purplish wriggly jelly break apart!

The exhibit children love most at Petrosains is the grain pit, where kids, regardless of age, nationality or religion, team up so spontaneously to transfer the grains from one section to another. The spirit of 1Malaysia brightly shines in Petrosains.

Please view the video below. It’s really fun to play with the grain pit because you will help the grains travel in a non-stop cycle!

The activity that attracted me most is the Mindball, where 2 players compete using their brain waves to make the ball go into the goal of the opponent to win.

Player 1 (left), Foo Shen, and Player 2 (right), Foo Loong, are brothers from Indonesia.
Each player wears a headband around their forehead. Then they will control their minds to command the ball to go over to the opponent’s goal to win the game.

As you can see, the Alpha and Theta waves of Player 2 is very low, which means that Player 2 is more calm and focused than Player 1, so Player 2 will win the game.

The ball is going towards Player 1, which means Player 2 is winning.

Foo Loong (Player 2) is a money changer. You can understand that his work needs him to be cool and steady at all times as he deals with money. One moment of disturbed focus of his mind will cause monetary loss.

Foo Shen (Player 1), a salesman, can be very calm and focused when he is facing his clients and very unfocused during other times. So when playing mind games, Foo Loong, who is used to controlling his mind easily, will surely win.

I explained to Mr. Lim’s family (from Penang) how to play this game and encouraged them to see their mind-controlling strength. They quickly wanted to play.

The daughters competed with each other first.

Xin Li (Player 1), 9, controlled her mind better than Xin Ting (Player 2), 13, and won within 30 seconds.

Xin Li (Player 1) lost to her father (Player 2), because the girl lost confidence.

Then, Player 1, the mother, Madam Heng and Player 2, the father, Mr. Lim, were extremely cool and calm.

(Picture 1)

Finally, after 7 minutes, the daughters told their parents to finish faster. Feeling that they may not have enough time to enjoy other activities, Mr. Lim gave up mind controlling and let his wife win.

(Picture 2)

From here you can see that the brain waves of the couple suddenly changed from low, a cool mind (Picture 1), to high, a tense mind (Picture 2).

In conclusion, if you want to win in life, your mind must be calm and focused. A tense and stressful mind will usually lose because it is an unfocused mind that cannot figure out the direction and solution.

So come to Petrosains to understand your mind through this Mindball game. The machine costs about RM 70,000. So even if you come here just for this Mindball game, it is worth your time and money, in my opinion.

It is because firstly, you can see your normal brain waves. Secondly, you can try to control your mind and see how your brain waves change. You also can observe other players’ brain waves to help you understand more about the mind.

Fantastic Mindball! I enjoyed it so much!

Those are only some of the many exhibits in Petrosains. The total area of Petrosains is more than 70,000 square feet, as mentioned. So it is really big! Here is the map. You can see how many sections it has. Imagine how many exhibits and activities it provides you!

So come and see, hear, touch, smell and sense it for yourself, because that is what science is about – exploring and experimenting!

Your children will surely love it because Petrosains is designed to let them learn science in a fun, creative and exciting way.

Another Dark Ride will finish your journey. Remember to buy some souvenirs at the Xplorasi gift shop that sells science stuff. Buy them to encourage your other family members and friends who haven’t been to Petrosains to come!

The fee is really affordable. It’s only RM 12 for an adult and RM 4 for a kid!

The best thing is: by paying RM 100 (fee for 1 year), your family  (2 adults and 3 children) can become members and enjoy unlimited visits to Petrosains as well as free entries to participating Science Centres and Museums worldwide and other deals and discounts.

To know more about Petrosains, please visit their website, http://www.petrosains.com.my.

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Hi Friends. Today I want to virtually bring you to a park that I regard as heaven in my heart. It is Lembah Kiara Recreation Park. Most people call it Taman Tun Dr. Ismail park, or TTDI Park. It is just a 5-minute drive from 1 Utama Shopping Centre, and about 10-minutes from the Curve, Petaling Jaya.

To me it is the most refreshing park. It gives you the most ionic oxygen. It is because it is located below a mountain. People from all walks of life and ages love to come here and get some fresh air. I claim that the air here is the freshest in Malaysia.

The park is a favourite place for many people, especially joggers.

One path leads up to the mountain forest. The path winds through different types of trees, and at certain vantage points, you can see almost the whole park. Along the way, you can see some monkeys enjoying their food, playing with one another and taking care of their young.

It is easy to find many interesting insects if you keep an eye out on them.

When you go further along the path, you will see a thrilling suspension bridge.

From the bridge, you can have a panoramic view of the park. When you look down, you can see a wonderful man-made waterfall. Hearing the sound of the water splashing will make you forget all your troubles!

The other path goes around the lake, the streams, the waterfall, the playground and the forest. Some people walk, some people run and some people jog.

Usually when people pass by the bridge near the waterfall, they can’t but stop, admiring the waterfall or looking at the fishes in the pond.

Urban children of all ages, nations and nationalities know what are best in life – enjoying the shallow fresh and cooling stream from the mountains, which is not easily available in the modernized city.

Some bring nets or even just use their hands to catch fishes and shrimps.
Mr Chan is having fun catching fishes with his sons.

Some build sandcastles around the bank.

A handsome boy from Indonesia.

Some just enjoy playing with the water.

Others simply like to enjoy the refreshing feeling when their feet submerges into the cooling water and the sandy feeling when their feet sink into the sand.

Parents feel very happy when watching their children happily playing in the stream and showing wonderful smiles and laughter.

Wise parents would not miss the opportunity by being onlookers. They play in the stream too. Mr. Yao’s family is playing in the stream.

Children from all races and nationalities mix around together very well because they follow the examples of their parents, who mix very well with one another too.
Song Mei and her daughter, Rian (4+) from Korea making friends with Rockson (7+).

Bring your senior or disabled relatives for a walk in the park. It will be the most refreshing and relaxing treat for them.

There is a short bridge between the stream and the lake. People like to stand there to see children playing in the stream or viewing the fountain in the lake.

Children below six happily enjoy the playground instruments very much too, because it is so near to the mountain, stream and forest, which makes it more unique and enjoyable to play.

Next to the playground is a concrete floor, where you can play badminton, cycle, go rollerskating, and whatever suitable sport you can think of. In fact, there is another cement floor near the entrance too.

Opposite the playground is a blue and red cushion-like platform which absorbs the shock of impact from exercising and running.

You can do many activities there. Kids can play ball, frisbee or anything you think the platform is good for. Usually adults carry out exercise routines in the morning such as line dance, or Chinese fan dance sessions.

Guess what are they looking at?

Actually they are enjoying feeding the river terrapins, koi fish and catfish in the lake. Why don’t you bring your kids and enjoy it with them? Bring some bread to feed them. The fishes and terrapins will all crowd to the food spot and eat joyfully, so your children will enjoy feeding them very much.

If you get tired, hungry or thirsty, there is a soya bean van near the entrance selling soya bean, tau foo fah, soft drinks, and some cakes (5:30pm – 7:30pm). Hmmm! Refreshing.

The park’s landscape is also well sculpted, with palms, clumps of flowers like cannas and different types of shrubs, all of which are well kept.

Those who come late in the evening shouldn’t worry as the area with exercise instruments will be lighted up with spotlights and the jogging path with lamp posts.

A child is taking photographs of me taking photographs of him. Haha!

You should really come here and enjoy this wonderful and yet compact park.

There was one occasion when I was having a sore throat, then I walked leisurely on the paths from 11 am to 1 pm. I was healed on the same day.

On another occasion, my son, who was 8 years old then, was suffering from urinary track infection. Then I brought him to the park for a walk. He was healed too.

I believe it was due to the ionic air from the mountains, the refreshing environment and the beautiful scenery. It pacifies your spirit, soul and body, really!

Of course, the entrance is free!

If there were seven paradises on Earth, I will say that this park must be one of them. If you don’t believe me, come and see and feel for yourself. If you can’t feel how I feel, then at least you will still enjoy this marvelous park. It’s really ideal for a morning or an evening stroll, especially with your loved ones.

Of course, TTDI park is located within Taman Tun Dr Ismail (TTDI). TTDI is a well-planned suburb on the border of KL city and Selangor State.

The area was named after Tun Dr Ismail, a former deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia. It was developed during the 1970′s and is now well established.

It was designed to promote neighbourly interaction and there is a good community spirit that makes living there peaceful and harmonious.

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Here’s the map of the park by Google Maps.

View Larger Map

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Just a 5-minute-walk from the Petronas Twin Towers, you can arrive at Aquaria KLCC, which is located at the Concourse level of the KL Convention Centre.

Aquaria KLCC is a project initiated, developed and wholly-owned by Aquawalk Sdn Bhd. It was officially opened on 20 August 2005. Aquaria KLCC, which occupies 60,000 square feet, was designed by the New Zealand-based Marinescape Ltd, an aquarium construction and design specialist.

It is a marvelous world-class aquarium zoo that features various kinds of weird, strange, colourful and wonderful creatures that you most probably haven’t seen before, from Malaysia and around the world.

A visit to Aquaria KLCC will make you feel that you are one with the Ocean.

It will take you through a journey of discovery as well as eco-tourism, supported by the latest technologies.

You can go there via the KLCC Park and arrive at the West Entrance. The Main Entrance is at Jalan Pinang, opposite the UOA Building.

You can also go there through a tunnel located at the West of Suria KLCC below the Twin Towers.

When you step into Aquaria, one exciting event will be waiting for you. If you arrive at 11:15am or 4:00pm, you can witness the red-bellied Piranhas tearing apart a 1-foot Tilapia fish.

Mr Azhar, the guide, will tell you that the Piranha is a freshwater meat-eating fish. It has a strong sense of smell. It can smell a single drop of blood 200 litres or 2 miles away. They don’t attack humans but if they are injured, Piranhas might attack them.

Now Mr Azhar announced that if you can guess the time the Piranhas finished eating the 1-foot Tilapia fish, you will get a little reward. The hint was it was between 1 and 3 minutes, counted by a stopwatch.

Many people, especially children, were waiting for the exciting event in anticipation.

View the video below and see the Piranhas tear apart the Tilapia fish and good luck to you guessing the time!

One fish-lover commented that they should feed the piranha fish with more tilapia fish. Haha!

Then I continued my journey deep into Aquaria. Here I highlight the most interesting creatures and things I enjoyed.

1. Touch Pool

First you will reach the touch pool, where you can touch fishes like catfish, if you dare. You can also touch the horseshoe crab. But don’t worry, they won’t harm you. Feel free to feel the slimy and scaly creatures! Children would love it!

This is the horseshoe crab, but don’t worry, it won’t bite or sting, despite its ferocious appearance. But just be careful of the spikes on its sides.

2. The Highlands

After the touch pool, you’ll arrive at the highlands. People were crowding to view the creatures there.

The Red Iguana.

The River Terrapin. Can you guess where is the head?

Look at that cute pig-nosed long-necked turtle. I guess it was smiling to the viewers. Awwwww….

The rock-like Alligator Snapping Turtle.

3. Jewels of the Jungle

After that, you will enter into the mysterious “Jewels of the Jungle” section, where small insects, frogs, spiders, snakes, and other strange jungle creatures will amaze you.

The mysteriously-lighted entrance.

Do you know what insect can survive without a head? The Forest Cockroach! It’s brain is actually scattered throughout its body. If you chop off its head, it will still be as alive as it was… until it dies of thirst after a week.

Did you know that the Bumblebee Dart Frog is one of the most toxic yet tiny (5 cm) animals on Earth?

P.S. 2 micrograms (µg) of its poison can kill as much as……………..

2,200 people!

Argentine Horned Frog a.k.a. Pacman frog. I think it is very fat but cute!

If you came to this blog, I’m sure you know what the World Wide Web is. You are about to witness a true web at its most intricate design.

Next, you’ll see the cute and adorable Coatimundi. It can rotate its nose up to 60 degrees, but the most interesting aspect to me is it likes to rest on a sling, like human babies do.

4. Flooded Forest

Now you will be entering the Flooded Forest, where mangroves grow.

This unique 5.3 metre high Flooded Forest Tube tank enchants visitors with aquatic exhibits that leisurely swim within the water column up
to the treetops.

You will also be greeted by gigantic Arapaimas, one of the largest freshwater fish in the world.

Are you afraid of teeny weeny wriggling things like… worms and worse… millipedes? Here you can come and tremble with fear by seeing, touching and holding them. Do you dare to touch them? I dare!

5. The Coast

At the coast, where the land meets the sea, you can find lion fish, bamboo sharks, and other creatures that live there.

These are the eggs of the Bamboo Shark. If you look closely, you can see the yellow egg yolk and the red embryo moving.

After hatching, it will grow up like this:

Here is a human replica of the coastal areas. You can see corals and creatures from the coast.

6. Oceanarium (The climax of the journey)

Here, you will reach the climax of your journey, which is the main attraction of Aquaria KLCC, the thrilling 90-metre underwater tunnel with a moving walkway, a view only previously accessible to divers. It is the longest underwater tunnel in Malaysia.

Here you will find Sand Tiger Sharks, a Giant Blotched Fantail Ray, Giant Groupers, Turtles, Humphead Wrasses, Blacktip Reef Sharks, Guitarfish and many more!

The tunnel will really amaze you!

The ferocious-looking Sand Tiger Shark is one of the most famous exhibits in Aquaria KLCC.

Just look at those teeth!

The biggest exhibit in Aquaria is the Giant Blotched Fantail Ray

The curved panels have a de-magnifying effect of about 30% visually, so the creatures are actually 30% bigger than seen!

A Leopard/Honeycomb Stingray.

Then I saw a guitarfish, a type of ray. Its underside looks like a smiling human face! Awwww!

Some people tried to touch the creatures because they were so one with the ocean that they forgot they couldn’t.

Another visitor trying to touch the leopard stingray.

This smiling guitarfish stayed on top of the tunnel for quite a long time. Maybe it wants to say ‘hi’ to all of the visitors below.

Actually, that guitarfish looks like this on top.

A Humphead Wrasse.

A Blacktip Reef Shark.

One of the many rays in the aquarium.

This leopard-like eel is very beautiful!

What were these little fishes doing on the Sand Tiger Shark,

and the Giant Grouper?

Small fishes in the ocean are extremely useful to these huge fishes, because they help to eat off the parasites on the big fishes’ bodies and maintain their health.

Here is a video of the underwater tunnel and its fishes. View it for your enjoyment.

After you come out from the tunnel, you can take a rest. At this resting place, there are some products and services that will help you bring back your memories of your visit to Aquaria.

You can 1) Wax your hand,

2) Do a non-permanent body art tattoo,

3) Get a professional cartoon portrait of yourself by Mr. Aloy (10 minutes),

4) Get your name engraved on a grain of rice, which will be put into a pendant on a necklace (3 minutes for the whole process).

Fyna will do it for you.

You can see how she uses the finest-tipped pen to write a name on a grain of rice in seconds.

After your rest, you can continue the journey. Next stop is the Aqua Theatre, which is connected to the huge aquarium at the tunnel.

Here, you can see view the spectacular ocean reef and its inhabitants through a large acrylic window at the Aqua Theatre.

You can see the Giant Grouper here, one of the stars in Aquaria. His breathing is like talking to you. Really cute!

If you can’t find the turtles swimming in the underwater tunnel, you can see that the turtles like to swim around the Aqua Theatre the most. Perhaps they to like entertain the audiences!

A little girl was amazed to see this friendly turtle. Its size is bigger than hers.

This turtle is waving ‘Hi!’ to the audience!

You can also witness daily fish feedings as well as death-defying diving sessions with the sharks at the Aqua Theatre (at 12pm and 3pm)!

Here is a video of a daring diver feeding a Sand Tiger Shark (35 seconds).

During the Christmas season (ended on 27 December 2009), instead of the normal divers, the Scuba Santa will come and feed the fishes. This is one of the most exciting events that you couldn’t miss, especially your children.

If you missed it, you can still witness the normal divers feed the fishes daily, or you can come back next year to say hi to the Scuba Santa, or you can view it on a big screen next to the Aqua Theatre. The video is below. Enjoy!

7. Weird and Wonderful

This section showcases some of the weird and wonderful creatures from the ocean.

Does this look like a rock to you?

Well, actually, it is a stonefish, if you look more closely. It’s camouflage is really effective among the rocks in the sea.

The Nautilus, has a true external shell. The form of the shell itself has fascinated naturalists, mathematicians and physicists for years. The spirally coiled, chambered shell is perfectly proportioned mathematically!

Hi friends, do you know what fish has no brain, no blood, no eye and no nervous system?

The wobbly and jelly-like Moon Jellyfish! Which actually isn’t a fish.

Jellyfish has been around for more than 650 million years which means that they outdate both dinosaurs and sharks

8. Discovery Zone

Now you will be arriving at the Discovery Zone. You can learn about Potbellied Seahorses. They have large swollen bellies.

I’m sure you haven’t seen these marvelous shrimps.

Anemone Shrimp. Doesn’t it look like the Anemone coral?

Harlequin Shrimp. Cleverly disguised as a coral, because it lives in coral reefs.

Camel-back Shrimp.

Besides frogs and toads, what other amphibians do you know?

This is a mudskipper, an amphibious fish, which can breathe oxygen through its lungs, and can crawl with its two pectoral fins. In fact, it can crawl faster than it can swim. Remember the fact that it is a fish!

Have you come across a black-coloured rambutan-like creature? Here it is! The Sea Urchin! But don’t imagine that it is a unique rambutan and eat it. Some are poisonous and can harm you!

You will be learning about endangered species, such as (from top to bottom) the Ocean Sunfish, the Angler Fish, the Barracuda and the Dugong.

The Discovery Zone also showcases the aquarium life support system, which duplicates parts of nature’s life support system.

Then you can take the escalator up to the Atlantis Gift Shop, where you can buy souvenirs. You can find a variety of exclusive aquaria merchandise ranging from fun and colourful apparel, toys, accessories and many more!

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Hi friends. Today, I would like to share with you another one of the city’s iconic towers, the Kuala Lumpur Tower/KL Tower/Menara KL.

You will see it jutting into the skyline from just about anywhere in the city. But it actually stands atop Bukit Nanas (or Pineapple Hill), a rainforest reserve right at the middle of the city.

The KL Tower/Menara Kuala Lumpur, the tallest telecommunications tower in South East Asia and the sixth tallest in the world is a majestic tower rising to the height of 421 meters.

The beginning of the construction process started on 1 October 1989 and was officially launched by the 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia, YAB Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, on 1 October 1996. The whole process took 7 years.

KL Tower is the testimony of the realization of the vision of Malaysia.

The view from the base of the tower.

Also, KL Tower is the only tower in the world that is located within a 3 million-year-old rainforest.

Don’t miss out the 110-year-old Jelutong Tree at the base of the tower.

When constructing the KL Tower, the builders took special care to construct a retaining wall around this 110-year-old jelutong tree (Dyera costulata) to avoid harming it at the cost of RM430,000.
 
This is a testimony to how Malaysia works in building this beautiful tower and also working with the environment.

Now, the KL Tower Animal Zone is built around it.

You can see its base from inside the Animal Zone.
 
The ticket to visit the KL Tower observation platform for an adult is RM38, while the ticket for a child is RM28. Each ticket would also entitle you to 3 new attractions at the base of the tower.

Enjoy them before or after you go up to the observation platform. The 3 attractions are:

1. Pony Ride
   
2. F1 Simulator
   Children (10-12 years), teenagers, and adults will enjoy it!
    
3. and the KL Tower Animal Zone
   It features birds, snakes, reptiles, spiders, monkeys, raccoons, turtles, tortoises, and others.
   
   A giant iguana. You might want to see how big it is!
   
   An alligator snapping turtle.
   
   Why is it opening its mouth?
   
   Oh! It is because it is letting small fishes eat up the parasites in its mouth. Isn’t it like us brushing our teeth?
   
   An albino pigtailed macaque at the zoo, one of the rarest primate species in the world. She is the loving mother to two other pigtailed macaques (aged 1 and 7). She breastfeeds her younger child while the older one finds bugs on her body to eat.
   
   A white-eared marmoset. Its face looks like a human!
   
   It is fun to play with the monkeys when you are protected by the glass.
   
   A reticulated python can grow up to 32 feet, like the picture below.
   
   An albino American bullfrog.
   
   His sweet smiling face welcomes you! Awwwwwwwwwwwwwww!
   
   A colourful Eastern Roselle, is an intelligent creature which can be trained to whistle a wide repertoire of tunes and may even learn to speak a few words or phrases.
   
   You can also be taken a photo with Larry, a Sulphur Crested Cockatoo, rested on your shoulder or head.

   This KL Tower Animal Zone really encourages people to get close to nature and its animals.

You can also ride the thrilling flying fox. It is 50 feet above the ground and about 450 feet long. Ride it if you dare! You can buy the flying fox tickets to enjoy an adventurous ride.

A lady getting ready for the ride.

Take off! WOoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Enjoying the thrilling ride. AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!

From Wednesday to Sunday at 11 am and 3:30 pm, there are 1-hour cultural shows.

Gamelan performance.
 
A traditional and cultural dance performance.
 
A dance performance at the amphitheatre.
 
There is a mini theatre for visitors to watch the documentary of the construction of the KL Tower.

Watching the video will touch your heart that the vision of Malaysia has been materialized through the KL Tower.

After that, you shall go into the main lobby to take the lift up to the observation platform. When you enter the main lobby, you cannot miss the sparkling seven-layer diamond-like dome on the ceiling, and also the other 3 domes at the other 3 entrances to the lobby.

These domes are actually designed in the form of Muqarnas, by Iranian craftsmen. This is indeed a magnificent work of art.

Observation Platform

Now you can finally go up to the KL Tower’s observation platform 276 meters above ground level to enjoy the panoramic view of the city! The view is really awesome!

The spectacular view of the Petronas Twin Towers on an afternoon.
 
Inside the observation platform.
 
Here is the display of the comparison of the telecommunications towers in the world. KL Tower was the 4th.
 

High-rise buildings are abundant in Kuala Lumpur.
 
Residential and low-rise areas in Kuala Lumpur. Can you spot the Istana Budaya and Batu Caves?

Here they are!

The Batu Caves is about 50 kilometres away from the KL Tower. It is a very famous Thaipusam spot in Malaysia.
 
Can you see the building with a unique blue rooftop? That is the Istana Budaya which is the National Theatre of Malaysia. It’s name literally translates to “Palace of Culture”. It plays host to local and international musical productions.

Can you see the huge lake beside it? It is the serene Tasik Titiwangsa park. The lake is where you can go canoeing, kayaking and aqua biking.

Apart from the high-rise buildings, greeneries are bountiful in Kuala Lumpur.
   
You also can see the (1) Independence Square, (2) its tallest (100 metre) flagpole in Malaysia, (3) the Royal Selangor Club, and (4) the clock tower of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building
  
In the view below, you can find a lot of famous places in Kuala Lumpur.

1. Dayabumi Building
2. National Mosque
3. Kuala Lumpur Railway Station
4. Islamic Arts Museum
5. Islamic Centre
6. KL Bird Park
7. National Planetarium
8. National Museum
9. KL Sentral

If you looked through the powerful binoculars at the KL Tower observation platform,

you could see the National Planetarium’s blue dome and its observation tower. Behind it is the National Museum.
 
Can you guess which park in KL this is?
 
It is actually the KLCC park.
 
From the KL Tower, you can actually see the clouds pouring out rain at Petaling Jaya. Truly amazing!

After the sky has cleared up, you can see the Telekom Malaysia Headquarters clearly. It is a unique sail-shaped 6-star intelligent building in Petaling Jaya.
             
Whenever you come to the KL Tower observation platform, it will give you different feelings. In the morning, afternoon or night, rainy, sunny or cloudy, the different spectacular views will invoke different feelings.

The most special feeling is in the evening, when you can watch the sunset at its most majestic display.

“When you come to the tower, don’t miss the sunset at the tower. You’re gonna fall in love with the city and you will fall in love with anyone that you bring with you. So make sure you bring the right person to fall in love.”

Datuk Zulkifli Mohamad, CEO of the Kuala Lumpur Tower.

What a intelligent CEO with a great sense of humour and creativity!

While witnessing the city darken, you can see some beautiful sunsets all over the city – North, South, East, West.
 
The Petronas Twin Towers on a rainy and foggy evening. Do you feel like the mist is around you?

The Petronas Twin Towers illuminated at night.
 
Isn’t it beautiful?
 
From the above view, you can see that when the sun goes down, Kuala Lumpur magically transforms into a fairyland. The lights light up the night, making Kuala Lumpur the garden city of lights. Really glorious!

Seasons greetings from AmBank. Viewed from the KL Tower.

Just one floor above the observation platform is the revolving restaurant, Seri Angkasa. Dining there is not a must but surely a treat.

I would suggest you to come earlier in the evening so that you can witness the darkening skyline. It is very interesting to experience the twilight and also the night lights in the city. Can you see the twinkling Twin Towers?
 
After that, you can go down to the base of the tower to enjoy the illumination of the tower and the fresh and cooling breeze.

When you go out, you may see the KL Tower constantly changing colours. It is really colourful! You can view the video slideshow below (7 seconds).

The KL Tower was illuminated in red for the entire month of December 2009 in conjunction with World AIDS Day 2009, as a Mark of Hope and Support for Malaysians living with HIV. It was really beautiful and inspiring.

Malaysia Cares!

At the base of the tower, you can also dine at Rainforest Cafe,

or the d’Tandoor Restaurant.

One of the shops that grabbed my attention was Miyi Jewels, which specializes in polymer clay items. Polymer clay is unbreakable, waterproof and fungusproof. Cool! It is also very nice to touch.
 
The spirit of 1Malaysia is shown in this shop too! You can purchase a photo frame with polymer clay models of the 3 main races in Malaysia – (from left to right) Chinese, Indians and Malays.
 
KL Tower also plays host to annual events such as the International Towerthon (February), which sees competitors dash up the stairs to the top of the tower.

It also hosts international BASE (Buildings, Antennas, Spans and Earth) jumping competitions (August), where participants parachute off the top of the tower.

Here is a video of it:

In conclusion, from the panoramic view from this tower, you can see that Kuala Lumpur merges the old and new. Ultra-modern skyscrapers jostles with centuries-old minarets and spires of the many mosques.

From the KL Tower, you can really enjoy the skyline like no other.

Then you can understand why KL prides itself as a city that has managed to preserve the best of its cultural and historical heritage despite encouraging modern infrastructure and facilities.

You will see so clearly that there is a great variety of architecture styles, from the old colonial buildings, to the black-and-white tudor-style Royal Selangor Club and the Islamic-inspired designs of Menara Dayabumi and the hour glass-shaped Tabung Haji Building.

Fireworks from the KL Tower

During two great days, Malaysia’s Independence Day (Hari Merdeka) (12 am, 31st August) and New Year’s Day (12 am, 1st January), you will have the most exciting view of the fireworks in the city!

Once the clock strikes 12 am, the fireworks will be simultaneously displayed all over the city. The main fireworks are at Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square), Petronas Twin Towers, Bukit Bintang, Mont Kiara, Bangsar and Mid Valley.

Don’t you feel lucky and excited that you can have the opportunity to view all these wonderful firework displays simultaneously at the KL Tower?

Below are the pictures of the awesome and splendid fireworks that lit up the city skyline on the 1st of January 2010.

1. Dataran Merdeka

Image by Effendy Rashid from NST.

2. Petronas Twin Towers

Image by Nan Yang Siang Pao.

3.Genting Highlands (Maxims Hotel)

Image by Sin Chew Daily

If you looked through the binoculars, you could see thousands and thousands of revellers that bade farewell to 2009 and rang in 2010 by partying down the last seconds of 2009 in Dataran Merdeka and Petronas Twin Towers.

Both Malaysians and foreigners from all walks of life flocked to these celebration points to enjoy the New Year Eve Concerts, multi-cultural dance troupes and other energetic performances.

You could see the people sing and dance along to the music. At the stroke of midnight, they would countdown “10, 9, 8….3, 2, 1,” and erupt in cheers and wish each other Happy New Year!

This is the most gratifying sight-seeing tower that you shall never miss! So, come and be one with the sky, only at KL Tower!

Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve

Another famous attraction at the base of the KL tower is the Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve. It is 1 of the 13 mega diversity primary tropical rainforest in the world, which is 3 million years old.

KL Tower becomes extraordinarily unique because it is the only tower in the world to be located within a rainforest. And the forest is in the heart of the city! These facts should excite you to visit the KL Tower and its primary tropical rainforest.

If your children long to have an adventure in the forest, this is the perfect place for them!

It is really a forest in the middle of a busy city!
 
There are tour guides to help you get to know this forest daily for free at 11 am, 12:30 pm, 2:30 pm, and 4:30 pm.

When you walk into the forest, you can hear the natural and peaceful sounds of insects like the cicada. It will really soothe your soul.

Below is a tour guide, Tony, explaining that the Meraga tree (Pertusadina euryhncha, Rubiaceae) has ugly holes in order to keep insects and animals from harming it because its ugliness will distract and make its potential enemies stay away.
 
Below is the picture of the same type of tree, but this one has longer holes because it is much older.

This Permanent Reserved Forest is classified as a Lowland Dipterocarp Rainforest. You can see the thick trunk and huge roots of many trees aged over 100 years old.

The Krepal tree (Kostermansia malayana) below is found only in Malaysia.

Below is a Merawarn Batu tree (Hopea beccariana).
 
Below is a very old durian tree.
 
The 110-year-old Jelutong tree (about 150 cm in diameter) at the base of the tower compared with the 350-year-old Jelutong tree in the forest (455 cm in diameter, about 3 adults hugging it).
 
The Bird’s-nest Fern is the plant that we should know if we want to survive in the forest. It is because it contains a lot of water. Just poke the spongy roots at the base of the leaves and the water will leak out.

The Bird’s-nest Fern can grow symbiotically on trees.
 
It also can grow very big too!
 
Other than the Bird’s-nest Fern, another tree that can quench your thirst is the tarzan vine. If you break it with a knife or a karate chop, the water will come out for you. Don’t worry because it can rejoin again within a week.
 
The third tree that can save our lives is the banana tree, because we can eat its fruit and also drink its water when we break its branch.
 
The heart of the banana tree. Delicious!
 
If you want to camp, relax and listen to the sounds of nature with your friends, you can come to the camping site below.
 
The Bamboo Walk area has a lot of beautiful bamboos, especially these 85-year-old bamboos below.

Interpretative trail maps are placed at the trails to guide you. There are about 5 trails for you to explore.
 
Below is the Jelutong Trail, an adventurous trail that you shall not miss.
 
You would really enjoy your adventure on the Jelutong Trail!
 
Apart from the natural path above, there are also concrete paths. Both are perfect for hiking, walking or jogging while breathing ionic oxygen! 
 
Be sure to keep your eyes out for birds, reptiles, insects and monkeys. Can you spot a monkey below?

But no matter how cute they are, you shall not feed the monkeys.

Along the tracks, look out for special stuff like this Lingzhi mushroom (Ganoderma lucidum). Can you spot it?

There it is!
 
It brought back my memories when I was completing my final year thesis on the cultivation and analysis of the Lingzhi mushroom. Lingzhi was described as “mushroom of immortality”. Because of the press’ interest, I was interviewed by them (23 November 1991, Nan Yang Siang Pao).
   
Below are some other types of mushrooms.

At the end of the Jelutong trail, there is the Wariseni Gallery, where you will find many unique wooden furniture and craft that you can admire or purchase.
 
In conclusion, Kuala Lumpur has always been a garden city as it is naturally endowed with forest – an identity that only a few cities in the world can claim.

Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve is the natural, tropical and urban forest designed and built by Mother Nature. From the primitive fungi to the more developed small mammals, our urban forest is full of surprises.

The rainforest is really a precious heritage for us to enjoy:

1. Ionic oxygen for quality urban living.
2. Peaceful sight of greeneries.
3. As a platform for jungle adventure and research.

So, come to the KL Tower to enjoy the marvelous panoramic view of the garden city (Kuala Lumpur) and the experience of adventuring in the Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve at the bottom of the tower.

KL Tower, the 2nd most visited tower in the world, is the tower where you can enjoy the skyline like no other!

You can get to the KL Tower with the KL Hop-on Hop-off double-decker bus or taxi.
 
Here is an aerial view of the KL Tower on Google Maps.

View Larger Map

You can visit the KL Tower’s official website here – http://www.menarakl.com.my

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Feel free to vote for my post! Highly appreciated! No registration required.

Hi! Did you sense that Christmas is in the air? Today is 24 December 2009, the Eve of Christmas. What does Christmas mean to you?

For some, it is the best time to enjoy the numerous bargains. For Christians, they might like to shop for decorations, a Christmas tree, and outfits to be worn to Christmas parties or family dinners. To all kind-hearted people, it’s a time for them to think of buying gifts for their loved ones or needy people.

Millions of Malaysians are making special trips to malls during this special season. I think we all want to enjoy the spirit of Christmas, which is, in general, the spirit of giving. We love the nice feeling of being generous and buying some gifts for others.

The decorations in the malls and the discounts make shopping even more tempting. Even if you don’t celebrate the festival, you will find yourself touring the malls to enjoy the marvelous decorations and fun activities.

Hopefully, we will all buy some gifts for our loved ones as an appreciation for our loving relationship. It doesn’t necessarily has to cost a bomb as long as you feel that the recipient will appreciate your present.

The first mall we visited was Mid Valley Megamall.

The North Court.

The Centre Court.

At the Centre Court, there is a ‘Come and Meet Santa’ charity program, started on 11 December to 25 December 2009. The project is sponsored by Foto-Shangri-La and Mid Valley Megamall.

If you pay RM10, you and your whole family will get to be photographed with Santa on a beautifully decorated stage. The clothes are provided. The photo, a present and a balloon will be given to you.

Your RM10 will be donated to the Stepping Stones Home in Taman Seputeh, Kuala Lumpur. The photo session on 24th and 25th December are 12:30pm-1:30pm, 4:30pm-5:30pm and 6pm-7pm.

You and your family will be dressed and photographed like this.

The photo will be given to you.

Come and join the program! Lines and lines of people were having fun joining this charity program. Hope you’ll be one of them.

Then we went to the center of KL City. The first mall we visited was Berjaya Times Square. The photos below are its Christmas decorations.

I befriended a Saudi Arabian, Ahmad, and his sister, Marsha, who were visiting here too. Marsha is studying in University Malaya, a Master in Physics. Ahmad is a Bachelor in Economics.

Below is an Iranian man, Ali, who attracted people’s attention because he was wearing a cute Christmas hat.

You can have fun being a snowman too!

Hope that we all will remember the spirit of Christmas, which is the spirit of giving, regardless of race and religion. Then the world will become a peaceful place for all to enjoy.

Next, we went to Plaza Low Yat. Here’s the entrance.

Plaza Low Yat and the street.

Plaza Low Yat is Malaysia’s largest IT lifestyle mall. Below are Choy Hui and Christine promoting HTC mobile phones and accessories.

Opposite Plaza Low Yat is BB (Bukit Bintaing) Park. It is very well decorated too. Below is Edward at his Beer Garden stall.

My son and two employees, Grace and Glory, from Outback Steakhouse, BB Park. The branches are also available in Indonesia, Thailand and Singapore. Perhaps you can enjoy your dinner here during this Christmas season.

Then we went to Bintang Walk street. Below is a statue performer. Would you like to take a photo with him?

Mr. Chan and his family has enjoyed the oppurtunity.

Sungei Wang is one of the oldest and famous shopping malls in KL City.

The stage was icily decorated. You almost can feel the cool breeze with swans swimming around.

An Iranian, Alaeddin, and his daughter, Kiana, was also enjoying the cooling scenery. He is a computer science student from UTM (Technology University of Malaysia).

Then we went to the most (in my opinion) beautifully, expensively and thoughtfully decorated mall, the Pavilion.

Side view

In front of the entrance, there was a fountain that constantly changed colours.

People were having fun taking photos in front of the row of snowy Christmas trees.

The reindeers and the sleigh were lighted up with twinkling lights for people to enjoy and take photographs with.

Mr. Basid and his family from Malacca also posed in front of the reindeers. I asked him whether they have visited the Midvalley Megamall. They hadn’t.

Then I told them to do so because it was so fun to join the ‘Come and Meet Santa’ charity program. For RM10, the whole family will be dressed up for the photograph session. What an opportunity to be photographed together and also doing a kind thing for the Stepping Stones Home.

Below is Selvi and her family from Penang. I asked them when they were going home. They said the next day (24th December 2009). I tried to persuade her to stay until 27 because there will be an open house event jointly organized by many churches in the Klang valley from 2pm to 6pm to promote the spirit of 1Malaysia. If you come too, you can enjoy all the exciting events with the spirit of peace and joy.

There was event that attracted a big audience: A musical band. We stood there to enjoy the music for a while.

Suddenly, an 8-year-old girl came in and danced to the music. Her name is Terene.

Her mother said Terene dared to dance in front of a big crowd because they are a friend to the guitarist, Nor Muhammad. What a joy she has brought to everybody during this Christmas season.

View the video below. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the music and her dancing (2 mins).

The crowd shouted and clapped for her, especially Norma (left) and Wani.

Berjaya Times Square, Sungei Wang Plaza, Plaza Low Yat and the Pavilion are located in this part of KL City called the Golden Triangle.

The Golden Triangle is Kuala Lumpur’s commercial, shopping and entertainment hub and is actually a collection of areas that encompasses a number of major streets.

Three major roads – Jalan Imbi, Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Raja Chulan provide the boundaries that form the Golden Triangle in KL. The Golden Triangle is where many towering skyscrapers, shopping malls and world-class hotels are located.

Below is the Golden Triangle. You can drag around it to explore the area.

View Larger Map

The last place we visited was China Town in Petaling Street. China Town is always full of life.

A multi-ethnic youth group were sitting in front of a hotel and caroling leisurely.

Some shops that sell Christmas items are decorated ‘Christmasly’ too.

My son and I were happy and satisfied with our tour. We have bought some presents for our loved ones and friends.

Hopefully, for everybody, shopping during Christmas will be about the joys of giving than anything else.

It’s not only about giving monetary presents but also giving your time and love for your loved ones, or perhaps some needy people too.

So, tour around the Federal Territories malls during this Christmas season and make new friends with people from different races. You can feel that you can easily enjoy friendship with everybody when Christmas is in the air.

If you want to know more about the shopping malls that I mentioned, you can visit their websites below.

Mid Valley
Berjaya Times Square
Plaza Low Yat
Sungei Wang
Pavilion

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The Royal Selangor Club (RSC) has been a Kuala Lumpur landmark since 1884. It is the nation’s most renowned and respected sports and social institution.

It celebrated its 125th Anniversary and also the 25th Anniversary of the Sultan of Selangor’s royal patronage with pomp and ceremony on Dec 20.

Today, 20 December 2009, in front of the Royal Selangor Clubhouse, which is the Dataran Merdeka (or Independence Square), its 125th Anniversary was greatly celebrated.

The Independence Square is a very prominent symbolic landmark. It was here that Malaya (now Malaysia) was officially granted Independence on 31 August 1957. It is probably the most photographed place in the city. The square hosts the annual Independence Day and the New Year’s Day celebrations.

At 3 pm, the Royal Malaysian Police Band (PDRM), which is acknowledged as one of the best bands in the world, was getting ready for their performance as the first event.

Eva, one of the Chinese tourists from Shanghai I befriended, was excited to hear about the event too.

At 3:30pm, the long waited performance started.

Please view the video below for a part of their amazing music (1 min). I’m sure you wouldn’t want to miss it! Mind you, it’s truly one of the world’s best.

After that, another band, the Kuala Lumpur City Hall Brass Band, performed too.

The Malaysian Royal Police Band (PDRM) and the Kuala Lumpur City Hall were indeed two important elements at the celebration as a recognition of their strong link and lasting relationship with the club since 1884.

For the whole afternoon, varied and colourful activities were held. But in this post, I would like to share with you the most entertaining moments.

Now, the Royal Malaysian Mounted Police rode their horses onto the field. They displayed their skills of controlling the horses.

One of the tough skills they displayed was crossing each other’s ways in a line, shown in the video below. If the riders were not 100% skillful, the horses would collide with one another. They also rode in circles.
Suddenly…! One horse was not used to the new environment so it dropped the master and ran away!

It was because the horse was in tension. I was so worried that it would run into the crowd and hurt them. I think you would feel the same too.

Luckily, according to the MC, the horse would not do so. Instead, it will go and find its master. Amazing. Please view the video below if you want to have a glimpse of the horse running amok.

Next, the mounting police jumped over some obstacles riding their horses. They also jumped over a ring of fire.

It was followed by tent pegging (using a spear to spear, pick up a wooden fire tent peg nailed to the ground.) individually and in a group. Really exciting! Loud applauses were heard. Won’t you clap for them too?

Video below (30 seconds).

Then, these four gorgeous bikers did some marvelous bike ramp jumps.

First, they jumped over the ramp and landed on the field. Then they jumped through a ring. Fantastic! Video below (22 seconds).

Then, something unexpected and funny happened. A clown, riding on a mini motorbike, tried to jump through the ring but failed… What happened next?

A little boy (about 2 years old) who sat next to me shouted in tension. Then I told him the clown actually purposely did it, according to the MC.

Please watch this fun moment! (24 seconds).

Now, the most exciting event was going to happen. 16 people lied down on the field.

Two clowns came over. One lied down as the 17th person on the field.

Another one hid under the ramp to show (pretend?) that the event frightened him.

I asked the people beside me whether they would volunteer to lie down there, as the MC challenged. They said they would not. Would you dare to?

Now everybody was in tension. We all waited for some time. Finally the moment came…….

Then another exciting moment arrived. Seven Kancil cars lined up for the bikers to jump over. Were they successful? Guess what was the action of the 2-year-old boy next to me?

Please watch the video below (40 seconds) of the jump over the 17 people and also the jump over the 7 cars.

Finally, many vintage cars paraded for everyone to see. They were driven by the club’s sport section members with children of Sunbeams Home as their honored passengers. Here is a slideshow of them (31 seconds). Those who love vintage cars will surely be delighted.

Of course, there were other activities carried out by the Royal Selangor Club member’s too, like line dancing, female rugby, and children soccer.

The Klang Valley denizens and visitors were really happy and satisfied attending this 125th Anniversary bash of RSC. I am. I think you are too!

If you want to know more about RSC, please visit their website, http://rscweb.my.

In this blog post, I would like to introduce to you the Petronas Twin Towers, the most remarkable landmark in the Federal Territories.

Dato’ Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad, the 4th Prime Minister of Malaysia, officially launched it on Aug 31, 1999. The whole country was thrilled!

The Twin Towers are a tall symbol of Malaysia’s achievement and technological advancement. Petronas, short for Petroleum Nasional Berhad, is indeed proud to house its corporate headquarters here in these towers, which serve as a globally prominent base for the Corporation to operate and grow its business.

Designed by Argentine-American architect César Pelli, the Petronas Twin Towers were completed in 1998 after a hardworking 7 year build, at the cost of 4.1 billion ringgit (1.2 billion USD).

The stunning 88-floor towers (452 metres) were constructed largely of reinforced concrete, with a splendid display of glass and stainless steel, glistening in Kuala Lumpur’s equatorial sun.

The Petronas Twin Towers symbolizes strength and grace through its use of geometric designs typical of Islamic art, a reflection of Malaysia’s Muslim religion while possessing a modern overall character.

To Malaysians, the Twin Towers are indeed a vision realised symbolising Malaysia as a dynamic and progressive nation. As a new Malaysian icon and symbol of a great leap forward, it will surely stand there forever for our generation to be inspired as it was built on the world’s deepest foundations – 375 feet!

You can see it jutting into the skyline from just about anywhere in the city.
Day and night, it is constantly releasing its glorious silver glow for everyone to marvel.  The Twin Towers are exceptionally beautiful during the night. They are like twinkling diamonds in the sky.

You can view this diamond-like building from the KL Tower too! 

Skybridge

The Skybridge is between the two towers on the 41st and 42nd floors. It is the highest 2-story bridge in the world. It is one of the main attractions for tourists because when everyone stands there, the fun is indescribable!

It symbolises a gateway to the visionary future of the brilliant Malaysia. It was originally built to facilitate movement between the two towers. It also can function as an escape route in case of emergencies.

The skybridge is open to all visitors, but free passes (limited to 1700 people per day) must be obtained on a first-come, first-served basis, so come early at 8:30 am or earlier, because the visitors are so numerous the tickets probably would all be taken before 11am!

You must pay a visit to the skybridge. It is such a wonderful experience standing there having a near-at-hand view of the city.The KLCC Park filled with abundant greeneries.
A paradise for children, the ‘butterfly shaped’ wading pool in the KLCC Park.
Lake Symphony in front of Suria KLCC. Isn’t it beautiful?
Don’t forget to bring your cameras, and show off to your friends how exhilarating it was! Below are (from left to right) Emily from Canada, Sheridon from Ireland, me from Malaysia, and Carolyn from England.

Petronas Twin Tower Exhibition Hall

Petronas Twin Tower’s exhibition hall is filled with captivating exhibits about the Twin Towers.

There is a comparison chart of the tallest towers in the world. It’s great to know that our KL Tower was the 5th in the whole wide world!
Our Twin Towers are the tallest twin buildings in the world. We Malaysians are really proud of it!
There is also a video of the history and the construction of the Twin Towers on a big TV. The builders were really hardworking and focused in constructing  this visionary building.
The builders were putting the sky bridge in place. It took almost 2 hours to lift it off the ground into place! That is why the skybridge is a really precious heritage for you to experience!
When you watch the video, you would feel that you are one of the builders that contributed to the nation’s pride.
You can also view a screen of a panorama of the city which was captured from the skybridge. But viewing it is not enough. You need to really go up there!

Suria KLCC

Below the Twin Towers is the Suria KLCC Mega Shopping Centre, one of the largest and most popular shopping malls in all of Malaysia. It has everything under the sun. For people who love to shop, this would surely be a shopping haven to them.

It is spread over 6 spacious floors, covering 1,000,000 (1 million) square feet. It houses over 300 specialty stores, including up-market restaurants, offbeat cafes, eateries, supermarkets and cinemas. Now… You can really shop until you drop!  Suria KLCC is full of vibrant and lively crowds!

Aseana

Situated at the ground floor, Aseana is the first largest luxury mixed-brand store of Malaysia and home to a supreme collection of premium designer fashion and accessories from all around the world, such as Italy, USA and Indonesia.
The boutiques there retails pure luxury and quality styles that exude universal glamour, timeless elegance and modern appeal. It is truly a rare gem of distinguished fashion with unique independent styles!

Lake Symphony

After a long day of shopping, sitting and eating leisurely at the cafes facing the beautiful Lake Symphony will really refresh your body and mind. 
You can also sit around the lake to enjoy the cooling breeze.
From 12 – 2pm, the fountains will turn on. With the beautiful animations, the fountains look like they are dancing. They are programmed to provide 150 magical dramatic “dances”, which will soothe your soul after a day’s tour.
I felt the reason the lake is called Lake Symphony is because of the “music” the fountains make.

A couple with their baby also wanted to enjoy the refreshing and beautiful fountain scenery too!
Seniors also like to enjoy the sights and sounds here. Below are (from left to right), Gun (cousin), Yuni (daughter) and Rosmar (mother, 78 years old), from Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia.

The fountains turn on again in the evening from 5 pm onwards.
What a great place to relax!
The night scene is really romantic.
The reflections from Lake Symphony at night is even more romantic!
The fountains looks very beautiful at night too! Watching them will cool your mind. (During drizzly nights, the fountain lights wouldn’t be fully turned on).The fountains show off gloriously when it is not raining.
Image by Tech N Tools

Christmas Season

At the centre stage ground floor, there are always majestic decorations during festive seasons, like Christmas.

During the Christmas season of 2009, the centre court was filled with beautifully decorated Christmas trees and a candy house with a lollipop stage with Gingerbread men dancing beside it.

The Christmas decorations filled the whole Suria building with Christmas Spirit, which is the spirit of giving, sharing and caring.
 There were many people posing for photos in front of it.
If you look closely, you can see Malays, Chinese and Indians, young and old, male and female, posing and taking pictures in a harmonious atmosphere.

There was also a Christmas performance by some violinists. You can enjoy the performance from the video below. Watching the performance, you would feel that the peace and joy is in the air!

New Year’s Day

Update: During two great days, Malaysia’s Independence Day (Hari Merdeka) (12 am, 31st August) and New Year’s Day (12 am, 1st January), thousands of people will flock to the Petronas Twin Towers to view the most exciting fireworks!

It is a really hot spot because there are various fun activities and concerts that welcome the New Year. Plus, the fireworks are truly splendid!

Image by TheStar.

  
Image by Nan Yang Siang Pao.

Other attractions at the Petronas Twin Towers

1. Petrosains

Just located at the fourth floor of Suria, Petrosains, The Discovery Centre, is a hotspot for kids. It is where children and also adults learn science in its most interactive, captivating and exciting way.

It occupies over 70,000 square feet! Imagine how many exciting science exhibits and activities await you!

To know more about it, you can view my post that gives you information on the most attractive parts of it – Petrosains – Where Science Comes Alive.

2. Petronas Philharmonic Hall

You can find the Petronas Philharmonic Hall below the Twin Towers, the home of the talented Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra. It is where full orchestral performances as well as contemporary arrangements of the highest quality take place.

It was designed along the lines of a grand 19th century European concert hall, and has some of the finest acoustics available.

This is the entrance to the Petronas Philharmonic Hall.
You can view some of the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra’s awesome performances on YouTube. Here is one of them. (If you are a Star Wars fan, you should view it because they performed the Star Wars theme song at the beginning of this video).

3. Petronas Art Gallery

“A city without culture and art is a city without a soul.”

The Petronas Art Gallery (3rd floor) is established in 1993 by Petronas to promote arts and culture from all around the world. It is reputed to be one of the most established art galleries.

 
The Gallery holds many seminars, discussions and forums discussing various art issues on a regular basis. It also holds exhibitions of artwork of artists and sculptors from Malaysia and also from around the world (So no photography is allowed, unless for exceptional reasons).

Below is Raja Shahriman Raja Aziddin, a very talented Malaysian sculptor leading the Artist Talk of his exhibition just recently on 19 December 2009.

Above 2 images are from the sculptor’s website.

His exhibition is held from 29 October 2009 to 24 January 2010.

This was a compelling exhibition that was really astonishing and amazing! Just look at how detailed and well-designed the sculptures are!

4. Pucuk Rebung Gallery-Museum

Just beside the Petronas Art Gallery is the Pucuk Rebung Gallery-Museum. It is mostly filled with old-world Malay civilization art forms and Malaysian heritage.

It is truly a world of timeless beauty and elegance of unusual, rare and precious finds.
At the museum, you can always find unique antique masterpieces that you can add to your collection.

5. Dynasty Antique Gallery

Just further down from the Pucuk Rebung Museum is the Dynasty Antique Gallery, where you can find finely specialized Chinese antique furniture and accessories.
Here you can experience the glamour of ancient Chinese arts and culture. Truly, the Petronas Twin Towers are filled with brilliant attractions!

KLCC Park

KLCC Park is an ultra-modern landscaped park in which you can feel the tropical garden ambience of Malaysia. It is also a place where city dwellers find retreat amidst the urban metropolis of Kuala Lumpur.

On the way, you will find people relaxing on the benches or taking photos. There are also jogging and walking paths along shady trees which provide ionic oxygen.
The KLCC park is very beautifully landscaped and so, you can see many visitors taking photographs of the nature and life-filled scenery.

Wading Pool

One of the popular places that parents and children should not ever miss is the children wading pool, where kids below 12 can indulge in playing water non-stop, if they want, from 10 am to 7:30 pm. Children of all ages, nationalities, and religion mix and play really well here.

Here is a video of how your child can play around the man-made waterfall.

SPLASH!

Let your children watch it (30 seconds). Surely they will want to go there.

While watching your kids have fun in the water, your family can have a picnic!

It’s really nice to enjoy seeing the happy environment.
You also can celebrate your birthday here. Below is Jenny Sororajah’s (from Klang) Birthday celebration at the KLCC Park. She is at the far right in the photo next to her son.It would surely go down Jenny’s memory lane .

I also met Pak Nik and his grandtwins, Iwani and Iwana, (and also his other family members) from Kelantan. They never miss visiting this ‘children paradise’ during the school holidays.

Children’s Playground

After that, you might also like to bring your kids to play in the playground.The playground is loaded with so many different types of playing instruments that children will be overjoyed at the sight of the playground.
Their joy will be beyond their imagination when they can actually play it and also play it with other children too!

Jogging Track

KLCC park is a favourite jogging spot for joggers because it is a great spot to enjoy the beautiful greeneries, with over 1900 trees and 74 palm species.
The jogging path, which is 1.3 kilometres long, is laid with EDPM, a special rubberized material to help absorb the shock of impact from running. It is laid next to the footpath.

Along the jogging tratracksck, there are benches and shelters for you to rest if you are tired. You are also welcome to picnic here!

Below (from left to right) are Chui Shuang, Lina and Dong Ning, 3 teachers from China posing at the man-made waterfalls. They teach Mandarin in Petaling Jaya.
The KLCC park also has beautiful flowers for you to admire and pose with.
Oh, what a wonderful park with a perfect blend the urban metropolis with greeneries! People who come to this park would surely become more eco-friendly, sensitive and appreciative to our mother nature.

How lucky we are that we can enjoy all the fun facilities and the wonderful environment that costs millions of dollars, for free!

KL Convention Centre

When you jog around the tracks, you will come across a uniquely shaped building.

It is the KL Convention Centre, a premier convention and exhibition centre that hosts exhibitions, seminars, meetings and entertainment. It has been awarded the "Best Convention Centre in Asia" by CEI Industry Award 2009. Malaysia Boleh!

The spectacular V-shaped KL Convention Centre viewed from the Skybridge.

Aquaria KLCC

Aquaria KLCC is a 60,000 square feet underwater park located beneath the convention center. It has the longest underwater tunnel in Malaysia, in which you can have a view that was previously only accessible to divers!

Please read my article about Aquaria here that highlights the most interesting parts of it. You will surely enjoy it!
- Aquaria KLCC – The Place That Makes You One With the Ocean

Asy-Syakirin Mosque

Adjacent to the park is the Masjid Asy-Syakirin (Also called KLCC mosque), an attraction for Muslims from all over the world.

It was built from the labour of love of a team of skilled Uzbekistan craftsman specially commissioned to render the intricate patterns and designs adorn the Mihrab, reflecting the beauty of the faith. It was truly a work of great art.

In short, Petronas Twin Towers, the skybridge, Petrosains, the Petronas Philharmonic Hall, the Petronas Art Gallery, KLCC park and Aquaria KLCC are the places you must take your kids to visit before they grow up.

Of course, if you haven’t got any kids, you still shall come to these all-in-one places to sightsee in awe how the multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious Federal Territorial population work, eat, live, visit, shop and enjoy leisure and cultural activities in the busy Metropolis lifestyle and a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere together with refreshing greeneries around the concrete jungle of high-rise buildings.

In fact, Petronas Twin Towers are a part of a 100-acre project called the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), which is ranked among the largest real-estate developments in the world. It was born from a vision to create an integrated mixed-use development of a city within a city.

KLCC now comprises Petronas Twin Towers, KL Convention Centre, the Esso and Maxis office towers, Mandarin Oriental Hotel, Asy-Syakirin Mosque, Suria KLCC and the KLCC landscaped park.

I believe what you see, hear, smell, taste and feel here will surely leave a lasting and memorable impression in your heart forever.

Truly, Kuala Lumpur is warm, charming, friendly, inviting, fast-paced, exciting and above all, rich in its diversity and prosperous in unity.

The special sights and sounds of the unity of every race in our nation make this Federal Territory exceptionally exuberant.

1Legacy, 1Destiny, 1Malaysian Identity – This is 1Malaysia!

Surely, no one will miss enjoying this place!

Even the moon smiles upon it too. Come! Twin Towers welcomes you!

P.S. On September 1st 2009, French  Spiderman, Alain Robert, a famous urban climber, scaled the Petronas Twin Towers only using his bare hands! 

He successfully reached the very top of the Tower! He looked so gorgeous at the glorious top of the pinnacle of Petronas Twin Tower 2!

The Petronas Twin Towers are extremely attractive to everyone, especially this “Spiderman” .

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Here is the bird’s eye view of the places I have been by Google Maps. Enjoy!

View Larger Map

The easiest way you can come to the Petronas Twin Towers is by the Putra LRT (Light Rail Transit) Kelana Jaya line. Stop at station ‘KLCC’ and when you get out, you will be greeted by the tall mejestic Petronas Twin Towers .