A Day at KLCC

Travel the whole world I may be, yet my heart remains fond of the place I call home (or in this case, office). Folks, let's explore the potentially fascinating Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC). 

How to get there: It's at the heart of town, and so the Light Rapid Transit (LRT) is highly recommended. Just take the Kelana Jaya line and one cannot miss the KLCC stop. Otherwise the RapidKL bus, taxi or own transport is also okay. Just don't get frustrated in the traffic jam, especially on rainy Friday evenings.

Where to stay: KLCC is a business centre more than anything else, and so there are many hotels available, mostly frequented by those on working trips. Some of the high-end hotels are the Mandarin Oriental, Traders and Impiana. There may be some mid-range hotels nearby but you've gotta look hard for a bargain. As for the economic conscious souls, you can stay elsewhere off the city and just come here to visit. 

The Journey

KLCC is at the heart of the bustling Kuala Lumpur, located within the golden triangle area. The concept of city-within-a-city was devised to set a conducive place for work, living and also recreational activities. Whilst I don't actually go as a tourist, I'm thinking that a tourist visiting KLCC would have quite a splendid day here. Anyhow, it should be one of the things to cross off your list on a visit to Kuala Lumpur. 

The Menara Berkembar PETRONAS (PETRONAS Twin Towers) is indeed the KLCC's center of attraction. With its distinctive design, the 88-storey towers is the world's tallest twin building, standing high at 452m above street level. This is the headquarters of PETRONAS, Malaysia's national oil company.

The Skybridge connects the two towers at Level 41 and 42. Only the one at Level 41 is opened for public, while the other is strictly for tenants' use. At level 42 there's also the Malaysian Petroleum Club (MPC), a posh setting for dining. I consider myself lucky, being able to enter both the bridge and MPC more than several times already :D


Limited tickets are available for Skybridge and visitors must queue up early in the morning. There's the probability of not getting them and becoming frustrated at some point. If you're just visiting the bridge, that tour alone would somehow be brief and unsatisfactory. It's better to pair it up with the observation deck, at the very least. You can also go for skybridge, observation deck and meal at MPC. For more details on the packages, just check out the towers website.

 

Note: At the moment, the Skybridge is closed to public for some upgrading works. The Skybridge will resume its operations sometime in December 2011.  

Aside from the Skybridge, there's the Suria shopping mall at the lower grounds for shopping, eating and passing time. Within the mall itself, there's the Galeri PETRONAS for those who'd venture for some artwork display. This could be interesting, depending on the theme it has on that duration. Entrance to the gallery is free. 

For a family outing with the young ones try out the Petrosains, located on the 4th floor of Suria. It's a fun discovery centre that shares about the world of science and its relations to oil & gas. Even I, as an adult, enjoyed myself exploring the games, the visuals and the interactive consoles. I particularly like the rides, those were simple yet exuding coolness. The visit I had made me recapped some of those things I learned during the school days hehe... Ticket is cheap i.e. from RM5 to RM25. Petrosains is closed on Mondays.

 

If that is still not enough, hop on next door to Aquaria at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. Here, you could explore the underwater world, meet the 'stars' of Aquaria, and perhaps take a break at the Aquazone Fish Spa. You can also dive with the sharks and get to know them closer. The whole tour is kinda cool, really. Aquaria is open daily, even on public holidays. Ticket prices vary from RM25 to RM45. 

 

In the evenings, there are shows available at the Dewan Filharmonik PETRONAS (PETRONAS Philharmonic Hall). The performances are largely by the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO). Notably, classical music is not everyone's cup of tea. Just check out the show schedule before coming here as occasionally DFP also hosts showcases of some local and international artistes. There are also weekend programs for the children. The acoustics of the hall is one of the best, and I totally agree with that. They have one of the strictest no camera policy though.    

Outside, in the nearby compound are the Lake Symphony and KLCC Park. At almost any time of the day you can see joggers, strollers and doting couples around the park, or parents tending to their kids at the playground. Not to forget the many aspiring photographers trying to get the best angles to capture snapshots of the towers. The rest of the crowd may just hang around the lake, watching the fountain light show in the evenings. There're just too many amusing behaviours of the passers-by that one cannot get bored. I know I'm not >:) 

A view from the top, from inside the tower