Malaysia is one of those countries that you can easily go back to every year. I love going here as it is close to home. Aside from being rich in culture, food is also good (lots of vegetarian options!), and you can travel to Malaysia even on a budget. Their transportation system is also easy to learn, plus they have some Korean stuff we still don't have here in the Philippines (an Innisfree store, some Korean magazines in their bookstores, etc hehehe--priorities!). I can go back to this country for these + to see more of its other cities like George Town, Malacca City, and Kota Kinabalu.
I didn't realize that I've been going to Malaysia at least once a year for the past three years. If you're running out of ideas on where to go and what to do, I listed in this blog post the itinerary for our short trip for Tourism Malaysia and Cebu Pacific. You might pick up a thing or two! Happy reading. :)
1) BATU CAVES
I know and I am sure you've been to Batu Caves on your first or second visit in Malaysia, as it is part of every Kuala Lumpur things-to-do lists. But now is the time to go back as this famous limestone cave temple just received a very Instagram-worthy rainbow makeover!
I am still amazed as to how they made everything so colorful and so fast, and it's far from tacky in real life. It's almost still the same, but not quite!
2) MALAYSIAN HANDICRAFTS
PEWTER
We went to two showrooms of Malaysian handicrafts while we were in Kuala Lumpur, and gained a newfound appreciation for Malaysian arts and culture. First is Malaysian pewter brand Royal Selangor's headquarters in Setapak, where you will find the world's largest pewter tankard, samples of different pewter products, and watch an actual demo on how they made these intricate (and expensive!) pewter crafts from silverware to jewelries.
BATIK
We also learned about Malaysian Batik, a textile art in Malaysia. Popular motifs include leaves and flowers meticulously hand painted on fabric using very vibrant colors. They turn these fabrics to useable items, usually into clothes or bags.
3) KL TOWER
Tourists usually go to the Petronas Towers for the view of the city, but heading for the KL Tower instead will give you the city view with the twin towers! We went here just in time for sunset, and had coffee while enjoying the nice (air conditioned, haha) view of KL. You can purchase your discounted KL Tower Observation Deck tickets online HERE.
4) WOW KL! CULTURAL SHOW + DINNER BUFFET
If you want to watch traditional Malaysian dance and other performances, then going to Wow KL! is hitting two birds with one stone. Food (buffet style) is also good and offers a lot of varieties from traditional Malaysian food to vegetarian options down to their desserts.
5) DAY TRIP TO IPOH
Only about 2-3 hours away from Kuala Lumpur (via tour bus / guided tour), Ipoh is the capital city of Perak Malaysia that offers so much for their visitors. I love their food culture and artsy streets.
Book for your Ipoh Private Day Tour from Kuala Lumpur HERE. It is more convenient and time saving, you get to explore more even with time constraints. It's my second time in this city, and it never gets old! Most prob, Ipoh is one of my favorite cities in the world.
What to do during your short, day-trip to Ipoh?
Enjoy a nice lunch of their famous dishes in Onn Kee Restaurant (extra thicc bean sprouts, rice noodle soup, egg tarts). We even met the owner when we dined there!
Shop around - try their famous egg tarts and giant pomelo, buy packs of Malaysia's famous Old Town Coffee as pasalubong (they originated in Ipoh!).
Enjoy an afternoon in MAPS (Movie Animation Park Studios) Perak Theme Park! They have a Smurfs theater, extreme rides, and other shows. You can book for your discounted MAPS theme park tickets in advance online via Klook. (for Php 647 from Php 1681!)
Ipoh Railway Station and Municipal Building for architecture appreciation.
And my favorite in Ipoh, the Concubine Lane for some shopping + dainty cafes + photo op with their wall arts. Of course, do not leave Ipoh without having their White Coffee!
6) MUSEUM OF ILLUSIONS
Something for the family or barkada to enjoy, the Museum of Illusions offers hyperrealistic 38 hand-painted art pieces and an Augmented Reality show.
The Museum of Illusions is located in Kuala Lumpur. You can purchase your ticket in advance via Klook for only Php 440.
7) SUNWAY RESORT HOTEL & SPA
One of my favorite places that we went to for this trip! Sunway Resort Hotel & Spa is a city of its own! They have a huge 6 themed zones, malls, 3 hotels, and even a hospital and university!
For the theme park, you have these options: Sunway Lagoon Water Park, Amusement Park, Wildlife Park, Extreme Park, Scream Park, and Asia's 1st Nickelodeon Themed Land: Nickelodeon Lost Lagoon. Definitely a day is not enough to go to all these! You can purchase for your discounted ticket in advance HERE.
Dinner in Hotpot Kitchen inside Sunway's mall:
Sunway has 3 hotels, with several room types! Here is a sneak peek of the pool in their luxurious private villa:
Another meal in their mall + saw Sunway Pyramid Ice (skating rink)
BONUS: Perfect for Halloween!
Just for the spook season, Sunway Lagoon opens their Nights of Fright 6, Malaysia's biggest and scariest theme park with 11 thrill rides, 8 haunted houses, 4 scare zones, and lots of other shows and activities. We went to about 4 or 5 themed haunted houses on our first night, and sobrang riot! Ang galing ng production nila, very realistic huhu. 👻👻👻
They are open from Sept 28 to October 31 only, so if you're in the city on those dates this is the perfect Halloween activity in my books!
We had half a day to enjoy Sunway Lagoon's theme park, and I went for the thrill rides aka Scream Park and Amusement Park!
Warm up muna! First activity was archery with Pepe and Marcus:
Pirate's Revenge! This ride rotates to 360 degrees! 😨😱 Medyo naloka ako, level up Anchor's Away siya haha! I think I died a little after this! 😂
Got wet din even after avoiding the water park when we rode the Grand Canyon River Rapids! 💦
Other must-ride but I have no photos of: Lost City of Gold Scream Coaster!
We were able to check a portion of Sunway Lagoon's Water Park! They have a Surf Beach, Scuba Diving City, and Vuvuzela--just to name a few of their attractions. Next time, I will make sure to stay longer in Sunway to enjoy all these!
WHERE TO STAY IN MALAYSIA?
Dorsett Kuala Lumpur
Just 50 minutes away from the airport, Dorsett Kuala Lumpur is located right in the heart of the Bukit Bintang Golden Triangle area and at the start of the Bintang Walk. It is also walking distance to Pavilion KL, Star Hill, Lot 10, Sungei Wang, BB Plaza, Berjaya Times Square and Low Yat Plaza, and tourist destinations Petronas Twin Tower (KLCC) and KL Tower. Rooms are huge, beds are very comfortable, and amenities include a gym, swimming pool, and function rooms.
Right next to Dorsett Hotel is the Dorsett Residences, featuring a rooftop pool area with a lovely view of the twin towers.
Address:
172, Jalan Imbi,, Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 55100
Sunway Pyramid Hotel
After our Sunway theme park experience, I am now eyeing on a trip to KL just to stay in this area and enjoy their amenities! Sunway Pyramid Hotel offered a well-designed and fuss-free room during our stay, but what I will commend here is their extensive buffet breakfast options! You can also enjoy the water park and amusement park fully when you stay just right next to it. 😉
Address:
Persiaran Lagoon, Bandar Sunway, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 47500
HOW TO GO TO MALAYSIA?
Cebu Pacific flies to and from Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia via NAIA 3 to Kuala Lumpur International Airport 2 (klia2) since 2014. They offer MNL-KL flights DAILY, with the lowest base fares starting at Php 2,088. Enjoy "low fare, great value" with Cebu Pacific's creative pricing strategies as it manages to offer the lowest year-round fares for all its flights.
Direct flights from Manila to Kuala Lumpur (vv) will take around 4 to 5 hours. Enjoy a more comfortable flight by pre-ordering your meals, and save up to PHP50!
Visit https://www.cebupacificair.com to book your flight to Kuala Lumpur!
Ending this post by sending my warm thank you to the people who made this trip possible: to Maam Charo, Ms. Len, and Ms. Ailene, Ms. Erika, and even Sir William our tour guide for taking care of us during the whole trip! Felt really spoiled the whole time, thank you po! 🙏 And to travel blogger friends--new and old--for making this trip so extra and very memorable! I had a grand time with all your riots, haha!
Aside from the obvious reason that traveling is about seeing new places and experiencing new things, fam trips like this made me realize that it is also about meeting different and very diverse people from all walks of life. I appreciate Malaysia more through the different grades I get to wear from the eyes of these 13 fun-loving travellers.
What an honor to have met you all! Till the next one. 💛
4 Comments
Wow! Ang saya naman po, nakakatuwa. Will make this as a list when we go to malaysia, esp batu caves, museum of illusions, sunway lagoon and ipoh :) Thanks for this po :) Sana next po ung sa caribbean :) Hehe. God bless po :)))
ReplyDeleteWorking on my Royal Caribbean blogs!! <3 Thank you for the encouragement, God bless you too!!! :)
DeleteCan I share it po? :) Hehe. Thank you po :)
ReplyDeleteyes! :) thank you so much!!
DeleteYour turn! Always excited to read your comments! :)