One Day @ Kuala Lumpur
The best part about being in Singapore is that it opens the doorways to all the South East Asian jewels for us to relish and explore.
My first trip from Singapore was to Kuala Lumpur. We left on Friday night and reached KL on Saturday early morning. After catching up on some sleep, we got up to catch hot steaming breakfast at Jai Hind Restoran. Meanwhile, the vibe of the city had not yet sunk in. It pretty much felt the same like Singapore just with a little more traffic and pollution.
As the hot tea and paratha flavors consumed me, I stated to appreciate the world around me better. Kuala Lampur was a hustling bustling city with plethora of experiences to offer. As we came out of the little street, I became more and more aware of the intricate designs on the wall and amazing architecture of the buildings that followed me everywhere.
Although “Grab” is easily available online taxi service, but we decided to get our own car and ride through. In no time we had a car by our hotel and we were on our journey to Batu Caves and Putrajaya.
BATU CAVES
The drive to Batu Caves was very smooth. As the big statue of Lord Murugan started taking structure, my excitement started mounting. I could not take my eyes off of what was unfolding in front of me with the closing distance. The sanctity and the peace that was felt in the vibes of this place was very calming. The air was cool, maybe because of the small stream of river which passed beside the caves. A musky fragrance of the incense sticks, flocks of pigeons and a tribe of monkeys greet you as you enter this magnificent Hindu shrine.
The entrance to this temple is free of charge. There are a few restrictions on the type of clothing one is permitted to wear, but don’t worry, for they provide you with an over-cloth if they deem your clothing to be improper. If you are wearing anything which ends below the knee you are good to go. People of the temple are extremely polite and super nice.
As you take on the mountainous task of climbing the never ending flight of stairs, the temple monkeys give you company all the way. They are such little thieves who are well trained with bag-pack’s zips and pockets. So if you are posing for a photograph, don’t be surprised if a cute little monkey pickpockets your purse from behind. Be mindful of your passports and other important documents that you are carrying along. When you stop for a while midway and look back, you feel a little dizzy realizing the steep height that you have climbed. Tip for people who are afraid of heights — don’t look back , just keep walking ahead until you reach the top.
Once on top, the entrance of the shrine is mind-blowing. You will appreciate the colorful Dravidian architecture of demi-gods and goddesses inscribed on the cave walls, temples and gates. It is said that these caves are 400 million years old. The dampness and aura of the air inside gives such gravity and sereneness to the entire experience that one feels like just halting and taking in the entire magnificence of the place. It takes a little while to absorb how immensely beautiful and exquisite this place is.
Although we could have spent an entire day there, but we decided to bid farewell Lord Murugan by seeking His blessings. We descended the long staircase gripping the railings so tight because it was unnerving to see the world below from such a height. We ended our Batu Caves trip with a fresh cold coconut water and set on our way to Putrajaya.
PUTRAJAYA
The drive to Putrajaya was very beautiful. As our journey progressed the mighty KL building were slowly getting replaced with greenery. the slow retro Bollywood music was complementing the cloudy sky and the scenic beauty around us. Within an hour we reached the Seri Wawasan Bridge. It was so elegant with its curvaceous and slender profile. A perfect modern architecture welcoming us into the vintage city of Putrajaya.
Putrajaya is like a beautiful bride wearing clothes of intricate designs. It seemed like some giant human being has crocheted the entire city with a lot of love. The Putra mosque on the banks of the man-made Putrajaya lake is the sight to behold. You can hear the Azaan and the atmosphere is so silent that I was literally whispering to not disturb the essence of the place.
We did not visit any of the mosques because I was a little conscious if my attire suited these establishments and I did not want to offend anyone with my naiveness. We did roam around in the city, taking in every drop of beauty that the city offered and after a while started tracing our journey back to KL.
TAMARIND SPRINGS RESTAURANT
After coming back we rested a little and made our way to Tamarind Spring Restaurant for dinner. This place was very earthy with a fountain with turtles swimming in it. The restaurant was extremely quaint and served the best South East Asian food I have ever tasted. Nestled on a high land, it was surrounded by nature and greens with cricket’s hum. We bid farewell to the setting sun with a click of our wine glasses and appetizing salmon and some asparagus salad. After dark it was time to see the KL city all shimmery in its night life.
PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS and “THE IRON FAIRIES”
Kuala Lumpur visit is incomplete without witnessing its iconic Petrona Towers in all their glory. We made our way through the KLCC Park towards these shining twin towers, awed by the other towers around it as well. Once there, we struggled a lot to get a perfect picture and it was actually a lot of fun using the analytical part of the mind trying to get a decent picture by experimenting with the degrees of elevation. Once satisfied with the outcome we headed towards “The Iron Fairies” to experience a little bit of the night light life.
The Iron Fairies was such an amazing experience with its decor and live music. It took us into the world of Tinkerbell but in a fun dancing music kind of way. It also had a butterfly room, which has 50,000 butterfly figurines on the ceiling. I definitely recommend a visit to this place. Its very cozy, niche and definitely eye pleasing.
INFINITY POOL
We ended our Kuala Lumpur trip with a dip in the Infinity Pool and appreciating it for the last time from the pool’s edge before we leave for our homes on Sunday afternoon.
Other Information:
- Hotel : D’Majestic Place by Swiss Garden
- Car Rented From : Wahdah
- Infinity Pool Location : D’Majestic Place by Swiss Garden terrace pool
- Taxi Service Used : Grab
