My Visit to Malaysia, 2016

 

The trip to Malaysia was part of my first International Trip with Kesari Travels to SMT, which is Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand. This is part 2 of the 3 part travel visit.

My Website: Click Me

Check out all my Blogs -

Visiting abroad is a dream for many Indians, be it for work, study or simply as a tourist. After completing my 10th standard, I felt it was a perfect time to visit abroad. But the question was, where do I go? Your first trip needs to be a memorable one, after all, the first impression is the last impression [doesn't mean that if I had a bad experience, I would never travel abroad]. I had options like Singapore, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Hong Kong, China, Japan, Thailand, Malaysia. And it was already decided that we would take the help of a travel agency, after all, we had no clue what to do, how to go and where to eat [Very important if you are a vegetarian]. And Finally!, It was decided that we would do a combined trip to Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, Hong Kong. Oh wait, we had another problem, the Hong Kong- Mainland China conflict. At this point in time I had two options, forget about the international trip or visit SMT. I decided to go with the latter [nothing much to think on that].

• Things to do before any international trip

1. The most important thing is to plan everything well in advance, at least 3-4 months just to avoid last minutes confusion and problems.
2. Plan your trip based on your budget. For this trip, we spent almost 5-6 lakhs.
3. Keep your passport ready [the most important tool for travel abroad]. If you are planning to apply for a new passport or want to renew an existing one, I would suggest doing that 3 months prior to planning a trip.
4. Most countries need a visa for Indian visitors. So make sure to be prepared for that, keep all documents in hand. You may need to visit the Visa office for some countries, but in the case of Singapore they provided E-visa for 30 days [in 2016], Thailand gives visa on arrival, and for Malaysia to you need to show documents [passport, proof of accommodation, return flight tickets, photograph].
5. Don't forget to store all your images in Google photos or on your laptop/Pc. If you don't do this you will end up losing almost all of them [Like me]. Do clean your phone storage before you travel anywhere.

• If it is your first trip abroad and you plan to visit with your family, I would suggest taking the help of a travel agency, why? they take care of everything:

    Spots to visit, especially the places where you need to buy tickets  
  
     Hotels to stay
  
     Flights to take  
  
     Food to eat [for vegetarians you need to be cautious, you never know the food you are eating can be made of fish oil.  
  

• There are many options for travel agents: Kesari travels, Thomas cook, Veena travels, SOTC and many more [from Mumbai], but choosing the best is absolutely necessary.

We chose Kesari. They took care of everything and our lunch and dinner were usually in an Indian restaurant. Only expense? If you buy some artifacts, souvenirs, or something that is not mentioned in their itinerary.

Now let's begin with the trip. I will be sharing our day to day plan and at the end, I will also share some must-visit places which I, unfortunately, could not visit

• Day 1

Singapore and Malaysia are neighbours, so from Singapore, we travelled to Malaysia by bus/coach. We left Singapore after having breakfast at our hotel.  After the immigration process, we reached Malaysia and then the city tour began - 

1. Dataran Merdeka Square - Merdeka Square is a square in Malaysia's capital of Kuala Lumpur. It is located directly in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. Literally meaning "Independence Square," it was formerly known as the Selangor Club Padang or simply the "Padang" and served as the Selangor Club's cricket green.
2. National Mosque - Malaysia's National Mosque is a mosque in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It has a seating capacity of 15,000 people and is set in 13 acres of gardens. A 73-metre-high minaret and a 16-pointed star concrete main roof are its distinguishing features.
3. High court building - The Kuala Lumpur Courts Complex (Malay: Kompleks Mahkamah Kuala Lumpur) is a large courthouse complex in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, that houses the country's judicial system's various courts. The complex is located along Jalan Duta (Duta Road) in Segambut, about 4 kilometres (2.5 miles) from the previous location of the judicial system, at a collection of colonial buildings facing Merdeka Square.
4. King's palace - The Istana Negara is the official residence of Malaysia's monarch, the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. The palace was built to replace the old Istana Negara, which was located in a different compound in central Kuala Lumpur.
5. Suria KLCC - Suria KLCC is a 6-story shopping mall at the foot of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur. With over 300 flagship stores, Suria KLCC is a premier shopping destination. The shopping mall is located in Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Malaysia.
6. Petronas Twin Towers - The Petronas Towers, also known as the Petronas Twin Towers, are twin skyscrapers in the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur. They were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004 when they were surpassed by Taipei 101. 

Dataran Merdeka Square

 National Mosque

High Court Building

King's palace

Suria KLCC

Petronas Twin Towers

Once the city tour was over we had lunch and checked in to our hotel in Malaysia. The second part of the tour began after we had rested for 2-3 hours. It was time for the last spot for the day, which was the Observatory deck of KL Tower.

Observatory Deck of the K. L. Tower - The main tourist attraction at KL Tower is the Sky Deck. It is located 300 metres above sea level providing spectacular views of the Kuala Lumpur City skyline both day and night. 

Observatory Deck of the K. L. Tower.

• Day 2

The next day after having breakfast at our hotel, we left for Genting Highlands through the same coach that we travelled from Singapore to Malaysia yesterday. But before we reached Genting we visited Baku Caves.

Batu Caves is a limestone hill in Gombak, Selangor, Malaysia, with a series of caves and cave temples. It gets its name from the Malay word Batu, which means "rock." The nearby town is named after the limestone formation known as Batu Caves.

                                   Batu Caves

After visiting Batu Caves, we were on our way to Genting Highlands. Once we reached the base we had to take the cable car, which is Asia's longest and fastest [in 2016] to reach our hotel at the top. Genting Highlands is located at 1800m elevation on Mount Ulu Kali. At Genting, we enjoyed games, casino [adults only] and shopping at Resort World hotels. The entire day was spent here. Lunch and Dinner were served at a restaurant in Genting.

Resort World at Genting Highland

This was our last day in Malaysia. The next day we were on our way to the airport. We had a flight to catch for Thailand.

• Since I visited Malaysia along with two other countries [as it was my first ever international trip], I could not spend more than 2 days in Malaysia. Malaysia is one of the easiest and least expensive places to visit in Southeast Asia, with a very generous visa policy (up to 90 days), a fantastic food selection, and a plethora of cool and unexpectedly awesome places to visit. But I recommend new visitors to spend more days in Malaysia. I am sharing some other must-visit places -

1. National Museum 

The National Museum is a museum in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, located on Jalan Damansara. The museum, which is close to the Perdana Lake Gardens, provides an overview of Malaysian history and culture. Its facade combines traditional Malay and modern elements.

National Museum

2. Bukit Bintang 

Bukit Bintang is well-known for Jalan Bukit Bintang, a bustling thoroughfare lined with upscale malls and high-end fashion boutiques. If you don't like shopping, it's still a great place to go to see the architecture, the people, and all the delicious food.

Bukit Bintang Area

3. Jalan Alor Street

In the heart of Kuala Lumpur, Jalan Alor is a one-of-a-kind food destination. When you step onto the street, the entire character of the city changes. The city's modern shopping malls have been replaced with something from a bygone era.

Jalan Alor Street

4. Melaka formerly known as Malacca

Malacca City (also spelled Melaka) is the capital of Malacca, a coastal state in southwestern Malaysia. Jonker Street, Chinatown's main thoroughfare, is known for its antique shops and night market. You can stay for one night and explore the diverse culture of the Nyonya, as well as how colonial powers influenced and shaped the city into what it is today.

Melaka

5. Cameron Highlands

The Cameron Highlands is a district in the Malaysian state of Pahang, covering an area of 712.18 square kilometres. Cameron Highlands is best known for a few things: tea plantations, jungle trails, and... strawberry farms! Cameron Highlands has fourteen (14) hiking trails to choose from.

Cameron Highlands

6. Penang

Penang, also known as the Pearl of the Orient, is well-known for its soft sandy beaches and is widely regarded as Malaysia's food capital. The sandy beaches of Tanjung Bungah, the landscape from the summit of Penang Hill, and the vipers in the Snake Temple are among the most interesting sites in Penang.

Penang

 

Now that we've gathered all of the necessary information, it's time to start planning your trip to Malaysia!

Let me know if you are planning to visit Malaysia soon.

Already in Singapore or if you previously visited Malaysia, let me know your favourite place.

Do check out my international blogs and

Subscribe to My Youtube channel - Click here

Next Blog on Thailand.......