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Due to limited time in Malaysia, the traveler opted to visit Kuala Lumpur's most famous landmarks.
48-Hour Travel Adventure in Kuala Lumpur: Insights from a Visitor from Hanoi
Phuong Anh from Hanoi embarked on a three-day, two-night trip to explore Kuala Lumpur, but in reality, had only 48 hours to experience the Malaysian capital. Here's her account of the journey back in June.
Malaysia is an attractive travel destination due to its proximity (a mere 3-3.5 hours flight), direct flights, affordable airfares, and visa-free entry. The cost of living in Malaysia is also cheaper compared to some other Asian countries, which further motivated my decision to choose this destination.
Before heading to Malaysia, I visited TripAdvisor to gather information and recommendations from fellow travelers regarding hiring a taxi service for the day. I prearranged with a local female driver to rent a car, costing around 500 RM (approximately 2,800,000 VND) for 8 hours a day. Additionally, the round-trip airfare cost nearly 4 million VND. The time zone here is one hour ahead of Vietnam.
I opted to stay at PNB Perdana Hotel & Suites, centrally located, just a 15-minute walk from the famous twin towers. The room rate was 250 RM (1,400,000 VND) per night.
Exploring Kuala Lumpur, on the first day, after checking in at 2 pm, I quickly unpacked, stored my passport in the hotel safe, and headed to the Royal Museum, Royal Palace Istana Negara, and Central Market.
The Royal Museum was once the royal residence. Admission for foreign visitors is 10 RM (56,000 VND), children 5 RM (23,000 VND). Perched on a high hill, it overlooks a large square with lush green grass. Upon entry, tourists must remove their shoes and refrain from taking photos in certain areas. Visitors are guided through the King's, Queen's, and reception rooms, reading room, where important guests from around the world are entertained. Everything here exudes grandeur. Despite the constant flow of visitors, the atmosphere inside the museum remains tranquil.
The Royal Palace Istana Negara, located on Jalan Duta, northwest of Kuala Lumpur, is the current residence of the King and Queen of Malaysia. It is also where significant royal and national events take place and hosts world leaders. As I arrived at the palace gate, hundreds of tourists had gathered, taking photographs.
At that moment, the royal convoy returned to the palace, so I witnessed the procession firsthand. Guards from within the palace emerged, carrying rifles and guiding people, tourists to stand clear on both sides. Despite being on duty, Malaysian soldiers smiled at tourists. They smiled when guests raised their cameras to take photos and gently reminded if anyone accidentally obstructed the path of the convoy.
Afterwards, I visited Central Market with its indoor and outdoor stalls. It mainly sells souvenirs with a strong local flavor such as keychains, cups, plates... featuring the twin towers. I spent most of my time strolling around the market, admiring the stalls, and buying souvenirs. One of my favorite spots in this market area is a small stall selling Arabian lamps. The crystal lamps with sparkling colors immediately catch the eye of tourists from afar. The price of a lamp is around 45 RM (252,000 VND). At 7 pm, I left the market, wandered around the Chinatown area for dinner. If you don't want to go far, you can dine on the second floor of the market, in a restaurant owned by a Chinese person.
The taxi driver dropped me off at the Twin Towers to end day one. Here, I seized the opportunity to shop for clothes and cosmetics in the shopping center and walked to the front square to take photos of the famous towers at night.
Exploring Kuala Lumpur, on the second day, I walked to the towers then visited the sky bridge and observation deck at 9 am. I had purchased the tickets in advance from an app in Vietnam. The Sky Bridge is a glass bridge connecting the two twin towers, located on the 41st floor, while the observation deck is on the 81st floor. You can observe the houses, streets, or parks below through the telescope glass. At noon, I had lunch at the shopping center.
In the afternoon, my close friend from university who is now living in Malaysia came to pick me up for a visit. We went to Batu Caves – a famous tourist spot in the Gombak district, beneath a limestone hill and about 13 km from the city center. From a distance, this tourist spot stands out with its colorful 272 steps. During the climb, you may encounter many wild monkeys living on the mountain. They are bold with humans, and tourists can buy food for them in advance.
Afterwards, we headed to the Heli Lounge bar at 34 Menara KH, Jalan Sultan Ismail, Bukit Bintang. The bar is located on the rooftop of a building, a popular spot for sunset viewing. Sitting here sipping drinks, you can get a clear view of the KL Tower and Twin Towers. In the evening, we wandered around Chinatown for dinner before returning to the hotel late at night.
On the third day, I woke up early to swim in the hotel and had breakfast here as well. Echoing around the hotel, I heard the sound of Muslim devotees reciting prayers. Then, I packed up and took a taxi to the airport, ending the short but experiential 3-day, 2-night trip.
Expenses for Phuong Anh's 3-day, 2-night trip:
Taxi transportation in Malaysia and airport transfers in Vietnam: 4,000,000 VND
Flight tickets: 4,000,000 VND
Hotel accommodation for 2 nights: 2,800,000 VND
Food and beverage expenses: 1,000,000 VND
Total expenses: 11,000,000 VND
According to Phuong Anh/ Vnepxress
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Reference: Travel Guide by Mytour
MytourJuly 10, 2019
