Jalan Alor - Kuala Lumpur - for the atmosphere and the experience local culinary

Jalan Alor is popular among the locals and tourists for offering food served in a traditional open-air atmosphere, with chairs and tables dotting the curbs and road-sides. It is an entire street dedicated to cheap hawker food of mainly local Chinese cuisines. While some hawkers erect stalls along curbs, others operate food stalls from utilitarian restaurants. At night, the place has a very festive atmosphere with red lanterns strung along lamp posts and quite a bit of traffic. The place is teeming with tourists who are looking for a taste of genuine Malaysian cuisine without the high price tag

jalan alor - kuala lumpur

Jalan Alor is a short walk away from the modern shopper’s paradise of the Bukit Bintang Walk and its many malls and plazas. This is a place burgeoning with activity both during night and day. It is quite an overwhelming experience for the first timers, who may have some difficulty on deciding where to eat. . It's generally filled with mostly tourists because they've read about the "experience" of "hawker food stalls". There is a wide array of food to choose from, some of the best being the grilled fresh seafood.

bubble tea stand at jalan alor

You can see hawker stands selling durian fruits, sweetcorn bbq, fried chestnut and bubble ice tea. The culinary are varies, you can try barbecued meats, hanging roasted ducks, hokkien mee, grilled fish, Chinese noodle, fried rice, chicken satay, sweet and sour chicken, the local delicacy Stingray, the sea bass and red snapper came in a garlic and chilly marinade, the garlic kangkong, perhaps the penang fried kway teow and so on. The steamed vegetables, salad and fresh coconut drinks all complemented the fish very well. they will cook for on a big fire and the soup has a good pepper taste and best chicken wings

night live at jalan alor

tips

• They will roller grill fishes on fire but you have to be patience to wait for yours to be ready
• For the atmosphere and the experience, this is as a must-try street culinary for first-time visitors to KL.
• The food is great at an average price. It is not cheap but it is not that expensive. 
• They are selling Durian. It smells odd, but it tastes different. Please don't do this if you have been drinking a beer. it could be one of your worst days.
• It’s easiest to arrive at the Bukit Bintang monorail stop and walk along Bukit Bintang. When you're about the KFC you have to go left and than you have to walk 20 meters and turn to the left.
• Jalan Alor is a street full of Malaysian authentic food like curry laksa, assam laksa etc. It should be an amazing scene for trying Malaysian local foods.

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The KL Monorail - Great fun to travel on!

The KL Monorail is an urban monorail system in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It connects the Kuala Lumpur Sentral transport hub with the "Golden Triangle".  It serves 11 stations running 8.6 km (5 mi) with two parallel elevated tracks that links areas of inner Kuala Lumpur previously not served by rail transport. On  March 2012, KL Monorail was integrated with the Ampang Line light rail transit when the "paid-up" or restricted areas of the Hang Tuah monorail and LRT stations, and also at the Titiwangsa monorail and LRT stations, were physically linked up, allowing transfers without the need to buy new tickets for the first time since the system became operational.

train at Bukit Bintang Station

The stations are designed as elevated structures with ticketing facilities on either the ground level (as seen in the KL Sentral station) or the first-floor level. The platforms are on the top floor, separated from the monorail lines with fencing and covered with a large canvas roof. Certain stations are situated above roadways, or are slightly longer than others. Each station is also designated with a sponsor, with route maps associating each station with a particular product brand.

bukit bintang station

The monorail of Malaysia was made famous by the film entrapment in 1999 starring sean connery and catherine zeta jones) and remains one of the icon of kuala lumpur. The 11 stations located along the route alignment are as follows:

1.KL Sentral – Next to KL Sentral at Jalan Tun Sambanthan.  Monorail is not connected to KL Central. You stop at last station named Brickfields , then you should walk to KL central.

At KL Central, you can go to and from the airport Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA). It is about 70km south of the city centre. If you are near to KL Sentral or can get there easily, the fastest way is the high-speed KLIA Ekspres train, which costs RM35 and takes 28 minutes. If you are far from the centre of town, a taxi may be easier or faster. Fare and journey time depend on distance and traffic, but a typical trip costs RM65 and takes one hour. AirAsia flights use the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT),which is not served by the train. Skybus routes from KL Sentral to LCCT cost RM9 and take 70 minutes.

At Brickfields area,  there are a lot of the Indian restaurants. You can enjoy the roti canai that serve with fish, chicken, mutton or dhal curry. Or you can have another dishes of the thosai that is served with chutney (made of coconut).

2.Tun Sambanthan – Next to the Methodist Girls School in Brickfields.  There is  an architectural beauty known as the Sri Kandaswamy Temple. Located within ten minutes, this temple was built back in 1903 and its design was inspired by a temple in Jaffna, Sri Lanka

3.Maharajalela – Next to Stadium Negara (National Stadium), near China Town (Petaling Street).

4.Hang Tuah – Next to Ampang LRT line, near to Pudu Prison. In 1996, after 101 years as a prison, Pudu Prison was formally closed, It was used as a museum for a period in 1997.  In June 2010, the eastern wall of the Pudu Prison complex was destroyed to make way for a road-widening project.[1] By December 2012, all buildings within the Pudu Prison complex were completely demolished, with only a part of the exterior wall and main gate still standing.

5.Imbi – Between Plaza Berjaya and Berjaya Times Square.

monorail train at berjaya time square

6.Bukit Bintang - Between Sungei Wang Plaza and Lot 10 shopping centre. This is the hub for shopaholics and epicureans. Walking distant from the monorail stop, just along the streets at Jalan Bukit Bintang, are the Sungei Wang Plaza, Lot 10, Bukit Bintang Plaza, Starhill, Low Yat Plaza and Bintang Walk. From IT gadgets to kitchen ware and branded clothes, you can get it all at these outlets.

imbi station

7.Raja Chulan – Between Crowne Plaza Hotel and Menara Promet. The station is one of four Kuala Lumpur Monorail stations that serves the Kuala Lumpur Golden Triangle locality, the other three being the Bukit Bintang station (500 metres away), the Imbi station, and the Hang Tuah station

8.Bukit Nanas – Near Concorde Hotel.  Just a 5 minutes’ walk from the Bukit Nanas stop is the Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve, a virgin tropical rainforest getaway in the heart of bustling Kuala Lumpur. This approximately 11ha tropical rainforest also has a trail that leads to Kuala Lumpur Tower in 30 minutes. You get to see the tower, among the many things and trek at a place surrounded by lush greeneries. Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve is open every day from 9am to 5pm.

inside train

9.Medan Tuanku – Near Sheraton Imperial Hotel. The famous Asian Heritage Row, located at Jalan Doraisamy is a stone’s throw from the Medan Tuanku monorail stop. Heritage Row displays a stretch of happening clubs that plays retro, R&B, techno and contemporary music. You can pick your genre of music from about 20 clubs/bistros available there. Just to name a few – Bar Savanh, Loft, Sunshine and The Rupee Room has among the best music for you to rock the dance floor all night long.
All you need here is your dancing feet. The clubs here open till 2am.

10.Chow Kit – At intersection of Jalan Ipoh, Jalan Pahang, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, and Jalan Raja Muda Abdul Aziz.

11.Titiwangsa – At Jalan Tun Razak, next to Ampang LRT line.  from this station take Bus #120 or walk (20-30min, need to cross some major roads) to Lake Titiwangsa, also known as Taman Tasik Titiwangsa. It is a recreational park and lake north of downtown Kuala Lumpur with good photo opportunities and the adjacent Istana Budaya, an arts and culture centre.

Istana Budaya, an arts and culture center with galleries and theatre (concerts and musicals) is also there. It is the big building with the jagged blue roof

Tips:

• At rush hour, the train is very crowded. if you like watching people goes by and took some street photos, it is a good time to go here.
• Trains run from 6am to midnight, every 2-5 minutes during peak hours and 5-10 minutes off-peak.
• The fares range from RM1.20 to RM2.50, which can be paid using single-journey tickets, Stored Value Cards (which cannot be used on RapidKL LRT's), and with Touch 'N Go Cards (which can be use on the LRT as well as other selected places). Great fun to travel on!

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Bukit Bintang, go visit!

Bukit Bintang is the shopping district and  entertainment zone with big malls, many shops,  lots of bars and pubs as well. This area has a pretty good number of hotels which ranges from 150 RM and above (depends on your choice of luxury).  It is popular among tourists and locals, especially among the youths. A part of Bintang Walk is designated as an "Arab Street".

perfume shop at Bukit Bintang

Bukit Bintang or Starhill encompasses Jalan Bukit Bintang and its immediate surrounding areas. The area has long been Kuala Lumpur's most prominent retail belt that is home to many landmark shopping centres, al-fresco cafés, swanky bars, night markets, as well as hawker-type eateries.

starhill mal at Bukit Bintang

Nestled within Kuala Lumpur's Golden Triangle, the Bukit Bintang district begins with Jalan Bukit Bintang which starts at Jalan Raja Chulan and ends at Pudu Road. The two other roads that border the Bukit Bintang district are Jalan Sultan Ismail which intersects it and Imbi Road at the south. Jalan Walter Grenier, Jalan Bulan, Changkat Bukit Bintang and Jalan Alor are considered part of the entertainment district.

street performance at Bukit Bintang

On weekends, thousands of locals as well as tourists throng Bintang Walk and its shopping centres. Many majornightlife events take place here such as the New Year's countdown, Merdeka eve celebrations, street concerts and parties. The annual Malaysian F1 Grand Prix pit stop and Guinness St Patrick's Day Celebrations are held here too

Pavilion mall

These are the shoping malls you should browse when you are at Bukit Bintang:

• Berjaya Times Square It is currently the 13th biggest shopping mall in the world boasting 12 levels of retail with a total of 3,500,000 square feet (330,000 m2). Although it was initially aimed at the upper-echelon of society, it is currently positioned as a middle-class shopping mall offering youth fashion targeted at the younger crowds. 
• Starhill Gallery is probably the ritziest and luxurious mall in the whole of Kuala Lumpur alongside Suria KLCC.[citation needed] A Louis Vuitton flagship outlet flank the exterior facade of this grand structure. Fashion houses whether Gucci, Fendi, Valentino can all be found here. 
• Pavilion KL Built in late 2007, it is targeted at the middle-upper segment of society. It offers a diverse tenant mix which makes it one of the most successful malls in KL.[citation needed] Tangs and Parkson are the anchor tenants of this mammoth 7-storey retail podium, first-times in Malaysia like Mandarina Duck and Juicy Couture have settled here. You'll also find a plethora of luxury boutiques ranging from YSL, Celine, Zegna, Diane von Fürstenberg to Italian fashion doyens like Furla and Prada. 
• Fahrenheit 88 Renamed and refurbished, opened in September 2010, the area previously housed the deteriorating KL Plaza. It consists of 300,000 square feet (28,000 m2) of lettable space spread over 5 levels of zoned shopping space. There is a designated zone for IT gadgets similar to that of Low Yat Plaza, named Signature@IT. This mall caters largely to homegrown, middle-priced retallers despite anchored by Japanese retailer Uniqlo. 
• Lot 10 is as a middle-class retail destination as most outlets have shifted as a result of competition and degradation. Widespread refurbishment to the mall was done at a cost of RM20 million. Existing anchor Isetan has undergone a facelift. The entrance of this monumental landmark is flanked by British retailer Debenhams and Zara. 
• Low Yat Plaza The ultimate one-stop center for KL-ites when shopping for electronic gadgets. The ratio between IT outlets and F&B outlets are 70:30. 
• Sungei Wang Plaza (Chinese: 金河广场)— Despite being 36 years old, it remains a 100%-occupancy mall with the highest visiting traffic in Malaysia, though visitors more towards the younger crowd. It features mainly trendy Asian-inspired fast-retail fashion at bargain prices. 
• BB Plaza (Chinese: 武吉免登购物中心)— Bukit Bintang Plaza is adjoined to Sungei Wang Plaza. It is anchored by homegrownMetrojaya. 
• Imbi Plaza 

Tips:

• You can opt for street food at Jalan Alor  as well as good restaurants (few are near Times Square mall). 
• If you are a shopaholic then the best destination is The Times Square Mall. Its huge with loads of variety. In some stalls you can bargain too. Discounts run round the year with affordable prices. 
• Beware for touts and agents on the road wanting to take you for a ride to some massage places. 
• There is too much traffic in this area and best to take the monorail to get to this place. The monorail stations are situated here, you can stop at Imbi station or Bukit Bintang station. 
• You can go to KL CC via The Pavilion. It has a connection bridge from pavilion to KL CC 

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The beautiful beach at Tanjung Bungah

Tanjung Bungah (also spelled as Tanjong Bunga) is a suburb of Penang, Malaysia. It is situated in the northern part of Penang Island. It was known as a fishing village, but now it's populated by many commuters from Georgetown and people who work in the hotels along the beach. You will pass through this area when you're heading to Batu Ferringhi.  There are many hotels you can find here which are lower priced than those in Batu Ferringhi.

Tanjung Bungah beach view at night

Tanjung Bungah was hit on Christmas 2004 by the tsunami. The Royal couple of Malaysia paid a visit to the area hit by the massive tidal waves in Tanjung Bungah and checked on the floating mosque.

tanjung bungah street from batu feringgi

Tanjung Bungah has become a favorite spot for foreigners to settle down in Penang because of its proximity to the educational facilities at Dalat International School as well as its proximity to the leisure areas of Batu Ferringhi and Gurney Drive. The Penang Branch Campus of Tunku Abdul Rahman College (TARC), which has its main campus in Kuala Lumpur is also located here.

tanjung bungah main street

Tanjung Bungah is a valley of 1.5 km across and 4 km long flanked by hills on the west, south and east, and the sea on the north. The hill to the east is known as Pearl Hill or Mount Erskine and is 194 meters high. The hill to the south leads to Bukit Bendera.

If you go to Malaysia, it is one of destination tourists spot to experience the beautiful sandy beach. Two of the most popular spots, Tanjung Bungah and Batu Feringghi are well developed ‘island paradises' featuring top range accommodations and some natural attractions. The most unique aspect of the island is perhaps how cultures combine seamlessly so don't be surprised to find a mosque, Chinese or Indian temple a few hundred metres away from each other.

tanjung bungah beach 

There are many hotels available in Tanjung Bungah.  They are situated between the beach and the busy road. There are traffic lights and a bridge for pedestrians to cross the road.

Tips:

One of the attractions of Tanjung Bungah is the floating mosque. It was completed in 2005.

Every Friday a lot of people come from far away to pray in this floating mosque

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The Night Market at Batu Ferringhi - Pulau Penang

Batu Ferringhi is a beach area in Penang, Malaysia. Along this famous beach area, there are numerous beach resorts and hotels, restaurants, transportation rental services, and souvenir stores. Batu Ferringhi is located adjacent to Teluk Bahang and Tanjung Bungah and about one hour drive from Georgetown, the capital of Penang.  Some of the resorts and hotels there are Hard Rock Hotel Penang, Hydro Hotel, Holiday Inn, Bayview Beach Resort, Golden Sands Resort, Grand Plaza Parkroyal Penang, Shangri-La's Rasa Sayang Resort and Spa, etc.

night market at Batu Ferringhi

Batu Ferringhi is a famous tourist spot for visitors of Penang due to the beautiful beach in that area.  It is quite accessible too, you can take bus direct from the airport to Batu Ferringhi.  Most of the bus drivers know the hotels in Penang, so if language is a constraint, be sure to have the name of the hotel and address written down so you can show it to the driver, the driver will tell you where to stop.

cycle rickshaw at Batu Ferringhi

If you’re staying in Georgetown or Tanjung Bungah, you can take bus as well to Batu Ferringhi to enjoy the ambience and the night markets.  Baru Ferringhi is also famous for its night markets, where you can exercise your bargaining skills with the so many stalls there.  You can find items from souvenirs, t-shirts, wallets, accessories, and many more at a relatively cheaper price.  Be sure the bargain.   When you get hungry, there are many food stalls along the road too where you can enjoy the local delights.

batu ferringhi night market

The night markets opens until midnight, so if you’re not staying at Batu Ferringhi, be sure to check the bus schedule.

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Surfing at Sunway Lagoon - Malaysia

Sunway Lagoon is an amusement park in Petaling Jaya, Malaysia. It features rides in both the water park and the adjacent dry park. The park is home to the world's largest wave pool, measuring impressive 139,800 square feet (13,000 square meters). It has 5 different theme parks in 1 amazing destination.

photo credit: http://www.sunwaylagoon.com/map_static.asp

Sunway Lagoon open daily from 10am to 6pm. With more than 80 rides and attractions, and within 20 minutes from Kuala Lumpur, Sunway Lagoon is the park you will have to visit when you are in town.

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Bring your Kid to The Aquaria KLCC, Kuala Lumpur

The Aquaria KLCC is an underwater park located beneath Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre within Kuala Lumpur City Centre. It is a must see for most kids when visiting Kuala Lumpur and can be easily combined with your visit to the KLCC Twin Towers.

the Living Ocean

Featuring 60,000 square feet (5,600 m2) in two levels with a 90-metre (300 ft) underwater tunnel, Aquaria KLCC houses over 250 different species and over 20,000 land and aquatic animals from Malaysia and around the world. Interactive information kiosks on fish and turtle conservation. It includes a themed retail area of about 5,000 square feet (460 m2).

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Kuala Lumpur: Petronas Towers

The Petronas Towers, also known as the Petronas Twin Towers (Malay: Menara Petronas, or Menara Berkembar Petronas) are twin skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. According to the CTBUH's official definition and ranking, they were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004 until surpassed by Taipei 101. The buildings are the landmark of Kuala Lumpur with nearby Kuala Lumpur Tower.

Petronas Towers

History
The towers were designed by Argentinian architect César Pelli, Indonesian architect Achmad Murdijat. They chose a distinctive postmodern style to create a 21st century icon for Kuala Lumpur.

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Malaysia: Pulau Penang

George Town (less commonly also spelt Georgetown,) is the capital of the state of Penang in Malaysia. Named after Britain's King George III, George Town is located on the north-east corner of Penang Island. The inner city has a population of 720,202 and the metropolitan area which consists of Penang Island, Seberang Prai, Sungai Petani and Kulim has a combined population of 2,251,042, making it the second largest metropolitan area in Malaysia.

Formerly a municipality and then a city in its own right, since 1976 George Town has been part of the Municipality of Penang Island, though the area formerly governed by the City Council of George Town is still commonly referred to as a city. George Town is also known as Tanjung ("The Cape") in Malay, 乔治市 (Qiáozhì Shì) in Chinese and ஜோர்ஜ் டவுன் (Georgetown) in Tamil. The inner city of George Town is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

george town museum

History
George Town was founded on 11 August 1786 by Captain Francis Light, a trader for the British East India Company, as base for the company in the Malay States. He obtained the island of Penang from the Sultan of Kedah and built Fort Cornwallis on the north-eastern corner of the island. The fort became the nexus of a growing trading post and the island's population reached 12,000 by 1804.

old building at pulau penang

The town was built on swampy land that had to be cleared of vegetation, levelled and filled. The original commercial town was laid out between Light Street, Beach Street (then running close to the seashore), Malabar Street (subsequently called Chulia Street) and Pitt Street (now called Masjid Kapitan Keling Street).

hotel at pulau penang

Happy holday !

Reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Town,_Penang

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Pulau Penang: Water chestnut stall

If you go to the Pulau Pinang, in a roadside, there are some stalls that sell fresh water chestnuts. Those beans were fried by hot sand instead of cooking oil. Well, its a healthy way to reduce cholesterol of cooking oil.

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