One of the most convenient ways to sightsee in Kuala Lumpur is with KL Hop-On Hop-Off. However, those seeking a change of pace and avoiding Kuala Lumpur’s daytime humidity may be interested with Hop On Holidays’ Night Excursion that also uses an open-deck bus. We recently tried the tour ourselves for our Visit Malaysia Year 2014 trip. Read more…
Our Night Excursion commenced at the Malaysia Tourism Centre (MaTiC), which is, among others, a convenient meeting point for tour groups. As we arrived, the open-deck bus we were using was already parked within the compound. The trip had to begin a little later though, after much time had been spent on photo ops and usual media tasks.
As our familiarization program was devoted entirely to Kuala Lumpur, some stops that we’ve already done had to be omitted from our special trip. For the benefit of our readers though, I’m also including the two stops we didn’t visit but marking them with an asterisk.
*Kuala Lumpur City Gallery. Any first-time visitor to Kuala Lumpur must make a stop at the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery. It showcases a discovery of Malaysia’s federal capital through prints and photos, although what shouldn’t be missed is the impressive interactive scale model of greater Kuala Lumpur that includes video footage of the city’s development.
Masjid Wilayah Persekutan. We stopped by the Federal Territory Mosque to appreciate its design. Ottoman architecture was married with Malay styles in the construction of the mosque, reminiscent of the Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Turkey.
Batu Caves. The famous Hindu cave temples are perched on a huge limestone hill and are located some 13 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur in the district of Gombak in Selangor. It is the most popular host of the annual Thaipusam in Malaysia, and it is the site of the world’s tallest statue of the deity Murungan that stands almost 43 meters high.
Satay Station. Would people think I’m such a fatty if I said this was my favorite stop? But the truth is the satay ayam (chicken) and daging (beef) Satay Station serves up are the best I’ve tried so far. Unmindful of my diet, I ate stick after stick of the tasty morsels of meat, dipping them in the savory peanut sauce. They also served us bowls of delicious mee rebus.
Lookout Point at Hulu Langat. There’s actually a lookout point at Hulu Langat on top of Bukit Belacan that offers a dramatic panorama of Kuala Lumpur. From our vantage, we saw the iconic Petronas Towers and KL Tower, as well as the bright lights of the city.
*Chinatown. Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown, most especially Jalan Petaling, is one of the few bargain shopping havens in Kuala Lumpur, so it truly shouldn’t be missed. It’s where all city memorabilia, from shirts to scale models of the Petronas Towers, can be bought. The place is usually crowded and noisy, but the finds (and the haggling) sure are worth it.
Our customized night tour went from late into the afternoon until about 9:00 PM, but regular trips last longer, at about 10:00 PM. The 170 MYR (~2300 PHP) fee for adults, 120 MYR (~1630 PHP) fee for children, and 150 MYR (~2040 MYR) concession for seniors include transfers, all admission tickets, the satay dinner, and a tour group guide.
Our trip was organized, thanks to the Hop On Holidays guide who was with us during the entire trip, and of course, we had a lot of fun because of the great company we had that night. We were laughing, cheering, and taking photos the entire time!
For more details about Hop On Holidays’ Night Excursion, check out their site here.
Photos courtesy of Shamsul of Gaya Travel Magazine and Tourism Malaysia.
This year is Visit Malaysia Year 2014 with the theme, “Celebrating 1Malaysia Truly Asia.” Visitors can expect a series of year-long special events and activities. For more updates on VMY 2014, check out tourism.gov.my and like Tara Na Sa Malaysia on Facebook.
