Eat, Pray, Shop: KL in a Day

We only had a day to spend in Kuala Lumpur so we tried to make the most out of it. I don't know how I missed putting into consideration that our travel date fell exactly on Hari Raya, so consequently -- Malaysia being predominantly a Muslim country -- most of the time we were battling our way to get to our destination.

First up on the itinerary was Batu Caves. To get there, we walked a bit from our guesthouse (located behind Berjaya Times Square) until we reached Imbi Monorail. 

Fare from Imbi [MR5] to KL Sentral [MR1] is RM1.60

For some reason, the whole time we were in KL taking the train, we always end up waiting at the wrong platform but were also quick to realize this before the train arrives. LOL

We got confused when we reached KL Sentral (Monorail line) because there was no platform to change to. We asked around where KL Sentral is and turns out we still need to cross the street until we reached what seem to be a mall's parking lot. We then saw the sign pointing to KL Sentral, so we took the escalator and shortly reached the station.

From the name itself, KL Sentral is the central hub serving several train lines namely: KTM Komuter, KTM Intercity, KTM Freight, Kelana Jaya Line, KLIA Ekspres, and KLIA Transit.

We lined up to buy tickets for Batu Caves and paid RM1 each. After getting our tickets, we went down to Platform 3 to wait for the train. As soon as we stepped on the train, we witnessed a not so good surprise on our first day; one of the tourists was victimized by a pickpocket. He wasn't able to run after the guy because the train left as soon as the latter stepped off. What got stolen, we never knew. But it certainly was not a good sight to start the day. We could only hope it wasn't a harbinger of any misfortune throughout our trip.

I tell you, the train ride to Batu Caves was the slooowest ever that a row boat ride down Mekong Delta is even faster. Anyway, after eons, we finally reached Batu Caves. Now getting past the station seemed like a Herculean task. It was like a stampede was about to happen. I was just thankful we got out of there in one piece. Our only consolation? Free entrance to Batu Caves.

Statue of Hanuman

Monkey devotee of Lord Rama

Statue of Lord Murugan

It was already noon when we arrived in Batu Caves. With the heat and throngs of people, we did not stay for long and ditched going up the 272 steps to the cave.

***

Good thing we were already on the train when the rain poured. Next up on our itinerary was KLCC and Petronas Twin Towers. 

From KL Sentral, we changed some Ringgit to coins so we could purchase our tickets from the Ticket Vending Machine (TVM). You'll get a token for a single journey ticket. Fare from KL Sentral [KJ15] to KLCC [KJ10] is RM1.60. 

It was another jam-packed train ride and I felt very uneasy being with groups of men inside the train. And did I mention we were on the ladies' coach? Again, people were shoving their way out of the train and into KLCC so we had to be very careful -- not only of our belongings -- but more importantly, to get out of there unharmed.

***

So we were on our way to find the food court when a sign caught our eye - SALE! Two girls. On vacation. Inside a mall. SALE. Need I say more? So yeah, we momentarily forgot we're famished and browsed through racks and stacks of clothing. Satisfied with what we got, we went back searching for the food court. And when we finally found it, the next challenge was to find a seat.

Our lunch: first two pictures are mine - Beef Mee Noodles. 
Bottom photo is my friend's lunch: Roast Chicken perhaps?

After filling our tummies, we looked for the way out so we can see Petronas Twin Towers. We both agreed we'd skip the Skybridge since we don't want to pay the exorbitant RM80 just to walk across the twin towers.

Greenery juxtaposed against Kuala Lumpur's skyscrapers

Would have walked around the park but it started to drizzle, so we hailed a cab to take us back to our guesthouse but, but, but...we remembered we wanted to go to Beryl's Chocolate Factory. So we asked our cab driver how to get there. We were delighted to find out it's just near our guesthouse, and since he offered to take us there and wait for us while we sample their goodies, how could we resist?

While we did enjoy the free taste, I left with only a white chocolate bar with strawberry bits because the chocolates are not that cheap. 

Anyway, when we got back to the guesthouse, we just freshened up a bit because we wanted to go to Jalan Alor (for dinner) and Petaling Street (Chinatown) to shop some more. We asked the guesthouse staff how we could go there but they advised us to be extra careful (meaning leave our belongings including our cameras, and not to stay out late because mugging is prevalent). As soon as we stepped out of the guesthouse, rain started to pour again so we took it as a sign that we should not push through. 

Instead, we just crossed the street and voila! We found ourselves checking out almost every stall inside Berjaya Times Square. We were lured by the adorable and affordable items! You can buy tops and dresses for only RM10-RM15 (Php140-Php210.00)!

My haul for the day

We went back to the guesthouse with aching feet and hole in our pockets, but slept with an ear-to-ear grin. ;)

***

Useful links:

You can use these to check how to travel from Point A to Point B by rail or bus. Fares are also indicated.

• MYRapid 
• KTM Komuter

K

*next post: Hutton Lodge Penang Review*