Hopping On and Off KL

The next day of our honeymoon after we had breakfast, we asked the hotel front desk where the nearest stop is for the Hop-On Hop-off Bus. This bus goes around KL and stops at various tourist spots or places of interests. They pointed us to the Aquaria. We stepped out of the hotel and walked towards Aquaria. When we got there and asked where, the person we asked gave us directions - go up the esclator, turn left and then go straight. So we followed that but it lead us out of the building. We didn't bother asking someone for directions (which we should have, we learned later on) so we went on walking towards the Petronas Towers. When we got there, I was already getting tired so we kind of asked people for directions. We were pointed towards the main entrance and then from there we went to a bus stop right in front of KLCC. Good thing there was someone asking about the ticket or we wouldn't have found out that there were no booths to buy your tickets from, there was just someone there who you have to ask about the ticket. And then she will give you the ticket. There weren't even posters. She should have worn a big sign over her head "Hop-On Hop-Off Bus Tickets Sold by Me". Anyways, if we'd ask the girl sitting on the steps just outside Aquaria, we could have bought our tickets from her and saved ourselves the walk. But that's part of the adventures of travelling. You make mistakes along the way. We bought our tickets (costs RM38) and waited for the bus. The bus has a guide who checks the ticket and orients you that it can be used for 24 hours and that you can get on and off the different stops. He even asked us our nationality, which I think because the bus is really for tourists. And there were actually headsets inside the bus you can use and you'll hear a guided tour of the route. Although most of the headsets on that first bus were busted.

The couple next to us, talked to us when they heard we were Filipinos. Apparently they've been in the Philippines so many times. They don't really like Manila because of the traffic and pollution but they've been everywhere else - Bohol, Palawan, Cebu, even Dumaguete and Siquijor to name a few. They were living in a hotel in Chinatown and when they got off they told us where the shops are there. The bus stop in Chinatown is not where Petaling is. Petaling is like their Divisoria, tiangge all over the place.

National Palace


Our first stop was at the National Palace. Not so much to see there because you can't enter. That's why the bus stops there for a good 5-10minutes so that you can take pictures. We took pictures of the palace guard and their horses and the palace gates. When we were about to go, a new set of palace guards were trodding down the gate. Too bad we missed the changing of the guards, it's supposed to be a visual treat watching the changing of the guards.

National Museum


I don't remember how much the entrance fee is but I think we paid RM4 each. Learned a few things about the history of Malaysia. Joema had fun looking at the old cars and artillery. There's this item in the museum that looks like a box made of metal and then the description was it's what the soldiers used as backpack to keep their things. It looks so heavy you wouldn't want to be the that soldier hehe

Old Railway Station


At the time we were at the National Mosque, it was time for their prayers so we went across the street to see the Old Railway Station. There's really not much to see there but the architecture of the building. That building behind us is now houses the KTM Berhad and the station across it is, I think, already a hotel although we didn't enter it. KL Sentral is the new railroad station of KL where most of their trains pass thru.

National Mosque


When we got back, we were finally able to enter the mosque. They lend women robes (so cute they're in purple hehe) and you have to be barefeet. When we went in I admit I was a bit scared. It must because of my ignorance of what to do and not to do in their place of worship. There were people there who oriented us on some things about the Muslim faith. I don't really remember much of it now. They handed us pamphlets about Allah and Koran and some other things you need to know about Islam. This is going to be those TMI (too much information) moment but I just have to share: when we were about to get out of the complex, I was reading the pamphlet and it's written there that women who are menstruating are not allowed inside the mosque and I'm like ohmigosh I have my period and I'm inside their mosque I'm gonna get killed here! Joema was hurrying me to get out of the place and even joked that "Is this our till death do us part already?" hehe I hope I don't offend any Muslims reading this..I'm so so sorry.

Titiwangsa Lake

It was just amazing to find a lake in the metropolis. It's like a park and that were the Eye in Malaysia used to stand. Too bad it wasn't there anymore around that time. Like in the National Palace, the bus stopped for 5 to 10 minutes at this place.

KL Tower


We didn't go up the tower, we just had our picture taken on the grounds. The bus also stopped here for a good 10minutes. There's a revolving restaurant at the top floor of the tower so it will also be worth it to go to the top plus you get to see a bird's eye view of KL.

Chinatown


We went back to Chinatown for some shopping. Bought shirts and keychains for our pasalubong. This was the last stop we made on the bus.

Here are the other places we've seen while inside the bus. We didn't bother to go down and have a look-see.

Stop No. 6, strip of Bukit Bintang; Stop No. 16 Sultan Abdul Samad building; Stop No. 16 Merdeka Square; Stop No. 3 strip of restos and restos

We went back and arrived at our hotel around 8pm. We expeirenced rush hour traffic in KL. We were so tired that night that we just ate at Secret Recipe along Bukit Bintang. Not really your hole-in-the-wall resto where you get to eat authentic Malay dishes but you can eat Malay dishes from there nonetheless. Since I was so hungry, I didn't really want to be adventurous in my choice of food that night so I just ordered the grilled chicken hehe. After eating we walked around the area only to find out there were a lot of hawker stalls there. Tsk! Should have eaten there instead.

One of the malls on the cluster of Bukit Bintang

This high-end mall was just across our hotel; this is the entrance along Bukit Bintang.