2012 April: Malaysia: Overnight at Tune Hotel, KL-LCCT

An unplanned trip (or should I say just keeping the words I said a year ago)!  But since there is a low fare offered by Air Asia last year (May 24, 2011) thus, I'm here again at the airport even if it is just 17 days since my last Asian trip (Busan on March 28 – April 1, 2012).

I wanted to travel and I love doing it, so even if I have a busy work life I will always find a way to make them go together.  Right after work in Ortigas, I picked up my luggage at McKinley (had a quick afternoon snack with my sister) then head to NAIA Terminal 3. And YES, thank you to my April co-passengers who were able to read the in-flight magazine (catch my blog, mentioned on page 144 on Smile April and May edition).

Play Time at the Airport - Arriving 3 hours before my flight is really a carefree feeling.  Enough time to do my running while playing on those push carts.  Contrary on how I describe myself as a “suite case traveler in Asia”, this would be my first international flight where I only have a hand carry.  (The last time I tried it was on flight to Kota Kinabalu, April 2010 and I end up paying for my excess baggage).  Prior to actual check-in my bag is 7.5kgs, upon check-in it became 6.4kg!  How did I do it?  It’s a nice move to carry separately your DSLR while checking-in with light fares.  

Immigration - I don’t like being asked by the officer whose as if interrogating me – You are going to KL, yet your return flight is from SG, can’t you find a flight straight from KL?  Are you working there? No! "Are you working here?". I said "yes", showed my id and viola, she finally marked my passport and let me in. 

X-ray - Congratulations to my monopod, it was able to pass the x-ray as well.

What’s new @ T3?  Okay done with the prequel, now waiting on my boarding here at gate 110.  You'll not miss what's new in this area - there are now installed Samsung LCDs at boarding gates.

Past 12 midnight, we arrived at Kuala Lumpur Low Cost Carrier Terminal or KL-LCCT.  I still have few Ringgit back then, so I did not bother getting their money.  I immediately asked someone on how can I get to Tunes Hotel.  Honestly, I did not understand her answer.  Perhaps, because it was unclear, I'm not paying attention or I'm still sleepy.  I ended up walking for 10-15 minutes, passing 2 car parks, until I reached the hotel.  But you can actually take a service bus from/to Domestic Arrival area for only 1RM.

Tune Hotels - Hotel Review

Tune Hotels is the partner hotel of Air Asia.  Upon booking at their site, I was surprise as this is my first time to see a hotel where the facilities are being paid per service.  You want to have any of the following, you need to pay additional fee for each.

• Air Conditioning (12 hours) at 14MYR
• Air Conditioning (24 hours) at 20MYR
• Towel Rental + Essential Toiletry Kit at 6MYR
• WIFI Connection per device (24 hours) at 12MYR
• Breakfast Set at 6MYR
• Tune Hotels Insurance at 5MYR

Notice the minutes left on every featured you paid for.

Itinerary: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Suggested itinerary on visiting Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for 2 days:

Day 1

GENTING HIGHLANDS (http://www.rwgenting.com/en/themepark/index.htm)
How to get there:  From KL Central Station, take a bus that has set of packages going to Genting Highlands.  You may opt to take cable car as well, but make sure that you read the maintenance schedule so you will not get disappointed when it is not available.

SNOW WORLD (http://www.genting.com.my/en/themepark/snowworld/index.htm)
Fee: Adult RM16
Location: Level 2A, First World Plaza;
Rules: No bermudas or shorts. No slippers. Socks and long pants are compulsory
My favorite attraction at Genting Highlands in the Snow World.  You will experience a wide room in negative 5 degrees Celsius.

MENARA KL TOWER (http://www.menarakl.com.my)
Open: 9am to 10pm
Fee: RM8 (Adults)
Location: No 2, Jalan Punchak, Off Jalan P Ramlee
Directions: The nearest PUTRA LRT station to Kuala Lumpur Tower is the Dang Wangi station or take the KL Monorail and disembark at the Bukit Nenas station. Then you have to walk up the hilly road to the tower.

PETALING STREET
Known as the Chinatown of KL
Open: 7pm until early next day

City Collection: Kuala Lumpur, MY

Collection: Starbucks Mini Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia Mugs
I must acknowledge that I got this Starbucks Coffee City Mug collection idea from my sister’s friend Alnor when I had a trip with her in Singapore. Although I bought my first official Mug in HK, I’m posting this KL mug first since this is the first city I have visited.
I’m not a total coffee addict but I started to love this collection. The mini mugs costs 350-450php, while the big mug ranges from 450-550php. Aside from the not so cheap price, you also need to be careful in handling this breakable material in your hand-carry luggage, not unless you want to take the risk of placing it in your check-in bag.
I have visited Kuala Lumpur in July 2006 but did not bother to buy a mug. I got this KL and Malaysia mug when I requested my friend Che to buy one pair for me. She used to work in Singapore then, but has a quick trip in Malaysia before visiting Manila. Good thing that I was still able to grab a pair!
Thank you Alnor and Che!

2006 July: Kuala Lumpur: Day 2: KL Invasion

Travel Date: July 20-21, 2006
Destination: Kuala Lumpur

Second and last day in KL, after a long discussion we finally decided to check out and bring our big bags while we stroll around the city. We tried to wake up early so that we can still go up the Twin Tower Bridge. There are no entrance fees, but you need to be in the first 500 guests visiting the bridge. Otherwise, you’ll not allowed to enter the bridge.

The queue is too long, but there are games and intelligent maze on the lobby that will surely entertain you while waiting.
KLCC Mall and KLCC Park are just also near the area.

Next target is to have more of shopping experience. We checked out Berjaya Times Square (also included in Amazing Race Asia Season 1), malls along Bintang Walk, do food trip and return to KLCC Mall.
It’s finally time to say our farewell to Kuala Lumpur, we took a cab going to back Puduraya Bus Terminal. After 6 hours travel, around 3 in the morning we reached again Singapore!

Thanks a lot to my sister and her friends who are with me for this wonderful travel experience in Kuala Lumpur, Malayasia.

2006 July: Kuala Lumpur: Day 1: KL Invasion

Travel Date: July 20-21, 2006
Destination: Kuala Lumpur

My 2 day invasion in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

We reached Kuala Lumpur by roughly 6 hours travel via Transnational Coach Service from Lavender Street, Singapore. It was my first time to travel during night to reach a destination before sunrise. What is the hassle thing about it? It is to wake-up in the middle of your deep sleep to register on the immigration of Singapore and Malaysia on it’s borders.

We reached the Puduraya Bus Terminal by around 4 in the morning, its not like the busy terminal because we arrived there too early. It is scary at first, so I do not recommend night travel for a solo traveler. First thing we did is to exchange our money to Malaysian Ringgit. In 2006, PHP14.35 is equal MYR1. From the terminal we took a cab to send us to Florida Hotel (71-73 Jalan Thambypillai off Jalan Brickfields KL). Personally, I do not like our hotel, it is a three star hotel and the service is not that good. We were not allowed to check-in when we arrived there at 4:30am. So what we did is to stay in the nearby 7-11 store, their’s is not like having a table and chair. It is just really a store, so what we had to do is to seat on the actual side walk area and eat our early breakfast and wait until 6 in the morning.

Once we reached the hotel elevator it becomes too smelly, up to the hotel walk way until you close your hotel door, the smell still stinks. Room and bathroom are not so clean and are also very old. Plus, I do remember that there are some creepy crawlers in the bed.

View from Florida Hotel:

Officially the first morning of our KL adventure, we woke up at 9 and get ready to check the available trips going to Genting Highlands. Good thing about the hotel is the location, it is just a walk away from KL Central Station. It is a terminal for buses and trains. We had our brunch at McDonalds, they do not have rice and the taste of their burger is a little spicy.

Genting Highlands Ticket Booth in KL Central Station:

We took the Genting Highlands bus service, and travel around an hour to reach the Theme Park. See the below photos on our way to the top of the mountain. Too bad the cable car is not available, thus, we were not able to experience the thrill.

Genting Highlands is a very huge place with indoor and outdoor theme park facilities.

It is also very near to the largest hotel in the world, First World Hotel (The World's Largest Hotel, Guinness World Records 2006/2007/2008/2009).

Best experience here is the Snow World.

We missed our 4pm return shuttle to Central Station, thus we waited for the 5pm service. They are very accurate when it comes to schedule, thus you need to be more punctual.
From Central Station, we took a train going to Putra Station, our next destination is Menara Tower (http://menarakl.com.my/). (Trivia: It is included in the stops for the Amazing Race Asia Season 1). Can’t remember how much is the entrance, but it already includes the use of a recorded sound presentation that serves as a guide as you walk around the top of the tower. You will also see the Petronas Twin Tower from afar.
After this, the night is not yet done. We took a cab to send us to Petaling Street (China Town), shopping time. We bought a mini Petronas Tower as our souvenir.

For our dinner, once again we bought McDonalds goodies and eat in our hotel.

Then, it is time to sleep.