Malaysia: See the Petronas Towers in the morning and at night

Seeing the Petronas Twin Towers is like seeing two superstars – it’s iconic, gorgeous, soaring, and the heart and soul of Kuala Lumpur! And just like the amazing Eiffel Tower in Paris, the Petronas Twin Towers of Malaysia have a different charm in the morning and at night. It had been named the Tallest Building in the world for six years from 1998 to 2004 before Taipei 101 in Taiwan took the title in 2004. But up until now, it remains the Tallest Twin Towers in the world. It features a double-decker skybridge walkway that links the towers, the highest 2-storey bridge in the world.

The Petronas Twin Towers during daytime.

Ascending to a height of 452 meters, this mega structure is Kuala Lumpur’s crown jewel; symbolizing Malaysia’s culture and technological advancement. The skybridges walkway connects the towers on the 41^st and 42^nd floors, about 170 meters above ground. I have learned that the skybridges are not attached to the main structure as they are designed to slide into and out of the towers to prevent the bridges from breaking as the towers sway some meters in towards and away from each other especially during high winds. Also, there’s an observation deck on the 86^th floor where visitor’s can see the tower’s spire up close as well as a panoramic view of the entire city.

To me, the park near the towers is a relaxing oasis in the heart of the city.

The Petronas Twin Towers, the famous landmark in KL. 🙂

The 88-storey twin buildings of the Petronas Towers were designed by architect Cesar Pelli. I have learned that the government of Malaysia hired two different contractors to build each tower. As a result, the company who started over a month later actually finished first and one of the towers is a bit higher than the other.

The Petronas Twin Towers greet you in the morning and put you to bed at night.

The whole complex is surrounded by a scenic KLCC park of lush greenery. To me, this is the best place to view the towers. The dancing fountains are fascinating, and become particularly lovely at night with colored lights and music. While, inside the towers is Suria KLCC Mall, a huge and luxurious shopping mall with variety of shops and food mall.

While waiting for the towers to light up.

Mesmerized by the fountains.

We saw the Petronas Twin Towers both in the morning and at nighttime. The towers look stunningly beautiful in the morning and they look even more magical at night, especially when they sparkle in the tropical night air. It was really a different experience to see them with all the grand lights dazzling like a diamond.

Sparkling like a diamond. 🙂

I remember those moments when I just stared silently at the towers; and still I was at awe. It is certainly a must see when in Kuala Lumpur.

Little Lilly and the gigantic towers. 🙂

Trivia: There are 32,000 windows with UV and solar radiation steel in both Towers. It takes 2 months to clean them all.

Little Lilly travel tip:

1. The towers are open to visitors between 9am to 9pm every Tuesday till Sunday. In other words, it is close every Mondays. There’s only a limited number of passes allocated per day.
2. It is best to purchase a ticket online to avoid the long queue.

 

 

 

 

Malaysia: The Sultan Abdul Samad Building in Kuala Lumpur

One of the interesting sites that we saw in Kuala Lumpur was the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, which lights up at dusk. I was wowed by the gorgeous beauty of this wonderful historical building that sits in the heart of the city.

The beautiful Sultan Abdul Samad Building.

The Sultan Abdul Samad Building was built in 1894. It was designed by British architect Arthur Charles Norman, who was inspired by the Moorish architecture he saw in India.

A selfie with this lovely historical building. 🙂

This unique architecture is one Kuala Lumpur’s iconic landmarks as it has been the focal point of many historical events. It was named after the sultan of Selangor at the time and originally used as an administrative building by the British. When Malaysia finally became independent in 1957 from British colonial rule, it served different offices, from Selangor State Secretariat, then Supreme Court, and recently Ministry of Information, Communications, and Culture of Malaysia.

Taken from west side of Merdeka Square.

We went there around 6pm, so we roamed around the area until it was lit up at 7pm. From then on, the whole building illuminated up in different colors from yellow to pink, red, blue and purple, and it gradually changed before our eyes. It looks particularly impressive after dark when its copper domes and 41m tall clock tower are lit up. The beautiful architecture is eye catching and these onion shaped domes are just amazing pieces of art. Plus, the holiness and calmness of the place makes your heart feel light.

One of the famous landmarks of Malaysia.

We certainly had a good time there and we took plenty of pictures. If you love taking pictures, this charming building offers you lots of good opportunities. Even though we didn’t see the inside, it was well worth a visit!

Little Lilly travel tip:

• It is located across and dominates the eastern side of Merdeka Square.
• It is a 5 minutes walk from the central market to Merdeka Square.
• During the day you can see the stunning details on the building.

Thailand: Lazying at Jomtien Beach in Pattaya

It had been a full 3 days on the beautiful Jomtien Beach in the southern part of Pattaya. We’d spent hours lounging in the shade of a large tree by the ocean, eating, drinking, talking business, reading a book, getting sun, and strolling around the city.

doing nothing and everything.

Jomtien Beach is located in the southern part of the bay area in Pattaya. There are bungalows, beach-side hotels, high-rise condominiums, shops, restaurants and bars there. It also offers water-sport activities such as jet ski, parasailing, hire a small sail boat, etc.

Jomtien Beach.

Getting some sunshine while enjoying the breeze the view. 🙂

During the weekends, Jomtien Beach becomes crowded as many tourists and locals flock there to escape the scorching heat in Bangkok. When we went there, I noticed that Jomtien Beach was by far quieter than Pattaya Beach. The beach is best for sunset walk and has good views for pictures; however, the water quality seems isn’t good and it’s not very clear when compared to other beaches that I have been to.

Beautiful sunset.

Apart from the fact that I grew up 5 meters away from the beach for about 21 years, I really love relaxing at the beach simply because I can read for pleasure while listening to the sound of the crashing waves that makes me fall asleep. I feel like the repetitive gentle bass beats truly dissipate stress and bring about a blissful state of calm. It certainly makes me more calm and relaxed and if I am relaxed I am happy. Overall, I would say that we had a wonderful and relaxing time at Jomtien Beach.

so quiet, I like. 🙂