KL by Bus.
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Kuala Lumpur on Wheels
Though Kuala Lumpur has some stunning Moorish and Victorian architecture, it’s the high-rises that dominate the city’s skyline. The Petronas Towers are among the world’s most famous buildings and the tallest twin towers in the world.
I
t’s fairly easy to get around Kuala Lumpur. The Malaysian capital has an impeccable public transport system, which makes sightseeing a breeze. Travellers can go on the monorail, or take a bus or a taxi to the city’s various landmarks. Still, navigating a metropolis this large can be challenging for first-timers, which is what makes the hop-on hop-off bus service so attractive. Looping KL’s major attractions, the buses run frequently through specific circuits. Passengers get a day pass, which lets them disembark at any stop and linger for as long as they like. When they’re done, they wait for the next bus to come along, and carry on. On a hazy morning, tempted by the viewing platforms on the double-decker buses, I buy a ticket and board a big blue bus plastered with images of the city’s biggest attractions.
54
ATLAS
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The “Become a One-Day Pilot” tour allows you to fly around the city in a chartered flight or helicopter, with help from a trained pilot.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIA | MARCH 2015
We pull out of the KL Sentral bus stop rather abruptly causing the viewers on the deck to rattle like a can of coins. We recover quickly and are soon craning our necks, pointing our cameras in every direction. The bus traverses 40 attractions including the National Museum, the National Mosque of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur Tower, the Petronas Twin Towers, bustling shopping districts, and quieter parts like the Perdana Botanical Garden, the city’s green lung. An audio recording tells passengers about the monuments they drive past. It is informative, but I am more interested in the other sights that my window seat affords me. I notice that the street lights are shaped like hibiscus blooms, Malaysia’s national flower. Above those, clusters of tiny, dark swifts encircle the sky. The nests of the birds—made of their
saliva—are considered a local delicacy, and are pompously called “the caviar of the East”. Flocks of school children in their blue-green uniforms pile into the bus at the National Museum. Some join us on the viewing deck. Shrieking and hysterical laughter follows, as do many selfies until they get off at the Petronas Twin Towers. Up next is the Menara Kuala Lumpur, or simply KL Tower, standing tall at 421 metres, its antennae piercing the sky. I disembark there to spend some time at the observation tower, which provides a sweeping view of the city. Back on the bus, I realise that despite the charm of its sloperoofed national museum, the stately mosque, and its Chinese and Indian temples, KL’s main attractions remain its gleaming high-rises. Concrete, steel, and glass monsters loom above us. Below us, dapper office-goers briskly walk the city’s spotless streets, their monochrome suits distinguishing them from the more colourfully dressed tourist shoppers. The bus then stops at Jalan Alor where I hop off. The food hawkers here are famed for their bak kut teh (Chinese meat bone tea) and their innovative use of durian in dishes. The smells swirling around make my tummy growl, and four hours after my tour starts, I exchange my lofty view of the city for a chance to explore its various treats. (The KL Hopon-Hop-off Bus Tour operates daily 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; buses depart every 30 minutes; myhoponhopoff.com; oneday pass adult MYR45/`790, children below 12 MYR24/`420; children below five years free; buses are Wi-Fi enabled and wheelchair-friendly.)
RAJA BADRI
HOP-ON HOP-OFF BUSES ARE A FINE WAY TO SEE THE MALAYSIAN CAPITAL IN A HURRY | By PRATHAP NAIR
Kuala Lumpur on Wheels
Though Kuala Lumpur has some stunning Moorish and Victorian architecture, it’s the high-rises that dominate the city’s skyline. The Petronas Towers are among the world’s most famous buildings and the tallest twin towers in the world.
I
t’s fairly easy to get around Kuala Lumpur. The Malaysian capital has an impeccable public transport system, which makes sightseeing a breeze. Travellers can go on the monorail, or take a bus or a taxi to the city’s various landmarks. Still, navigating a metropolis this large can be challenging for first-timers, which is what makes the hop-on hop-off bus service so attractive. Looping KL’s major attractions, the buses run frequently through specific circuits. Passengers get a day pass, which lets them disembark at any stop and linger for as long as they like. When they’re done, they wait for the next bus to come along, and carry on. On a hazy morning, tempted by the viewing platforms on the double-decker buses, I buy a ticket and board a big blue bus plastered with images of the city’s biggest attractions.
54
ATLAS
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The “Become a One-Day Pilot” tour allows you to fly around the city in a chartered flight or helicopter, with help from a trained pilot.
NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC TRAVELLER INDIA | MARCH 2015
We pull out of the KL Sentral bus stop rather abruptly causing the viewers on the deck to rattle like a can of coins. We recover quickly and are soon craning our necks, pointing our cameras in every direction. The bus traverses 40 attractions including the National Museum, the National Mosque of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur Tower, the Petronas Twin Towers, bustling shopping districts, and quieter parts like the Perdana Botanical Garden, the city’s green lung. An audio recording tells passengers about the monuments they drive past. It is informative, but I am more interested in the other sights that my window seat affords me. I notice that the street lights are shaped like hibiscus blooms, Malaysia’s national flower. Above those, clusters of tiny, dark swifts encircle the sky. The nests of the birds—made of their
saliva—are considered a local delicacy, and are pompously called “the caviar of the East”. Flocks of school children in their blue-green uniforms pile into the bus at the National Museum. Some join us on the viewing deck. Shrieking and hysterical laughter follows, as do many selfies until they get off at the Petronas Twin Towers. Up next is the Menara Kuala Lumpur, or simply KL Tower, standing tall at 421 metres, its antennae piercing the sky. I disembark there to spend some time at the observation tower, which provides a sweeping view of the city. Back on the bus, I realise that despite the charm of its sloperoofed national museum, the stately mosque, and its Chinese and Indian temples, KL’s main attractions remain its gleaming high-rises. Concrete, steel, and glass monsters loom above us. Below us, dapper office-goers briskly walk the city’s spotless streets, their monochrome suits distinguishing them from the more colourfully dressed tourist shoppers. The bus then stops at Jalan Alor where I hop off. The food hawkers here are famed for their bak kut teh (Chinese meat bone tea) and their innovative use of durian in dishes. The smells swirling around make my tummy growl, and four hours after my tour starts, I exchange my lofty view of the city for a chance to explore its various treats. (The KL Hopon-Hop-off Bus Tour operates daily 9 a.m.-8 p.m.; buses depart every 30 minutes; myhoponhopoff.com; oneday pass adult MYR45/`790, children below 12 MYR24/`420; children below five years free; buses are Wi-Fi enabled and wheelchair-friendly.)
RAJA BADRI
HOP-ON HOP-OFF BUSES ARE A FINE WAY TO SEE THE MALAYSIAN CAPITAL IN A HURRY | By PRATHAP NAIR
