KL Tower

May 13, 2010

Actually, this was our second visit to the KL Tower. We came the day before but it was raining so hard that the KL Tower Staff prohibited access to the observation platform on top because there really was nothing to see but fog. We waited for the rain to stop and just rested, read about the Gulf Coast Jones Act, took pictures, and caught some local dance shows.

This time though, we were lucky to get clear skies and thus a wonderful view of the city.

Upon payment of the entrance fee, aside from access to the observation platform, we were also given free tickets to the KL Tower Animal Zone, which houses a wide range of exotic animals from those playful birds at the entrance to the huge python inside.

We also got free tickets to the F1 Simulator Zone. We got to drive some makeshift race car and drove through a racetrack simulation.

If you’re looking for a little bit more action, there’s a zip line cable that they call Flying Fox that hurls you from one end of the KL Tower base to the other. But this comes at an extra cost so we didn’t try it.

After that, we lined up at the elevator to take us to the top floor. While waiting for the elevator, we were all gawking at how beautiful the ceiling was, which was made of crystal glasses, though it could easily be mistaken for diamonds.

When we got to the top, the view was just unbelievably amazing.

 

Petronas Twin Towers

May 6, 2010

 

Also in the KLCC area is the famed Petronas Towers. Is was pegged as the tallest building in the world when it was inaugurated in 1998 and continued to hold this title until 2004, when it was surpassed by Taipei 101, which was then surpassed by Dubai’s Burj Khalifa in 2007, the world’s current tallest building. But the Petronas Twin Towers remain the tallest twin buildings in the world.

It has 88 office floors with 395,000 square meters of floor area, 78 elevators, and reportedly costing 1.6 billion dollars. It is mainly constructed  from super high-strength reinforced concrete with steel and glass facade.

 

As I mentioned, the very posh Suria KLCC with its high-end boutique shops, and bathrooms I might add (complete with chi chi Moen kitchen faucet), is located at the base, along with the Aquaria.

 

The Twin Towers also feature a Skybridge that connects the two towers on the 41st and 42nd floors. It is also the highest two story bridge in the world. And if you want to climb up the Skybridge, which is free, you have to line up very early (like 6AM) to get your tickets. Since this is a vacation, we didn’t bother waking so early and lining up. We were content on just staring at the tower. It’s really different when you see it yourself. It is so beautiful and grand that you just gawk at how something so magnificent is right in  front of you.