TO CELEBRATE THE LAUNCHING OF INTERNATIONAL WHAT’S ON MAGAZINE TIME OUT IN MALAYSIA’S CAPITAL, JEROEN VAN MARLE TAKES SIX DAY TRIPS AROUND KUALA LUMPUR AND DISCOVERS A WEALTH OF OUTDOOR AND GREEN ACTIVITIES
Although Malaysia’s capital Kuala Lumpur (KL) has enough attractions to keep a visitor happy for a few days, there are some sights in the vicinity that are worth a day trip. There’s a dazzling mosque in Shah Alam, new bridges and buildings in Putrajaya, the mountaintop resort of Genting Highlands, Hindu temples at Batu Caves, the nature park at Malaysia’s Forestry Institute, and an amazing firefly display at Kuala Selangor. KL taxis can be rented for just RMB30 – so get out of town!
The Batu Caves
The nearest and most popular trip from KL is to the Batu Caves, 15 kilometres north of town. This series of three large caves spectacularly set inside a limestone outcrop was converted for use as a Hindu temple in the 19th century, and has since been attracting millions of pilgrims and tourists. Overlooked by a 43-metre high golden statue of Lord Murugan, 272 numbered steps lead up to the entrance. Here you become aware of the scale of the place, with the ceiling of the highest cave soaring over 100 metres high. To the rear, past several smaller temple buildings, a hole in the ceiling allows sunlight to stream in, illuminating the modern main shrine decorated with dozens of statues of Hindu gods. Watch out for the cheeky monkeys; they are used to being fed, but can be quite aggressive! The annual Thaipusam festival, held yearly in January or February, attracts up to a million pilgrims when they celebrate Lord Murugan’s birthday, with some extreme displays of devotion, including ritual skin, cheek and tongue piercing. Learn more by catching the 15-minute documentary shown in the theatre near the exit. Nature and geology enthusiasts can join a Dark Caves tour into otherwise closed-off caves, organised by the Malaysia Nature Society.
Caves are open daily from 7am-9pm. Buses to Batu Caves depart from the Central Market; a taxi from KL will cost RMB10-30 one-way, depending on your bargaining skills. The documentary is shown every 15 minutes between 8am-6.45. Dark Caves tours are organized on request (tel: +60 3228 79422 or visit www.mns.org.my), costing up to RMB80 per person, per tour.
PUTRAJAYA, FUTURISTIC SEAT OF GOVERNMENT
Started in the 1980s and still under construction, Putrajaya is Malaysia’s new purpose-built Federal Government Administration Centre. In the past two decades, a pleasantly green urban area around a 650 hectare artificial lake crossed by several bridges has been created, and though it’s not finished yet, it’s worth a visit. Coming from the airport by train or car, you’ll spot the massive Convention Centre first, as it’s situated on a hill. Heading east, you’ll cross the 240-metre long Seri Gemalang bridge, marking the entrance to town with its steel architecture. Following the boulevard you’ll cross the impressive 435-metre Putra Bridge, inspired by the 17th century Khaju bridge in Isfahan, Iran. Three more spectacular bridges can be seen, and another three are planned.
Putra Bridge leads to the centre of the new city, Putra Square, which is dominated by two domed buildings. On the lakeshore stands the magnificent Putra Mosque with its rose-tinted granite dome and a minaret which was inspired by that of Baghdad’s Sheikh Omar Mosque. It can fit 15,000 worshippers at a time under the dome and in the surrounding courtyards. Visitors are welcome to look into the main prayer hall.
Set on a hill near the mosque is the Perdana Putra building, housing the offices of the Prime Minister, with its characteristic green onion-shaped dome. After sightseeing, there’s fun to be had at the well-designed Souk mall, found overlooking the lake. Dozens of shops offer souvenirs, fashion and other items, and there’s a foodcourt, too. After shopping, join one of the regular boat trips around the lake, embarking beside the Souk mall.
BASICS
Putrajaya is best reached with the KLIA Transit train from KL Sentral or the airport, departing several times an hour; from Putrajaya station take a bus or taxi to Putrajaya Square. Putra Mosque is open daily except for Fridays and for short periods at prayertime. Admission is free.
GENTING HIGHLANDS
Set high up on a mountaintop and an hour’s drive from KL, Genting Highlands is a purpose-built resort made for recreation and fun. The self-proclaimed ‘city of entertainment’ benefits from the cool air at 2,000 metres above sea level and has everything to keep you busy. Though gambling at the casino is the main attraction for many of the Chinese from Malaysia and abroad, there are also indoor and outdoor theme parks, over 200 shops, a spa, an 18-hole golf course, a cineplex, bars and discos, plenty of good food and an auditorium hosting everything from ice skating shows to performances by international stars. There’s also wall-climbing, a skydive simulator, a hang-gliding roller coaster and even a Snow World, where many Asians come to experience sub-zero temperatures for the first time. If you can’t tear yourself away from the attractions, Genting Highlands boasts the largest hotel in the world, with 6,118 rooms, plus four other hotels.
BASICS
Buses to the Genting Highland Skyway cable car station leave from several points in KL; see the website for schedules. Alternatively, you can drive there or to the resort yourself. For information, contact the KL sales office at Wisma Genting, 28 Jalan Sultan Ismail, KL, tel: +60 3271 81118 or visit www.genting.com.my
FOREST RESEARCH INSTITUTE CANOPY WALK
Malaysia was completely covered with rain forest until just a few hundred years ago, and though there are magnificent national parks elsewhere in the country, the Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) is the closest place to KL where you can get a real feel of the jungle. Established in 1929 and surrounded by the Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve, the FRIM is in Kepong, 16km northwest of KL. The 600 hectares of forest and wetlands here are home to 15,000 species of plants. Several signposted nature trails and tracks weave their way through the park, past gardens, tropical trees and picnic areas. On site are also a museum, traditional Malay houses, a café, bookshop, mosque, mountain bike trail, and even a campsite. You’ll see the most representative trees found in Malaysian rainforests, as well as bubble gum trees, rocket trees, giant bamboo, and elephant trees. If you’re lucky, you’ll spot Crested Serpent Eagles, Malabar squirrels, and maybe hear some noisy hornbills squawking away.
For most visitors the highlight is the forest canopy walkway, a 200-metre long bridge suspended between trees, 30 metres above ground. In dense rainforests, the largest variety of plants and animals is found up near the treetops, and the walkway allows you to get up close. Come early and you’ll have a good chance of spotting wildlife.
BASICS
Park is open daily from 8am-6pm, admission RMB1per person (RMB5 per car); canopy walk is open from 9.30am-2.30pm, admission RMB5. It’s closed Mon and Fri. Phone ahead for walkway ticket reservations at tel: +60 3627 97525 or visit www.frim.gov.my. Safety harnesses are available. For the FRIM take the LRT trainfrom KL Central to Kepong station and then take a taxi.
THE BLUE MOSQUE OF SHAH ALAM
The stunning Blue Mosque, officially named the Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque, was built in 1988 and can be found in Shah Alam, an industrial satellite town
25km west of KL. The complex is one of superlatives. It’s the largest mosque in Southeast Asia, with a capacity of 24000 people. From afar you’ll see the four characteristic minarets dominating the skyline; at 150 meters, they’re the highest in the world. Between the minarets, the magnificent blue double-layered dome, 120 meters high and 55 meters in diameter, is decorated with Islamic calligraphy. Tourists enter the building at the front, where shoes are left behind and covering garments can be borrowed if necessary. You ascend the stairs to main courtyard, which has a hidden fountain system that allows space for praying. Visitors are allowed to the door of the main prayer hall for a peek at the interior, a soaring space with a balcony for women and a ceiling decorated with wooden triangles and dotted with tiny lights, in imitation of a starry sky. It’s kept cool by an elaborate air conditioning system, feeding cold air up through 24 poles topped by fans, while hot air flows away higher up. Impressive by day, the mosque is breathtaking at night when it is lit up.
BASICS
Reach Shah Alam by LRT train or by taxi. The mosque is open for tourists from Mon-Thu 9am-12pm and 2-4pm; Sat and Sun 9am-12pm and 2-4pm, 5-6.30pm. Admission is free and garments are provided. For more information, tel: +60 3551 99988.
KUALA SELANGOR FIREFILES
Some 65km northwest of KL, the fishing village of Kuala Selangor is the base for visiting Selangor state’s most magical sight. Every night, millions of fireflies (actually not flies but Lampyridae beetles) resting on berembang trees beside the Selangor river flash at each other, indicating their will to find a mate. They synchronise their rhythms so that the entire riverbank turns into a biological disco, an entrancing experience. Before seeing the fireflies, consider stopping off in Kuala Selangor to have a look at the 200-year-old Dutch Fort Altingsburg on top of Bukit Melawati hill, used by the Dutch to defend the tin trade routes. Apart from some old bastions and guns, there’s a lighthouse, some British-era colonial buildings, plenty of hungry monkeys and a marvelous sunset view over the Malacca Straits. Nature buffs could reserve more time to visit the 300-hectare Kuala Selangor Nature Park with its wetlands and mangrove forests.
BASICS
Electric-powered boats depart between 7.45 and 10.30pm daily from Kampung Kuantan jetty, 4km from Kuala Selangor. Tickets are 10RM per person; tel: +60 3588 06795. Note that photography and noise disturbs the fireflies, and both are prohibited. Bus Nr 141 regularly runs from KL’s main Puduraya bus station to Kuala Selangor, taking two hours. By taxi, a return trip should cost 60-100RM, depending on your negotiating skills. If an overnight stay is necessary, the Firefly Park Resort, tel: +60 3328 91208, has chalets by the river.
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