From the Pearl to the Gold
The journey started to Kuala Lumper by boarding the free ferry from Penang – a pleasant 30 minute journey with passengers in the middle and cars around the edges of the ferry. Heading to the main ferry / bus / train terminal at Butterworth we thought we could pick up some food there for our 5 hour train journey to the Malaysian capital… wrong. Hunting high and low for refreshments there was nothing open as huge areas are boarded up and the free shuttle bus hurtles between the ferry and train hubs. So disappointedly crisps and biscuits were grabbed for a little store on the platform and onto the train we got!
Positives – the train was clean and punctual. There was Malaysian food available for big bees, but not little bees. The Minions movie was playing on loop for the whole journey! Gorgeous scenery of the wilderness and small farmers to show how deep into Malaysian we were.
KL Sentral
Reaching the large and vibrant station in the dark we felt that getting a Grab cab rather than a local taxi would be safer, and after ordering and tracking one, we managed to get all our bags, and bees in the car (and ongoing confusion with the Grabs) and found our Air bnb apartment in a huge complex. Eager to explore in the morning we looked at the city view from the 25th floor and fell into bed.
Views and malls
First thing in the morning was to explore our surroundings – the 2 pools, the giant shopping malls (which were everywhere) and views of the Petronas Towers and central business area. Definitely more Westernised than what we have been used to, and it was great for the little bees to be able to choose from a range of foods that they love. And their love of Smiggle, Shimmer and Shine displays, and ice-cream made for very excited girls. Curbing the temptations to spend too much money in a city that looked designed for excess, we stocked up on essentials and hit the pools. The rooftop infinity pool was just stunning with the views, especially at sunset, the photos don’t do it justice.
Petronas Towers and Science Discovery Centre
Having looked at the tour bus as an option of seeing the capital, but having seen the gridlock of the traffic, we decided on the Petronsains Science Discovery Centre, that starts in (another) shopping mall next to the Petronas Towers, and then enters into the Towers. At just over £10 for all the bees, it was an incredible find. It starts with a short ride into the centre, describing its purpose, and then there is just so much to look at, explore and discover – it could easily take 4 hours to do everything properly! From sending Sophie into space, to scaring Molly in a gyro-scope, Sarah beating me in a formula 1 car, to me getting a year’s worth of ideas for science lessons, this is an amazingly priced place, in an expensive place.
