Doubletree by Hilton

Very early this morning, I took a shuttle from my hotel in Singapore to the airport to fly to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. If you want to just go to Malaysia from Singapore, you can drive 0.62 miles on a causeway connecting Singapore and Malaysia. However, Kuala Lumpur is 184 miles more. You can fly the distance or take a bus or a train. There are also short tours from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur. I enjoyed the flight as the plane flew low, and from my window seat, I had a great view of Malaysia from the air.

I met my first American on my Southeast trip at the Singapore Airport––a Malaysian–American from Fresno, California. We were both waiting for our flight’s waiting room to open. At many foreign airports, you first go through security to get to the gate waiting area, then you wait outside the specific gate’s waiting room until it opens. When it opens, you again go through security, thereby having to throw out the water bottle you bought to take on the plane. The Malaysian–American’s wife was already in Malaysia. He couldn’t travel with her because he didn’t know until he got to the LA airport that he needed a passport that didn’t expire within six months (a requirement for entry in many countries)––his did, so he had to stay behind while he obtained an emergency passport. This man has traveled extensively, which tells you that no matter how much you travel, there will be something important that you just didn’t know about or remember––something to trip you up.

It took about as long as my flight to get from the Kuala Lumpur airport to my hotel: first, because the airport is about a 45–minute drive from the city, and, second, as soon as you approach the outskirts of the city, it becomes gridlock––too many cars and too few roads. I made it my hotel, the Doubletree by Hilton, a truly gorgeous hotel, 4 1/2 stars, that cost me less than did my hotel in Singapore––hotels in Malaysia are 1/2 the price of hotels in Singapore, a true bargain. I loved the hotel and felt spoiled by staying there. I was able to get my room early and was also given their trademark chocolate cookie.

Photo: Display outside the Doubletree.

Islam is the state religion––Malayasia’s population is about 60% Muslim, 20% Buddhist, 9% Christian, and 6% Hindu, so when I planned my trip, I needed to find out if it was culturally okay for a single woman to walk around Malaysia on her own. I was assured that it was by a man originally from Malaysia who was on my Central Europe trip last year. However, while in Malaysia, I was told that not many Americans visit Malaysia and especially not American woman traveling on their own––I was an oddity.

Doubletree by Hilton

The hotel had numerous restaurants, one a Let’s Do Western one. I was never here at the right hour to eat at it.

Doubletree by Hilton

The view of Kuala Lumpur from my hotel room.

Doubletree by Hilton

Close–up of a large mosque in the last photo.

Doubletree by Hilton

I was ready to go exploring. The photo is the view from the hotel’s lobby. To me, the city’s name, Kuala Lumpur, sounds exotic, but it is a modern city with tall buildings and horrendous traffic jams. However, there are still some very beautiful old buildings among the new ones and some older areas.

Petronas Twin Towers

I took the hotel’s shuttle to the Petronas Twin Towers, which are the highest twin towers in the world. They were built in 1998 and at that time were the tallest buildings in the world––1,483 feet (452 m) tall, with 88 stories. In 2003, Taipei, Taiwan, built a taller building––1,671 feet (509 m) tall, topping the Petronas Towers. You can see the towers from many viewpoints  in Kuala Lumpur.

The Skybridge, between the two towers, is at the 41st and 42nd floors. People line up before 7 a.m. to reserve a space to go up to the Skybridge. There is no charge when you reserved this way. When I got there, all reservations were booked for the day, but I was offered a booking for the next day for about, I believe, 50 Malaysian ringgits ($1.00 U.S. = about 3 ringgits [RM]), but it could have been more. I couldn’t go the next day, so I didn’t reserve a spot.

I have put most of my Day 1 photos on a slideshow: Go to Slide Shows, Asia, Malaysia, “Kuala Lumpur: Petronas Towers, Suria KLCC, Night Tour, Day 1” or directly to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/day–1–kuala–lumpur–petronas–towers–suria–klcc–night–tour/

Suria KLCC

Suria KLCC, a six–floor shopping complex, is next to the Petronas Towers. I went through it. (See slide show.) It started to rain––the weather in Kuala Lumpur was very similar to that in Singapore: very warm but an overcast sky kept the temperature down so it was quite bearable though you still sweat––and I started feeling tired, so I took a taxi back to my hotel to rest until I would be picked up for a night tour.

Night Tour–Chinatown Night Market

I signed up for a group night tour to the Chinatown Night Market and to a dinner show. I found out that I was to be a group of one––disappointing as I had looked forward to having dinner companions. My driver/guide was a Malaysian Hindu Indian. First, I was dropped off at the night market, which was next door to Little India (see slide show).

Night Tour: the Seri Melayu Restaurant

The restaurant offered an extensive and very good buffet plus a show (see slide show).

Night Tour: The Seri Melayu Restaurant

There was a show along with the dinner. I have put on five movies of the show: Go to Movies, Asia, Malaysia Movies or directly to

http://www.peggysphotos.com/malaysia–movies/

The Petronas Towers at Night

A night photo–op of the Petronas Towers was not part of the night tour, but I asked my driver/tour guide if he could take me to a good spot to take a night photo of the towers.

Back at the Doubletree by Hilton

The Chinese lanterns are lit in front of the hotel.

Doubletree by Hilton (Movie)

The ornaments outside the hotel were also lit up. I took a movie of the display and it appears here.

Doubletree by Hilton

Close–up of one of the ornaments.

Doubletree by Hilton

View of the Petronas Towers from outside the front of the Doubletree.