The Lures of Kuala Lumpur

CEBU, Philippines - Right in the center of Southeast Asia is Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. The metropolitan city offers the colors and excitement of urban life. With its towering skyscrapers and commercial buildings, one can expect great shopping spree, dining and entertainment, not to mention national monuments, art galleries, large temples and grandiose structures.

A group of media practitioners from Cebu experienced all these and a lot more during a recent familiarization tour hosted by Silkair. On hand to bid us farewell at the Mactan Cebu International Airport was personable General Manager Ajish Morris who presented to us Allen Andre Suarez, reservations and ticketing officer, as our official tour companion.

Needless to say and as expected, our flight was most enjoyable. The charming stewardesses were efficient and ever ready to assist while the food served offered Asia’s best variety of cuisine.

Our tour consisted of several tourist landmarks. Allow me to share with you our fun and memorable experiences.

The Malaysia National Monument was created by then Prime Minister of Malaysia YTM Tunku Rahman Putra Alhay in 1963 to commemorate the warriors who died defending the sovereignty of the country. The complex encompasses different components, the National Monument, pavilion, fountains, and the surrounding gardens. The war memorial designed by American sculpture Felix de Weldon depicts a group of soldiers holding the Malaysian national flag. Each bronze figure symbolizes leadership, unity, vigilance, strength, suffering, courage and sacrifice.

One of our most relaxing and pleasurable experience was at the Kenko Fish Spa. Yes, that’s right, little “masseurs” nibble away your dead skin and pamper your feet to a pleasant tingling sensation. Your feet will emerge with smooth skin and your pore unobstructed to promote blood circulation.

Certainly one of the highlights of our trip was the Genting Highlands. The journey starts with the skyway gondola lift. It can carry more than 2,000 people per hour each way with eight passengers per gondola. It takes some 11 minutes to reach the mountain peak.

Excitement and adventure await everyone at the indoor and outdoor theme parks with more than 50 rides and attractions. The outdoor area boasts exhilarating rides such as the Corkscrew, Space Shot and the unique Flying Coaster. The latest attraction is the Pirate Ship and Beryl’s Chocolate Wonderland.

Not to be missed is the signature ride at the Sky Venture. It is a state-of-the-art skydiving wind tunnel that is specially designed for you to experience the thrills of skydiving without having to pack up a parachute and jump out of an aeroplane. Launched in 2002, this skydiving simulator is the first of its kind in Asia.

Encounter winter wonderland at Snow World and bring home the fondest memories. It is ideal for winter lovers as the temperature is at minus 5 degrees celcius. Need I say more? 

Scattered around the rides, attractions and entertainment are popular food outlets that offer a delectable selection of choices that cater to a full meal, fast food or short snacks. It also has around 77 retail shops and kiosks with a wide range of branded merchandise.

The fun simply never stops. Monorail and rollercoaster rides weave through the plaza, making it the liveliest, most animated and exciting place to be with family and friends.

Much to soon it was time to go back and prepare for our flight to Singapore before finally going home to Cebu. We had the priviledge of meeting up with former Silkair General Manager and I must say a dear friend Kong Kum Hoong who graciously invited us over for tea at his new post, the Fullerton Heritage, a historic post office building which was transformed into a five-star hotel.

All together, the familiarization tour surely was an experience we will treasure for a long long time. Many thanks, Silkair, for making it all possible. (FREEMAN)