Pulse-racing action at Formula One race in KL

Malaysia was abuzz last weekend with the Malaysian Grand Prix being held at the Sepang International Circuit. A large group of the racing community traveled to Southeast Asia to witness the second race in the Formula One calendar.

We had a comfortable three-and-a-half-hour flight via Malaysia Airlines from Manila, raring for action the moment we landed.

Aside from the race, Kuala Lumpur had loads to offer!

I was fortunate to have joined the mega fam tour arranged by Tourism Malaysia, so I was able to visit many of the sights around the city.

We first went to the Beryl Chocolate Kingdom, where we literally had a taste of the homegrown sweets.

Istana Negara, the palace of their King, was next on the agenda. The place was massive!

Then we also got to check out Central Market, where they have various bargains, not to mention great food stalls to try.

We stopped by the KL Art Gallery, which showcased the history of KL, as it grew into the sprawling metropolis it is today.

The tour also included stops at Suriya KLCC, one of their high-end malls right beside the majestic Petronas Towers, and the “Intelligent Garden City” Putrajaya (which is the federal administrative capital of Malaysia).

I particularly enjoyed visiting the compound of Royal Selangor, the world’s largest pewter factory, where we even had the chance to try our hand at shaping a dish at their “School of Hard Knocks.”

The child in me was energized when we traveled to I-City, a sprawling complex that had just about everything the young ones, and the young-at-heart, could enjoy — Red Carpet (their version of a wax museum but the figures were built using silicone), House of Horror, an archery range, a water park, an amusement park, a theme park, Snow Walk (where you can enjoy the snow slide, aside from the different ice sculptures in -9 degree weather), and the Trick Eye Art Museum.

The highlight of the trip definitely was witnessing some of the world’s best drivers up close during the F1 race, won wire to wire by Lewis Hamilton.

It was a fun-filled five days that I will be talking about for weeks to come.

As their tagline goes, “Malaysia, Truly Asia.”

So true.

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