Malaysia: Truly Asia!!!

Last year, the Malaysian Tourism Board graciously invited some personalities to discover Malaysia, Truly Asia!

It was a short trip of three days, two nights which surprisingly was enough time to see the sights and sounds of Kuala Lumpur as well as do some shopping around the metropolis, which also happened to be having tremendous sales due to the time of year.

My friends Tim Yap and Tessa Prieto-Valdes were part of the tour as well, and boy, what a joy it was to escape the hustle and bustle of Manila.

Our flight was courtesy of ZestAir, which is a budget airline that leaves out of the old domestic airport. The flight was short and on the way to Malaysia, I already had my first taste of the cuisine, just on the flight alone. Order the rendang and you’re set!

The Kuala Lumpur City Gallery was a great place to get to know the history of Malaysia, all under an hour, too. The most fascinating miniature of the entire landscape of Kula Lumpur can also be viewed, where it lights up to simulate an evening view of the city of Kuala Lumpur.

We also took photos by the flags right beside the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery. I noticed that the Malaysian flag looks a little like my two heritages, like the American and Philippine flag combined. Just with a moon instead of stars.

Istana Negara or the Royal Palace is where the king of Malaysia resides. Guards stand outside and the setting is amidst small mountains on either side. Tessa, Tim and I couldn’t help take  photos by the golden gates.

But the highlight of the trip, without a doubt were the Petronas Towers, that we had gone to earlier in the day. Before going up to the Petronas Towers, which happens to be the tallest building in Asia, I took a spectacular photo of Tim playing with the vapor projection. I loved that my #Nokia1020 was able to capture it.

In the evening, the two towers, when being lit up, turn into a majestic sight. Do not miss out on taking a photo op from inside the towers as well as the façade of the buildings.

And lastly, not to be missed was the chain of restaurants called Madam Kwan’s. We ordered the beef satay with the peanut sauce and the Laksa. They are authentic Malaysian food but with a recipe that has been perfected to mouth-watering heights.

Speaking of heights, we also had dinner at the revolving restaurant on the top of the Menara KL Tower, which has been nicknamed as the “Jewel in the Sky.” It’s more of a date place than Madam Kwan’s so bring a date and have fun dressing up.

I can’t wait to go back to Malaysia, but this time with the children. I had only gone once before this trip, when Sports Unlimited went up the highest peak in Southeast Asia, Mt. Kota Kinabalu.

After watching the Lego movie recently, I can’t wait to go to Lego Land in Nusajaya, Johor, which is a driving distance from Singapore. The Sanrio Hello Kitty Town is also another attraction to bring the family to, especially if you have a little girl like I do, who adores anything Hello Kitty.

(All photos are taken on my new #NokiaLumia1020, a 41 megapixel phone that takes amazing photos. Visit Malaysia Truly Asia and check out its website at www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my for details. You may tweet the author at @gtongi or view more photos from the trip under my Instagram account @gtongi.)