From Cebu to Malaysia on AirAsia Zest

AirAsia Zest, the Filipino low-cost airline that flies hand-in-hand with AirAsia, recently launched its first international flight from Mactan Cebu International Airport to Kuala Lumpur (KL), Malaysia carrying 128 guests, among them a few selected media friends.

KL, the capital and largest city of Malaysia, is located in Southeast Asia bordered by Thailand, Indonesia and Brunei. From a mining settlement in 1857, KL has grown into a reputable urban city, leading the nation in development in trade and commerce, banking and finance and information technology.

For first-time travelers to KL, sights not to be missed include the Petronas Twin Towers, the National Art Gallery, The Royal Selangor Pewter, Railway Station, the National Museum and several prominent parks.

Having done the popular tours, visitors can drive to the garden city of Putrajaya, considered the new administrative center of the federal government and houses the Prime Minister’s office. Natural greenery and wetlands cover about 40 percent of the whole area making this part a perfect place to get away from the busiest of city life.

Putra Mosque is situated at the western shore next to Perdana Putra complex. It has a pink granite dome on it, and a basement that shares some similarities of the King Hassan Mosque in Casablanca, Morocco. The mosque can accommodate up to 15,000 people. Appropriate dressing is a must before entering the mosque. For women visitors, scarves are required.

Fast becoming a favorite destination is i-City Theme Park located in Shah Alam, Selangor. It is considered as one of the richest and developed states of Malaysia.  As its name suggests, this one-of-a-kind attraction presents a “lightscape” illuminated with over a million LED lights. It features outdoor theme park rides set in a forest of maples and pines of jewel-toned luminosity. The attractions include:

Snowalk — the first in South East Asia. This 50,000 sq. foot frozen environment at five degrees temperature features several sculptures shaped by a team of 30 of the best sculptors from Harbin, China.

Red Carpet — Malaysia’s first all-stars interactive wax museum that comes to life via a synchronization of voice and motion. Get up close and personal with the stars in this revolutionary showcase in six thematic zones — world icons, celebrities, sport stars, world records, all stars café and interactive.

Trick Art Museum — which renders two-dimensional paintings in 3D by creating illusion. The walls and floors are adorned with hand-drawn 3D images enticing visitors to pose with the paintings.

House of Horror — which features frightening, realistic-looking mechatronic ghosts and ghouls, such as the bloodied mummies hanging from the ceiling, the headless horseman, vampires, zombies and monsters. 

This year is primed to be another significant one for the country’s tourism industry as it celebrates “Visit Malaysia” year for the fourth time; the theme is, “We are the host.” This puts Malaysia in a very empowering position to be a perfect host to visitors and hence ensure the celebration remains close to their hearts.