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Batu Caves large Murugan statue steps Malaysia

Malaysia 2010: Day 8 — Kuala Lumpur (Batu Caves, Petaling Street/China Town)

Date: 2nd October 2010

Today we needed to be out and early as we had to head far out to reach Batu Caves, a famous Hindu temple site — and one of Kuala Lumpur’s must-see sights. Since I was up and ready first, I decided to take a few photos of the place where we were staying.

Irsia, according to the Iranians who run the place, is a fairly new hostel/bed-n-breakfast/budget guesthouse.

Irsia hostel shoes Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
You have to leave your shoes downstairs as no shoes are allowed into rooms
Irsia hostel ground floor rooms Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
The place is quite clean though. These are the rooms downstairs.
Irsia hostel dining room Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
The dining room is downstairs
Irsia hostel kitchen Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
The kitchen is where you can make yourself toast and coffee/tea

As was the norm everywhere we stayed on this trip, once you are done with breakfast, you wash the dishes yourself and keep it back from where you took them.

Irsia hostel bed & breakfast lobby Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
The lobby/reception/living area has books, a TV and two computers with free internet service
Irsia BnB lobby KL Revive Isotonik
They sell bottled water lower than what the 7-Elevens charge
Irsia hostel verandah Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
This is the sit-out area. Smoking is not allowed inside the rooms.
Irsia hostel sit out area Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
This is where we sat yesterday night and had our dinner
Irsia hostel rainbow stairs Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
No elevator. You have take these stairs to go up.
Irsia hostel upstairs rooms Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Upstairs, where our triple room was (Photograph by Loiyumba, taken yesterday)
Irsia BnB F1 triple room Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
How appropriate our room number was ‘F1’ for this ‘F1 trip’ of ours
Irsia hostel upstairs bathrooms Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
These are the bathrooms upstairs

That concludes our tour of Irsia hostel/Bed-n-Breakfast/guesthouse/budget hotel 🙂

Given that our triple room cost us around Rs. 4300 (RM297/$96/€68) for 3 nights, we couldn’t have been more happier with Irsia, given the location. Yes, the walls are a little thin and ventilation isn’t great, but if you are going to be spending more time inside hotel rooms, you best look at proper hotels. By the way, that is Rs. 4300 for all three of us — Rs. 1400 per person, for 3 nights in KL!

Once all three of us were ready and done with breakfast, we stepped out. We decided to take the monorail to get to KL Sentral.

Imbi station monorail Kuala Lumpur
The monorail station in front of Berjaya Times Square is called Imbi
Imbi monorail station Kuala Lumpur morning
At 9:30am, the station wasn’t all that crowded

Monorail view to KL Sentral

KL monorail view city river stream
The ride takes around 15-20 minutes with all the stops

Once at KL Sentral, we asked the information desk how to get to Batu Caves and were instructed to head downstairs to the train platforms.  We bought our tickets (RM2/Rs. 30/$0.60) and headed down.

KL Sentral train station platforms

KL Sentral train station Batu Caves
There are frequent trains to Batu Caves

Unfortunately, in the confusion of which train to get on, I accidentally stepped into the wrong train but was too late to step out as the doors closed with Ramesh and Loi still on the platform.

Kuala Lumpur city train station
I got down at the old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station, which was the next stop

But by then, Ramesh and Loiyumba were in the right train and already ahead of me.

Kuala Lumpur train station
I soon got the next train and was on my way

Kuala Lumpur houses on outskirtsKuala Lumpur outskirts by trainThe ride took nearly 30 minutes and by the time I arrived at the station (which by the way is the last stop), Ramesh and Loiyumba were already at the temple.

Getting to Batu Caves Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
There is no entry fee for Batu Caves
Batu Caves Hanuman green statue
Hanumanji’s presence isn’t the biggest here
Batu caves Venkatachalapathi temple Kualu Lumpur
Sri Venkatachalapathi temple

Batu Caves Venkatachalapathi temple no shoes

Batu caves Sri Venkatachalapathi temple devoteesBatu Caves temple diyas KL MalaysiaBatu Caves landscape KL MalaysiaBatu Caves Sri Venkatachalapathi temple stepsBatu caves murku mixture shop Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Batu Caves Chinese garden Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
This is a Chinese garden; I believe entry wasn’t free

Batu Caves pigeons Murugan statue KL MalaysiaBatu Caves kids scaring pigeons KL Malaysia

Batu Caves pigeons kid Malaysia
Pigeons must hate kids
Batu Caves adult scaring pigeons KL Malaysia
Scratch that. Pigeons hate humans.

Batu Caves hindu temple Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Batu Caves Murugan statue steps Malaysia
It was time for me go up, Ramesh and Loi were already in the cave

Batu Caves Hindu gods pigeonsBatu Caves base temple hall no shoes

Batu Caves steps Murugan statue height
This statue of Lord Murugan is the biggest of its kind in the world
Batu Caves 272 steps hill climb KL Malaysia
272 steps to climb
Batu Caves monkey stair pillar KL Malaysia
Along the way (as was the norm on this trip), you’ll encounter plenty of monkeys
Batu Caves monkey grabbing banana from tourist
And as usual, monkeys will try and grab stuff from you

Batu Caves monkey by steps looking KL Malaysia

Batu Caves monkey silent KL Malaysia
But they are generally well behaved here

Batu Caves monkey steps Brazil touristBatu Caves monkey on steps shoesBatu Caves Gua Gelap dark cave entranceBatu Caves monkey looking Kuala Lumpur cityBatu Caves entrance to highest templeOnce I reached the top, I met up with Ramesh and Loiyumba who were done and were ready to head back down. They said they would wait for me down below and so, I went in for my photography.

Batu Caves view from top KL cityBatu Caves entrance god statueBatu Caves inside stalactitesBatu Caves inside pigeon stare

Batu Caves inside view

Batu Caves inside main cave area
It only got better once inside
Batu Caves roof gaps in rocks
There were gaps in the ceiling through which water was dripping down
Batu Caves inside steps to second temple
There are two temples in side the cave
Batu Caves inside main temple Swami Sannathi
This. apparently, is the ‘main temple’

Batu Caves inside steps to other temple Batu Caves inside monkey looking at people

Batu Caves inside cave open area water drippingBatu Caves inside monkey climbing stairs

Batu Caves inside monkey begging food
This monkey was a spoilt one. When this Indian couple gave hims some food, he dropped it and picked up a burger instead.

Batu Caves inside limestone rock

Batu Caves inside temple vertical shot
I was glad I had my wide angle lens with me

Batu Caves inside main cave open airBatu Caves inside limestone formationBatu Caves inside monkey eating coconutBatu Caves inside three monkeysBatu Caves inside templeBatu Caves inside Indian statues

Batu Caves inside temple writings on wall
Apparently they should have also mentioned ‘No Scribbling’
Batu Caves inside temple rock colours
I liked the photos I clicked in here

Batu Caves inside temple designBatu Caves inside monkeys on rocksBatu Caves inside staring monkeyBatu Caves inside monkeys on limestone rockBatu Caves inside monkey praying eyes closedBut even with a wide-angle lens, trying to capture the scale of the caves from the inside (without distortion) was near impossible, so I took a few multiple shots and merged them into one using Photoshop.

Batu Caves vertical panorama
Vertical panorama comprised of 10 shots

Batu Caves inside monkey on lightBatu Caves inside limestone rocksBatu Caves inside monkey on steps

Batu Caves steps dark inside vertical panorama
Vertical panorama comprised of 11 shots

Batu Caves worship temple

Batu Caves stairs inside lighting panorama
Vertical panorama comprised of 8 shots

Batu Caves opening light coming inBatu Caves limestone walls

Batu Caves water dropping on steps
I was trying to capture water dropping on to the steps
Batu Caves steps way out
After nearly 20 minutes inside the cave, it was time for me head down

Batu Caves tourists posing Indian godsBatu Caves stepping outBatu Caves steps down

Batu Caves view of Kuala Lumpur
It was a cloudy day, so I couldn’t see the Petronas Towers from here. Actually, I’m not even sure if they are visible from up here.
Batu Caves large Lord Murugan statue Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Vertical panorama comprised of 5 shots

Batu Caves entrance to steps

Once down, I caught up with Loi and Ramesh and we decided to have lunch from here itself.

Batu Caves Dhivya's Cafe jain food Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
This is where we ate. There aren’t too many options actually.

Post lunch, we just sat outside for a while and observed the crowds. We were even approached by some PR team for Sony, and asked to pretend we were using Sony camcorders. In return for doing so, we asked them if we could keep them — but they said no. 🙂

Batu Caves wedding couple photography
Not sure if this couple were shooting for their wedding album or not
Batu Caves large Murugan statue steps Malaysia
I took one last look at Lord Murugan before leaving (This is a single shot)

Batu Caves Indian Swami Malal Thiru ThaniBatu Caves pigeons on top

Batu Caves train Komuter station
This is the Batu Caves train station
Batu Caves inside station
(Photograph by Loiyumba)
Batu Caves train station public sign Malaysia
In case you wanted to know the Malay words for public signs (Photograph by Loiyumba)
Batu Caves Tandas Lelaki
Tandas = toilet (Photograph by Loiyumba)

We bought our tickets (RM2) and boarded our train.

Kuala Lumpur Petronas Towers from far Malaysia
It was a cloudy day, but we could still see the Petronas Towers from afar

Loiyumba sleeping in train Malaysian flag glass

Dynasty Hotel Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
If you were looking for nasty hotel in KL. (J/k, it’s quite fancy: http://www.dynasty.com.my/)
Ramesh Mithun train Kuala Lumpur
(Photograph taken by Loi)

Once we got back to KL Sentral, we decided to head to the IKEA store as Ramesh was keen on picking up some stuff from there. The outlet was located in the area called Mutiara Damansara and we asked around on how to get there by bus. We waited at bus stop outside KL Sentral and hopped on to one that went that way.

Kuala Lumpur city highway flyoverThe journey took us through a lot of residential areas in Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur residential area highway MalaysiaPapparich Livingportal Kuala Lumpur Malaysia(These were taken on my Nokia E72)

Kuala Lumpur houses MalaysiaKuala Lumpur residential area MalaysiaAn hour long journey later, we were in Petaling Jaya. Even though it was a long journey, it was quite a relaxing one for me as I got to see residential areas outside of the CBD (Central Business District), something I wouldn’t have seen given where we were staying.

Ikano Power Centre mall Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
The IKEA store is right adjacent to this

Once we entered the IKEA store, we were hooked! There was soooooo much that we felt like picking up, but just couldn’t, because figuring out how to carry them home was something we couldn’t comprehend.

Regardless, we still picked up quite a bit of stuff and by the time were out, it was well past sunset.

Ikea store Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
Technically, the IKEA store is not in Kuala Lumpur, it’s in neighbouring district

Since we had quite a lot of stuff with us to carry, we decided to just take a cab.

Kuala Lumpur tunnel underpass Malaysia
Though bus only cost us RM2.60 for 3, taxi was much required to save time

And save time it did, the taxi took the highway from the IKEA store into KL  and we were back in our rooms in just half-an-hour. (IKEA store directions)

For dinner, we decided to head to Kuala Lumpur’s China Town, which was also accessible via monorail.

Kuala Lumpur traffic at night carsFrom Imbi, the monorail stop for getting to China Town was only two stops away, at Maharajalela.

Chinese Guan Yin temple night Kuala LumpurPawn shop way to Petaling Street Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Jalan Petaling street China town entrance Kuala Lumpur
If you ask locals around for “Chinatown” and they don’t get it, just ask for Petaling street

Once inside, it was a just one street (probably covering two blocks) with a lot of stores and street shops. No vehicles allowed.

KL Petaling Street shopping handbags
You have the usual gamut of fake goods, pirated CD/DVDs and clothes
Petaling Street Chinatown crowds Kuala Lumpur
But I didn’t really find anything particularly interesting about this ‘Chinatown’
Petaling Street shops Chinatown KL Malaysia
Plus, the prices were quite high considering the stuff they sold weren’t what you would call “genuine”

A lot of the t-shirts were from Thailand and so, cost a lot more than what I saw them for in Bangkok. Yes, you have to haggle, but even when Loi did so for a backpack, the price they came down to was still too high. We soon left Petaling Street.

And just as we left, it began to rain all of a sudden.

Plaza Warisan bricked streets rain night Kuala Lumpur
Fortunately we had umbrellas

We saw an Malay Indian restaurant and jumped in for a quick dinner.

Roti parota beef curry Kuala Lumpur
The place was run by Malay Tamilians; food was simple and decent enough taste-wise

Ramesh didn’t find anything on the menu that was pure veg, so it was just myself & Loi. Once we were done, we headed back to Berjaya Times Square by taxi (cost RM5) as it was still raining.

Berjaya Times Square Krispy Kreme Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
It was dinner at Krispy Kreme for Ramesh
Loiyumba penchant pose Kuala Lumpur night
It stopped raining by midnight

We headed back to Irsia, calculated our daily expenses, sorted out who paid for what, and who owes whom how much — pretty much a daily routine for us on this trip, before hitting the sack.

I was quite happy with some of the photos I took inside Batu Caves and rate the caves highly as one of the “must see” sights in Kuala Lumpur. It only costs RM 2 for the one way journey to Batu Caves by train and is a nice break from the city.

Tomorrow morning, we planned to get up early (again) and head to Petronas Towers to try and get a ticket to visit the observation deck. We only had one more day left in the capital.


Other posts in this series:

Singapore & Malaysia 2010: Planning and preparing for the trip

Singapore 2010: Day 1 – Little India, CBD, Clarke Quay, China Town… and a lot of walking

Singapore 2010: Day 2 – Orchard Road, mall-hopping… and already shopping

Singapore 2010: Day 3 – Singapore Zoo, Marina Bay Sands; leaving Singapore for Penang

Malaysia 2010: Day 5 — Langkawi (Ferry ride from Penang, Cable car & Sky Bridge)

Malaysia 2010: Day 6 — Langkawi (Island hopping tour, Pantai Tengah beach, Night market)

Malaysia 2010: Day 7 — Kuala Lumpur (Low Yat Plaza, Petronas Towers, Jalan Alor)

Malaysia 2010: Day 9 — Kuala Lumpur (KLCC Aquaria, Merdeka Square, KL Tower observation deck)

Malaysia 2010: Leaving Kuala Lumpur… and about going back

Persiaran Gurney drive seaside marina Penang

Malaysia 2010: Day 4 — One day in Penang (Around Georgetown, Gurney Drive, Penang Hill)

Date: 28th September 2010

When we arrived the previous night, we left a rainy Singapore to land in Malaysia, where the rain had followed. We prayed the sun would come out the next day.

Old Penang guesthouse window sunny day
And today morning, our prayers were answered

We decide to set out early as we had only a day in Penang. While the others got ready, I decided to take a few snaps of the place we were staying.

Old Penang Guesthouse corridor roomsOld Penang Guesthouse is a restored building that retains the charms of the colonial era with rooms at rates from the current backpacker era.

Old Penang Guesthouse upstairs restroom
This is the shower room and toilets upstairs

Old Penang Guesthouse upstairsOld Penang Guesthouse staircase

Old Penang Guesthouse library tv room
They have a ‘living room’ of sorts where you can watch TV & read the papers while you serve yourself breakfast

Old Penang Guesthouse downstairs bathroom

Old Penang Guesthouse breakfast
This is breakfast: toast, butter (but usually margarine) & fruits

Old Penang Guesthouse dining areaOld Penang Guesthouse corridor window

Old Penang Guesthouse notice board
I made list of things I wanted to eat when in Malaysia
Old Penang Guesthouse wooden staircase
You’re instructed to walk softly at night as the flooring is all wooden
Old Penang Guesthouse breakfast area
The dining area
Old Penang Guesthouse view outside
The skies were getting clearer

Once we were all ready, we soon stepped out to head to the harbour, which was walking distance from where we were staying.

Penang Chinese buddhist temple

Penang Love Lane cheap hotels
There are a lot of budget hotels on Love Lane (that’s the name of the street we were on)

Penang Love lane alley

Penang Chulia street daytime 7-Eleven
There’s a 7-Eleven very close to our guesthouse

Penang Georgetown Kapitan Keling mosquePenang Georgetown Hindu templePenang Chulia street intersection

Penang Han Jiang ancestral temple
Han Jiang ancestral temple

Penang Georgetown towards harbour

Penang Georgetown Nagore Indian mosque
Nagore Durgha Sheriff mosque

Penang Georgetown traffic intersectionStrolling through Georgetown reminded me of Fort Kochi (I need to put up those photos as well) in Kerala, with its heritage buildings by the sea.

Penang Georgetown old doorway

Penang Georgetown Old Chinese temple roof
Many places of worship in and around Georgetown
Penang Georgetown old Chinese temple
Lim Kongsi Clan Temple; when we entered, there was this one dog ‘guarding’ the temple
Penang Georgetown old temple dog
Which came hopping all the way towards me and my camera. And then Loi patted it. Then it went and peed in the bushes.

Just walking past the many temples – be they Indian or Chinese, mosques etc. you get a sense of the religious harmony that exists in Malaysia. Of course, this was only the start.

We reached the road by the ferry terminal and made our way to the other side.

Penang harbour Tanjong marina car parkingPenang Tanjong marina harbour Star Cruises shipPenang Port road Rapid metro buses

Penang Tanjong marina bus station
There’s a bus station near the ferry terminal

Tanjong city marina Penang dock

Penang marina harbour restaurant
There’s a sea-facing restaurant at the end of this walkway
Tanjong marina penang docks yachts boats
That’s where the ferries dock

Penang marina harbour Hai Nan InnWisma Kastam building PenangPenang Georgetown marina road old buildingsWe stepped into a few travel agencies to inquire about ferry prices to Langkawi. Everywhere, it was the standard RM60 (Rs. 900/US$20/€15). It was the same price quoted by the guy at Old Penang Guesthouse, but fearing he may have been quoting a higher rate, we thought we’d ask near the ferry terminal itself.

We bought our tickets for the next day and continued our walk.

Penang clock tower Georgetown circle
Georgetown’s landmark Queen Victoria Memorial Clocktower
Penang sea park
A short distance from the clock tower, and you get the beautiful sea

Fort Cornwalis park Penang Georgetown

Fort Cornwalis Penang Georgetown
This where we went next; entry is just RM 2 (Rs. 30)
Fort Cornwalis Sir Francis Light statue Penang
Statue honouring Sir Francis Light

Penang The Statue of Francis Light info

Fort Cornwalis Penang Sir Francis Light statue Ramesh
Ramesh dishonouring Sir Francis Light statue

Fort Cornwallis Penang Georgetown prisonYou can read about the history behind Fort Cornwallis on its Wikipedia page, but from a tourist’s point of view, its nothing spectacular. Then again, when the entry is just RM2, you shouldn’t be expecting much.

Fort Cornwalis Penang sea steps cannon
But we still hung around a bit longer

Fort Cornwallis Penang sea cannonFort Cornwallis park Penang cannon sea

Fort Cornwallis park Loiyumba umbrella hot Penang
It was quite sunny

Fort Cornwallis park Penang cannons flagpoleFort Cornwallis park cannons Penang GeorgetownFort Cornwallis Penang Georgetown prisonFort Cornwallis Penang old prisonFort Cornwallis Penang inside old prison cellAfter checking out the fort for around 15 minutes, we made our way out.

Fort Cornwalis garden ice cream

Fort Cornwallis Penang steps down touristsFort Cornwalis is right near the Town Hall grounds.

Georgetown Penang esplanade town hall grounds

Penang esplanade Padang Kota Lama grounds
Town Hall & City Hall buildings in the background
Penang sea park tree shade sunny day
The esplanade is a nice place to laze under a tree on a sunny day

Penang port cruise ships

Penang esplanade Mithun Loiyumba umbrella
I wasn’t imitating Loi, it was sunny (Photograph by Ramesh)
Penang bay road car parking
We continued our stroll along this path

Then, a young, kooky Japanese couple came excitedly towards us and asked us if we could pose for a photograph with them. Assuming they’re tourists wanting to pose with tourists from another country, we figured “Sure, why not”…

Penang Japanese tourists Mithun Ramesh
… and so we asked them for one for ourselves too!

They weren’t the only Japanese we came across. The Japanese were aplenty in Penang, we would later find out.

Penang car parking tree plant shade

Penang Mahkamah Tinggi statue headless lady
The building in the back is the Penang High Court

Penang statue in front of Hight court headless lady

Penang Georgetown town square mushroom cloud
That was one big ‘nuclear’ cloud

Georgetown convent Light Street PenangPenang Georgetown Japanese cafeWe decided to walk towards the popular Gurney Drive.

Georgetown old museum building
Penang museum

Georgetown bus stop PenangGeorgetown walking towards Gurney drive Penang

Eastern & Oriental hotel Georgetown Penang
The Eastern & Oriental hotel

Georgetown fire hydrant PenangPenang Georgetown old houses

Georgetown Penang worship plant sea
We stopped here for a break as Ramesh was quite tired from all the walking
Penang bay boats sea facing apartments condos
Gurney Drive was over there
32 at the Mansion restaurant Georgetown Penang
The Mansion, a high end restaurant
Penang tall building club
We got back on to the main road

Wawasan Open University PenangCIMB Bank building Penang branch

Persiaran Gurney drive empty food court Penang
We even stopped by this food court for lunch but it was empty — and closed
Penang three buildings
So it was back to the main road
Persiaran Gurney drive premium condos Penang
And a few minutes later, we were finally on Gurney drive
Persiaran Gurney drive road luxury condominiums Penang
A LOT of luxury apartments on this stretch

Persiaran Gurney drive seaside car parkingPersiaran Gurney drive road parking signIt took us more than 30 minutes of walking to get to Gurney Drive. If you think that’s too much (or can’t do it), just hail a cab.

Though there were many restaurants along this stretch, plan was to have lunch from the food court at the end of Gurney drive, which is a very popular local joint.

But first, we had to quench our thirst.

We entered the only major shopping mall on Gurney Drive, Gurney Plaza. They have the usual gamut of mall brands and about the same as far as eateries and coffee shops go. I don’t remember how or why, but we sat down at the Chili’s in Gurney Plaza for beer.

Chilis Gurney Plaza Guinness beer
We ordered Guinness… and I stared at the ceiling… for some apparent reason. (Photo by Ramesh)
Gurney Plaza stores shopping mall Penang
The mall isn’t bad at all. We picked our Malaysia SIM cards from the 3rd floor which housed a lot of tech stores.
Gurney Plaza shopping mall Gurney drive Penang
Gurney Plaza shopping mall

The plan was to sit somewhere and have some beer along with lunch, but after the heavy mugs of Guinness and nachos we ordered, we were honestly quite full.

Persiaran Gurney drive food court Penang afternoon
The food court was closed too. Seems like they only open at night.

Persiaran Gurney drive seaside marina Penang

Persiaran Gurney drive roundabout McDonalds
This is the major roundabout at the end of Gurney drive

Post ‘lunch,’ we realized we still hadn’t seen any of Penang’s major attractions. So we boarded a local bus and headed to the main bus station.

Penang public bus inside
The plan was to see Kek Lok Si temple and take the tram ride up Penang hill

Penang local bus ride Loiyumba

Inside Penang local A/C bus windows
The ride took nearly 20 minutes

Once at the Komtar bus terminal,  we boarded a bus from Lane 1 that goes to Kek Lok Si temple.

Penang Kek Lok Si Air Itam apartments
This ride took another 30 minutes and was headed towards Penang hill
Penang Air Itam restaurant
Passed through mostly residential areas and housing colonies for the middle class

Penang Air Itam food market

Penang Kek Lok Si town Air Itam
When we reached the town of Air Itam it was already well past 5pm
Penang Kek Lok Si Air Itam town
But there it was: Kek Lok Si Temple

Unfortunately, the locals told us that we were too late and it was closing time. Sucks.

Penang Kek Lok Si temple
So all we could do was zoom in and take photos
Penang Kek Lok Si Buddist temple closeup
Seemed like some renovation work was going on
Penang Kek Lok Si temple tomb
I really wanted to check out the biggest Buddhist temple in Penang…
Penang road to Kek Lok Si temple Air Itam
… but we still had to go further up to get to the temple.

So yeah, if you want to see Kek Lok Si temple, make sure you are here well before 6pm.

Penang Kek Lok Si Air Itam Chinese shrinePenang Air Itam alleyInstead of waiting around, we decided to head to Penang Hill (or Bukit Bendara as it called locally). So we hailed a cab as the locals said it would take us at least 15 minutes to walk it there.

Penang towards tram ride
The Chinese taxi driver quoted RM7 which sounded reasonable, so we got in

The journey barely took 5 minutes.

Penang Hill tram ride closed construction
We soon reached the foot of Penang Hill and could see the tram line

But unfortunately (again)….

Penang Hill tram ride closed sign
….
Penang hill tram ride closed Loiyumba
Loi didn’t take the news too well

Turns out renovation work here as well. Couldn’t the taxi driver have told us it was closed? Of course he could have. But he didn’t… ‘cos he was a greedy b@#$%&*!

Disappointed at the turn of events, we decided to simply head back to town. Oddly enough, the very same bus we took to come here was waiting for departure near Penang hill.

Penang Air Itam Kek Lok Si temple background
As you can see, Kek Lok Si temple isn’t that far from here

Penang Air Itam stores

Penang Air Itam Indian temple
The cultural mix in Malaysia is truly admirable

Penang apartment building trees

Penang Air Itam residential building
Passed through the same landmarks
Penang State Mosque Masjid Negeri Georgetown
Penang State Mosque
Penang school boys street vendors
Hmm, not that different from India isn’t it?

Penang school girls after schoolPenang roti street vendor

Penang restoran Chu Yoke
(Photograph by Loiyumba)
Rahim burger street vendor Penang
Banjo is fried egg (Photograph by Loiyumba)

We got down near the ferry terminal but contemplated going back to the rooms just yet. I wanted to have dinner at Gurney drive, so from the ferry terminal bus station, we availed the Hop-on free bus.

Georgetown Hop on free bus Penang
The Hop-on buses follow a particular route

The Hop-on bus was taking a long route, so we got down at KOMTAR.

Georgetown Komtar Tower tallest building Penang
Komtar Tower — the tallest building in Penang (Photograph by Loi)

Once we reached KOMTAR, we checked out the adjoining mall.

Georgetown Komtar ICT Mall ground floor PenangThe offerings are anything but glamourous. Not a high-end mall at all. Just the usual clothes, electronics, grey market goods, coffee shops etc.

Georgetown Komtar ICT mall shops Penang
We didn’t spend a whole lot of time in here

We boarded another bus to get to Gurney Drive.

We got down near Gurney Drive… or at least we thought it was near Gurney Drive.

Penang Gurney Drive Solok Midlands
We walked through a residential colony

Penang Georgetown residential apartment at night

Penang Gurney Drive at night
Before finding ourselves behind Gurney Plaza

In the afternoon, Gurney Drive was quite empty…

Penang Gurney drive food court crowds
… but the scene is quite different at night!

Penang Gurney drive food court cuttlefish vendorGurney drive food court pasembur Penang

Penang Gurney drive beef slices
Beef. Looked yum.

Penang Gurney drive food court seafood

Penang Gurney drive food court seafood Sotong Bakar
As you can see from the above photos, lots of sea food available here

Very limited (to virtually no-existent) pure vegetarian options though.

Before we sat down for dinner, I wanted to check out another joint near the roundabout that I had seen during the day .

Penang Gurney drive seafood restaurant
Saw the lobster sign and assumed it was another food court by the sea

But turns out it was a big ‘mid-to-high’ range restaurant. Looked nice but we didn’t want to spend too much and sit for long — because it was only going to be me & Loi eating. The vegetarian in our group Ramesh still had nothing to choose from.

Penang Gurney drive marina at night
Anybody notice the drain vent in the sea — or is that litter?

Once back at the food court, myself and Loi each ordered what we wanted.

Penang Gurney drive food court oyster eggs
I chose ‘raw oysters and egg’ scrambled
Penang Gurney drive food court dinner
Loi had his boiled meat on a stick. With some beer of course.

Us two had to eat first, and then head back to Gurney Plaza so that Ramesh could find some vegetarian to eat.

Penang Gurney drive food court boiled meat
But Loi wasn’t done with his boiled meat. He wanted more! 🙂
Soyabean curd dessert Penang Gurney drive food court
I had Soyabean curd with hot brown sugar sauce for dessert (RM1 = Rs. 15)

After we were finally done, we headed back to Gurney Plaza so that Ramesh could now eat.

We went back to our rooms by taxi.

Old Penang Guesthouse Red Inn New ABC pub Georgetown
Old Penang Guesthouse, next to Red Inn, next to a pub

But instead of calling it a night, I told the guys I wanted to roam around a bit more. So as Ramesh and Loi went back to the room, I walked on.

Gelugpa Buddhist Association temple Georgetown Penang
This temple was just across Old Penang Guesthouse

Tibet Gelugpa Buddhist Association temple Georgetown Penang

Love Lane Inn guesthouse at night Georgetown Penang
There are several budget hotels and guesthouses on Love Lane

The Secret Garden Inn cafe Love Lane PenangThe reason I wanted to walk around a bit more was because I wasn’t truly content with all that I saw today. I don’t think I can say I ‘saw’ Penang. I visited Penang, sure, but I don’t think I saw all there was to see.

We landed in Penang after 3 crazy days in glamourous Singapore. So obviously, everything felt a world apart. Throughout the day, every mall we went to, all we talked about was how much cooler Singapore felt. Well duh. Obviously its a unfair comparison…  but given how little we actually got to experience in Penang, we could only feel disappointment.

When we were planning our trip, we knew before hand there wasn’t anything stunning to see in Penang. In many ways, it is true. Especially if you have travelled throughout South India, seen Singapore or Thailand, Penang really doesn’t offer anything great in terms of new experiences. Sure, I would have loved to have gone for the tram ride up on Penang hill… and seen Kek Lok Si temple all lit up at night. But we all wanted to even take a ride on Penang Bridge. I also realized Penang isn’t just the island, but there exists Province Wellesley with towns like Butterworth and other attractions on the mainland as well.

So clearly, there was a lot more to Penang than I thought.

Red Garden food court back entrance
I saw this ‘food garden’ which I thought I’d check out

Red Garden food court vendors Penang

Red Garden food night line dancing Georgetown Penang
Line dancing + food court = Not bad
Red Garden food court Georgetown Penang
Not enough space in tummy to try out everything edible Penang had to offer

Red Garden night line dancing Penang

Red Garden food court night market entrance Georgetown Penang
This is the entrance

R & B pub bistro hotel Georgetown PenangPenang Georgetown cycle taxiPenang locals gambling at night GeorgetownOdeon theatre Endhiran Georgetown Penang

Ho Ping Chinese restaurant Georgetown Penang
Ho Ping the food is safe to eat 😛

Campbell street Georgetown Penang at night

Kampung Malabar Georgetown Penang
Yes, this street is named after Malabaris

(You can read about the history behind Kampung Malabar here . Besides me, I didn’t find any other ‘Malabari’ — it’s all Chinese)

Chinese traditional sculptures at-night Georgetown Penang
Saw these outside, what I presume was a store dealing in sculptures
Chinese stone sculptures at night Penang
Why didn’t anybody steal them? I dunno, probably too heavy to lift and run with
Penang Georgetown World Heritage building
Georgetown is a UNESCO World heritage site
Georgetown Penang brick paved roads at night
The same road was wet yesterday

Penang Kapitan Keling mosque Georgetown at night

Crystal Guesthouse backpackers Georgetown Penang
Penang is very easy on the pocket

Would I have liked to have stayed just another day longer? Yes. I was curious what was across Penang Bridge on the mainland to see. But alas, this was our last and only day in Penang.

Tomorrow, we were going to be heading across waters to another island — Langkawi!


Other posts in this series:

Singapore & Malaysia 2010: Planning and preparing for the trip

Singapore 2010: Day 1 – Little India, CBD, Clarke Quay, China Town… and a lot of walking

Singapore 2010: Day 2 – Orchard Road, mall-hopping… and already shopping

Singapore 2010: Day 3 – Singapore Zoo, Marina Bay Sands; leaving Singapore for Penang

Malaysia 2010: Day 5 — Langkawi (Ferry ride from Penang, Cable car & Sky Bridge)

Malaysia 2010: Day 6 — Langkawi (Island hopping tour, Pantai Tengah beach, Night market)

Malaysia 2010: Day 7 — Kuala Lumpur (Low Yat Plaza, Petronas Towers, Jalan Alor)

Malaysia 2010: Day 8 — Kuala Lumpur (Batu Caves, Petaling Street/China Town)

Malaysia 2010: Day 9 — Kuala Lumpur (KLCC Aquaria, Merdeka Square, KL Tower observation deck)

Malaysia 2010: Leaving Kuala Lumpur… and about going back

Ibn Battuta mall China court panorama

UAE 2010: Showing my parents the sights of Dubai; inside Ibn Battuta Mall

Date: 10th April 2010

After a tiring previous day (and only hitting the bed at 4am), I got up early to receive my parents from Bur Dubai bus stand as they were visiting from Abu Dhabi. Since today and tomorrow were all going to be ‘family time,’ we were going to be staying with my father’s friend, in his nice, posh little flat in Karama.

Once we all landed at my father’s friend’s place post-lunch, we rested for some time before heading out.

It was back to Dubai Mall for me — but for my parents, despite having lived in Abu Dhabi for nearly an year, it was going to be their first time experiencing Dubai Aquarium and At The Top of Burj Khalifa.

First up, the aquarium: Dubai Aquarium from entrance outside glassDubai Aquarium little girl baby shark

Dubai Aquarium little sting ray Acha touch
My father really enjoyed being this close to sea creatures

Dubai Aquarium narrow sting ray tube

Dubai Aquarium under sting ray face
That’s what a stingray’s face looks like

Dubai Aquarium dome lots of fish

Dubai Aquarium divers working
Well, hello there!

Dubai Aquarium darkness Dubai Aquarium from outside Dubai mall crowdsFor more photos and videos from inside Dubai Aquarium, check out my first post. Next up, we waited for our turn to go up the Burj Khalifa.

Dubai Mall At The Top gift shop parents
My parents at the At The Top gift shop

Burj Khalifa statistics At The Top entrance

Burj Khalifa statistics Story in numbers facts figures
200+ storeys; 95kms – from where one can see the top of the spire; 12,000 slaves… sorry, labourers; 57 elevators; 500,000 tonnes – weight of the empty building

I had booked for an evening slot for the At The Top visit, hoping I could see Dubai all lit up. But as we got up, the sun was still very much above the horizon.

Burj Khalifa parents At the Top view
Regardless, my parents loved the view
Dubai Financial Center from Burj Khalifa evening
Dubai financial center
Burj Khalifa floors above At The Top
That’s how many floors there still are above the observation deck
Burj Khalifa sunset over The World islands
The sun setting over the yet to be completed The World islands
Burj Khalifa tourists watching sunset
Watching the sun set from atop the world’s tallest building is a great idea

At The Top Burj Khalifa tourists watching sunsetDowntown Dubai construction site from Burj Khalifa For more photos and videos from At The Top, check out my first post.

We finished our tour of Burj Khalifa, made our way out and to the Dubai Fountain site. The $200 million-plus Dubai Fountain is an attraction built on the artificial (duh) lake just outside Dubai Mall.

Dubai Mall The Address hotel at night
The Address hotel in the back
Dubai mall Dubai fountain site at night
The crowds wait for the show to start

Built by the same people behind the famous Bellagio fountains in Las Vegas, Dubai obviously had to up the ante. So these fountains shoot water up higher, 500 feet high (150 metres)!

Shows are every half an hour between 6pm to 10pm. Here’s the show I saw: Since it’s free, and since I can’t afford to go to Las Vegas just yet, this was great!

Burj Khalifa Mithun parents portrait
Me and my folks in front of a massive concrete & steel Christmas tree

Burj Khalifa glowing dubaiAfter the show, we made our way to the buses that drop visitors to the metro station.

Pink Porsche Dubai mall parking
Why, why would someone do that to a Porsche?
Burj Khalifa glowing at night dubai
Architectural beauty

The next day with my parents…

The next morning, I took my parents to Bur Dubai for some shopping and to show them around. Bur Dubai souk morning

Bur Dubai souk father pushing cart
My father considering ‘post-retirement’ work

Bur Dubai souk morning wide angleBur Dubai souk morning shopsBur Dubai souk station morning Bur Dubai souk Indonesian shop

Bur Dubai souk Chinese man with father
My father bothering some random Chinese dude for a photo

After showing them the souk station, I took them to the Hindu temple (photos of both can be seen in my first post). Bur Dubai Hindu temple tourists Bur Dubai souk Hindu temple entry exitBur Dubai Hindu temple entry exit Poojasri fashions

Bur Dubai souk park parents sitting
Taking a break from all the walking

Bur Dubai morning old buildingBur Dubai mosque roadBur Dubai mosque blue sky

Bur Dubai creek morning pigeons
Pigeons by the creek

Bur Dubai creek pigeons bouysAnd with that, we were done. Took a taxi and headed back to my father’s colleague’s place. He offered to drop us off near Jebel Ali power station, where we had been invited for lunch by our relatives.

Inside Mr. Nandakumar's Peugot car with sunroof
Inside Mr. Nandakumar’s Peugot

Once again, it was a drive on Sheikh Zayed Road.

Emirates Towers Dubai from car
Emirates Towers

Glass building Sheikh Zayed roadGlass building construction Sheikh Zayed roadSheikh Zayed road tall buildingSheikh Zayed road row of buildingsSheikh Zayed road Dubai Marina construction

Dubai Hard Rock cafe Sheikh Zayed road
Those guitars used to be where Dubai’s Hard Rock Cafe was

Sheikh Zayed road office towersMetro line train Sheikh Zayed roadDnata travel center Dubai office twin towers

Jebel Ali station flat view
The view from my uncle’s flat near Jebel Ali power station, where he works

After lunch, we decided to check out Ibn Battuta Mall, which was nearby. This was the last major mall I had yet to see and the one my friends highly recommended, just because it was different.

The mall business in Dubai is, let’s just say, quite cut throat. For such a small state, Dubai has some of the largest malls in the world. And since just about every mall offers the same set of stores, mall operators come up with differentiators to draw the crowds in.

What’s the differentiator for Ibn Battuta Mall? For one (if you haven’t figured out already), it’s named after the great Muslim explorer Ibn Battuta. The entire mall is themed after his travels across China, India, Persia, Egypt, Tunisia, and Andalusia with a section dedicated to each zone.

We parked near the China entrance. Ibn Battuta mall parking lot DubaiIbn Battuta mall Chinese entranceIbn Battuta mall Chinese corridor China courtEach of the sections have a lobby with a major attraction specific to that zone. This is what the China court looks like.

Ibn Battuta mall China court panorama
Panorama comprised of 6 shots

The main attraction here being a replica of a Chinese sailing ship supposedly used by Ibn Battuta in his travels. Ibn Battuta mall Chinese ship modelIbn Battuta mall Chinese boat fountainIbn Battuta mall China court ship

Ibn Battuta mall Grand cinemas IMAX
Ibn Battuta Mall houses the only IMAX screen in Dubai

From China, we then moved on to India. Ibn Battuta mall India court from ChinaIbn Battuta India court shopsIbn Battuta India court lobbyIbn Battuta India court dome chandlier

Ibn Battuta India court elephant rider
India Court’s big attraction

From India into Persia. Ibn Battuta mall Persia court from IndiaIbn Battuta mall Persia court kids roomsIbn Battuta mall Persia court main dome Ibn Battuta Mall Persia court armillary spherePersia Court’s big attraction is a replica of a Starbucks Coffee outlet*.

Ibn Battuta Mall Persia court dome Starbucks
*just kidding

From Persia, you have two paths to Egypt. Ibn Battuta Mall entry Egypt court

Ibn Battuta Mall Egypt court street lamps
Both paths eventually meet
Ibn Battuta mall Egypt court corridor
The Egypt Court houses a lot of history, facts and trivia about Ibn Battuta

Ibn Battuta mall Egypt court trade middle agesIbn Battuta mall Egypt court across North AfricaIbn Battuta mall Egypt court life of traveller

Ibn Battuta Mall Egypt court travel mapIbn Battuta mall Egypt court pyramid

Ibn Battuta Mall Eqypt court lampsAnd finally Andalusia.

Ibn Battuta mall Andalusia court entryIbn Battuta mall Andalusia court corridorIbn Battuta Mall Andalusia court ceilingIbn Battuta Mall Andalusia court center statue

Ibn Battuta Mall Andalusia court fountains
Andalusia Court’s main attraction

Ibn Battuta mall Andalusia court flight ceilingWith that, we had conquered all five regions of Ibn Battuta’s mall. So we made our journey back, passing by more displays.

Ibn Battuta mall Andalusia court India displayIbn Battuta mall Eqypt court display

Ibn Battuta mall China hall pillars ceiling
Back in China Court

Ibn Battuta China hall ceiling

Ibn Battuta Mall truly is a must-see in my opinion. It was a good move on Nakheel Properties’ part to use a theme like this to set the mall apart from Dubai’s other shopping centers.

Once out of Ibn Battuta Mall, we wished our relatives goodbye and took the metro to Bur Dubai bus stand. I was heading back to Abu Dhabi.

Dubai bus to Abu Dhabi at nightAnd with this, ends my Dubai sojourn — for now.


Next posts in this series:

UAE 2010: From the desert sands of Abu Dhabi to the corniche

UAE 2010: Yas Island, Abu Dhabi – Ferrari World and Yas Marina Circuit

Previous posts in this series:

UAE 2010: Heading back to the Gulf after 7 years

UAE 2010: Driving from Abu Dhabi to Dubai (& back)

UAE 2010: Sheikh Zayed Mosque, Abu Dhabi

UAE 2010: Heading to Dubai by bus; checking out Bur Dubai

UAE 2010: Dubai Mall (Aquarium, Underwater Zoo & Gold Souk) – Part 1

UAE 2010: Burj Khalifa, At the Top (and Wafi Mall) – Part 2

UAE 2010: Driving around Dubai (Souk Madinat Jumeirah, The Atlantis & The Palm Islands) – Part 1

UAE 2010: Dubai Marina, Jumeirah, The Walk and David Guetta concert – Part 2

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