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Infinity pool view Marina bay sands hotel Singapore

Singapore: Day 4 – Marina Bay Sands Casino and views from the SkyPark observation deck

Date: September 22nd, 2011

Yesterday turned out to be better than I hoped. Today I was adamant to make it even better!

Geylang wet neighbourhood Singapore
UNfortunately, it was raining (Taken on my phone)
Singapore post park mrt station
Fortunately, the rain was reduced to a slight drizzle a few minutes later
Singapore Post headquarters building
I took a bus and got down near the Singapore Post building
Malay village Geylang Singapore
I was on my way to the Geylang Serai hawker centre & fresh market
Geylang Serai hawker centre market Singapore
I wanted to check out the food stalls
Geylang Serai fresh market Singapore
This market was recently renovated
Geylang Serai market stalls Singapore
So I didn’t really sense a “charm” to this place

Geylang Serai market meat shops SingaporeGeylang Serai fish market SingaporeGeylang Serai market fresh fish Singapore

Geylang Serai market fruits vegetable shops Singapore
I went upstairs to where the food stalls were
Geylang Serai market clothes Singapore
They have a few other stores too
Geylang Serai market history Singapore
This place is quite famous in Singapore — or at least it used to be in it’s original form
Geylang Serai hawker centre Singapore
I wondered what to eat
Malay biriyani stall Geylang Serai Singapore
This ‘baryani’ stall seemed fairly popular as they were dishing out hot plates is quick succession
Malay chicken biriyani Geylang Serai market Singapore
At $4 (Rs.160/$3/€2.4 ) a plate, the ‘bariyani’ was just about alright as far as taste went. Fairly similar to Hyderabadi biriyani in taste.

I shared my table with a local who began chatting with me after he asked me why I was taking photos of what I was going to eat. I told him about my website, and why I was taking many photos. He asked me whether I worked here, and I told him ‘no’. I gave him my brief life story and in the end, he complimented my English. He suggested I could try for a job in Singapore but all this while, my food was getting cold.

Sucks. The only reason I ordered the biriyani was because it looked piping hot as they served it. Most of the food served at these kind of stalls restaurants are rarely ever hot. They’re usually pre-cooked and served out of buffet trays as per order.

The local sat with me long after he finished his meal as he continued to make conversation with me. The only thing I asked him was “what other good hawker centres are there?” He told me a few, and I noted them down. I gave him the link to my website and we parted ways.

Post lunch, I headed straight to Funan IT mall to pick up my 70-200mm lens from John 3:16.

Maid cafe Funan IT mall Singapore
Fortunately my lens was fixed and I tested it by taking a few shots

They told me the Canon service center had to drill two holes on the filter and break the filter carefully so as not to touch the main lens glass. The lens was checked thoroughly and re-calibrated. Sadly, I had now lost my rather pricey HD filter, to which they said it’s not even required that I use those expensive filters, as even a standard UV filters would suffice. All said and done, the damage wasn’t over. The cost of all this repair: $130 (Rs. 5100!). I had no choice but to pay up. I was just glad to see my most expensive lens back in my bag in perfect working condition.

But when you’re unemployed and trying be very careful with your spending, losing $130 plus the $50 I spent day before yesterday at the clinic simply felt like unnecessary waste of money. Sigh…

Gaming world software store Funan IT mall Singapore
I prefer shopping at Funan IT mall over Sim Lim Square

Bally photo store soldier Funan IT mall Singapore

Nikon store John 3:16 Funan IT mall Singapore
The shops here are good and slightly more trustworthy
Central fire station building Singapore
Left Funan IT mall. This is the Central Fire Station bang opposite.
Ministry of Information Communications and Arts building Singapore
MICA building

The treasury building Singapore

Singapore parliament building junction
That’s the Singapore parliament
Funan IT mall building Singapore
I walked to City Hall MRT and headed towards Marina Bay
Marina Bay blue building construction Singapore
Marina Bay was still buzzing with construction activity

Citibank building Marina Bay SingaporeConstruction site safety warning SingaporeMarina Bay trucks construction siteBusiness lady Singapore Marina BayWay to Marina Bay Sands hotel Singapore

Singapore Marina Bay financial center buildings
Panorama comprised of 7 shots

Marina Bay Sands hotel wooden promenade Singapore

Marina bay city gallery Singapore
Decided to see what was in here
Inside Marina Bay city gallery Singapore
Inside were interactive displays showcasing Singapore’s development history
Singapore Marina Bay planning model
Specifically Marina Bay
Marina Bay model plan Singapore
Marina Bay was mostly developed by dredging and land reclamation
Singapore passing of land acquisition act
The Land Acquisition Act was passed in 1966
Singapore developing the city phase
The Merlion Statue at the mouth of Singapore River was installed in 1972
Singapore concept plan 1971
It was in 1971, with the help of the UN, that the first major infrastructure plan of Singapore was laid out
Review of Singapore masterplan 1980
They made some changes to the masterplan for Marina Bay in the early 1980s
Singapore masterplan 1998
It wasn’t until the mid 1990s that Singapore even thought about implementing a Common Service Tunnel, which would house piping and essential utilities. At least they did it. How many cities in Asia have such massive underground infrastructure?
Singapore masterplan 2003
In 2003, another draw-up of Marina Bay
Singapore infrastructure interactive display
If I had the time, I would have just sat there and read through it all
Marina bay future concept Singapore
I was really keen on learning about all this

Singapore Marina Bay gallerySingapore Marina Bay gallery display

Walter bunny art exhibit Singapore
This bunny is an art exhibit. He’s been spotted around Singapore.
Oue Bayfront building Marina Bay Singapore
Had to crop this tight for a closer look
Audi Ultra sail boat Singapore Marina Bay
Audi had this impressive boat, but it was for invited guests only
Singa lion mascot Singapore marina
Singa, the mascot for Singapore’s Happiness Movement. (Seriously).

Singapore Marina Bay Olympic walk

Marina Bay Sands walk mist cooler Singapore
They have placed these mist coolers to make the walk here more comfortable
Cool mist pipe Singapore Marina baywalk
But Singapore’s humidity being what it is, the mist had little cooling effect
Marina Bay financial centre Singapore panorama
One final panorama before going in

The Shoppes Marina bay sands Singapore

Salvatore Dali art exhibit Singapore Marina Bay
There was an exhibition of Salvador Dali’s work going on
Marina Bay Sands Shoppes Singapore
This was the mall
Marina bay sands shoppes mall Singapore
When I came here last year the mall was rather empty as Marina Bay Sands had just opened

Marina Bay Sands Shoppes Harley Davidson Ferrari Singapore

Marina Bay Sands shoppes fountain
The Shoppes has slowly started to fill up
Singapore Marina Bay Sands mall Venetian gondola boats
Marina Bay Sands Singapore is after all by same people behind The Venetian in Las Vegas

Singapore Marina Bay Sands mall Chanel Tiffany & CoElevated coffee bar Marina Bay Sands Singapore

Way to casino Singapore Marina Bay Sands
Enough of the mall. Time for the first thing on my to-do list – the casino!

I walked to towards the entrance, past the security and straight to the baggage counter. Last year when I came to Marina Bay Sands, I couldn’t enter the casino because I got wet in the rain and I was wearing shorts. There was a dress code and the casino was only open to foreign tourists. This time around, I came dressed in formal wear and now Singaporeans could enter — after paying a $100 entry fee (which is ridiculous!).

No bags are allowed, and more strictly – no photography… at all… not even using your mobile. Which sucked, because you should have seen how the casino looked! Man, the chandelier inside was huuuge! Hundreds of slot machines, and  other games with each one with scores of people playing.

I had never been to a casino before this, and had only seen them in Hollywood movies, so this was quite a revelation for me. I came with the intention of gambling a little bit, because hey, I didn’t have a job — so I thought I’d try my luck at winning some money! I even set aside a $100 just for this, but obviously I wasn’t going plonk it all down in one easy shot. Since I had never gambled before, I didn’t even know how to play most of the games. Slots was easy, pull a lever and hope you get match. Or at least that’s what I thought, because now, slot machines have gone digital — and they had way more buttons than a single lever.

You can play for as little as $1 and that made it easy for everyone to get in and begin. I converted $30 into chips/tokens and started with the Wheel of Fortune. Waged $10, placed my bets on a ‘x 10’ multiplier and a number. The lady spun the wheel and the needle stopped… at a number three stops after mine. Damn, there goes my first $10. The lady smiled and asked if I would want to try again. I thought, “Yeah, why not?” and put down another $10. She spun the wheel again, it stopped and she smiled again. I walked away after losing another $10. Sigh.

I then moved on to the slot machines and sat down at Queen slot machine. I played for $10, and ended up winning $17! I could have played for more but I decided to cash in my winnings and printed the receipt. Besides cards and tokens, the machines can use the same receipts to begin play. I had $17 with me and I started to wonder if my luck was improving. I walked past the roulette table and asked the attendant how the game worked. After he told how the game worked, I had to go and buy some more tokens as I obviously couldn’t place a receipt print on the table. So I got chips for $30 more.

I placed $10 as that was the minimum bet for this table (there were tables with $20 and $30 minimum bets too, larger payouts obviously). He spun the wheel in one direction and then the ball in the opposite direction. As the ball slowly lost momentum, it did the bounce  – just as in the movies. But in my present real world scenario, it finally dropped into a number I didn’t select. So I tried again, and believe it or not, the ball stopped at a number just one spot away from mine.

So another $20 lost. So much for my hopes of being on a winning streak. I just played the slots after that. I won, wagered my winnings and then lost it all. At the end of it all, I had spent $60 and not really won anything big. I decided to stop.

I had no regrets though. It was an experience I smiled through. Looking around, it’s amazing how many people (most of whom were Chinese tourists) were spending so much money and I could only imagine how much money the casino was making — daily! You would think playing for as little as $1 is simple, harmless fun. But as I experienced it myself, human greed is what makes gambling harmful. And it’s as though the casinos have figured how a gambler’s mind works. There is a science to gambling and it’s a good bet to assume, very few ever make it out of a casino with more than what they spent in the hopes of winning big. It’s fair to see why gambling, to this day, remains controversial and banned in many places. Just because I stopped after losing $60, doesn’t mean others will. I even saw labourers from the sub-continent playing, and imagine how much they make in a month here in Singapore.

That said, there were the high rollers too. Some Korean guy came to the roulette table I was playing at and just dumped chips worth $1000. $1000, just like that! And to think above the two floors I could walk around on, were private rooms meant for even bigger players. Now think of the kind of money they’re playing for!

In the end, this place was not for a middle-class guy who spent the last eight years working and trying to save up as much as possible. I left the casino and collected my camera bag from the counter.

If you’re a foreign passport holder in Singapore, I still recommend visiting the casino at the Marina Bay Sands, the place is really well done up. The chandelier alone is worth seeing, it’s one of the world’s largest and it really is impressive.

Patek Philippe Vacheron Constantin Singapore Marina Bay Sands
I made my way to the hotel towers

Elevator up to hotel Marina Bay Sands

Marina Bay sands hotel lobby Singapore
This is the lobby of Tower 3
Marina Bay Sands hotel reception
I walked towards Tower 1
Marina Bay Sands skypark ticket counter Singapore
Took a left and went downstairs to the ticket counter of the Sands SkyPark

When I came here last year, I made it all the way to the ticket counter, but only told be told that the SkyPark was closed due to rains that day. It rained earlier today as well, but fortunately the observation deck was open! I bought my ticket, which cost SG$20 (Rs. 800/$15/€12).

Marina Bay Sands Singapore modelSands SkyPark entrance Singapore

Inside elevator Marina Bay Sands skypark

On top Marina Bay Sands SkyPark Singapore
Here we go…
Marina Bay Sands Skypark first sight Singapore
The views from up here, are needless to say, awesome!
Gardens by the Bay construction panorama Singapore
The first thing you see is this – the Gardens by the Bay project (still under construction)
Gardens by the bay glasshouse Singapore
This Flower Dome will house plants and trees and re-create a Mediterranean climate
Supertree grove construction gardens by the bay Singapore
This is the Supertree Grove, another attraction part of the Gardens by the Bay

Gardens by the Bay Singapore aerial view

Singapore bay ships docked in sea panorama
This is how many ships are anchored outside Singapore Port…
Container ships waiting Singapore dock panorama
… and some more. It goes all the way like this until the port.
Singapore Marina Barrage reservoir ships sea
The Marina Barrage
Marina Barrage Singapore bay
It controls the flow of water in and out of the reservoir
Bay East garden Marina Bay Singapore
That’s the Bay East gardens
Singapore East coast aerial view
I guess that’s where East Coast beach is

Singapore flyer F1 circuit aerial viewSingapore Helix bridge aerial view

Floating stage zone 3 Singapore F1 circuit
The Zone 3 grandstand of the Singapore F1 circuit

View from Sands Skypark Marina Bay Singapore

Singapore Marina Bay skyline evening sky
I don’t think I’ll ever tire of this skyline
Singapore Marina Bay bank buildings panorama
Panorama comprised of 3 shots

Fullerton bay hotel Customs House Singapore

One Fullerton Hotel aerial view Singapore
The Fullerton Hotel & One Fullerton entertainment complex
Singapore Merlion park aerial view from Marina Bay Sands Skypark
The Merlion Park
Marina Bay Sands Arts Science museum Louis Vuitton
The Arts Science museum is one on the right
Louis Vuitton floating store Singapore Marina Bay
The Louis Vuitton ‘floating’ store
Avalon club Marina Bay Sands Singapore
I was disappointed to know the Avalon Club was down there since I had initially read it was up on the SkyPark
Boat ripple Marina Bay Singapore
But I was really happy I got my 70-200mm lens back
Marina Bay Sands convention centre mall roof Singapore
The Shoppes down below
Marina Bay financial center buildings panorama
You can tell the new from the old — by the use of glass mainly

Singapore city concrete skyline buildings

Singapore concrete jungle aerial view
Concrete jungle or what!
Singapore Padang grounds stage Esplanade Marina Bay aerial view
The lawn in the back is the Padang stage, where the big concerts this F1 weekend were going to happen
Esplanade theatres by the Bay aerial view Singapore
The Esplanade theatres glow at night — imagine the sight from up here!
Singapore boat Clarke Quay aerial view
Singapore river, passing through Boat and Clarke Quay
Singapore port view from Sands SkyPark
That’s Singapore port, in the back
Singapore port container cranes
One of the busiest ports in the world
Way to swimming pool Marina Bay Sands hotel Singapore
Okay, now time to check out the coolest attraction at the Marina Bay Sands Hotel
Infinity pool trees Marina Bay Sands hotel guests Singapore
The infinity swimming pool!
Infinity pool trees Marina Bay sands hotel Singapore
Quite possibly the most famous infinity pool in the world
Infinity pool access Marina Bay Sands hotel
The swimming pool is accessible to hotel guests only. Damn, so there goes my plan to just sit by the pool and have a drink.
Infinity pool view Marina bay sands hotel Singapore
How cool is this view!
Couple swimming infinity pool Singapore
Sigh, one day. One day I will definitely stay at this hotel.
Marina Bay Sands hotel kids playing infinity pool
And to those who think: “Oh my god, it looks so scary!”
Marina Bay Sands infinity pool walkway Singapore
Don’t be, it’s just an illusion. There’s no way you are going to fall over. I mean, you could try…

 Marina Bay Sands observation deck visitorsMarina Bay Sands skypark visitors Singapore

No access door infinity pool sands skypark
Access is for hotel staff only
Marina bay sands skydeck steps Singapore
Went back up to take one final look around

Roof top garden Singapore marina bay sands skypark
Marina bay sands hotel skypark sea view

Singapore Flyer east coast highway panorama
I had plans to even go on the Singapore Flyer
Singapore Flyer observation wheel panorama
A ride on this costs $29.50
Singapore Flyer view from Sands skypark
But look at the height difference!

I don’t mind checking out the Singapore Flyer now… but I decided to keep it for next time. If you had to choose between the two, I’d recommend the Sands SkyPark over the Flyer any day.

Singapore evening traffic jam aerial view
Evening traffic was starting to pile up, that too with the diversions due to F1 work
Container ships sea Singapore
Traffic, even at sea 🙂
Singapore building skyline hill distance
Wonder which hill that is in the background
High rise buildings concrete jungle Singapore from above
Took the last few shots, just to make sure I got every view possible
Residential apartments new construction Singapore
Wonder what they’re constructing over there
Singapore skypark observation deck Marina Bay Sands
It was 6pm, time for me to leave
Marina Bay Sands view from skydeck panorama
One final panorama
Mithun Divakaran Marina Bay Sands skypark Singapore
Got a picture of myself taken… (yeah, Mithun in formals, save it)
Marina Bay Sands sky park restaurant panorama
… and I left the SkyPark
Closed road Marina Bay Sands hotel Singapore F1
Mithun has left the building
Marina Bay Sands hotel and casino Singapore panorama
I tried to fix the distortion in this panorama as much as possible
Helix bridge Marina bay sands hotel Singapore
Planned to walk on the Helix Bridge next
Helix bridge during Formula 1 Singapore
The Helix Bridge is closed during F1 weekend as it’s one of the entry points to the circuit
Helix bridge Marina Bay Singapore
Still, people were walking on it, so I figured I could check it out until a certain point
Helix bridge Singapore evening
The Helix Bridge lights up, and looks even more impressive at night
Helix bridge Gate 10 Singapore F1
Pedestrians couldn’t go beyond a few metres from here as there was a private event taking place
Arts Science museum Marina Bay from Helix bridge Singapore
So I walked back

Marina Bay river cruise Helix bridge Singapore

Singapore river cruise Marina Bay station
You can take the river cruise from here too

Steps to Arts Science museum Singapore Marina bay

ArtsScience museum Marina Bay Singapore
The design of the ArtsScience museum is inspired from a lotus flower
Salvador Dali melting clock display museum Singapore
The signature melting clock artwork of Salvador Dali
ArtsScience museum Singapore
There’s an entry ticket here too

Singapore ArtsScience museum logo water reflection

Marina Bay Sands ice skating rink panorama
Went back into the mall for some air-conditioning (Panorama comprised of 5 shots)

Marina Bay Sands Shoppes panorama

Empty stores Marina Bay Sands shoppes Singapore
I guess there’s still more leasable space left
Marina Bay Sands shoppes mall interior
‘The Lion King’ was in town
Singapore marina bay arts Science pool
What was that?
Singapore Arts Science space in pool
Clever design
Rectangle gap in pool Arts Science Singapore
Pretty cool none the less

Arts Science museum Dali exhibition SingaporeSingapore Marina Bay waterfrontMarina Bay Sands hotel casino Singapore

Marina Bay buildings Singapore
Again, I keep photographing this skyline

Louis Vuitton floating store Marina Bay Singapore

Marina Bay Louis Vuitton customers Singapore
Felt like stepping in, just to see what the store looked like from the inside. Not like I could afford anything in there anyway.

Steps Marina bay SingaporeMarina Bay Sands shoppes wedding shoot Singapore

Singapore Marina Bay Sands hotel panorama
Panorama comprised of 6 shots
Avalon club Marina Bay Sands Singapore evening
Avalon Club
Avalon Club Marina Bay Sands Singapore
Sunday night – The Chemical Brothers, it’s going to be one heck of a Sunday for me!
Hippo River Cruise station Marina Bay
Hippo River Cruise is another boat tour company
Marina Towers blue glass Audi boat Singapore
Panorama comprised of 5 shots
Audi sailing boat Singapore dock Marina Bay
Pretty impressive sail boat
Wedding photograph Marina Bay Singapore
I guess a lot of wedding shoots happen at Marina Bay
Marina Bay solar panels jogging park
Instead of taking the MRT, I decided to walk around the bay area a bit more
Marina Bay link Singapore
I guess this connects you straight to the MRT station
Customs House Marina bay Singapore
A lot of choice for the bankers in the area to hang out after work

Skyscraper Marina Bay SingaporeMarina Bay traffic signal people tree SingaporeMarina Bay junction road office buildings SingaporeI walked to Raffles Place MRT and boarded the train from there. Got down at Bugis, simply because I felt like walking through the area I first saw when I visited Singapore last year.

Bugis Junction mall Singapore
Did a bit of mall hopping
Bugis street shopping market Singapore
Walked through the Bugis Street Shopping market, where they had recently opened an upper level
Bugis Chinese market statue Singapore
After doing a bit of shopping at Bugis Street, I walked around the adjoining Chinese market

Fu Lu Shou complex Bugis SingaporeAlbert centre Bugis Singapore

Bugis apartment complex shops building Singapore
I somehow just enjoy walking and soaking up the local life, even if it isn’t always buzzing
Raffles hospital junction Singapore at night
The junction at Raffles Hospital
Kampong glam at night Singapore
I walked to Kampong Glam (the ‘Arab area’), which is where I stayed last year
Singapore Zam Zam deer meat biriyani Kampong Glam
Deer meat. As weird as it sounds… I felt the temptation to try it.
Grand Sultan Mosque at night Singapore
The Grand Sultan Mosque

Grand Sultan mosque Kampong Glam alley SingaporeAlsacoff Arab school Kampong Glam SingaporeKampong Glam area at night Singapore

Victoria street traffic signal Singapore
I decided to walk to Victoria MRT

Victoria street apartments at night SingaporeTall apartment at night Singapore

Wendy's Victoria street Singapore
Spotted a Wendy’s across the road, knew right away what I wanted for dinner.

Had a shrimp burger meal from Wendy’s, one of my favourites from the chain. Also picked up some donuts from a local bakery in the same block and then took the MRT back to Aljunied.

Today was a good day. I was really happy with the photographs I clicked, though I do wish I got a bit of sunshine, which seems to be something of a rarity in Singapore.

Tomorrow begins the first of my three day F1 weekend.


Next posts in this series:

Singapore 2011: Day 5 – Chinatown, F1 Friday (Charice, Seungri and GD&TOP concerts)

Singapore 2011: Day 6 – F1 Saturday (Rick Astley, Shakira and Shaggy concerts)

Singapore 2011: Day 7 – Little India, F1 Sunday race, Linkin Park concert and Avalon Club

Leaving Singapore, and discovering certain truths about this famous city state

Previous posts in this series:

Singapore 2011: Day 3 – Bukit Timah and Singapore Botanic Gardens

Singapore 2011: Day 2 – Jurong Bird Park and… *ouch!*

Singapore 2011: Day 1 – Landing a second time; walking around CBD

Petronas Twin Towers top half

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

Date: 1st October 2010

After two wonderful days in beautiful Langkawi, it was now time for the last leg of our journey. We reached Langkawi airport for our morning flight to Kuala Lumpur. After having our breakfast at Kenny Rogers Roasters (not a whole lot of options at the airport), we checked in and waited for our 11:45am flight.

Langkawi airport runwayLangkawi airport flying school hills

Langkawi airport Air Asia morning flight
Our flight was on time (Above photos taken on Nokia E72)

We all sat together but Ramesh chose the window seat. The following are his photographs.

Leaving Langkawi Malaysia by flight

Langkawi wave breaker from plane Malaysia
That’s a wavebreaker

Langkawi islands from Air Asia flightLeaving Langkawi for KL Air Asia flightAir Asia Langkawi to Kuala Lumpur cloudsKuala Lumpur Malaysia river from skyKuala Lumpur Malaysia river from planeKuala Lumpur outskirts Malaysia from planeKuala Lumpur palm forest from sky MalaysiaLanding in Kuala Lumpur budget terminalAir Asia landing runway LCCTKuala Lumpur airport budget LCCT terminal

We landed at Kuala Lumpur Low Cost Terminal nearing 1pm and was out in 30 minutes. There were plenty of buses from KL LCCT to KL Sentral, which is the main transportation hub in Kuala Lumpur city.

KL LCCT to KL Sentral bus Manchester United believe
We got a ManU fan for a driver
LCCT to KL Sentral Kuala Lumpur bus journey
The bus ride costs RM8 (Rs. 117/$2.7)
LCCT to KL Sentral Kuala Lumpur heavy rain
Soon after, it began to rain heavily
Kuala Lumpur city highway powerlines
But halfway through the journey, the rain stopped

Kuala Lumpur airport to city roadKuala Lumpur city airport highway

Kuala Lumpur city highway Petronas in distance
Malaysia’s landmark in the distance
Kuala Lumpur construction near KL Sentral
After nearly an hour, we arrived at KL Sentral

After reaching KL Sentral, we then hired a taxi to where were staying.

Kuala Lumpur city Proton taxi
It cost us RM35 from KL Sentral to Berjaya Times Square

Kuala Lumpur city apartmentKuala Lumpur city overbridge

Kuala Lumpur luxury building
(Above photos taken on Nokia E72)

After a 15 minute journey, we reached Berjaya Times Square. There is a metro service from KL Sentral to Berjaya Times Square, but with our luggage, we decided to just take a cab.

Kuala Lumpur Irsia bed and breakfast hostel
The tiny white building was where we would be staying: Irsia Bed & Breakfast

We chose Irsia after much deliberation and researching on the location. We made our booking for a triple room.

Irsia bed breakfast hostel triple room Kuala Lumpur
Which by the way, looks like this

After freshening up and making our payments, we headed to Berjaya Times Square for lunch.

Berjaya Times Square is relatively old but still remains one of Malaysia’s biggest and popular shopping destinations. It’s pretty huge, with 7 floors of shopping — high ends brands in the lower floors and more affordable stuff in the higher up floors. There’s also a 5-star hotel, Berjaya Hotel — among other things.

Kuala Lumpur Berjaya times square mall info lobby

Berjaya Times Square hotel escalator floors
(Photograph by Loiyumba)

We headed all the way up to the 10th floor to the food court. We chose our meals from a place selling ‘mock non-veg’ food.

Kuala Lumpur Berjaya Times Square soya food court
Pick and choose

By that I mean, stuff that looks like chicken and fish but are actually vegetarian because they are essentially soya-filled made to look like non-veg items.

Berjaya Times Square mock chicken fish

Kuala Lumpur city SJK Julimbi building
The view from up here

When I mentioned “among other things” earlier…

Berjaya Times Square indoor roller coaster
… there’s also an indoor theme park with a rollercoaster inside the building

Berjaya Times Square indoor roller coaster ride

Berjaya Times Square indoor theme park
I tried to the get the whole theme park section of the building in one frame
Berjaya Times Square mall Kuala Lumpur
We stepped out
Kuala Lumpur Times Square monorail line
And decided to check out the area we were in

We chose to stay at Irsia because it was close to a lot of places we wanted to go. One among them being Low Yat Plaza, Kuala Lumpur’s famous IT mall.

After crossing the road, it was a short walk to Low Yat

Kuala Lumpur Plaza Low Yat side entrance
This isn’t the main entrance
Kuala Lumpur Low Yat Plaza five floors
6 floors of gadgets

I couldn’t get to spend much time in Singapore’s IT malls to pick up the things I wanted, so I consoled myself assuming I could get them at Low Yat.

Kuala Lumpur Low Yat Plaza IT store cafeSadly, the selection of camera tripods weren’t very exhaustive and I couldn’t really find everything I wanted. Also, more importantly, the prices we found for some items were far more than what we saw in Singapore. There isn’t an incentive for tourists either via a tax refund scheme like Singapore has with its GST refund and Thailand has with its VAT refund scheme.

Kuala Lumpur Low Yat Plaza stores
I checked out pretty much every floor

After lingering around for nearly 30 minutes, we left.

Kuala Lumpur Plaza Low Yat entranceKuala Lumpur street food hotel capitolWe were soon on Bukit Bintang, Kuala Lumpur’s popular shopping district.

Kuala Lumpur Changkat Bukit Bintang streetA short walk from here is Jalan Alor, also nicknamed ‘Food Street’.

Kuala Lumpur Jalan Alor food street Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur Jalan Alor evening
Not buzzing just quite yet

Kuala Lumpur alley near Jalan Alor

Kuala Lumpur city CBD traffic
Quite a lot of malls in Bukit Bintang

Kuala Lumpur Lot 10 mall junction

Kuala Lumpur monorail train
KL’s monorail service (Photograph by Loiyumba)
Kuala Lumpur monorail HSBC branch
We were walking towards Malaysia’s world famous landmark
Kuala Lumpur Hotel Istana Menara KL tower evening
It’s tall, but it isn’t KL Tower
Kuala Lumpur Petronas towers Monorail
That’s where we were headed — Petronas Twin Towers
Kuala Lumpur Menara KL Malaysia
I had plans to go to Menara KL too

Kuala Lumpur CBD road sign

Kuala Lumpur Menara Shangri La hotel Malaysia
Menara KL (or KL Tower) is in fact taller than Petronas towers, but that’s because it’s perched atop a hill
KL Petronas Tower Canon street ad
Even half of one tower is impressive to look at

Kuala Lumpur street to Petronas TowersPetronas Tower single tree shadow night

Kuala Lumpur Suria KLCC shopping mall
Suria KLCC is the shopping mall (KLCC is the convention centre I believe)
Public Bank AmBank headquarter building KL
Plenty of bank headquarters in and around Petronas Towers
Petronas Tower KL side angle
Stunning

We walked into Suria but there was a sign saying at certain sections of the mall, photography is prohibited. So we just kept our cameras in and walked through the mall and out the main entrance of Petronas Towers.

Petronas towers 1malaysia 1matlamat fullPetronas is the Malaysia’s national oil company — and one of Asia’s largest companies.  Petronas Towers is the company’s headquarters, thought I’m not sure if all 88 floors are Petronas’ offices.

Petronas Twin Towers bottom angle
But what an office to work in!
Petronas Towers building entrance lobby
The lobby is quite nice
Petronas Towers observation deck bridge at night
That’s the Skybridge observation deck. We planned to go check it out in the morning.

The reason why we we didn’t want to go up to the skybridge is because, one, we were already late as the skybridge closes at 5pm and two, there is a particular method to which you need to get the tickets to visit the observation deck — which I’ll get to in a later post.

Petronas Towers higher floorsPetronas Twin Towers top half

Kuala Lumpur Petronas Twin Towers Malaysia
I had to step back a bit to get the whole building in my wide angle

Petronas Twin Towers top floorsWe attempted a portrait shot of all three of us in front of the Petronas Towes, but because we didn’t have a tripod with us, Ramesh fit the tripod on his camera and used his Kata bag to stand the camera.

Petronas Towers glowing Mithun Loiyumba charity girl
Me donating some money to some Chinese school girl
Loiyumba Ramesh Mithun in front of Petronas Towers full
After a few attempts, we managed to get the shot

Kuala Lumpur Petronas Towers fountainsPetronas Towers entrance fountainsPetronas Towers KL angle shotPetronas Twin Towers glow treeThe Malaysian MotoGP was happening the following week, and they had some competing superbikes on display.

Jorge Lorenzo Fiat Yamaha bike Petronas MalaysiaFiat Yamaha superbike MotoGP display Petronas MalaysiaPublic Bank head office in front Petronas TowersKuala Lumpur BSN Bank headquarters Menara KLAfter nearly an hour just staring at this beautiful building, we finally left the base of Petronas Towers.

Kuala Lumpur Petronas Towers full shotThe Petronas Towers are a symbol of modern day Malaysia. Just like Burj-Al-Arab signifies Dubai, and now Burj Khalifa, the Petronas Towers are an architectural icon. Inaugurated in 1998, even to this day, the Petronas Towers design stands as ‘modern’ – and yet, truly Asian in its influence as it can be. No visit to Malaysia is complete without having seen what was once the tallest building(s) in the world.

Kuala Lumpur KLCC Suria parking entranceEven though Taipei 101 took over the throne of “Tallest building in the world” in 2004 (until Burj Khalifa did the same in 2010), the Petronas Towers are still one of the best looking skyscrapers in the world in my opinion. It shows how important good architecture is in creating a true global landmark. You can play the game of attempting to build the tallest structure in the world, but unless it looks good, the investment is futile.

If you disagree, just go around and ask people if they are aware of ‘Taipei 101’.

Kuala Lumpur Petronas Towers night sky cloudsKuala Lumpur Convention Center building MalaysiaKuala Lumpur Prince Hotel Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur city TANGS store
TANGS is a department store

We walked back and through some of the malls in Bukit Bintang district.

Kuala Lumpur Pavilion Mall street musicians
Musicians performing in front of Pavilion Mall
Pavilion Crystal Fountain, the Tallest Liuli Crystal Fountain in Malaysia
Pavilion Crystal Fountain, the Tallest Liuli Crystal Fountain in Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur Uniqlo store Bukit Bintang
Japan’s UNIQLO is now in Kuala Lumpur’s Fahrenheit 88 mall
Ferrari F430 parked in front of Fahrenheit 88 mall Kuala Lumpur Malaysia
This Ferrari F430 was parked in front of Fahrenheit 88 mall

Ferrari F430 Kuala Lumpur Malaysia

Bukit Bintang street performers at night
There are a few street performers at Bukit Bintang
Bukit Bintang street dancers Kuala Lumpur at night
These guys were trying to perform street dancing but looked nervous when the crowd grew big
Kuala Lumpur Bukit Bintang monorail station
Bukit Bintang monorail station

From Bukit Bintang other KL landmarks

Bukit Bintang street KL at night
It was time for us to now figure out what to eat
Jalan Alor food street Chinese restaurant tourists
So we headed to Jalan Alor a.k.a ‘Food Street’
Jalan Alor food street Kuala Lumpur at night
Quite a change of scene from earlier isn’t it?

Jalan Alor food street KL Malaysia nightlifeJalan Alor food street beef street food

Jalan Alor food street water sprinklers
These restaurants even sprinkle water in the air to cool off its guests

Jalan Alor food street Vietnam food KL MalaysiaJalan Alor food street food courtJalan Alor food street Budget Inn Kuala LumpurJalan Alor food street Kuala LumpurWhile myself and Loiyumba found enough options for dinner, as was the norm on this trip, Ramesh didn’t. So I ordered what I wanted to eat, so that we could head to some place Ramesh could get his dinner.

Jalan Alor food street KL kitchen
I ordered some duck dish, forgot what it was called
Jalan Alor food street fried fish
Was tempted to order some seafood too
Jalan Alor food street Chinese restaurant
A lot of the restaurants on Jalan Alor are Chinese

Jalan Alor food street KL crowds at nightJalan Alor fresh fish seafood on iceIt maybe a bustling place by night, but if you feel like staying amidst all the food, here are some hotels on Jalan Alor:

Hotel Alor street restoran yan kuala lumpur

Jalan Alor food street Apple Inn hotel KL
Apple Inn (http://www.appleinn.com.my/)

Once I got my takeaway, we headed back to our rooms only to stop at the 24-hour Subway store on Bukit Bintang where Ramesh picked up his dinner. (There’s also a 24-hour KFC on the same road)

We also pick up a few drinks from a convenience store on the way and had our dinner outside our hotel, where Irsia had put up a few tables for its guests.

KL street food duck meat Anglia shandy
My dinner
Berjaya Times Square from behind at night
When I say we stayed right behind Berjaya Times Square, I’m not kidding

Dinner over, we hit the bed early. Our plans were to go see the famous Batu Caves tomorrow, which we knew were on the outskirts of KL… which meant getting up a bit early.

So what was our first impression of KL? Not so good, to be honest. In fact, after a whirlwind 3 days in Singapore during a buzzing F1 weekend, it’s understandable we were a bit disappointed with Kuala Lumpur. But the fact is, things are a lot cheaper in KL, so it’s no surprise Malaysia’s capital city isn’t as glamourous as glitzy Singapore. Unfair comparison I’d say.

Oh well, we still had two more days in the city to change our minds about the place.


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 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

Dubai creek abra boat passengers afternoon ride

UAE 2010 (once again) Day 1: Flying to Dubai, shopping, Burj Khalifa at night

Date: 12th November 2010

On Monday the 8th of November, 2010, I got a bunch of missed calls as I was preparing to head to office. When I finally did speak to the person, it turned out it was someone from VH1 India informing me that I had been shortlisted as finalist in their Linkin Park Ticket to Ride Contest!

But before that, she had a bunch of questions to ask: “Do you have a valid passport?,” “Can you fly at short notice?” and then asked around 9 questions about the band itself. After answering most of the questions, said she had to speak to the others and that she would call back in some time.

After the call, the only thought that came to my mind was: “HO-LY SHiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitttttttttttttttttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!! All the 60-plus times I took part in the contest on Vh1 India’s Facebook page paid off!” I eagerly awaited the return call and 5 minutes later, it came.

She told me I was selected as the final winner because I answered the most questions!

Jeff Gerstmann Woohoo fistpump
“Woo-hoooooooooo!”

She told me I could take a guest too and so I chose my elder brother Nithin, who had never been to UAE. She also told me she would send me details on tickets, where we would be staying and how we would be going to the venue. First, we weren’t going to staying in Abu Dhabi, where the Yas Marina Circuit is located. Instead, we would be in Dubai.

Hey, I wasn’t going to complain. From there, on the day of the race, we would get picked and dropped via taxi. Cool, works for us!

After we hung up, I couldn’t hold my excitement and fist-pumped “Yes!”. This was the first time in life I actually won something big! Anyway, I headed to office and also prepared to get our visa arranged (we still had to do that ourselves).

For our Dubai visa, we approached DVPC by VFS Global, the exclusive service for all Emirates flights. We rushed all our documents to their office on Cunningham road on Tuesday afternoon and hoped we could get our visas by Thursday, since our flight was on Friday early morning.

Long story short, we managed to get our 96-hour/4 day visit visa (costs Rs. 3000 per person) processed by then.

On the dawn of Friday 12th, December 2010, we were in our Emirates flight from Bangalore to Dubai.

Star lit sky night from Emirates plane
It was a very star-lit night sky
Emirates breakfast India to Dubai flight
Early breakfast was pretty decent

We landed in Dubai at 7am.

Dubai airport tarmac terminal 4 construction
As if three terminals weren’t enough
Dubai airport Emirates planes arriving in morning
We rode on the tarmac for nearly 5 minutes before finally stopping

We descended into one of those airport buses to get to the terminal. That ride took another 5 minutes — and my god was it cold inside that bus! It was mobile freezing chamber!

We finally got into Terminal 3 and made our way to immigration.

Dubai airport inside terminal 3 arrivalsI was a bit worried about visa because we didn’t get any official copy prior to our departure since everything was so ‘last minute’. But it was in our ticket and we faced no issues at immigration.

Dubai airport inside arrivals interiorsDubai airport inside terminal 3 walkalatorOnce out, we hailed a taxi and headed to Deira where our hotel was located.

We were put up at Fortune Hotel. We had breakfast and checked into one of our rooms (we got two individual rooms). First thing I did after stepping out was call up my parents and then inform my friends in Dubai that I had arrived. We didn’t rest for much because we only had one day to roam around Dubai.

We briefly caught up with my good friend Azhad, walked around Deira a bit and then made our way to the creek.

Dubai creek abra boat passengers afternoon ride

Dubai creek abra station Deira afternoon rideDubai creek trade boat afternoon skyDubai creek abra boat afternoon sky

Dubai creek trading ship
Though not the main port anymore, trade still goes through these waters daily

Dubai creek view afternoon Rolex towersDubai creek Bur Dubai mosque afternoon

Dubai creek Bur Dubai abra dockDubai creek Bur Dubai abra dock afternoonDubai creek Bur Dubai mosque abra speedThe abra ride costs just AED1 is one of the must-dos when in Dubai, be it in daytime or at night.

Once in Bur Dubai, I showed my brother the souq.

Dubai creek Bur Dubai market souq afternoonDubai creek Bur Dubai market souq entranceI’ve covered the souq a lot more in my trip from April. We went around a bit, bought some chocolates and made our way towards the Bur Dubai bus station.

Plaza cinema theater Bur Dubai
One of the oldest theaters in Dubai

We were in Bur Dubai to meet my friend Jassim, who had invited me and my brother over to his house for lunch.

He picked us up in his Mitsubishi Pajero.

Dubai inside Jassim's Mitsubishi Pajero

Dubai inside Mitsubishi Pajero dashboard interiors
With a mileage like that, it’s a good thing petrol is cheap in UAE

Once at home, we were treated some fantastic mutton biriyani Jassim’s mother-in-law prepared. It was brilliant! Oh, there was chicken too. Equally delicious.

Dubai Jassim family
Our gracious hosts (the adults i.e., the kids didn’t care much for our presence)

After an extremely satisfying (and heavy) lunch, Jassim offered to drive us to our next destination.

Dubai Jassim driving PajeroDubai construction progressingDubai Al Riyadh street overpass

Dubai Raffles pyramid hotel
Raffles Dubai hotel, attached to Wafi Mall
Dubai skyscrapers buildings skyline shadow
Never tire of this sight

Dubai building for sale

Dubai festival city building
We were on our way to Festival City

Festival City was the only major mall I didn’t visit the first time I came to Dubai, back in April.  Also, the mall houses Dubai’s IKEA store.

Dubai Festival City parking Pajero vs Hummer
The Pajero faces off with the soon-to-be-extinct Hummer
Dubai Festival City Jamie Oliver Italian restaurant
Popular British chef Jamie Oliver is opening a restaurant here

Festival City is another mixed-use development, comprising of a mall (of course), residential apartments, offices and even a marina.

Dubai Festival City marina panorama
(Panorama comprised of 6 shots)

Dubai festival city marina yachts

Dubai Festival City Intercontinental Hotel
There’s an Intercontinental Hotel here
Dubai Festival City water canal
A water canal offering boat rides as well
Dubai Festival City water boat rides
Plenty of eateries by the water canal too

Once inside, the store offerings weren’t that different from any other major mall in Dubai.

Dubai Festival City mall water wires panorama
This was pretty cool though
Dubai Festival City water wires long
Water trickles down these wires and makes a sound when it touches the ground

Dubai Festival City mall storesDubai Festival City floors

Dubai Festival City Ikea store
Why we came to Festival City mall–IKEA (There is no IKEA store in India, yet)
Dubai Festival City lit up trees
After nearly an hour inside, we were done with our shopping

Jassim quickly took us around to show us some more unique ‘water fountains’ inside Festival City.

Dubai Festival City water fountain streaming

Dubai Festival City water fountain structure
But this big one takes the cake
Dubai Festival City unique water fountain closeup
That’s a thin stream of water flowing all the way down

Dubai Festvial city inside eventsWe were running late and Jassim had to head back home. So after quick stop at an electronics store, we headed back to the car parking.

Dubai Festvial City Lacoste Paris galleryDubai Festvial City at night moonDubai Festvial City Intercontinental Hotel nightDubai Festvial City water canal at night

Dubai roads driving night
Next stop, Dubai Mall
Dubai clock tower roundabout at night
Dubai’s old landmark
Driving on Sheikh Zayed road at night
Sheikh Zayed road, where all of Dubai’s new landmarks are
Dubai Pajero sky roof open
Sky roof open…
Dubai Jassim driving Pajero night
… volume up!

Jassim dropped us off at Dubai Mall and we said our goodbyes.

Dubai Mall entrance NithinWe had booked our entry to Burj Khalifa’s At The Top for 8pm. But we quickly went around the mall before that.

Dubai Mall aquarium world record
First we passed by Dubai Aquarium
Dubai Aquarium Guinness world record plaque
The Guinness Record for the World’s Largest Acrylic Panel

Dubai Mall Aquarium world fishes diverDubai Mall Aquarium ceiling decorationMy brother wasn’t really interested in going inside the aquarium. So we continued up.

Dubai Mall Christmas decorations

Dubai Mall Denon LG showrooms
My brother instead wanted to check out home theater systems

He was tempted to pick a unit which cost half of what it costs back in India. But given the size of the entire package (and fearing customs,) he dropped the idea.

Dubai Mall digital runway screens
Funky runways huh?

When it was time, we made our way to the At The Top counter in the basement.

Dubai Mall Burj Khalifa model At The TopDubai Mall At The Top experience NithinMy brother isn’t staring at a white screen, watch this video for what you really see.

Dubai Mall At The Top observation deck which floor
I didn’t get it the right the last time but this time I vowed to point to where exactly the observation deck on Burj Khalifa is

Once we reached the top via the fastest elevator in the world, I switched to video:

This is the view at night in photos.

Burj Khalifa At The Top view at night Dubai

Dubai Mall from top at night
Dubai Mall’s roof goes green at night

Burj Khalifa At The Top view highways

The Address hotel Dubai at night
The Address hotel
Burj Khalifa At The Top view financial centre at night Dubai
Dubai’s Financial Centre

Dubai Financial Centre buildings at nightBurj Khalifa At The Top observation deck at nightDubai labour camps at night

Sheikh Zayed road offices at night
Drive up further you reach Dubai Marina
Burj Khalifa At The Top observation telescopes
You can use these to get a simulation of how the same view looks in daylight

Dubai Sheikh Zayed road flyover intersectionDowntown Dubai The Address residences at nightAfter 30 minutes on top, we made our way back down.

Burj Khalifa elevator floors fastOnce down, we walked past the other displays as you make your exit.

Burj Khalifa ground displaysBurj Khalifa vision inspiration peopleBurj Khalifa ground video displays

Burj Khalifa escalator downBurj Khalifa exit walkalatorThis was the second time for me ‘At the Top,’ a more detailed description of the experience can be viewed here.

Once out, the Dubai fountains were on show.

Dubai Mall fountain show at night
The shows are every half an hour
Dubai Mall Christmas tree decorations
Islamic country, but they still deck a heck lot of lights for Christmas

Burj Khalifa in the dark Dubai
The tallest X’mas ‘tree’ in the world

We took the shuttle bus from Dubai Mall to the metro station. Even though we were tired and sleepy, we still decided to quickly check out Mall of the Emirates — four stops from Dubai Mall.

Mall of Emirates shopping mall nightWe were here mostly to check out the Virgin Megastore. Last time I was here, I spent quite a bit on video games. This time, we just picked up some blu-rays, a music CD… and then some more video games.

Mall of Emirates Ralph Lauren storeBy the time we were done with everything, it was 10:30pm. We had to get back, have dinner and then figure out how we were going to pack all our IKEA goods.

Dinner was shawarmas, which though better than the stuff you get in India, wasn’t as good as the ones I grew up eating in Bahrain. The Egyptian joint we picked it up stuffed it with french fries and wrapped it in kuboos instead of Lebanese bread. These were the kind of shawarmas pretty much everywhere. I don’t know, they were inferior in my opinion.

After dinner, I roamed around a bit in search of empty carton boxes big enough to hold our IKEA purchases but despite asking just about every cold store in our vicinity, the best I got were water bottle boxes. I came back with one but realized it was grossly insufficient.

Next morning, I had to call up my friend Azhad for help.


Next post in this series:

UAE 2010 (once again) Day 2 – Ferrari World, Abu Dhabi F1 and Linkin Park concert

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