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A DESTINATION TO UNITE BEACHCOMBING DADS, BARGAIN-HUNTING MUMS, WIDE-EYED TODDLERS AND ADVENTUROUS, CLAMEROUS CULTURE-VULTURE TEENS? WELCOME TO MALAYSIA. WORDS: KAREN GOULD
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’m a big fan of Asian tourism slogans. From the quirky (Taiwan touch your heart), to the understated (Definitely Dubai), there’s a lot to love. But there’s one slogan I’d argue is the most catchy and indeed definitive of its nation - Malaysia, Truly Asia. This is a single country that unites multiple cultures, bringing together the beachside holiday, the rainforest adventure, the bustling market and the glistening skyscraper in one family-friendly package. As expats living in Singapore, my young family and I enjoyed a lot of those attractions in our home town, but were still drawn across the border to Malaysia on a regular basis for all of that pan-Asian spice, with just a little more grit thrown in.
Kuala Lumpur - Touch down in the thick of it You may have passed through KL before on a stopover, but now it’s time to get out amongst it. Unless your plans involve purely mall hunting, you’d better leave the stroller in the hotel room. Grab the Bjorn, the Ergo or maybe a local sarong-sling, plenty of water and a spirit of adventure and hit the streets. The skyline is dominated by the Petronas Towers, and so was our stay in KL. These
twin structures are amongst the world’s tallest buildings, and in my book, some of the more attractive on that list. My three-year old son was immediately impressed - “Rocket towers!” he yelled on first catching sight of them, and the name stuck. If you want to actually ascend the towers to the observation deck or make a vertiginous cross on the famous skybridge, you’ll need to rise with the roosters (which incidentally, are native to Malaysia). Tickets go on sale at the towers each morning from 8:30, and tourists have been known to start queuing from 6:30am to be sure of a place. Insider tip: occasionally, advance tickets for subsequent days are made available throughout the day, so if you’ve missed the morning rush it’s still worth a try at the ticket office. Otherwise, just do like the locals and view the towers from a nearby square as they light up the night sky, or like we did, book into a family-friendly hotel with a view of the “rocket towers”. At the base of the towers is the famous KLCC mall, which will keep shopoholics happy. Once your bags and bellies are full, take the kids outside to the KLCC Park, for playgrounds, cool wading pools (you’ll need ‘em!) and best of all, the chance to enjoy authentic interactions as you mingle with Malaysian families out enjoying their capital city. Our little ones enjoyed chasing
AUTUMN 2013 www.outandaboutwithkids.com.au
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