Wednesday, November 30, 2011

KL Tower (Kuala Lumpur)

We went to the Menara Kuala Lumpur Tower (KL Tower) only because the Twin Towers were undergoing renovation. I should have known better than to go to KL Tower. The thing is that there is a temptation to go up to these towers, pay some entrance fee that you'd be better off not paying and then end up feeling like you just contributed to another country's economy for nothing. That was how I felt when I went to the Willis Tower in Chicago. To put in in local parlance, it's go up see see look look then come down. It's even worse if the weather is bad and all you see is clouds.

Well, KL Tower opened to the public in 1996. So that makes the tower 15 years old this year. It's a telecommunication tower for Malaysia.


The basic package (the cheapest) is 45 Ringgit for adults and 30 Ringgit for children/senior citizens. This includes entry into the observation deck, MP5 (whatever that means), Forest in the City (what's that), F1 simulator/pony ride/KL Tower Animal Zone. Evidently, I just realised when typing this post that we probably didn't go to some places that our ticket entitled us to go.

So, here's a view you can get if you're at the top. By the way, just another useful tip. If you want to take pictures with you in the picture with the scenery as background, figure out how to change your camera settings or you will appear very dark against the picture. (assuming you go in the day)


Besides the observatory, we chose the F1 simulator as part of the package. You know in arcades where there will be rows of those driving stuff and people start competing against each other? This is the worse version of the arcade. I've no idea why the place smelled so much like pee. Anyway, so why is it worse than in an arcade? In an arcade, you throw in a coin and it will start operating. Here, you have someone manually pressing on a keyboard for you to start and stop. Imagine you are halfway through a race, and suddenly she comes next to you, key in something, and tells you, "Here's your timing." Thank you very much.

(by the way, this is NEARLY RIDICULOUS. I was googling for pictures of these arcade machines when I realised that the so called F1 simulators were in the shape of cars, and not those arcade machines that we played on. DID WE JUST GET CONNED (again)?!) The below is the only thing that we saw that remotely looks like a car- do you see the simulator machines behind?


As for the pony ride, we didn't opt for that. But what happens for the pony ride, is that you have a stable with two ponies. And then someone will put you on the pony, and bring you and the pony three rounds around a stable.

All in all, KL Tower is a place you might want to go if you really want to see a good view of KL. But I have to say this place looks pretty worn out after 15 years, compared to other observatory decks that I've gone to, including the Shanghai and Chicago one. And be careful to check what you're entitled to! Plus there are two places where you can get taxis from- one cheaper than the other, although the other is probably safer.

Menara Kuala Lumpur No. 2
Jalan Punchak Off Jalan P.Ramlee
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia

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