Where We Be
It's hard to beat the dramatic view of the Petronas
Towers at night from the Sky Bar at Traders Hotel
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
A 6-hour bus ride took us from Penang to Kuala
Lumpur (KL for short). We settled into the Hotel
Sentral, strategically located near Sentral
Station, a terrific transport hub with metro lines
snaking all through the city. Next morning we
took the metro to KL City Center Park, where
the iconic Petronas Towers are located. KLCC
Park
's scenic lake offers a great spot for taking
photos of the tallest twin towers in the world at
452 meters. From 1998 to 2004 these were the
tallest buildings in the world. The Sky Bridge
connecting the towers is a distinctive feature.

We headed into KLCC Suria Mall and eventually
found our way to the ticket counter. We paid
RM 85 each ($20) to go up and were given the
10:30 am time slot. Our first stop was the Sky
Bridge where we were given 10 minutes to
appreciate the views, then it was up to the top  
(Level 86, the Observation Deck) for another 15
minutes of panoramic scenery.

We couldn't resist returning to KLCC Park later
that evening for a look at the Petronas Towers
lit up at night. The views from KLCC Park were
terrific, but even better were the ones from the
Sky Bar at Traders Hotel a short distance away.
That's where the photo at left was taken. Wow!
From here we could see the colored fountain
show just in front of the towers and the lit-up
towers themselves rising boldly against the
night sky. Once you've seen these towers,
you'll never think of Malaysia as anything but a
modern industrialized country!
While our room at Hotel Sentral was nothing fancy, we loved the price ($35 per night) and the location
in terms of being strategically situated near Sentral Station. This was our view from our room on the top floor.
Looking deeper into KLCC Park, you'd never guess this was
only a stone's throw away from the tallest twin towers in the world
KLCC Park is the perfect place to get started with your explorations of Kuala Lumpur.
It's right in the heart of all the action and offers a green oasis in the midst of the city.
Inside is KLCC Suria Mall with plenty of upscale shopping. Staff are on hand to point you to
the ticket counter for your visit to the Petronas Towers. Cost is RM 85 ($20 US) each to go up.
Your first stop will be the futuristic looking Sky Bridge. The double
decker bridge connects the two towers on the 41st and 42nd floors.
Views of the city from the top -- the Observation
Deck on Level 86 -- are spectacular
This is the highest two-story bridge in the world. Interesting fact: The 750 ton bridge is not attached to the main structure
but instead slides in and out of the towers to prevent it from breaking in high winds, when the towers can sway several feet!
Tickets are limited to 1000 visitors per day so we recommend arriving early in the morning, when we had no trouble getting tickets.
From the Observation Deck you can see the twin tower, the Menara KL Tower in the distance, and KLCC Park and lake far below.
One more view in the other direction shows just how big and sprawling
the city of Kuala Lumpur is with its population of over 7 million people
After soaking in the 86th floor views for ten minutes, we spent the last five minutes
being silly -- a computer display lets you "wear" the tops of the Petronas Towers!
Three views of the 88-story Petronas Towers -- in the morning, in the evening,
and at night. The towers are meant to embody an Islamic minaret design.
But turn around
and there they are!