MALAYSIA IN 24 HOURS: 5 PLACES TO VISIT IN ONE DAY

1 BATU CAVES 

The Batu Caves attracts thousands of tourists as well as worshipers on a daily basis especially during the Hindu Festival Thaipusam. It is located in the Gombak District and is 13 kilometers away from Kuala Lumpur. The main cave (which is of course the biggest one and is formed from limestone) also known as the Temple Cave is one of the most popular Hindu shrines in the world and can be reached by climbing 272 steps of stairs. The climb is steep so you better be in good shape if you try. I was panting when I reached the mouth of the cave when we went there. The cave is devoted to the Lord Murugan. There is a gold statue that stands guard outside the cave and is made of gold. It is also the tallest statue of the Lord Murugan all over the world. Avoid going to the caves from January to February as this is when hoards of devotees flock the area to take part in the Thaipusam Festival. 

Numerous macaque monkeys also flock the stairs leading to the cave as well as the trees around the area. Tourists are adviced not to feed the monkeys as well as not to expose food that are within the monkeys reach as there is a danger that they could bite. The place is also becoming popular with rock climbing enthusiasts. There is no fee to get inside the main cave but you have to be prepared to leave a small amount of donation.

You can easily spend 2-3 hours here including climbing the stairs, exploring the caves and taking pictures as well as journey time. The fastest and cheapest mode of transportation is the train. There are also buses from Kotaraya and Puduraya that shuttles tourists to the caves. I will not recommend taking a guided tour as you can easily wing your own itinerary while there.

How To Get There?
a. By car or taxi - Always request the taxi driver to turn on the meter. 
b.Take the train from KL Sentral using the KTM commuter train (total journey time is approximately 20 minutes).

How Much Does Train Ticket Cost? 
KL Sentral to Batu Caves - MYR1 (US$0.33) / Batu Caves to KL Sentral - MYR2 (US$0.66)

2 KUALA LUMPUR ORCHID GARDEN

The Orchid Garden (Taman Bunga Orkid) boosts of almost 3,000 species of orchids. Yes, 3,000! If you love orchids you will definitely feel like you are in orchid heaven when you visit this place. The garden is a welcome treat amidst busy Kuala Lumpur. Orchid plants and other souvenirs are also sold inside the garden for cheap prices. Opening Hours: 9AM - 6PM daily 

How To Get There?

a. By car or taxi - Always request the taxi driver to turn on the meter. 

b. By bus - take the RapidKL Bus #B101 and #B112 (alight at Dayabumi Complex and walk towards the National Mosque and walk up the hill towards the Orchid Gardens.

c. By train - take the KTM Komuter and alight at the Old Railway Station. Walk towards the National Mosque hike up the hill towards the Orchid Garden. 

3 SULTAN ABDUL SAMAD BUILDING 

This is Malaysia's very own clock tower and is located near the Dataran Merdeka or the Independence Square and Royal Selangor Club. The building design is Moorish with a touch of British architecture and reflects the culture of Malaysia in the past. The building currently houses the Ministry of Information as well as the Communications and Culture of Malaysia. 

How To Get There?
a. By foot from Chinatown - The building is a good 5-10 minutes walk from Chinatown. 
b. By car or taxi - Always request the taxi driver to turn on the meter. 
c. By bus - If you are taking the hop on and hop off bus, it will stop in between Dataran Merdeka and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. You can alight from here to explore both places as well as other buildings nearby. 
d. By train - Take the LRT Kelana Jaya line or the Ampang line and alight at Masjid Jamek station.

4 KUALA LUMPUR CRAFT CENTER 

This is a one-stop shop craft center. The center sells high-end handicrafts, middle-end bags and accessories as well as paintings and household items. They also sell local costumes and furniture. The craft center houses the following: The Craft Museum, The Craft Village, The Artist's Colony, Karyaneka Craft Boutique as well as The Artist's Colony. This is an amazing place to learn about the culture as well as buy souvenirs for your friends and family. 

How To Get There?

a. By car or taxi - Always request the taxi driver to turn on the meter. 
b. By bus - the hop on, hop off bus passes by the complex so you can alight just in front of the building

c. By train - take the monorail and alight at the Raja Chulan station. If you still have time to walk, you can do so and will be able to reach the complex in 30 minutes (leisurely pace).

5 PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS

The Petronas Towers is an unmistakable icon/landmark of Kuala Lumpur. The twin towers stand proudly in the middle of the city. It holds the title of being the highest buildings in the world. The design of each tower's floor plate is based on simple geometric forms of two interlocking squares, creating a shape of eight-pointed stars and means - " unity within unity, harmony, stability and rationality". Each tower has 88 storeys and 10 escalators. 

How To Get There?

a. By car or taxi - Always request the taxi driver to turn on the meter. 

b. By train - take a train from any station within the Klang Valley area and alight at the KLCC station.

The hollow space between the towers is linked by the Skybridge at Levels 41 and 42.