The Cultural show is held in their mini auditorium daily at 3pm (with the exception of Sundays)
A cultural show… That’s free, that is bursting with colour, music, costumes and dance, and that is right on our doorstep. Oh, and did I mention it’s free?!!I’m not convinced that I’m the only person to just be finding out about this, so I shall share the details here for ‘that day’ when you just need something different to keep little people entertained that doesn’t cost you a fortune!
The ladies performing the opening number…
MAT1C is the Malaysian Tourist Centre on Jalan Ampang and is incidentally stop No. 1 on the Hop on Hop off bus tour. Every day (with the exception of Sundays) there is a free performance that starts at 3pm and lasts approximately 1 hour. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect but I can tell you now that my 6 year old twins are asking when we can go again! With costume changes galore, it was beautiful seeing all the different outfits.
The show is held in their mini auditorium and you will be greeted by some of the performers at the door. Upon entering there’s a live band playing as you pick your seats and settle in for the performance. After a quick introduction and a video showing Malaysia’s top tourist hotspots, you will be taken on a 45-minute journey of traditional dances from all over Malaysia.
The Tari Inai Dance performed by the male dancers
Costumes will sparkle, your feet will be tapping, and the infectious energy from the dance troupe will have you smiling along to their routines.
A beautiful Chinese Dance
With the classics from Malay history, a selection of Chinese and Indian dances, a tribal inspired tribute from Borneo, there was really a good mix of styles to watch.
A tribal-inspired dance from Borneo, popular in Sarawak and Sabah.
The story and origins of the dances are told on the screen behind the performers so I felt well informed after it was all over, but it was seeing just how much the performers loved what they were doing that made it so very special. The lights, the colours, the music; it’s really a lovely little show that kept us all entertained.
There’s an opportunity at the end of the show to go up on stage, dance, and have your photos taken with the performers for those who wish, if not there’s enough to do elsewhere on the MAT1C grounds if you fancy a wander; from the Cocoa Boutique (yes, you can sample the chocolate!) to a cafe, restaurant, gift shop, cute gardens outside and not forgetting all the tourist info they have on site that you can pick up and take with you. these giant colourful masks were a great hit with my two children. They were in fits of giggles!
So, did you all know about this cultural show?! If not, please pop along, give your support and enjoy the performance! S x
The entire cast at the end of the show; with the opportunity of photos on stage with them
There are plenty of options in Kuala Lumpur when it comes to finding something indoors to keep your active little people busy! Over the past 6 months, I (well, when I say “I”, I mean my 5 year old twins with me as their accompanying adult!!) have tried and tested soft play centres around the city. At the time of writing this review (February 2016) all information is correct and all facilities are open and up and running!To help you know which is best for you and which ones we think are worth trying out, here’s our top pick of KL soft play centres in malls but I’m sure I’ll have a few more to add in time 😉
1) Jungle Gym at Atria Shopping Gallery1) This centre only opened in 2015 and really is the one to beat.
Hard to fault with such a massive play space for all ages which includes the main play structure, a football court, sand play, a cinema, arts n crafts area and more.
2) MegaKidz at Mid Valley MegaMall2) This place boasts the tallest tubular slide in the city and was a big hit with my two! With a large climbing structure, a bouncy castle, cinema and a separate area for toddlers, it’s a really nice option.
3) Star Light Kidz at Avenue K3) This is another new one that opened in 2015.
With a space theme, everything is galactic, from the shoot out court to rockets and dimmed lighting it will make you think you are orbiting in space!
An original option with a separate toddler area and cafe.
4) Jungle Gym & Roller Sports World at Bangsar Shopping Centre (BSC)4) The original Jungle Kids which still offers a great play area for all ages. As a bonus, they have a skating arena should you want to get your skates on!
5) Kid’s E World at IPC Mall5) The under 4’s have their very own play space outside in the foyer of the mall with ride-ons, a ball pool and a sand pit.
For the older ones they can get to grips with some impressive slides, climbing structures and a balloon pit which always attracts a crowd! We were nicely surprised by this one….
6) Kid’s E World at The Gardens Mall6) The kingdom of inflatables awaits you here! Get past the giant blow up animals and get to grips with the main play structure, slides and mini basketball arena.
7) The Adventure Maze at The Explorer Gym (1′ Mont Kiara Shopping Mall)7) An original idea in that it is all made of natural materials – wood and ropes make up this interesting play maze complete with flying fox. Already very reasonably priced, look out for their online promotions which will give you a reduced rate and unlimited play time!
8) Kiz Sports and Gym at Great Eastern Mall8) A soft play centre for the younger ones with an array of slides, climbing equipment and ball pools. They also offer a number of classes from gymnastics and dance to arts n craft and martial arts.
9) J Kids Playground at Publika9) A fairly small centre more focused to the under 5’s that offers a main climbing structure but also an area for building with blocks and an artificial sand pit that turned out to be a real favourite with everyone we saw!
10) Kiz Sports and Gym at Main Place Mall in Subang10) The most recent of the Kiz Sports & Gym centres located in Main Place Mall in Subang.
Offering a lovely little section for the smaller tots, as well as the big equipment for the older children, you can even get in a bit of practise at wall climbing.
They run a pre-school in the morning and after school activities in the afternoon which include gymnastics, ballet, taekwondo and kindermusik. Attending any of these activities gives you free access to the play area before or after your class!
So there you have it, now all you need to do is go out and try them for yourselves 😉 Let me know if you have any other soft play centres that I haven’t mentioned so that my two can give them a try!
Even when you live somewhere, sometimes it’s nice to go out and truly ‘play the tourist’!So when we recently had a long weekend here in KL, the one thing my children really wanted to do was the ‘Hop on Hop off’ bus!
Our ‘easy to spot’ double decker bus for our Hop on Hop off city tour of KL
With 23 stops around the city covering most of the obvious tourist attractions such as The KL Tower, Petronas Towers and the Botanic Gardens, the bus also takes you a little further afield to the National Museum and the National Palace.
Stop No. 2: The infamous KL Tower. Go up to the observation deck or choose to wander around the grounds and tackle the canopy walk in the KL Forest Eco Park below.
Shopping opportunities and eateries are also taken care of and it’s guaranteed you’ll find a few stops that you didn’t even know existed!
Stop No. 7: Tengkat Tong Shin has become a hub for travellers with many guest houses and hotels. It also has a great choice of clubs, pubs, restaurants and cafes on the neighbouring Changkit Bukit as pictured above. Definitely a good spot to grab a bite and enjoy the vibe.
We stopped off at the likes of China Town and Central Market to enjoy a wander around both and take in the sights and sounds.
A stop at China Town and the infamous Petaling Street was a must!
We also made the most of a long stop at Merdeka Square which not only offers a walk around the colonial part of the city but also houses the new Music Museum, the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery and the now iconic I ❤️ KL statue that makes for a great photo opportunity!
I really love Merdeka Square, and always truly admire the architecture
A stop at the Lake Gardens is always nice and has so much else to offer in the vicinity that you could spend a whole day here and do nothing else! From the Butterfly Park and the Planetarium, to the likes of the Deer Park and Orchid Gardens within the Botanical Gardens it really is worth a stop.
The Lake Garden (Perdana Botanical Gardens) is just perfect and has so much to offer.
Just next door to the Lake Gardens stop, you have the KL Bird Park which we loved and would definitely recommend.
If you have time, KL Bird Park really is a big favourite with the whole family.
The buses offer two decks; with the lower one being fully enclosed and air-conditioned. The upper deck has both a closed section and an open-top front half so you can make the best of both worlds and enjoy the views from upstairs. An entire tour on the bus (should you decide not to get off on any of the stops) will take you approximately 2.15 hours and I have to admit that we did that at one stage on the first day and loved it; we’d said the little ones could stay up late and do the tour of the city by night so with a nice breeze in the air on the upper deck it was great to see the city come alive as night fell
Stay on the bus until 8pm and watch the city light up
There’s generally a member of ground staff at each stop so you can check when the next bus is due and even buy tickets from them. Children 5 and below are free of charge and an adult ticket is 45RM but should you buy online, you get a 5RM reduction per ticket. We were given great maps which gave an overview of the stops and other attractions in the area and were impressed by the tour itself. I will say though, that they only have 6 buses in circulation the buses aren’t that frequent. They say they’re about 30/40 minutes apart but if you really want to make the next bus, check with the ground staff as to just far out the next bus is to ensure you get your timings right and can make the most of your time
Titiwangsa is one of our favourite parks in KL and the bus stops just outside Istana Budaya which is just a short walk away
If you want a day where you don’t have to worry about driving and parking in the city and wanna sit back and see the city at the same time, then this is a lovely way to pass your time. And of course if you really are a tourist, there’s no better way to get a feel for the city and its highlights than via one of these fab Hop on Hop off buses 😉 S x
Shopping opportunities at Central Market with two floors of jewellery, clothes, handicrafts and souvenirs…
Petrosains: clearly not a new kid on the block but it is a popular tourist attraction for both the young and old for a very good reason!Although this is one of the obvious places to visit with children, we’d never done it! Why? Because if I’m honest, I always see queues of people waiting to get in and that has always put me off! Petrosains on the 4th floor of Suria KLCC
However, fear not! I can now confirm that a) the queue is worth it, and b) the queue is only to get in; once you are inside, the place is so huge that you don’t queue again for anything – phew!
Located in Suria KLCC at the Petronas Towers, this Science Discovery Centre is the definition of ‘hands-on’ and will guarantee you hours of uninterrupted fun. Your little ‘oil-drop’ car that will take you on a journey into the discovery centre itself
The queue to get in is caused by the fact that you wait to take your very own oil-drop car on a darkened railway track that transports you slowly through images of the Malaysian rainforest and mountains accompanied by a sound and light show which finally arrives at the entrance to the centre. The most hands-on experience you will find in KL! Once inside you get to wander at your own pace and to discover a never-ending display of experiments and interactive exhibits. It’s me! become an astronaut during your visit!
With different zones to experience you get to learn about space, walk through a world of dinosaurs and volcanoes, understand the workings of an oil rig and test run your way on to the Petronas Racing circuit 😉
Take a walk on the wild side and explore a time when dinosaurs roamed the earth There are helpful staff stationed around the different activities who guide you through certain experiments or give science demonstrations. Watching an experiment and learning all about flames There’s a 3D cinema, a children’s play zone, a cafe and a fun gift shop with original toys, books and souvenirs, and so much more. On your marks, get set, GO! Take a spin in a Petronas racing car! Don’t make the mistake of thinking you’ll pop in for a quick visit – cos you’ll be there for hours!!! We’ve finally experienced what Petrosains has to offer and can understand all the hype! A very worthwhile visit, S x Check out their racing cars at the end of the exhibition
Thean Hou Temple is somewhere that I’ve mentioned a bit recently due to them holding the Lantern Festival for Chinese New Year.
Thean Hou Temple in all its glory for CNY
However, this temple is a popular tourist attraction even when we’re not in the midst of festivities and thanks to a fun garden and a tortoise pond, it is also a really big hit with children!
Taking in the view over the city and admiring all the lanterns
A traditional Chinese temple sat on a hill with views over to the modern city of KL gives a great contrast. Add to that the colours, the incense burning, and several levels of architecture to explore, it’s a really interesting stop.
Getting involved in Chinese traditions and loving it!
When my two were there and they saw all the action they wanted to join in so were eager to give a donation and burn their incense sticks before going inside to see what was happening.
Getting involved in Chinese traditions but being very careful not to get burnt!
Outside they have a garden with statues depicting the 12 Chinese Zodiac animals which the little ones will undoubtedly enjoy seeing.
The garden hosts all twelve of the zodiac animals in colourful statues.
Then head out to the back of the temple where you can find the Tortoise Pond with literally hundreds and hundreds of tortoises roaming around!
The Tortoise Pond (and herb garden) will be a big hit with the little ones!
This temple is definitely worth a visit and keeps the little ones entertained as well.
More colours from these gorgeous little trees
Of course, right now, they are still lighting the lanterns from about 6.45 every evening which really is a must-see event.
As night falls, the lanterns are switched on and they light the temple to perfection
I don’t know how many lanterns they’ve put up but rows and rows of red lanterns light the way up the hill and then the whole temple just glows from every angle and it’s just stunning. Definitely get up there to see this if you haven’t yet been, S x
Countless lanterns that need to be seen at Chinese New Year
Suria KLCC has switched from its stunning Christmas tree to this beautiful red lantern display for Chinese New Year. If you haven’t yet caught one of their many shows in celebration of CNY then please make sure you do!
Although they have their staging set up inside on the lower floor, there are a number of events that take place out on the KLCC Esplande which, although a little warm, gives a great new perspective on things.
Getting up close and personal during the Acrobatic Lion Dance this weekend
Performances started running back on the 19th of January and will continue until the 9th of February.
Some of the younger performers at the Wushu display.
Times differ slightly daily but look out for their Acrobatic Lion Dance, their Wushu Display, the 12-Drums Performance and music from a Traditional Chinese Orchestra.
Compelling viewing as the Wushu performers take to the stage
We caught their Acrobatic Lion Dance and the Wushu display of martial arts this weekend and kids both young and old really enjoyed it all.
When martial art becomes a dance form (or vice versa) She was fantastic!
I’ll add a photo of their schedule should you wish to catch a performance before the festivities come to an end. S x
The programme of activities for CNY at Suria KLCC 2016
Putrajaya, the administrative capital of Malaysia is somewhere that I knew very little about so with a long weekend upon us, we figured we’d head over there on a day trip. First impressions? My goodness, it’s clean! I mean, clean beyond a fault …. and modern and sleek and immaculate. From the perfectly clipped hedges that line the roads to gleaming floor tiles outside the main attractions, it is hauntingly perfect.
But there’s also a lot of things to do and I fear that from a tourist point of view, the city has been seriously over-looked.
Our first stop of the day was Cruise Tasik Putrajaya and a tour on the lake.
Only a 35 minute drive from KL, it’s well sign-posted and easy to find. As I wanted to fit in as much as possible into our day trip, I’d done a fair bit of research so knew that I wanted to start our day with a cruise on the man-made Putrajaya Lake. Cruise Tasik Putrajaya operate a number of boating options from 30-minute tours, to dinner cruises and day trips so it’s best to see which option suits you best.
The boat trip will give you a great over-view of the city.
We went for their ‘Early Bird’ Cruise which runs from 10am (on weekends and bank holidays). The tour gave us a nice overview of the city as well as some background info on this ‘planned’ city, and there were loads of photo opportunities along the way.
Once the tour is underway you can move to the front of the boat or go up on the top deck.
I have to say that we found the cruise company very professional, timely and the boats were very modern and clean. We were greeted by a member of the crew and given a bottle of water for the trip, we had a tour guide who gave us commentary to start the excursion and the captain even posed for photos with my son which absolutely made his day!
The bridges that are quite iconic are impressive as you pass beneath them
After our cruise we visited the ‘Pink Mosque’ (officially known as Putra Mosque but the colour is so impressive that I prefer the former name!). You get a lovely view of the mosque from the boat but you can also go in and visit it.
This is the view of the Pink Mosque from the boat as you head back to the terminal.
As a place of worship, you need to be appropriately dressed to get past the main inner court of the mosque but there is a kiosk manned by a couple of ladies who will loan you a hooded cloak solely for the purpose of your visit.
Dressed and ready to take a closer look at this interestingly colourful mosque
The mosque is immaculate with the shiniest of floor tiles and lovely little bonsai-type trees planted in troughs around the court.
looking inside the mosque proved to be just as colourful as the exterior
Once you’ve reached the doors and taken your shoes off you get a small glimpse inside where the pink theme will continue. You don’t need to set aside a lot of time for the visit but you can do a walk around the perimeter which will again give you some lovely views out over the water and the city.
The view as seen from taking a walk around the Putra Mosque. Pictured here is the Prime Minister’s Office
The visit was short enough for the children not to get bored and even if they had have done, there’s a playground just at the base of the steps (basically between the mosque and the cruise terminal) which is covered and close to a row of coffee shops and eateries so it makes a nice stop off for families.
If the little ones are in need of a break from the tourist attractions, this playground should help!
In the afternoon we left ourselves open to do a bit of walking and visit a couple of parks. Options around the city include The Wetlands, Taman Putra Perdana and the Botanical Gardens to name but a few.
The views over the city from Taman Putra Perdana
Taman Putra Perdana is an extremely large park sat up on a hill behind the Prime Minister’s Office; if in doubt, follow the signs for the Shangri-La Hotel. Not sure whether it was because it was a long weekend but the park was deserted!
The playground which is one of the first things you’ll come across after parking your car
With beautifully kept gardens, flowers, a children’s playground and more park benches then they must get visitors in a whole month, it was a shame to think that no-one else was making use of the space. We took along the little ones scooters and we’ve done quite a decent tour of the place but don’t expect to find anywhere selling drinks etc so take your drinks and snacks with you!
The entrance way to the Botanical Gardens
The Botanical Gardens is just minutes away from the other attractions and well sign posted. When we were there it was yet again an example of somewhere that seemed a little bit forgotten about as I we only passed one other family walking around!
Enjoying a very welcome bit of shade in this pretty tunnel
However this meant we could enjoy the views and the different zones at our own pace.
Two little people found the African section very interesting as they ran up and over all of these mini hills!
From a Sun Garden complete with giant sun dial to their African and Asia-Pacific Collections, we had a nice wander around before settling in at their Lakeside Cafe for drinks on a very hot and humid day!
Views from the Botanical Gardens
We enjoyed our day in Putrajaya; depending on just how much time you want to spend there I would perhaps suggest doing a longer cruise than we did as this was certainly a winner with our twins and then you can see just how much energy has left to tackle the parks and beyond! Definitely a far cry from the busy tourist spots of KL, this will make for a refreshing change to the pace of life that most of us are used to. S x
Parks and gardens were deserted but it was a lovely day trip
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