Bringing fun to Christmas in Kuala Lumpur: Top Picks

I love Christmas in the tropics, it’s all our two children know! But if you’re going to be in KL for the festivities this year and are searching for something a little bit different to do, take a look at this little collection that I’ve put together.If you’re feeling home sick for cooler temperatures, or feel like you need to add a little bit more sparkle to your celebrations, try some of these suggestions, perfect for the whole family, that will really get you in the mood for Christmas! Enjoy, S x

SnoWalk at I-City, Shah Alam: If sub-zero temperatures are your thing, SnoWalk at I-City is definitely for you!! With slides and slopes, glowing igloos, and colourful sculptures, this will certainly make it feel a bit more like winter! But…. Wrap up warm! While big coats are given at the entrance, you’ll still need a few layers, and closed shoes! Brrrrr!

The City of Digital Lights, Shah Alam:

SnowWorld at Genting Highlands:

Little Kingdom, Madju Junction:

The Royale Ice Skating Rink:

A family visit to Chamang Waterfall, Malaysia

If you enjoy going a little bit off the beaten track, this little place is a great one to add to your things to do, especially as it is also extremely family-friendly!  
Chamang waterfall is in Bentong, approximately 70km from KL, which makes it easy to manage on a day trip.

  

We are an adventurous family and do quite a lot of hiking with the children, but with this waterfall you needn’t worry about any difficult climbing to reach it – on the contrary, you can drive right up to it and I guarantee you will be astounded by the sound of gushing water as you park your car! Yes, you are that close to the action!

  

Although it can get busy on weekends, this is the ideal spot for spending some time outdoors, having a picnic and enjoying the scenery. While caution will be needed in the fast running water, there are lots of rock pools that are safe, and there is even a little sandy cove perfect for little people to have a paddle in!

  

There are rows of different market sellers offering food and drinks along the river banks, as well as toilets and changing facilities so you don’t need to worry too much about anything! Make the most of the area by taking the suspended bridge and having a walk along the river; its a lovely little spot! 

  

Access to the waterfall really couldn’t be any easier and it’s free to enter. We just paid a minimal fee to park our car. A good place to visit when escaping city life for a bit 😉 Enjoy, S x

  

Free Kids activities this weekend at The Weld, KL

Lots of FREE activities happening this coming weekend at The Weld on Jalan Raja Chulan in the Ampang area.  
I don’t know this shopping centre but it does look like they’ve got a nice family event happening on Saturday from 11am to 5pm if you haven’t already got plans!  
Enjoy, S x

The Weld KL

The Japanese Village and Botanical Garden to explore in Berjaya Hills

As promised, I’ll continue with our little visit to Berjaya Hills and our stop at their Botanical Garden and Japanese Village. 
 

Once you’re on the grounds of the Colmar Tropicale Resort, access to both places is complimentary so we thought we’d check them out! 

  

Wandering little winding paths, and jumping on stepping stones was a great way back to nature in the rainforest that sprawls over the area. 

  
The Japanese Village is set around a central Tea House that has Tea Ceremonies throughout the day and is surrounded by well-kept gardens with rocks and water features. It’s a nice little place to explore and you can even hire traditional Kimonos for a photo opportunity.

  
The Botanical Garden just opposite is quite rustic (and if I’m honest a little bit hilly so not ideal for push chairs etc!) but was a great adventure for the little ones who ran off to explore and revel in the pretty flowers!

  
While it may not be a ‘typical’ Botanical Garden, it was a nice little walk  and an opportunity to get some some fresh, get back to nature, and see the little ones running off to find the next path to take and happily leading the way!

 
Both of these are free to access once you are on site and there are more activities to do (such as a petting zoo, farm, canopy walk, horse riding etc) although these do incurr an additional fee. Either way, Berjaya Hills makes a very nice day trip from KL, so if you haven’t already tried it, maybe now would be a good time! S x

Colmar Tropicale; a little bit of France in Malaysia!

Hidden up in Berjaya Hills is the French themed resort “Colmar Tropicale”

Taking in the views! Colmar Tropicale as seen from above!

Why a replica of this quaint little town was built in such a place is still a question I ask myself but, having lived in the real Colmar in the East of France, I can say that the architecture is so extremely spot on, it’s frightening! More than that, it makes a great little day trip from KL.

Walk cobbled streets through colourful houses, climb the tower to get great views over the region, and see the swans that swim around the moat before you grab a drink or lunch on one of the many terraces.

There are a number of cafes and restaurants although I would love to see more specialities from the region to make it even more authentic!

A little drawbridge and a moat with swans are part of your little tour around ‘Colmar’

You pay a small entrance fee to enter the grounds (unless you’re staying overnight at their hotel) and after that there is an array of free (and payable) activities to try out! I’ll bring you another post on some of those next time 😉 But if you fancy a change of scenery from the city skyscrapers, a little trip here makes an original choice and is less than an hour away from Kuala Lumpur! S x

Wandering around this replica of the French town of Colmar means lots of colours and nice gardens to enjoy.

 

‘Family Favourite’ Museums in Kuala Lumpur

We are extremely lucky here in Malaysia to have so many museums right on our doorstep. Not only do they offer an interactive way of learning, but they can be fun for all the family, and more often than not, completely free of charge…. Something that is rare in my home country! From the National Textile Museum, to the KL Music Museum to, of course, The National History Museum, there’s just so many to choose from.

We have visited quite a few and found some to be so perfect for families that I thought I’d share our favourite museums with you…. In hope that it inspires you to go and take a little look for yourselves! S x
The Royal Malaysian Police Museum:  
The Royal Malaysian Police Museum is a lovely place located on the outskirts of the Botanic Gardens in KL. The grounds outside are adorned with tanks, cannons, a plane, and boat and lots more for the children to explore. Afterwards take a trip inside to take a walk back through time and see how the Malaysian Police Force came about. There are displays of uniforms and weapons and also a couple of short films to watch.

Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery: 
Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery was a lovely little find although probably not the obvious choice for families. However, we found it to be interactive for the children with colouring stations, touch screen games, block puzzles and places to stamp your own cheques. When we visited they had a special Children’s exhibit running which was just amazing so definitely watch out for further events. Access is free and there’s a huge coffee shop downstairs perfect for a stop afterwards.

Amy Museum, Port Dickson:

 
On a day trip to Port Dickson we stumbled across this museum (also known as Muzium Tentera Darat) and I’m so glad we did as it was the absolute highlight of our day and, if i’m honest, is probably my favourite museum of all! We were so impressed by the array of army vehicles that they have on display outdoors and spent a long time walking around before heading for the indoor exhibit. Once inside you get to see the history of the army and the uniforms etc, but a really great feature was the underground tunnel that they’ve built – really fun with the little people! Once again, it is completely free to enter the museum. 

Maritime Museum (Malacca/Meleka):

 

Muzium Samudera, far better known as the Maritime Museum (Malaysia) in Malacca is hard to miss with the impressive Portuguese Ship, a replica of the Flora de al Mar, that stands proudly on the river banks. The ship itself houses a couple of floors of exhibition which you can climb around and explore, before hitting the rest of the museum. A must-see if in this gorgeous city. Entrance fee was just 5RM for adults, the children (under 8’s if I remember correctly) for free.

Free activities all this month at the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

The month of November is looking great! Just look at all these FREE activities that are being held in the Children’s Library of the Islamic Arts Museum here in KL.  
Every Saturday and Sunday afternoon, families with children aged 12 and below are invited to join in the fun and each weekend there’s a different theme to enjoy. Such a great idea from one of the most popular museums in the city – love it! S 

Postcards from Around Malaysia : Malacca

With so many diverse and beautiful spots scattered around Malaysia, most of the time you don’t even need to get on a plane to discover something new. In a year of living in KL we have taken such pleasure in visiting the rest of the country so I thought I’d put together a set of postcards of some of our favourite spots, featuring one place at a time.

To start with, one of our absolute favourites; Malacca. But over the weeks I will bring you snippets from Penang, Taman Negarah, Ipoh, Langkawi and more… So watch this space! S x

  

Malacca: So rich in culture, colours and child-friendly venues it’s the perfect Malaysian getaway and just a 2-hour drive from KL. While some may say you can do it in a day trip, I love the city so much and feel there are enough things to see (and do!) that it warrants at least two days to explore!

Whether travelling with children or not, don’t miss out on:

A Melaka River Cruise

Wandering around the colonial district, Christ Church and Dutch Square

The Maritime Museum

A visit to the A’Famosa Fortress and St. Paul’s Church

A ride on a colourful Trishaw (by night is surreal!)

A walk down Jonker Street and experiencing the night market

The Floating Mosque
Other places that may be of interest but that we didn’t personally try are:

Menara Saming Tari (Revolving Tower)

Mini Malaysia & ASEAN Cultural Park

Melaka Zoo and Night Safari

Upside Down House Gallery 

The Pirate Adventure

Getting back to nature in Kuala Lumpur: A FRIM family day.

Great news – the Canopy Walkway at FRIM is open again!!

Photo Credit: Forest Research Institute Malaysia

For anyone looking to get back to nature, the Forest Research Institute Malaysia is definitely for you!

With nature walks galore, a waterfall perfect for picnics, and bicycles for hire, it means you can escape the city for the day and be transported to the depths of the forest.

When we were last there, the canopy walk was closed having been damaged in a storm last year, but the main attraction has finally re-opened! I have to say that having the 150-metre walkway back in operation is definitely a reason to return! Set 30 metres above the ground you get some amazing views! Just be aware that, due to safety reasons, the canopy walkway does close in bad weather and they only allow access to a limited amount of people per day when it’s operational. Open to the public from 9.30am until 2.30pm (closed on Fridays) it is best to call in advance to reserve your places to avoid any disappointment!
If scrambling along rope bridges at great heights isn’t your thing (!) there are many other ways to make the most of FRIM. We loved just walking around, paddling in rock pools, touring a little lake and discovering some deserted railway tracks.

The reserve is also home to a phenomenon called ‘Crown Shyness, a special sort of formation in the trees which meant our two children were dashing off trying to find ‘broccoli trees’ on all the different trails!

For Malaysian citizens/MyKad holders, you only pay 1RM to enter (children under 12 are free but they charge 5.30RM for your car to enter the reserve) so it’s a lovely family outing that doesn’t cost a fortune!

An example of ‘Crown Shyness’ that the little ones found along the way!

Happy exploring! S x