Truly Manilaysia: The man from Manila goes to Malaysia
The best things in life are often unexpected.
And for this moment, this was my adventure in Malaysia. A brave hop on a plane and after a few hours you can see another new face of Asia. Malaysia embodies the multi-faceted spirit of our continent.
Kuala Lumpur is the sparkling jewel of this intriguing country which is a melting pot of diverse ethnicities, home to yummy, spicy cuisine and a beautiful mélange of both old and new world. One hop aboard AirAsia Zest and I was in the city of Zen, from Manila to Malaysia, KL.
Going around this city was like a mobile spa treatment. One side of town, you have the peaceful and majestic Putrajaya, a city within a city filled with culturally inspired architecture that best represents what the Malaysians are all about — deeply spiritual, proud of their heritage and progressive thinkers. The city and its people exude a certain serenity, and you can feel their happiness from within. Walk around Putrajaya and have your photo taken at the Wawasan Bridge. From there, you’ll have the best view of the Masjid Putra or Putra Mosque (or simply, the Pink Mosque). Even from afar, you’ll already feel the magic in the air, like the mosque is silently embracing you and humming a lullaby.
Another side of the city, aside from the bustling Bukit Bintang and the nearby designer emporium districts, is the Jalan Masjid India, a shopping haven for arts and crafts and everything in between. Shopping in Malaysia is cheap; there are a lot of good finds in both high and low end stores. My newfound friend Zuhairah Abdullah Abas of Tourism Malaysia, a beautiful Filipina Muslim woman, played host and tour guide as well.
Visit Malaysia Year
Each day was an amazing race of new discoveries, food finds and spectacular views. Of course, there is the Istana Negara or the National Palace, where we observed the changing of the national guards and took hundreds of pictures at the Palace’s gates, true Pinoys that we are. On the modern front there is the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery, a “must visit” in my book for those who love to see urban planning at its best.
Inside the museum, they have miniature, lit-up versions of the city in all of its splendor, with replicas of buildings and structures that the city is envisioning for their future. One look and you know that they mean business and they are gearing up for future forward progress while keeping their culture intact.
For the kids both little and grown-up, there is the Red Carpet Wax Museum, where you get to snap away with your favorite celebrities and global figures, all lifelike wax figures. I whispered some tech advice to Bill Gates, shared life lessons with the Dalai Lama and kicked Bruce Lee’s butt all in one morning!
Walking distance to the wax museum is the Tricks Art Museum also at I-City. Here, you’ll find optical illusions where you, as the viewer, become very much a part of the artwork. Talk about interactive art. I’ve always been a photo bug, but this time I think I went all out. It doesn’t help that I was traveling with husband and wife photo and video team Alvin Conroy and Klay Tan, who have no qualms in capturing every moment. Add to that fellow game subjects Tessa Prieto-Valdes and G Tongi and what do you have? An overflowing photo album, countless hashtags and priceless memories.
When in KL, you must have Malaysian food. Spicy food is one of my life’s great joys and this city has it in every nook and cranny. When in KL, go to Madam Kwan’s for food porn. I swear you’ll salivate over and over again. There are many food emporiums and side streets where the yummiest and the spiciest coexist, but that food trip deserves another article.
Of course, you can’t talk about Malaysia without mentioning the legendary Petronas Towers. Yes, you’ve seen the postcard, observed the photos but there’s nothing like seeing it with your own eyes: standing in front of its gigantic structure and being inside this Malaysian landmark is a different high, literally. No wonder many a Hollywood hero has flown across its mighty, metal manmade wonder.
I met the man who coined the slogan “Malaysia, Truly Asia” and the people who run the country’s tourism industry and I just had to applaud them for capturing the spirit of their country with just two words.
Expectations exceeded.
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More trips and tips at and on Instagram, too. Check out the hashtag#VisitMalaysia2014.
