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PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS
Kuala Lumpur's most famous landmark is the 1,483-foot (452-meter) Petronas Twin Towers. The 88-floor buildings were constructed in 1998 by American architect Cesar Pelli. For six years they were the world's tallest buildings (Taipei 101 now holds the title). They were designed in keeping with Islamic patterns. That was achieved by using geometric art – such as squares, hexagons, octogons.... The Arabesque octagons at the top of each tower are part of that form. Halfway up, a sky bridge connects the two towers. From a distance this makes them look like a pair of humongous rockets about to be launched into outer space.

VISITING THE PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS
On a clear night, all lit up, the twin towers are absolutely beautiful. The only problem is that you can’t go inside then. In fact, there are very strict rules about visiting. The skybridge is open to all visitors, and passes are free. However, there is a limit of 1,300 tickets a day. These are usually handed out before noon, and reservations are not accepted. To avoid waiting in a long line, arrange for your hotel to get you passes. If they refuse, ask the bellman to do so. I’m sure he’d be happy to do (for a small amount of money).

THE SKYBRIDGE
Our time slot was 1 p.m. We thought we would just cruise up and down and be on with our day, but that was not possible. First, visitors are asked to wait in a room filled with information about the towers. When our time slot was called we were given a colored pass. Then everyone went into a small theatre to watch a documentary, until we were summoned. The film does not start when you walk in; it runs continuously. Other groups were in there as well. The only good part is that the seats are comfortable. When we were finally called 20 minutes later (it felt like 2 hours), it was time to go through airport- like security -- except this was tighter. I was shocked when we were led to the most sterile elevator I’ve ever seen. I thought a structure as magnificent as this would have a better-looking elevator. Fortunately, it takes only a few seconds to reach the sky bridge, located on the 41st and 42nd floors. The 41st floor is for visitors (that’s as high as they can go), while the 42nd floor is only for employees. The sky bridge is 557 feet (170 meters) off the ground, and 190 feet (58 meters) long. When clear, the view is very nice. It might look familiar, because it was shown in the 1999 movie "Entrapment" starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sean Connery. Visiting hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, except Mondays. For more information on tickets, surf to this website: Petronas.com.my

KUALA LUMPUR CITY CENTER (KLCC)
Connected to Petronas’ Twin Towers is the Suria KLCC (Kuala Lumpur City Centre), one of the biggest malls in Southeast Asia. The bright, crescent-shaped six-level structure features over 200 shops (including Tiffany’s), three department stores, movie theatres, and a monster food court with over 1,500 seats. I felt like I was in a really nice mall back home, because the prices were just as expensive – if not more. Except for the food, that is – it was ridiculously inexpensive. A huge plate of Indian food cost me roughly $2.50. I also had a snow cone (under a dollar), and a couple of glasses of fresh- squeezed watermelon juice for $1 each. There was even an Auntie Anne’s Pretzels, a common sight in American airports, except here the prices were two-thirds lower. Outside the mall, a 50-acre park offers water fountains, a kiddy playground and a jogging track. The entire complex, including the towers, is owned by Petronas (short for Petroliam Nasional Berhad), a Malaysian government-owned oil and gas company that operates in 31 countries (and has deep pockets).

LUNA BAR
If you want a place with great views for drinks or dinner, try the Luna Bar. I didn’t eat there, but I did lounge around on both floors of the bar. At 34 stories up it’s almost the same view as from the Petronas, but from here you can see one of the towers – a much nicer sight. The only problem is that you only see one of the towers. Visitors come here for the view and the atmosphere, because service is slow, the mixed drinks don’t taste too good, and it’s much more expensive than most places (drinks start at 20 RM [$5]). But I highly recommend it, especially if you can score a romantic windowside niche – you’re set for the night. On weekends after 9:30 p.m., expect to pay a 50 RM ($14) cover charge (it includes a drink). I told you Malaysia was inexpensive! Luna Bar, Menara PanGlobal 34F, Jalan Punchak (off Jl P. Ramlee), tel.: 60-3-2026-2211.

VIDEO
Here’s a 2-minute Johnny Jet Video of my trip to Kuala Lumpur (including my flight over). It's on YouTube, so it only takes a few seconds to load (though the quality is not crisp). All JohnnyJet Videos ever made are on their servers as well.

NEXT WEEK
Next week we get out of the city, and fly to the Malaysian coast!

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Happy Travels,
Johnny Jet

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Pictures From

The Trip

Drive To Towers

Petronas Twin Towers

By Night

Holding Room

Sky Bridge

View From Bridge

KLCC

A Petronas Gas Station

Luna Bar

View From Luna Bar

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