attractions in KL – Eris Goes To

Things To Do At Linc KL: Murals, Art And All Things Instagrammable

April 13, 2019February 10, 2021Posted in LifestyleTagged architecture, art, artsy space, attractions in KL, design, Featured, Instagrammable, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, retail, shopping, Southeast Asia, The Linc4 Comments

With Kuala Lumpur peppered with malls left, right and centre, do we really need another boxy, air-conditioned space with the same cookie-cutter brands?

The newly opened The Linc KL, however, offers a different experience. Tucked along Jalan Tun Razak, the artsy retail and creative space features a unique design, promising to connect visitors to ‘nature, community and human interaction’. N and I were in town recently, so we dropped by to check the place out.

The mall’s design is certainly not traditional. Aside from colourful murals and art installations, the space’s centre court features a giant Ficus Benjamina, or Ficus Tree, which can grow up to 30 metres high. The Linc’s specimen is massive, its large, twisting branches spreading to form a dense canopy three-storeys high.

Large and airy, the mall incorporates plenty of green (both real and aesthetic) into its design. Murals featuring flowers and foliage run the length of the walls, with artsy poetry to go along. There are also lots of spots with seats where people can just chill and take a break from the hustle and bustle of the city.

Retail-wise, there are plenty of independent and artisanal brands and cool eateries. Frangipani Bulk, a zero-waste store, is located on the ground floor, just across from Ben’s Independent Grocer. Other stores include Bendang Artisan, which carries handmade tableware and crockery, coffee place Bean Brothers, and Homes by Rahim x Nik, which sells locally-designed rattan furniture.

What most youngsters will enjoy is probably the Instagram-worthy art installations and murals scattered across the mall,

The Owl by Amarul Abdullah. All of the murals in the mall are done by local artists.

The piece-de-resistance – “Doves”, comprising 41,600 folded paper doves in 40 colours, hung from the ceiling to form a mesmerising curtain of shades.

Since the mall is pretty new, there isn’t yet much to do – but we’re looking forward to exploring more of the space once more tenants move in.

THE LINC KL

360, Jalan Tun Razak, KL.

Open Daily from 10am-10pm

Petrosains KLCC Revisited

October 13, 2018February 10, 2021Posted in Malaysia, Southeast Asia, TravelTagged attractions in KL, Featured, KL, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, places to visit in KL, science, technology1 Comment

The last time N was here, we didn’t have enough time to visit Petrosains @ KLCC, but we finally managed to go on his most recent visit. My last visit was four years ago and I remember complaining that most of the exhibits were the same as they were since 1999. This time around they’ve updated / added some sections – so kudos to the management for keeping things fresh and relevant!

It was a public holiday and it took us more than an hour just to get inside. Once in there though N was like an excited kid, running to each exhibit and wanting to try them all out.

The wind tunnel where you can experience wind speeds of up to 128kp/h

Heat sensing thermo camera.

At 70,000 sq ft, the science center is pretty large so allocate at least two hours to explore everything.

3D Hologram Projection of an astronaut, which looked as if the figure was floating in space.

For an additional fee, visitors can go on this rotating contraption to experience G-Force. N bravely decided to try it – and was spun in all directions – right side up, upside down – for a good minute or two as I cheered from the sidelines ha

The section dedicated to geology and how fossil fuels came to be features a life-sized T-Rex. It used to be able to sing.

They added a hanging bridge which connects one end of the circular hallway to the other.

PetroSains gets points for interactivity. Lots of science-related experiments and games to try your hand at!

How to connect the tunnels and gears to get a ping pong ball to drop to the bottom.

A liquid that reacts to force to form these odd crystal-like shapes.

Another section made to look like an oil platform. You can even try wearing the safety suits that the oil rig staff have to wear for a picture.

Attempting to align a pipe

Petronas was a major sponsor in Formula 1 until it ended its run here in MY two years ago – so there is still a section in Petrosains dedicated to it, which includes virtual racing car games and a life-sized replica of a Formula 1 racing car.

Another section which was new was done in a comics/art pop style, dedicated to educating youngsters about cyber bullying and the dangers of the Internet such as sexual predators – which I thought was extremely thoughtful and educational.

Bought a squishy from the store which I promptly destroyed within a day because I was constantly squishing it in my hand lol.

Entry to Petrosains is RM18.50 for Malaysians and RM28 for non-Malaysians.

Opening hours: 930AM – 5PM (last entry 4PM – weekdays) and 930AM – 630PM (weekends). Closed Mondays except on public holidays.

Visiting Pusat Sains Negara – The National Science Center, Kuala Lumpur

October 8, 2018Posted in Malaysia, Southeast Asia, TravelTagged attractions in KL, attractions in Malaysia, Featured, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, museum, National Science Center, science, travelLeave a comment

When I say it has been ages since I last visited Pusat Sains Negara, aka the National Science Centre, I meant AGES. Like 20 years. So I think I can be forgiven for having very fuzzy memories of the place lol.

Perched on top of a hill in Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur, the National Science Centre opened its doors in 1996, covering two levels of exhibition space. The original building was completely green, but it underwent a year-long refurbishment to update its exhibits and emerged with a rainbow-coloured exterior lol.

Parking is limited on weekends, but you can park your car across the road and walk over via a connecting bridge.

At the foot of the hill is a “Prehistoric Trail” featuring several dino statues. The kids (and some adults, lol) will probably love this!

Before venturing into the centre, do detour to check out the garden, which features enclosures housing critters like frogs, salamanders and scorpions. There is also a small pond with beautiful tropical water lilies. Love the purple!

Koi fish in hues of gold, white, red and black. The water ripple effect created a very picturesque shot even with my non-existent photo-taking skills lol

If you like butterflies, there are lots of them fluttering within the garden!

Entry to the center is RM6 for adults and RM3 for children. Unlike some tourist attractions that charge different rates for foreigners, the rates are the same here at PSN. Maybe it’s because most people visiting are locals anyway.

The entrance houses a tunnel aquarium with various fish, stingrays and other aquatic life.

The first themed gallery, dubbed Wonderspark, is dedicated to natural phenomena related to water, light and wind. There are many interactive (albeit simple imo) exhibits that you can try your hand at, such as this panel that lights up according to touch, and a ‘vacuum’ circuit/maze where you insert ping pong balls and try to move the ball towards various exits.

PS: I would recommend visitors to come on a weekday. While our visit was not entirely unpleasant, it was filled with screaming, out-of-control children and weak-ass parents who didn’t know how to talk to them about lining up, or being gentle with the exhibits.

The central hall has a playground and benches for people to rest on. The skylight made everything look really yellow lol.

Another gallery called Eureka, which was further split into several themed exhibitions such as Challenge Your Mind, Colour and Sound, Illusion and All About Numbers. We enjoyed doing the number puzzles, such as attempting (key word, attempting) to line up numbers 1-9 in a grid where everything totaled up to a certain number.

The Kids Discovery Place is all about building the minds of children, with fun, interactive and hands-on exhibits – because kids learn best when they’re experiencing things! Here you will find a maze of mirrors, this complicated looking circuit which lets you launch balls and watch as they roll down to the bottom, musical instruments such as xylophones and drums, and mini cranes which kids can try to operate.

There are more exhibits on the second level. Unfortunately I have no pictures of this section because I was too busy trying to reign in the Boy who decided to age 20 years backwards and run around like an excited child. The upstairs level was more of a mishmash of different disciplines, from chemistry to biology and physics.

For a mere RM6, I think the National Science Center is a great, educational place to take the kids. Granted, some of the exhibits may feel dated/worn out (even though they just reopened after their refurbishment) but I hope that they’ll continue to keep the place maintained well.

PUSAT SAINS NEGARA / NATIONAL SCIENCE CENTRE

Persiaran Bukit Kiara, Bukit Damansara, 50490 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Opening hours: (Tues – Sun) 9AM – 5PM, closed Mondays

Entrance fee: RM6 (adults), RM3 (children)

psn.gov.my

Getting There by Public Transport

There is a feeder bus (T818) from the Pusat Bandar Damansara MRT station which stops at PSN.

BONUS

Since we were so close to Publika, drove there for ice cream at Inside Scoop. 😀

I-City Shah Alam: A Neon Forest Of Lights And Fun (Revisited)

October 1, 2018Posted in Malaysia, Southeast Asia, TravelTagged attractions in KL, city, Featured, I-City, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, nightscapes, photography, Shah Alam, travel4 Comments

I-City in Shah Alam has become one of my ‘staple’ places to bring out-of-towners visiting KL. They’re usually impressed by the neon trees and overall atmosphere, which makes for great photos – so I took the Boy here on his last visit.

There are a few new additions to the place, but most of the attractions like the Horror House, Snow World, Wax Museum and the rides are still the same (and still overpriced, lol).

The main area features a cluster of trees and a fountain illuminated by changing neon lights.

Not sure if these were put up just for Halloween or if it’s part of a permanent decoration.

The forest of neon trees, modeled after Nami Island in South Korea (popularised by that old K-Drama Winter Sonata) is I-City’s main attraction, drawing many visitors to take photos and selfies. Last year, CNN Travel named it one of the brightest, most colourful places in the world. The best part is that entrance is absolutely free! (minus parking)

Within the ‘forest’ are various rides which you can go on for a fee; such as a double-storey carousel, a small (but fast moving!) swing ride, a pirate ship and more. The scariest, though, has to be:

… this. Dubbed the ‘Disco Ride’, the car rotates at high speeds up and down a bowl-shaped track. The Boy and I were supposed to go on this together, but after we paid and everything he decided he couldn’t (lol) so I rode on it alone. It was a good call on his part; because the ride was scary. Whenever it rode up to the top of the track it felt like I was going to fly off into the trees at any second lol. Maybe it also has something to do with getting old – I can’t go on amusement rides like I used to. I was a real rollercoaster junkie back in my college days.

These are new structures – they look like dandelions with very thin filaments. The effect was pretty magical!

The Ferris Wheel is always popular at any amusement park. There was a long line waiting to go on it so we gave it a miss.

There are also carnival games and smaller rides like bumper cars, which are more suitable for the kids.

Verdict: Although it’s not in the city center, I-City is a fun place to visit at night, if you have the time and want to go beyond the usual KLCC-KL Tower-Bukit Bintang attractions.

Best way to get here: The nearest KTM station is Padang Jawa, but I suggest getting a Grab. Public transport is not the best in the area, and taxis will most probably fleece you.

An Artsy Weekend @ Sunway Velocity Mall, Cheras – Commune + Sam Kan Chong

May 21, 2018May 20, 2018Posted in Food, LifestyleTagged art, attractions in KL, Commune, Featured, food, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, places to visit, shopping, shopping mall, Southeast Asia, Sunway Velocity Mall, travelLeave a comment

The weekend after the historic General Elections was a long one, so the Moomikins and I decided to go walk around at a mall. We drove a bit further to Sunway Velocity Mall, since Moomins had never been there before.

The mall was quiet; probably because everyone was still cautious about going out after GE. Shops here are mostly mid-end brands, like Charles & Keith, Pedro, Burtons, Birkenstock, MAC and Bobbi Brown, as well as those targeted for the mass market. One thing you won’t have a problem finding here is food – there are loads of restaurants, cafes and eateries from the lower ground right up to the top floor.

A new addition since my last visit: a giant lion sculpture made from metal!

What I like about Sunway Velocity? I feel like it genuinely promotes arts and culture through the inclusion of pieces like the above, alongside murals, installations and creative art works throughout. Makes the mall more aesthetically pleasing + more of a destination rather than just a place for pure shopping.

Lunch time! Had pork noodles at Sam Kan Chong, located within the mall’s Food Street, a food court-like establishment on the 4th floor.

Noodles a tad too soft, but portions were generous. Pork ‘balls’ were springy, the sausages were nicely spiced with five spice powder.

So good I ordered a separate plate 😀

Time to burn off the calories! We ventured up to the top floor, known as ‘Commune’. Boasting several cafes and creative tenants selling artisan goods, the space had a refreshingly open layout. The artsy element was even more pronounced here, with some shops sporting an ‘unfinished’, rustic look featuring boarded up windows and peeling paint.

A shop selling clothing, bags and socks.

As you stroll through the area, look out for various quirky touches, such as the creative murals and colourful carnival flags interspersed with exposed piping on the ceiling. Aside from cafes, there is also a vintage record shop here for collectors and enthusiasts.

Stopped by to look at projects done by some Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman architecture students, whereby they had to design an archway for the mall.

Reminded me of my own college days doing projects lol

Another mural on tiles, done on the side of a ramen place

Cute Japanese icons

Last but not least, we went to Muji, saw this and couldn’t pass up the chance to take a photo lol.

There are plenty of other things to do at the mall, especially if you have kids: indoor playgrounds, a Lego workshop place for children, a small indoor ice-skating rink. All in all a great place to hangout at over the weekend – I just wish it wasn’t so far away from my house. 😀

SUNWAY VELOCITY MALL

Lingkaran SV, Sunway Velocity, Jalan Cheras, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur