The Vigor of Malaysia : KL Sentral and Genting Highlands

July 22, 2013. Monday. Coming all the  way from Bangkok, up North of Malaysia, we arrived at the KL Sentral station via KTM. KL Sentral is the main hub of Malaysian trains. All routes around Malaysia originates at KL Sentral. Roaming around Malaysia has become so easy since transportation in the country is well designed.

Inside KL Sentral Station.

It was still very early, around 6:00AM when we arrived at KL Sentral. It was an 8-hour train ride from Butterworth in a comfortable night sleeper car. For backpackers like us, you can take advantage of the bathroom in the station. Also, KL Sentral offers electronic lockers for your bags, rates varies according to size of lockers. Rates are from RM10 to RM25 for the entire day (until 11PM).

But when doing the math, if we take 3 lockers for our bags, it would have cost us much. So, we decided to just proceed to our hotel and see if we could avail an early check in. 

For rent electronic lockers inside KL Sentral.

Prior to arriving Malaysia, we already booked our hotel through agoda.com. We booked an overnight room at Hotel Sentral (Php1,127). The hotel is just around 200 meters away from the KL Sentral station, but since there was an ongoing building construction along KL Sentral, the distance going to our hotel had increased to 100 meters. Not that far though. Walking to the hotel is still doable.

I immediately talked to the fontdesk officer to ask for early check-in. The lady was so nice, she then checked for room availablity at that time (6:30AM). She smiled and advised me that she coul acommodate our early check-in request but we need to pay extra RM80.00. Whaaaat? i whisper in my mind. RM80.00 is Php1,100. Yes! indeed, same price as to what we paid for an overnight stay.

With our very tired body and our longing to bathe, we just grabbed it. Anyway, we didn't pay for a hotel when we were in the train going to Kuala Lumpur. The earlcy check-in rate comes with a free breakfast for 2. 

Hotel Sentral, 30 Jalan Thambypillai, Kuala Lumpur

After taking a shower, we all then took advantage of the free breakfast the Hotel offered. It was only good for 2 but since we were 3 we had to payfor extra. Good thing one Malay waiter who has a Filipina girlfriend saved us thus, didn't have to pay extra. Thanks to you.

At 09:00, we left the hotel amd started to walk towards KL Sentral station again. First tourist spot on our itinerary was the Genting Hihghlands. Along our way to the Genting ticket booth, there were a lot of barkers asking to take a ride in their taxi to Genting Highlands. Some of them wouldeven say that by Bus, it would take us 2 hours going there, while if we take taxi, it only would require us 1 hour. Well, sorry to that poor taxi driver as i made a lot of research before going to KL. 

We say no to taxi and fell in line towards the ticket booth of Genting Resorts to purchase a ticket. The fee includes Bus and Cable car ride to Resorts World Malaysia. The bus is operated by the Genting Highland Resorts management themselves. 

The Bus + Skyway (cable car) costs RM10.30 per person from KL Sentral. Though we arrived at 09:00AM, we only had the 12:30 trip as the earliest availale. So i would suggest to purchase tickets ahead of time if you wish to the on the earlier trips. The bus schedule from KL Sentral is from 08:00AM to 08:00PM with a 30-minute interval.

                                 

Go Genting ticket booth. This booth is located outside KL Sentral, along the bus terminal. Signage towards the booth are posted on the walls.

                                 

Waiting for the bus to open. It won't open until 10 minutes before your scheduled trip.

                                 

With Charity inside the Genting bus. It's spacious and has plenty of leg room.

Off we go! The bus started to move. My eyes were delighted to see the  scenic city of Kuala Lumpur. We passed by the urban ways of KL where traffic was as bad as the heat of the sun. Roughly after 30 minutes, i started seeing hills and mountains of green trees. That marks our exit from Kuala Lumpur on to the mountainous area of Malaysia. It took us an hour and 5 minutes of bus ride along the concrete well-designed highways of Kuala Lumpur before we arrived at Genting Highlands.

A landmark along the hills of Pahang Malaysia

                      

Way to the skyway-cable car.

Welcome to the Skyway!

Lavish forestry of Pahang Malaysia. At the tip is the Resorts World Malaysia.

Hello there. This Gondola lift runs fast at the speed of 6 meters per second, surely, one would have an adrenaline rush. The Gondola lift is cruising 45 meters above ground and has a lenght of 3.38KM. The ride from the skyway to Resorts world could take up to 15 minutes. 

Welcome to Hotel Maxims.

                         

Outside Resorts World Malaysia. The temperature was ozzing cold. Wooh. 

At my backdrop is Genting Grand Hotel

                             

   Couldn't help but fall in love with the place. It was so relaxing.

                             

Pose at Resorts World Malaysia.

Olah! Hotel Maxims as my backdrop.

                              

With Charity at Hotel Maxims.

Here Regie and I purchased our ticket for Skyway and Bus on our way back to KL Sentral. Rates are the same as from KL Sentral.

Tune in to my next blog as i bring you to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia!