Clockwise: a) The biggest Christmas tree I've seen in KL! b) & c) Beautiful Christmas tree ornaments. Pictures taken in Pavilion shopping centre with my Nikon D60 (5th December 2009).
Recently, I’ve just concluded a global survey. I wanted to get feedbacks from global bloggers about the good and bad of Kuala Lumpur (KL). Here are the second half results processed from 52 replies. Click this link to read the full survey [GLOBAL BLOGGERS SURVEY]
Referring to the chart above, global bloggers LOVE KL food, lifestyle, entertainment and people.
So, I decided to search for them in KL.
- Great food
- Amazing lifestyle & entertainment
- Friendly people
- ALL IN ONE?
I can only think of one place - Bukit Bintang in KL. Bukit Bintang is KL's premier shopping district located in the Golden Triangle. I started my exploration from Pavilion shopping centre. Pavilion mega shopping complex in Bukit Bintang, offers a magnificent and elegant shopping experience as it houses various world-class international brands and flagship stores.
The shopping complex is HUGE! A whooping 1.37 mil sq ft retail haven with 430 outlets. Definitely a shopper's paradise. I was amazed seeing so many exclusive branded shops such as Prada, Gucci, LV, Rolex, British India and many more. At first, I was snapping photos of these shops with my Nikon D60. But, in less than 10 minutes, I was stopped by a security guard. He asked me not to take anymore pictures of these shops due to security and copyright reasons. I was a bit disappointed. So, I walked to Pavilion's grand entrance.
I was blown away by the Christmas decorations. It is so beautiful! Large-sized Christmas trees were decorated with beautiful lights, garlands and ornaments. The shoppers enjoyed the vibrant Christmas atmosphere. In addition, I witnessed KL lavish lifestyle in Bukit Bintang. Ladies shoppers were strutting their authentic LV bags and precious collections of accessories. At one point, I felt awkward, underdressed and outdated with my short pants and jersey!
The Christmas show in Pavilion shopping center. An entertaining performance with great dancers, actors and singers. Pictures taken with my Nikon D60 (5th December 2009)
The Christmas show in Pavilion. Video captured with my hand phone.
I was lucky. The Christmas show has just begun. I squeezed myself as close as possible to the podium for some close-up shots with my camera. It was a creative, fun and entertaining performance organized by Pavilion management for shoppers and visitors. The Christmas sing and dance show lasted for 20 minutes. I enjoyed every second of it!
After the show, I wanted to see more of Bukit Bintang. So, I took a stroll along Bintang Walk. There were tons of people. I hate crowds. I will do anything I can to avoid a crowd. But, odd enough...I enjoyed the Bintang Walk experience. I LOVE seeing Malaysian citizens from all walks of life mingling and communicating with one another. Truly 1Malaysian lifestyle.
I reached the famous Bukit Bintang zebra crossing. According to TheStar paper, the crossroads at the busy Jalan Bukit Bintang/Jalan Sultan Ismail is now implemented with Malaysia’s very own Shibuya crossing — inspired after the famous Shibuya scramble crossing in Japan, where vehicles from all directions come to a good few minutes stop to allow pedestrians to cross the intersection to get to the malls along Bukit Bintang.
I stood there for over 30 minutes to observe the brilliant idea in ACTION. Sadly, several impatient motorists go against the traffic light thus endangering the safety of the pedestrian - lousy drivers!
Clockwise: a) A Bangladeshi helper hawking sunglasses and watches, b) A Malaysian hawker selling gifts and souvenirs c) The famous Bukit Bintang Shibuya crosing :) Pictures of Bintang Walk taken with my Nikon D60 (5th December 2009).
I crossed the road and visited some roadside bazaar. Loads of tourists were crowding the stalls looking for memorable gifts and souvenirs. I chatted with two hawkers manning the stalls. One of them is a Bangladeshi worker selling bootleg watches and sunglasses. The other one is a Malay lady selling Malaysian gifts. They told me the business has been slow for the first half of 2009. But, it is now catching up due to the school holidays. It was great talking to them. A bunch of friendly folks.
Finally, I walked for 1 km to Jalan Alor in Bukit Bintang. This is a great place for cheap and delicious food. The area has since undergone a number of facelifts. Both sides of Jalan Alor are lined with endless rows of ‘mamak’ stalls, outdoor restaurants and hawker stands selling fruits, barbequed meats and hanging ducks.
A Bangladeshi helper peeling jackfruits in Jalan Alor. A sticky and tedious job. Pictures taken with my Nikon D60 (5th December 2009).
Along the way, I bumped into a Bangladeshi worker. He was peeling some jackfruits. A sticky and tedious job. Next, I walked across the road and visited the famous 'Yau Char Kway' (油炸鬼) stall. 'You Tiao' or 'Yau Char Kway' sometimes known in English as Chinese cruller fried bread stick or Chinese doughnut, is a long, golden-brown, deep fried strip of dough in Chinese cuisine and is usually eaten for breakfast.
I tried out a few pieces of deep fried delicacies - including 'Ham Chin Peng', 'Ngau Lay Sou' 'Cup Chung' and 'Mah Kiok'. It was crunchy and tasty. The sesame seeds added natural flavor and aroma to the food. Simply heaven! It was wonderful seeing husband, wife and son working side-by-side. Dad was kneading the dough, son was frying and mum was selling. This simple business has been in operation for almost twenty-five years. Amazing!
Clockwise: a) Father kneading dough, b) Son frying the Yau Char Kway and c) A worker cutting the dough. Pictures taken in Jalan Alor with Nikon D60 (5th December 2009).
Later, I visited a lady selling 'leong cha' (translation: cool herbal drink). I ordered myself a big glass of herbal drink. It was sweet, tasty and has a cooling effect. AWESOME! She has been selling the drink for over 30 years. Unbelievable! Later, I asked permission to snap some pictures. She posed for me. HORRAY!
Clockwise: a) The 'char siew' and chicken rice shop, b) Aunty 'leong cha' and c) Mangosteens at the fruit stalls. Pictures taken in Jalan Alor with my Nikon D60 (5th December 2009)
Overall, it was a great journey. I discovered great food in Jalan Alor, amazing people in Bintang Walk and wonderful entertainment plus lifestyle in Pavilion. All in Bukit Bintang. KL Boleh! Malaysia Boleh!
Bukit Bintang - Getting There:
By Train
KL Monorail (Station Bukit Bintang)
Ampang Rail Line (formerly known as Star LRT). While the Ampang Rail Line does not ply the Bukit Bintang area, interchanges to the KL Monorail can conveniently be made at Hang Tuah Station or Titiwangsa Station. Operating Hours: 6.00 am till 12.00 am
By Bus
Rapid KL
- B102 : Titiwangsa to Bukit Bintang via Kampung Baru
- B103: Titiwangsa to Bukit Bintang via KLCC
- B110: Mid Valley City to Bukit Bintang via Bangkok Bank
- B113: Taman Maluri to Jalan Sultan Mohd via Bukit Bintang
Bukit Bintang - Google Maps:
Bukit Bintang - Things To Do/See:
Shop:
- Lot 10
- Star Hill
- Pavilion
- Sg. Wang
- Berjaya Times Square
- Lowyat Computer Center
Eat:
Jalan Alor
Bukit Bintang - Read More/Useful Links:
- http://www.pavilion-kl.com/ (Official Portal of Pavilion KL)
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bukit_Bintang (Wikipedia Article)
Hey Mylo,
Great post about Bukit Bintang. Love the natural shots. Checking with you, why are the pics stunted here?
Regards,
David
Malaysia Asia
ops, mangosteens?? i wanna eat~~ cant find them in frankfurt >< well, the christams tree is the biggest you have ever seen? you shall go to hongkong or kobe, japan =p see the bigger ones ya :)
the crossroad? well it's like cow and mosquito la... oh... i miss tokyo n_< wish i could go back visit my friends and host families as soon as possible... :)
anyway nice entry you have here... i got some useful information here for my project - making kl a more sustainable city... erm, if you didnt have the pictures i requested, forget it ok? because i will get it done by this month since the prof told me without pictures also can :)
David
Thanks!
Do these pictures look stunted? I actually arranged them into tile-like layout to minimize space and loading time. So, I resize them into the boxes. Hope the pictures still look OK :)
fufu
I know Singapore, Japan & Hong Kong have bigger Christmas trees. But, the trees in Pavilion is the biggest I've seen in KL by far :) Gosh, I need to travel more like fufu.
Yep, the crossroad in Bukit Bintang is no big deal. But, I really like the Shibuya idea mooted by the shopping management.
I've just sent an email to you about those pictures.
Good luck wth your project!
Cheers to all!
mylo
Interesting place. A favourite with Singaporeans. So much to see and do here.
Over here in London, only Asian girls, especially Chinese girls, like to show off their LV bags. I seldom English girls carry any...
I read something about this in Sociology books.
Did you see a long line at the entrance of LV shop at Bukit Bintang? Need to line up to enter one... Malaysians damn rich.
I don't think I would want to eat the nangka if it's peeled off with someone else hands.
I know xmas decorations in Pavilion are breathtaking but I don't have time to really visit it. Hope to go there one of these days.
Roger
Bukit Bintang (Star Hill) is a great place to eat and shop. Also, you can even get your latest tech gadgets in Low Yat plaza.
1ondoncaller
What does the sociology book says about Asian girls & LV bags?
Shelyn
Nope....I didn't any long line for LV bags. By the way, the bags are SO EXPENSIVE! At least RM500 per piece!
The Christmas decorations in Pavilion is the BEST in Bukit Bintang. Remember to visit during nighttime - with brightly lit Christmas trees, mandmade reindeer and beautiful Liuli crystal fountain.
Cheers to all!
mylo
In Asian society, people like to do things in "group". If one tries to prove that he is more superior than others. The rest will jump on the bandwagon. Like the tuition lessons. Everyone wants their kid to get No 1 at class.
People in Europe are more "individual", so they don't think like Asian people do. You don't see Western kids go to tuition lessons after school either. So when they grow up, they're also more independent.
1ondoncaller
That's so TRUE!
Few months ago, I met a backpacker (from UK) in Malacca. We chatted for awhile. Western people usually live on their own at an early age (around 18 years old++). No longer dependent on mama and papa :)
Thanks for this wonderful info!
mylo