We had been told “The bridge on the Petronas Towers is currently closed for maintenance” but we thought we would go anyway and have a look at the Petronas Twin Towers and the KL tower anyway.

A short 4rmb (ringgit) for 2 person ($1.30AU) train ride took us straight to the Petronas Towers. To our pleasure the Towers were fully operational for visitors and after buying pensioner rate tickets (being an oldie helps sometimes) 🙂 we were told to be there at 1pm for the tour.

Petronas Tower visit in Kuala Lumpur and a Great lunch from Tassie Wombat on Vimeo.

So to while away the 2 hours until then we headed over by cab to the KL tower about a 5 min drive away. We got a cab and got scammed for extra fees.. Works like this:

Person at the cab area says “Do you want a cab” answer “Yes please” .. “2rmb please”  so you pay them 2rmb for “Booking Fee” and they wave one of “their” cabs over. When you get in the flagfall says 6rmb instead of the usual 3rmb. When the driver is asked why the answer is “We have special clean large cabs”

So lesson learnt..When someone says “Can I get you a cab?” tell them no thanks and get your own.

The cost to go up the KL Tower was 29rmb ($9.70 AU) At the KL tower the viewing deck is not at the top so we had to be content with a two thirds up view. But impressive it was and it was a great experience. The KL tower is actually higher than the Petronas Twin Towers. Not taller, but higher because it is built on a high rock. I guess the Petronas people were not impressed.

Heading back we stopped our own cab that just dropped people off and even then were told “You have to book with me, did you book that cab” of course we said yes got in and went back to Petronas for the 3rmb rate.

Still early we sought lunch at one of the many food areas. This particular eating area had about 15 varieties of foods on offer, Thai, Chinese, Sudanese, Malaysian, pizza etc. We opted for Indian and it was thoroughly enjoyable but far more that we could eat for just 44rmb ($14.80) for two.

So.. up the tower on a very well organised small tour group. ID tags given, photos taken, and a short video on safety. I Bet Sean Connery never got that when filming “Entrapment” 🙂

The lift whisks you up to the Skybridge where you get 10 mins for photos and then into another lift to the 83^rd floor. WOW what a view !!!. Literally up in the clouds (go on a clear day) It was fine for us but as we left the clouds were moving in which is a great thing to see.

Enough time to video and take photos (see below) and back to the ground level where you guessed it, the photos they took of you have been turned into souvenirs (at a price)

Some fact and figures on the towers:

KL Tower:

The KL Tower is a 421m high telecommunications and broadcasting tower which actually appears to be taller than the Petronas Towers, because it is built on a hill. Amidst the city of Kuala Lumpur stands the Menara Kuala Lumpur at 515m above sea level.
It also claims to house the highest McDonald’s in the World. This tower has an observation deck, where you  finally can manage to get a bird’s eye view of the city.
Menara Kuala Lumpur ranks fourth amongst the tallest telecommunications towers in the world and was constructed over a period of four years and completed in May 1996. Menara Kuala Lumpur is designed to withstand wind pressures of up to 90mph. The beautifully sculptured ceiling of the lift lobby is worth having a look. Glass crystals were used to construct the ceiling. It is to represent the 7 layers of the sky or Muqarnas.

It is to symbolize man’s journey towards perfection in the world. Craftsmen from the city of Isfahan, Iran, were deployed to build the Muqarnas.

Click on a picture to view full size and the click the next pictures name at the bottom left or right

Petronas Twin Towers:

Soaring to a height of 451.9 metres, the 88-storey twin structure is Kuala Lumpur’s crown jewel. Each Tower is set back five times in its ascent to maintain the vertical axis and tapering of the design. The walls of the uppermost floors are also sloped inward to taper and meet the pinnacle. The “Skybridge” that connects the two towers at level 41 is 170mts above street level and is a communication access between the two buildings and a safety exit in case of emergency in one tower. The bridge is not “fixed” to the towers but has a 9inch “gap” at each end which facilitates movement. The Skybridge is supported by a “three-hinged arch” consisting of giant round bearings at the base and a pair of legs 51 metres in length. The base of the arch is located at level 29. The observation level is 360mts above the streets on level 86.

The Towers house 29 double-decker high-speed passenger lifts, six heavy-duty service lifts and four executive lifts. The Towers feature multi-faceted walls of 33,000 stainless steel and 55,000 glass panels. Vision Glass, specialised panels with light filtering and noise reduction properties, provide a comfortable inner environment. The glass is covered by stainless steel visors to further protect visitors from the tropical sun.

Click on a picture to view full size and the click the next pictures name at the bottom left or right

Click here to go to: 6. Hawker food and sate.