As many of you may know, one of Pakatan Harapan’s campaign pledges was to provide unlimited access to public transport at RM100 a month. We recently got some more details about this promise and how it would come to be.
In a statement made by Transport Minister Anthony Loke Siew Fook has confirmed that the card will be coming in 2019! So this means that starting next year, for the low low price of RM100 a month, we could travel up, down, and all around town in our various train lines and bus routes.
With the travel options this pass gives us, we could rediscover some of the famous places around town we’ve not seen in a while. We could even discover some of the hidden gems right underneath our noses through some urban exploring.
So dear readers, let’s go over some famous tourist spots in the Klang Valley area that we could travel to with the upcoming transportation pass. We went to take places like these for granted but they are quite beautiful and would look amazing on a well-curated Instagram feed.
1. Muzium Negara
Source: Muzium Negara
Established in 1963, the National Museum is located in Jalan Damansara. It is full of displays of Malaysian history and culture that range from weddings, festivals, and costumes. The building itself is no less beautiful as it was designed by architect Ho Kok Hoe and was inspired by the architecture of royal palaces and uniquely local architecture.
Muzium Negara is a 17-minute walk away from the KL Sentral station. So just pack a bottle of water and a good playlist to walk to and you’re good to go. You could also invite someone else along so you have some company. Or… you could just take the MRT to the Muzium Negara MRT station and save yourself the trouble.
Once there, feel free to explore and soak in all the history and culture, while taking shot after beautiful shot. As long as you aren’t taking photos for commercial use, you are allowed to, which is great!
2. Merdeka Square
Source: Flickr
Known as the historical site where the British Union Flag was lowered and the Malaysian flag was hoisted for the first time ever, Merdeka Square is a location that is highly historically significant to our country. It has a 95 meter flagpole; one of the tallest in the world. The green grass on the field is still beautifully maintained and is surrounded by many buildings of historical interest.
Merdeka Square is only 8 minutes away from the Masjid Jamek station. So pick a day that has a weather you like and make the trip to this highly historically significant site. Tour guides often cite it as the best known landmark in KL.
Considering how many historical buildings there are all around, the area is just brimming with beautiful photo ops waiting to happen. The panorama shots in particular look spectacular!
3. KL Bird Park
Source: WP Hotel
Opened in 1991, the Kuala Lampur Bird Park is one of the largest covered bird parks in the world! The park houses more than 3000 birds belonging to more than 200 different species. 90% of them are local and 10% are from other countries such as Australia, Thailand, and China.
The KL Bird Park is only a 16 minute walk away from the KL Sentral station. So it’s a good excuse to get in some light exercise while on the way there.
Once there, there are thousands of birds and enclosements to choose from for unconventional backdrops for cool photos. Cute little chicks to feeding lorikeets to the peacocks with their magnificent tails, there’s a lot to love here. So make sure to bring your creative eye along with you when you visit.
4. Thean Hou Temple
Source: Dreams Time
Officially opened in 1989, this temple is a 6-tiered temple dedicated to the Chinese sea goddess, Mazu. It is also one of the largest and oldest temples in Southeast Asia. It is a syncretic temple that has elements of Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism and is a popular tourist post as well.
The temple is a 24 minute walk from the Bank Rakyat Bangsar stop. So either go with someone to make the walk more tolerable or get yourself a good audiobook on the way.
Since this is a temple, it is advised that you be respectful of the attendees while taking your photos. But if you are not intrusive or rude, the temple offers many beautiful and unique visuals that would look amazing if captured. There are also plenty of amazing backdrops with striking colours or textures that might really enhance your photos. Just make sure you are not disruptive to any of the activities going on there.
5. Istana Budaya
Source: Thousand Wonders
Opened in 1999, Istana Budaya or the Palace of Culture is our main venue for all kinds of theatre, located in the heart of KL, next to the National Art Gallery. Not only is the building beautifully designed to look like a traditional moon kite by local architect, Muhammad Kamar Ya’akub, it looks absolutely beautiful when lit up at night.
Istana Budaya is about a half an hour’s walk from the Titiwangsa station. Pack some water to stay hydrated and go with a friend to make the trip more engaging.
Once there, even if you don’t plan to go watch some of the great shows they put on, you can take photos in the surrounding area, which looks gorgeous. From the doors to the floor to the ceiling, there architecture and craftsmanship is impeccable. Plus, the National Art Gallery isn’t too far away either, if you feel like a change of pace, so it’s like a two-for-one deal out of a day trip!
Source: The Lost and Found Traveler
So what did you guys think of our list? When is the last time you’ve been to these popular tourist spots?
We live in a really beautiful and historically significant area with all sorts of buildings, monuments, and other attractions dotting the map. So it would be a shame if we didn’t go enjoy these attractions for ourselves as well. After all, tourists travel hundreds if not thousands of miles to see it, so why don’t we use our unlimited public transportation passes next year to go re-acquaint ourselves with KL again?
If not for the history and patriotism, at least for the ‘gram?
Header Image Source: Living Nomads
