The streets of Kuala Lumpur are trodden more than anywhere else in the country and her roads are congested day in, day out. Kuala Lumpur has been synonymous with the land of opportunities where people come for better career, education and wealth. Throngs of people swarm into Kuala Lumpur for a piece of that cheese but only a few stop to appreciate its rich heritage and beauty. The capital of Malaysia is definitely more than a cold and dusty place people like to complain about.
How did most of the cities in the world started? Capitals like Seoul, Melbourne and London all started with the presence of the most necessary element of life, water. Just like those cities, the Kuala Lumpur was also spurred by a river we all know as Klang River.
Malaysians themselves always joke about Klang River being just a murky, cemented drain. Well, this is because the Klang River has been exhausted of all its resources and beauty to give way for growth of the river's earliest settlement until it has become the metropolitan city it is today. The Klang River used to be utmost important to the livelihood of people during KL's mining heydays providing food and means of transport.
By learning its origin and its importance once upon a time, we and the future generation shall not turn our backs on the river that first gave life to Kuala Lumpur.
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| The River that gave life to Kuala Lumpur. DBKL has decided to preserve the junction where the Klang and Gombak Rivers converge to remind how KL all started. |
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| The bridge that we thought was built because of the trains has actually existed since |
Other than provide comfortable stay, hotels play a vital part in bringing the best out of the city and surfacing appreciation of the place it is home to among its guests. Recognizing this, Cosmo Hotel has engaged professional tour guides who knows the city like the back of their hand and the place's history as if they have lived through those times to introduce beautiful Kuala Lumpur to foreign and local tourists.
From the same group of tour guides who collaborates with Tourism Selangor, Cosmo Hotel is engaging these very learned and professional tour guides to lead their city tours.
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| The fountain dances with music at night |
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The bridge that reminds me of Yarra River.
Malaysia is as beautiful as other countries if not even more if only we know how to appreciate her. |
Kuala Lumpur's culture is not just the office kind. If you look carefully, it is more colourful and diverse than you can imagine thanks to British colonialism. While other countries also home multi-ethnicity, Malaysia still accommodates cultures in their most authentic form, making them a sample of the country of origin
I must admit, as a KL-ite myself, I am guilty of taking the everyday encounters in the city for granted. Which is why a qualified tour guide is very much necessary to pull participants to the pockets of the city that we either did not have the courage explore on our own or to ignorant to know.
The parts of the city become more meaningful when our experienced tour guide, Jane Rai, painted the town with anthologies of history. I never looked at that part of the city which I thought was rowdy and notorious the same way again. Each place is how it is because of its inheritance from its first settlers.
It is also a profound reflection that I felt after realizing the human race is very resilient. Although after generations and centuries, there are certain strains of ethnicity that will never be dissolve by migration or modernity.
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| Jai Hind is the earliest punjabi sweet maker in Malaya |
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| The myriad and colourful punjabi sweets. The carrot khalwa is my favourite |
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| The owner of Jai Hind packing sweets for customers with a smile |
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| Masjid India remains a huge iconic building built in 1863 catering to the religious needs of the Indian Muslim community |
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| The Malayan and Selangor Mansion catered for the miners in Kuala Lumpur once upon a time |
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| The bazaar at Jalan Melayu provides essential needs to the large community living around Masjid India |
After our last stop at Saravanaa Bhavan, I returned to Cosmo Hotel in 3 minutes. Because the River of Life is also only a 3 minute walk away, I tucked in my room key and headed to the river for an evening stroll. I used to envy the people in Melbourne for having the romantic Yarra River to walk along. Thanks to DBKL, we have our own river to appreciate!
After the relaxing walk, I had a hot shower and hit the pillows to recharge for another exciting day tomorrow!
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| Cosmo Hotel is just a 3 minute walk from the Masjid Jamek Station |
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| Cosmo Hotel is a 4-star hotel which boasts great location. Perfect for those who want to immerse themselves in the city of Kuala Lumpur and explore the historical land. |
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| At the reception of Cosmo Hotel |
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| My roomie for the day |
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| The Deluxe room |
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Although smack in the middle of the city, it is hidden from the main road of Jalan Tun Perak.
You can still catch a glimpse of the glowing city from your room after sunset. |
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| The room is equipped with a safety box and ironing board |
Rise and shine to nature's call! KL is not all metal and bricks. In the midst of the concrete jungle, hides a gem that I half-heartedly recommend lest it becomes infested with irresponsible litterbugs. But I owe it to nature-lovers whom I believe will help protect it.
Just 10 minutes away from Cosmo Hotel by foot, nestles Kuala Lumpur Eco Forest. Its thick organic vegetation restores the worn out soul. Mother-nature cures with her oxygen-rich environment. It is how she rewards the people who preserves her flora and fauna. Giants like
jelutong and
keruin can be found here. Ever seen how a wild banana looks like? This is truely one of the remaining bits of natural rain forest that we can savour. Immerse yourself in the cool and fresh air emitted by plants all around.
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| A little warm up at the gym at Level 15 |
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| Breakfast at the Cosmo Hotel lounge |
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| Some coffee at the lounge before setting out the forest |
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| The Taman Eco Forest below the towering KL Tower |
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| A herb garden at the entrance of the forest |
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| The entrance of the canopy walk |
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| All ready to explore the lush vegetation in the middle of Kuala Lumpur |
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| See how many herbs you can identify |
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| The suspension bridge is the best way to experience the arboreal life |
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| The trail is relaxing and non-strenuous. Even my mom enjoys it |
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| Wild bananas grow upwards! |
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| Imperfections are beautiful |
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| Racoons that are native to the forest protected from illegal poachers |
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| Roots that developed over hundreds of years |
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| When exiting the forest, the sight of the historical St John Institution, one of the oldest schools in Kuala Lumpur established in 1904, will be there as a congratulatory note for finishing the forest trail. |
After the morning walk, it was time to restore those shed energy although the walk was not very exerting. Back at Cosmo Hotel, set lunch awaited. Guests were given 3 choices of steak, chicken chop and fish and chips with free flow of appetizers, soup, dessert and drinks.
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