Hotel Review-Westin Kuala Lumpur

(Photo from SPG.Com)

The other day I met some younger travelers while they were here in Singapore and we started discussing travel around the region and one of the topics was hotels. Traveling with a family has meant, in many cases, no more hostels or super cheap budget digs. Now we find ourselves looking at hotels and balancing the cost between high end and practical. While I love me a 5 star hotel, often we can do with a little less flash and save some money, but sometimes when you have points (like I do with SPG) or if you can work side trips while traveling for business, you can have the 5 star hotel for a reduced rate. My main criteria for a hotel is it must be clean, service must be good and it must be family friendly. If the pool is good, that is a bonus.

The Westin KL meets all of those needs. Really the only downside to the Westin KL is that the cost is commensurate with the location and the name brand. I admit, I am a regular at the KL Westin, it is my hotel of choice now when I travel for work and it is one of my "preferred" hotels for corporate rates. What I love about the hotel is the fact that the staff is friendly, recognize me and ask about my kids and when they are coming the next trip. Most of the staff remember my name (well after 40+ nights this year I would hope they recognized me!) and they often assist us with upgrades if room is available.

(Photo from SPG.Com)

The pros of this hotel are the location. Just off Bukit Bintang, you can walk to most of the shopping areas and the high end Pavillion Mall (with a good food court) is just across the street. The hotel is within walking distance to Jalan Alor as well as the Kraf Kompleks. The hotel pool is big, but chilly in the afternoon due to shade, so morning swims are the ticket. The Westin Workout Gym is exceptional and the Kids Club is a welcome spot for kids so mom and dad can enjoy a few minutes to themselves.

View of the Kitchenette in the Residence Rooms

The cons for this hotel are as I mentioned before the price, this hotel is five star and you pay for it. The breakfast buffet is huge with stations spreading far and wide, but at 68RM it is not a cheap eat. The kids club tends to be better for young kids (under 5) and as mentioned the pool is chilly in the afternoons. My only other complaint is that there is not a "spa" so I go next door to the Marriott for my massage when it is needed.

(My suite from my last upgrade...how cool is that!)









All in all, I do like the Westin, it is one of my favorite hotels in Kuala Lumpur. If you can score an upgrade try to get into the residences where the rooms feature a kitchenette, separate bedroom and an office. Otherwise standard rooms are what you expect, clean and roomy with the Westin Heavenly Bed as a bonus.

Kids in KL: Petrosains Science Center

One of the greatest kids activities in Kuala Lumpur has to be the Petrosains Discovery Centre. Now one thing to keep in mind, as if it is not obviously noticeable by the first few exhibits, the center is run by the Malaysian oil company Petronas and is largely “oil” friendly. Many of the exhibits feature sciences that are petrochemical in nature, but ignoring the elephant in the room there are lots of fun activities for kids. Compare this with the Singapore Science Center.

Some of the highlights are the Dark Ride, when you first enter the center it is by way of a chair ride through a dark introduction. I am not quite sure why the kids thought it was so cool, but they did. Similar to the Singapore Science Center there are multiple exhibits and galleries with different themes. Again ignoring the bias towards the oil industry, there were exhibits on Geology, Space (a huge cool factor was the Mission Control and Space Center microphones and cameras where the kids could stand on opposite ends of the room and talk to each other) and of course the "speed" Gallery.

Another fun little exhibit was the Earthquake chair. The chair lets you experience what a low, medium and large earthquake would feel like. Frankly, the difference between level two and three was not as great as expected, but it could be they don’t want kids flying off the chair too!



Another fun exhibit was the "Ride the Hurricane". You step into a phone-booth type structure and when you close the doors the wind starts to increase and eventually simulated winds of over 100 Kilometers Per Hour. (see the Beaufort scale here). Okay, so I have a confession here. I can ride the craziest rides. Rollercoasters are nothing, but I didn't like the feeling of being in the winds, I felt I could not catch my breath. The kids (as you can see) loved it and we had to drag them out so others could take their turn!



But, the high point for the kids has to be the helicopter ride to the oil rig. There are two helicopter simulators set up that “fly” people over to an offshore oil rig (a great chance to tell kids about the devastation of the Gulf Oil spill). The oil platform is a miniature version of the real thing, pumps and levers, drills and pilings, even a crew quarters to see what life on a platform is like. Frankly, in some ways the pumps, gears, and tools are far more interesting to kids than the process of extracting oil so much of the pro-oil rhetoric was lost, at least on my kids.




The rest of the center is filled with standard science center stuff, but frankly it is pretty good. Overall the exhibits seem to be in good repair and the staff is friendly. The kids love it and they learn a bit each time they are there, so it is a win on all counts!

Travel Quote: Pico Iyer

Breakfast at the Westin Hotel residence in Kuala Lumpur while planning a day at Cosmo's World Amusement Park in Berjaya Times Square.

















So, as I sit at the Plant today meeting with co-workers slogging over files and drafting contracts, the Vagabond Kids and Vagabond Dad are off exploring the city of Kuala Lumpur. First stop was Beryl's Chocolates and much different from other reports, there is not a factory tour, simply a shop selling chocolates. So, quick review is probably give it a miss. The kids are next heading off to Cosmo's World at Berjaya Times Square, a review will follow soon.



But it is Wednesday and time for a quote. I am still finishing the Paul Theroux book, Ghost Train to the Eastern Star: On the Tracks of the Great Railway Bazaar but at this point in the book he is meeting with Pico Iyer in Japan.


So, today's quote comes from Pico Iyer, one of my favorite travel writers.

Yet for me the first great joy of traveling is simply the luxury of leaving all my beliefs and certainties at home, and seeing everything I thought I knew in a different light, and from a crooked angle. In that regard, even a Kentucky
Fried Chicken outlet (in Beijing) or a scratchy revival showing of "Wild
Orchids" (on the Champs-Elysees) can be both novelty and revelation: In China,
after all, people will pay a whole week's wages to eat with Colonel Sanders, and
in Paris, Mickey Rourke is regarded as the greatest actor since Jerry
Lewis.

From the Article on Salon.com "Why we travel" by Pico Iyer.


True-so-true. So, a parting shot for you today of the Petronas Towers. Back with more soon!

Kuala Lumpur with Kids: Kraf Kompleks

Hidden down a side street on a lane now filled with the din and confusion of construction a gem lies waiting for discovery. Wind your way down the street avoiding the trucks and potholes following the signs that mark the way to the Kraf Kompleks (Craft Complex. Most tourists never make it here because it is a bit out of the way, which is a shame really because for an afternoon away from the crowds with activities that are fun for kids and adults alike, the Craft Complex is a real treat.

While the center features most traditional Malay crafts, including pottery, shadow puppets, beading and weaving, the highlight and the one I have always found to be open (the other stalls seem to be hit and miss) is the Batik painting. Batik painting at the Craft Complex is the real deal, you pick the image you want to paint, you chose either silk or cotton fabric and then the staff prepares the wax and image for you.






Some Batik paintings come with pre-waxed images that you then color in the space in between. At the Craft Complex, you can do it either way, but it is much more fun to actually pick your image, trace it and then have it waxed. Once you have your trace done, the artisans at the center will apply the wax for you using a canting and once the wax is cool (about 5 minutes) you then paint on the fabric and watch the colors melt and blend into each other.




The wax acts as a resist and as soon as it is melted off the outline will remain. The ladies at the Kraft Complex will the prepare the final product for you, mat your painting for you and as little as 2 hours from start to finish at a cost of less than $15 US you have your own Batik masterpiece.





The Vagabond Kids love the Craft Complex and painting Batik and it is always a highlight of our trips to Kuala Lumpur. Usually on weekdays we go mid morning and find we are some of the only people in the area (it does tend to fill up with School Kids on certain days in the afternoon).

I know, based on friends that live in KL, the Craft Complex can also arrange for you to have a private party if you live in KL and they have told me birthday parties featuring Batik Painting are always a hit! If traveling with kids in Malaysia, this is one stop you should add to your itinerary.

The Kraft Complex can be found here (Make sure you click on the English option)

63 Jalan Conlay (Behind Chulan Square and next door to the Prince Hotel)


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Malaysia with Kids: Batu Caves- Or How the kids hiked up 272 steps in Kuala Lumpur

Batu Caves, Kuala Lumpur.






At the top of 272 steps is Batu Caves, one of Malaysia's (or at the least, Kuala Lumpur's) most famous tourist attractions. The caves are located about 13 kilometers from downtown KL and can be reached by bus, taxi or hired car. Last spring the vagabond kids and vagabond dad accompanied me while I spent a week for work in KL. One of the highlights of the trips was by far the morning spent at the Caves. Batu Caves was even featured in Season 11 of the Amazing Race!


Batu Caves is a Hindu temple dedicated to the Lord Murgan (the God of Victory and Kundalini in the Hindu faith) and is one most sacred sites for Malaysian Hindus. Every year in late January, early February, the temple becomes filled with devotees during the Thai Pusam festival where Icons are carried up the temple steps (remember there are 272 of them) and devotees often pierce their skin and tongues and carry these heavy idols up the stairs as a test and form of self sacrifice to the gods. (For more information on Thai Pusam click here).



Inside the caves Indian Idols and Mythological Creatures abound.

The day the kids and Vagabond Dad went was a nice morning in June. While at the temple they were able to get blessed by a Hindu priest, visit the petting zoo in front of the temples and visit the caves filled with Hindu idols and religious mythological creatures by way of paintings and statues filing the caves. The kids had a blast watching the Hindu dancers practice dances and even invite tourists on Stage too. I heard that Vagabond dad was invited, but the kid's don't have any photographic proof and he denies that he was a dancing fool!




Dancers at Batu Caves

























The day was finished when the kids hiked back down the hill, tired and hungry and they retreated back to the hotel for lunch and a swim in the pool. Batu Caves is a place that as an adult, my first trip was underwhelming. Looking back and looking at it from the kids perspective I realized I missed so much. What a great place to visit and catch a glimpse of Indian Culture and Religion (in particular that related to the Tamil people). When we travel back as a family to KL this summer I plan on doing Batu Caves again with a whole new mindset!







After being blessed by the temple priest.

A note of caution about the temples and the stairs, the steps are steep and it does take a while to climb and I don't recommend taking toddlers as there are many places a little one could fall and or trip around this area. Also, as you can tell the idolatry around the temple does contain half dressed semi-human forms. Finally, there are a number of Macaque monkeys around the temple and they are very aggressive if you are carrying fruit or snacks (particualrly in plastic bags) as many of the locals feed the monkeys and they have become accoustom to begging and stealing food.

Travel Tuesday Photo of the Day-Petronas

An unexpected treat looking up when entering the office towers at Petronas Twin Towers in KLCC.

Photo of the Day Satay at Suzi's Corner-KL

Originally uploaded by Farflungcraft

I am about to head up the road again for a quick trip to Kuala Lumpur Malaysia. Will be having a spot of dinner here at Suzi's I hope.

Photo from last year's photo a day challenge.