Siblings' visit Part 3: Airbnb at KL, Petronas Towers and Petrosains

Airbnb KL apartment
Airbnb was my choice for our one night stay at Kuala Lumpur.  For the price of a (small!) hotel room, our Soho Suites apartment has 2 bedrooms, living and dining areas, and parking!  It's a 15-minute slow walk with small children to the Suria KLCC mall. Overall a nice stay!

Fully furnished 2 bedroom apartment at KL Soho Suites

The beds were enough for our party of 4 adults and 2 girls.

Petrosains Science Discovery Center

This was an impressively well designed science center for all ages.  The science concepts were exhibited in a fun and interesting manner with lots of interactive displays.  Four hours were not enough!

Astronaut Sarah at the International Space Station

Vacuum planes and musical bottles

This part was in a petroleum rig.

Rap also enjoyed the interactive sets

Jing and I tried this slide =)

Sarah and Sofi during tea time.  They had Milo drinks and a cake.  Energy revived, they went back in for more!

KLCC Playground and Petronas Twin Towers

A KL trip is just not complete without visiting the Petronas Twin Towers.  The girls and Rap enjoyed the playground while my sisters and I watched over.  Dinner was taken at the Suria KLCC Mall's food court.   We capped the day with the mall's evening water show.

What's a visit to KL without these majestic Petronas Twin Towers?

Yaya mode to the playing kids

Cousins watching the water show outside Suria KLCC Mall

Siblings' visit Part 2: Chin Swee Cave Temple

The hall and pagoda of the Chin Swee Cave Temple

On the way down Genting Highlands, we took time to visit the Chin Swee Cave Temple, which turned out to be a very pleasant side trip.  This temple shouldn't be missed at all when visiting Genting Highlands.

The Nine Colour Dragon Wall of Luck

Dragons on the roof with a great view

An artificial water fall and a statue of Kuan Yi, the Chinese Goddess of Mercy

 Rap and Jing lighting up some incense

Tita Michelle with her nieces

 

Exploring the temple grounds

Coin throwing for good luck

Siblings' visit Part 1: Genting Highlands

Siblings Jing with Sofi and Mitch with Sarah

Happy jumps! Tito Rap with his nieces

Last April, I enjoyed my siblings' company.  Mitch, Jing, Rap and my niece Sophia went to visit us from Manila.  Three weeks with them flew fairly fast!

After picking them up from the Kuala Lumpur International airport, we drove straight up to Genting Highlands.  The previous weeks were significantly hot and this short trip became a very welcome break to enjoy the highlands' nippy climate.

There's an indoor theme park with a handful of family rides, bowling lanes, Snow World and Ripley's Believe It Or Not Museum.  We only went for the family rides and Snow World.

The outdoor theme park is slated to open in 2017 as the world' first 20th Century Fox World.   Another reason to visit in one or two years' time.

Shooting hoops

Mr. Egg with his Starbucks frappuccino and a flower cotton candy

Mitch and Rap

Artificial cherry blossoms at the Indoor Theme Park

Made to order mochi

The First World Hotel is apparently the world's largest hotel.

View of the highlands along the hotel corridor

Two twin bedrooms for our party

Self check in and check out machines were hassle free and fast! 

Japan 2015: Nishiki Market at Kyoto

Lots on offer at Nishiki Market

Sarah and I took the bus towards Nishiki Market one early morning while Ravi was still sleeping soundly in our Citadines Karasuma-Gojo hotel room.  We had breakfast at a local burger/pancake joint, visited the Nishiki Tenmangu Shrine then walked around the market itself.


From Insidekyoto:
Running between Teramachi and Shinmachi, one block north of Shijo, Nishiki Market is Kyoto’s largest traditional food market. While modern food shops and souvenir shops are starting to move in, there are still enough traditional shops to give you a glimpse of what a traditional shotengai (shopping street) must have looked like. You’ll find all the major ingredients of traditional Kyoto cuisine on display here: tsukemono (Japanese pickles), fresh tofu, Kyo-yasai (Kyoto vegetables), wagashi (Japanese sweets), tea, and fresh fish and shellfish. Some shops sell takeaway food like skewers of yakitori or sashimi, and a few sit down restaurants can be found amid the shops. Those with sharp eyes or the ability to read Japanese might pick out whale meat for sale at a few of the stalls.

Breakfast at a local burger/pancake joint.

Entrance to the Nishiki Tenmangu shrine

Coin operated mini opera show

Reading her prayer wish

Mother + daughter selfie

Going in Nishiki market

Pickled vegetables

Knife shop

Local snacks

Fresh seafood on offer

All sorts of pickled veggies

Unagi anyone?

Tried some snacks to go.

More seafood.

Colorful sweets

Daimaru department store across the Nishiki Market street

Waiting for our bus ride back to the hotel