One-train-away tourist attractions from KL Sentral
Traveling in the Philippines is always a love and hate relationship. Our exposure to long commute hours seemed to traumatize and ward off our excitement to travel. The mere thought of how many hours it would take to get to a specific destination stops us from going out. That’s why as a Filipino, I thought people exaggerate when they gush over other country’s transportation until I tried it.
Malaysia’s centralized transportation system made traveling and exploring tourist attractions so easy. Visiting provinces in Malaysia is accessible with their centralized Terminal Bus Station (TBS) and you can even purchase tickets online. To be honest, Malaysia’s transportation broke the Philippines’ transportation for me. I can’t get over how these tourist attractions are just one train away from KL Sentral, the central train station.
One-train-away tourist attractions from KL Sentral
Batu Caves
At first glance, Batu Caves seemed like an attraction that would take at least 4-5 hours of travel time. But, don’t be fooled as this 14.8-kilometer distance attraction only takes a 44-minute train ride from KL Sentral. Whereas a 14.7-kilometer commute from Pasig to Mall of Asia takes 1 to 2 hours.
Photo credits: Jilianne Bautista
Derived from the Malay word ‘Batu’ meaning rock, Batu Caves houses a series of Buddhist cave temples in Gombak, Selangor. Batu Caves is one of Malaysia’s top tourist attractions with its 140-feet gold-painted statue and the infamous 272-step rainbow staircase. The fastest way to get to Batu Caves takes 44 minutes via KL Sentral’s KTM train, an inter-city rail service.
Merdeka Square
Next on our list is Merdeka Square, visiting Malaysia’s KM 0 is a must for every tourist. Merdeka Square is a bucket list-worthy place to visit as the attraction is considered to be a historical landmark. In 1957, Malaysia raised their flag at Merdeka Square, also known as Dataran Merdeka or Independence Square. This place holds and bears historical value to all Malaysians.
Photo credits: Jilianne Bautista
Getting to Merdeka Square only takes 16 minutes by Rapid LRT, Malaysia’s fastest train, from KL Sentral. On getting there, you hop off at the nearest station, Masjid Jamek, and walk towards the square. Near the square, locals and tourists also visit the National History Museum to know more about the country’s historical heritage.
KLCC Park
Photo credits: Jilianne Bautista
In the vicinity of Kuala Lumpur City Center lies the KLCC Park, an urban park in the country’s capital. Tourists flock to this 50-acre urban sanctuary boasting lush greenery to see the park’s lake symphony, a water fountain show. Locals idly frequent the park simply for its greenery and fresh air. Getting to KLCC Park only takes approximately 12 minutes from KL Sentral via the Rapid LRT.
Petronas Twin Towers
Photo credits: Jilianne Bautista
Located at the KLCC Park is none other than Malaysia’s top tourist attraction, the Petronas Twin Towers. This utterly stunning twin skyscraper makes every tourist gush especially when illuminated at night. As a first-timer, I could never stop admiring how sophisticated and vivid it was up close. Tourists crowd the Petronas Twin Towers for a must-have tourist picture with the skyscraper in the background.
Sunway Lagoon
My favorite among the bunch is the Sunway Lagoon, an amusement and water park combined! Sunway Lagoon is the ultimate theme park experience with over 90 attractions spread over in 5 adventure zones. The 88-acre multi-park destination presents a fun-filled water park, amusement park, wildlife park, X-treme park, and scream park adventure.
Photo credits: Jilianne Bautista
Getting to Sunway Lagoon takes one train and one bus ride. From KL Sentral, you ride the Rapid KL LRT in Platform 2 then hop off at USJ 7 station. USJ 7 is 16 stops away from KL Sentral and from the station, you take a 10-minute bus ride to Sunway. Make sure to allot a whole day for this destination!
