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| Istana Negara (National Palace), Kuala Lumpur |
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| Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur |
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| Carcosa Seri Negara (Former British High Commissioner Residence), Kuala Lumpur |
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| Taman Botani Perdana (Lake Gardens), Kuala Lumpur |
" LIFE is like a river, sometimes it sweeps you gently along & sometimes the rapids come out of nowhere "
" My Staycation & Jalan Jalan (Walkabout) free & easy visit with my travel buddies, KF Wong & Thompson Tham to The National Palace (Istana Nagara), Taman Botani Perdana (Lake Gardens), Sri Carcossa & Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur on Friday (Thank God is Friday) Oct 15 2021 (07.15>16.45) by Rapid KL LRT & MRT train rides from SS15, Subang Jaya > Surian & by a vehicle (driven by KF Wong) from Surian MRT station > The Lake Gardens; my 8th outdoor trip after a National Lockdown (Movement Control Order / Emergency) imposed by the Malaysian Government on May 6 2021 due to a spike in Covid-19 cases, a National Vaccination campaign is currently being implemented by the Malaysian Government (Phase 1 started in Feb 2021); Selangor (my home state) is now under the National Recovery Phase 3 (NRP3) starting from Friday Oct 1 2021 which permits individuals with vaccination certificate or card for inter district travel (but effective Monday Oct 11 2011, the Government has relaxed SOP allowing inter state travel), dine-in restaurants, hotel accommodation & homestay, outdoor sport & activities etc.
Total expenses incurred: Rm5.40=US$1.27 (2 Rapid KL train rides); distance from Kota Damansara > Royal Lake Club is approx 17km (travelling by a vehicle driven by my travel buddy, KF Wong)
My Travel buddies, KF Wong & Thompson Tham joining me for this 5th outdoor visit to Kuala Lumpur, many thanks to KF who volunteered to drive us around for this particular visit !
Pictures of a panoramic view of National Palace, Royal Lake Club, Taman Botani Perdana & Carcosa Seri Negara taken by my travel buddy, Thompson Tham
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| Istana Negara (National Palace), Kuala Lumpur |
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| Istana Negara (National Palace), Kuala Lumpur |
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| Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur |
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| Perdana Botanical Gardens, Kuala Lumpur |
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| Perdana Botanical Gardens, Kuala Lumpur |
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| Carcosa Seri Negara, Kuala Lumpur |
Effective Friday Oct 11 2021 (following the completion of Covid-19 vaccination of over 21 million representing 90% of the adult population), the Malaysian Government has relaxed the SOP allowing interstate travel so expect more cars on the roads especially on the North-South Highway of Peninsula Malaysia & outstation travels in the coming weeks ! A pent up demand for travelling after scooped up for 18 months at home ? For those who missed their loved ones in their hometown, time to pack up & humming this oldie song "country road take me home to the place I belong" ! For local tourists, the race for travelling is about to begin - on your marks, get set, go ! Too good too fast ? Safety protocols in check ? Enough of viewing YouTube virtual tours during the Movement Control Order (MCO) period for the last 20 months ? Adapt, Adjust & Accommodate under a New Normal LIFE ! Is Malaysia out of the woods yet ? To all the citizens of the world, you may keep pondering why this Covid-19 has caused so much destruction to mankind but needless to say all of us are looking forward for better days ahead !
The start of my Rapid KL LRT & MRT train rides from SS15, Subang Jaya (07.20) > Pasar Seni (transit) > Surian to meet up with my travel buddies, Thompson Tham & KF Wong; from Surian MRT station, KF used his vehicle to drive us around for this day trip.
As I arrived at the Surian MRT station earlier by 30 minutes (08.30), I took a morning walk to explore this modern & progressive Kota Damansara Town Center ....
Travel Highlights:
1) National Palace (Istana Negara) - the official residence of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, the monarch of Malaysia, located along Jalan Tuanku Halim in Segambut, northwestern Kuala Lumpur, opened in 2011, the new palace replaced the old Istana Negara which was located at a different compound in central Kuala Lumpur; my first time visit to Istana Negara after two unsuccessful attempts to visit this grand palace in 2020 ! A beautiful morning, sunny & blue sky greeted us ! The big open car park in National Palace at 09.45 had only two cars including KF's car ! The palace is not opened for public visit so all we could do was to just get a glimpse of this magnificent palace from outside of the main gate ! There is no public bus service to this place, KL hop on hop in tour bus makes a 10 minutes stopover for photo shooting etc.
2) Perdana Botanical Gardens (Lakes Gardens) - also called Tun Abdul Razak Heritage Park, built in 1888, sprawling 227 acres is located right in the middle of Kuala Lumpur, an ideal place for nature lovers, joggers, families with children especially during the weekends; what a pleasant morning walk (10.30>11.00) for our group taking a slow stroll in this green & scenic garden ! My last visit to Lake Gardens was in Aug 2018.
3) Carcosa Seri Negara - the name is a composite of 2 colonial mansions ie Carcosa (completed in 1898) & the guest house, now named as Seri Negara (1913), located on two adjacent hills inside the Pardana Botanical Gardens, Kuala Lumpur, originally built as the official residence & guest house of the British High Commissioner in Malaysia, it is now owned by the Malaysian Government. The main gate was locked at the time of our visit ! A 15 minutes gradual uphill walk from Lake Gardens to Carcosa (10.30>11.15).
4) Front Entrance, Royal Lake Club - founded in 1890, a premier club centrally located in Kuala Lumpur amidst the lush & green Lake Gardens near the House of Parliament - my last visit to attend a business luncheon in the Royal Lake Club was probably 25 years ago !
Main Reception, Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur
Bunga Raya Restaurant, Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur - serving authentic halal Chinese food, dress code (formal/office attire, no collarless t-shirts, slippers & shorts)
Garden Cafe, Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur - serving special dessert, cakes & pastries, freshly brewed coffee, cappuccino, latte & fine choice of selected tea, closed at the time of our visit.
Beauty Salon, Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur
Laundry (Ezy Kleen), Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur
Pavilion Sport Bar & Brasserie, Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur - serving delicious Poutine, beef cheeks, avant garde dishes like Chicken Teriyaki burger, Millesime etc
Batek Bar, Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur - wine & dine in this favourite water hole, any food available at the Buttery maybe ordered & eaten at the Batek Bar including the Cavery on Roast Wagon.
Machine Room, Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur
Library, Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur
Billiards, Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur
Reflexology & Massage, Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur
Swimming pools, changing & wash rooms, Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur
Poolside Terrace, Restaurant & Dining Room, Royal Lake Club, Kuala Lumpur - hawker-style food, informal setting, curry set lunch, satay, murtabak, char kway teow, ikan bakar, chicken chop, poh piah, fish & chips & many more ....
Our group's walkabout in Royal Lake Club compounds, a big thank you to KF who acted as our "unofficial" tour guide enabling myself & Thompson to see, feel, enjoy the hospitality & savoring the delicious food served in the Royal Lake Club ! A "fruitful & de-stress day" indeed in the "backyard" of my beloved home country !
Buttery, Royal Lake Club - the ultimate snack bar for a quick bite, serving western or local dishes from sirloin steak to laksa to wan tan mee to chicken rice, our group's lunch in Buttery, a treat from my travel buddy, KF Wong who is currently a member of the Royal Lake Club (KF, thank you very much for your hospitality & taking time to show us around the Royal Lake Club).
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| Curry Rendang (Dried Beef Rm14.50=US$3.40) + Rice + Water Melon - KF's Delight |
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| Chay Keow Teow (Fried Flat Noodle Rm7.80=US$1.85) - KM's Delight ! |
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| Nasi Lemak + Curry Chicken (Rm11.40=US$2.70) - Thompson's Delight ! |
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Banana Fritters + Ice Cream - All My Buddies's Delight
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After an hour of lunch (12.30>13.20), our group adjourned & enjoyed a leisure moment of our free time at the main lobby lounge of the Royal Lake Club (13.30>15.30) chatting, exchanging views & updating our mobile phone technology & future travel plans etc
After the Royal Lake Club visit, KF drove both of us to KL Sentral & I took a LRT train to SS15, Subang Jaya. Home Sweet Home & another staycation accomplished for our group during the National Recovery Phase 3 (NRP3) in my home state of Selangor !
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