Inner Courtyard of The Wilayah Mosque
MAYOR’S MESSAGE | Selamat Datang to KL!
K
uala Lumpur is a cosmopolitan, multi-cultural city that is home to 1.7 million people of various races, religions and cultural backgrounds. And this colourful kaleidoscope of cultures is most evident during the festive seasons. Although the majority of the population of the city is Muslim and celebrate Eidul Fitr, in Kuala Lumpur, people of every race and religion will join in the festivities. For the month of July, there will be numerous openhouses where everybody will gather to celebrate through feasting together on the seasonal delicacies of the festival. As Malaysians, it is our collective culture to be welcoming and to exhibit our hospitality to all visitors to the city. Tourists from around the world who visit Kuala Lumpur during this festive period will get the opportunity to experience the warmth of Malaysian hospitality firsthand as their to join in the festivities. This is a particularly good time to visit the city as there are a number of exciting events for visitors and KL-ites. It is a great time for shopping, as the whole nation goes on sale with the 1Malaysia Mega Sale on from the 15th of June till the 31st of August 2017. The city is also abuzz with the preparations of the up-coming 29th S.E.A. Games. Kuala Lumpur will once again play host to this bi-annual regional sporting competition from the 19th to 31st of August 2017. For sports fans and enthusiasts, this will be a great time to join in the excitement of the games.
This is a particularly good time to visit the city as there are a number of exciting events for visitors and KL-ites
With many events and happenings in the city, Kuala Lumpur offers many reasons for visitors to come and return at different times of the year. And in order to keep the visitors returning to Kuala Lumpur, I encourage all tourism industry players to keep up the efforts to continuously improve in offering better quality of products and services. I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate those who have received awards in the recently held Kuala Lumpur Mayor’s Tourism Awards programme. And to all Muslim readers, I wish you a joyous Eid Ul-Fitr, or as we say in Malaysia, “Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri”.
Datuk Seri Hj Mhd Amin Nordin Bin Abd Aziz Mayor of Kuala Lumpur
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EDITOR’S NOTE
W
e have successfully concluded the third edition of the Kuala Lumpur Mayor’s Tourism Awards programme, and in this issue we are proud to announce the awards recipients in all 14 categories and sub-categories. As in previous years the competition has been stiff and the judges have had to work hard to determine the most deserving of the awards. Support from the industry and members of the public too has been very encouraging as seen from the number of nominations and the huge increase in public voting as compared to previous editions. Our congratulations go out to all the award recipients. In this issue of Hello KL we have looked at some shopping and dining options in the city together with an established tourist attractions and a relatively new entertainment product in the city. We have purposely featured some of the KLMTA 2017 award recipients to highlight their standards of excellence and also to give our readers a broader spectrum of what the city has to offer tourists. There are many reasons to visit Kuala Lumpur and these next few months will have a lot happening in the city. The 29th S.E.A. Games are just around the corner and the sports fever is quickly catching on with all Malaysians and KL-Ites in particular. This international event is beginning to make itself felt on the street of Kuala Lumpur and as we get nearer to the actual event, I’m sure the excitement will only increase.
Kuala Lumpur is also a city of festivals. With our multireligious and multiethnic population, we Malaysians have grown accustomed to celebrating all the festivals in a big way
In Kuala Lumpur it is also shopping season with the 1 Malaysia Mega Sale happening from the 15th of June till the 31st of August. Kuala Lumpur is already establishing itself as a preferred international shopping destination by winning many accolades for it. As shopping tourism is fast becoming a trend around the world, many cities will be competing to attract more shoppers to their city. Kuala Lumpur has many advantages as a shopping destination, apart from the great bargains and huge array of choices, the city also offers great dining, entertainment and is relatively easy to get around. Kuala Lumpur is also a city of festivals. With our multi-religious and multi-ethnic population, we Malaysians have grown accustomed to celebrating all the festivals in a big way. Although the Muslim festival of Eid Ul-Ftr or “Hari Raya” as it is locally known is officially celebrated on the 26th and 27th of June, the festivities will continue for a whole month until the 24th of July. I wish all Muslim readers “Selamat Hari Raya”, and I invite everyone to come Visit KL for the shopping, festivities and international sports.
Khairul Anuar Bin Mhd Juri General Manager Kuala Lumpur Tourism Bureau
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HELLO KL JUN / JUL 17
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FEATURE STORIES
FOOD DESTINATION IN KL
OTHERS
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KLMTA 2017 – Stars of KL Tourism Industry
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Countdown to 2017 KL SEA Games
TOURIST ATTRACTION IN KL
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Taka By Sushi Saito
Royal Selangor Visitor Centre
SHOPPPING IN KL
NEW TOURISM PRODUCT
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1Malaysia Mega Sale Sunway Putra Mall
KL Accolades Kuala Lumpur Popular Attractions
Breakout Escape Room
FRONT COVER : Festive Greetings for Hari Raya Aidil Fitri
FEATURE STORY
2017
Stars of Kuala Lumpur Tourism Industry Recognized at Gala Dinner
The Kuala Lumpur Mayor’s Tourism Awards came to a resounding finale with the Award Presentation and Gala Dinner Event held at the Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. Organized by the Kuala Lumpur Tourism Bureau under Kuala Lumpur City Hall, this year’s event was the third edition of the tri-annual industry awards programme. The previous editions were organized in 2011 and 2014. Around 650 guests that included Kuala Lumpur tourism industry players, related government agencies and members of the media attended the event. The guest of honour for the evening was the Minister of Tourism & Culture, Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Bin Abdul Aziz.
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The Mayor of Kuala Lumpur read the address of the Minister of Federal Territories, who could not attend the event. The Mayor mentioned that Kuala Lumpur was ranked as the 7th Most Visited City in the World according the Mastercard’s Global Destination Cities Index for 2016. The city received 12.02 million visitors, an increase of 7.4% from the previous year of 11.19 million visitors. And the total revenue garnered from this volume of visitors in 2016 was USD11.3 billion. The Mayor emphasised on the importance of the tourism industry’s contribution to the socio-economic growth and development of Kuala Lumpur through direct revenue generation as well as through employment opportunities. These benefits extended beyond the tourism industry as related industries such as transportation, food & beverage, retail and entertainment all benefitted from the growth of tourist arrivals.
The main objectives of the Kuala Lumpur Mayor’s Tourism Awards programme is to identify, recognize and reward the establishments and individuals who have strived to achieve the highest levels of excellence in their service delivery. The programme also seeks to benchmark the highest industry standards in an effort to encourage more industry players to improve their own service culture. Since the inaugural Kuala Lumpur Mayor’s Tourism Awards was held in 2011, this tri-annual programme has grown in stature and is eagerly anticipated by many in the industry. Over the years, more and more players have come to recognize the awards and what they represent. While over 500 nominations were received for the 14 categories and sub-categories, only 449 were qualified for the first round of judging where nominee’s submissions were scrutinised and shortlisted for the final round. For the final rounds of judging, the panels of judges conducted site visits and even sampled the products and services first hand. Continuing with the system of voting from the previous editions of the programme, the judges scores made up 95% of the total marks awarded to each nominee, while public voting made up the remaining 5% of the marks. Members of the public were invited to vote for their favourite establishment by logging onto the official awards programme website and registering. The online voting system allocated between 1 and 5 points to each nominee within a category. These points were based upon the percentage of votes each nominee received from the total number of voters. Nominees that received 25% or more of the total number of voters got the maximum 5 points. Nominees that received between 20% - 24% of the votes were given 4 points, between 15% and 19% got 3 points, between 10% and 14% got 2 points and those that got below 9% got 1 point.
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FEATURE STORY
Not all categories however, included an online public voting component in the final judging process. The categories that had online public voting were those that had a facility that was open to tourists and members of the public to visit or experience. These categories included; 5-Star Accommodation, 4-Star Accommodation, 3-Star Accommodation, Budget Accommodation, Fine Dining Restaurant, Home Grown Restaurant, Food Court, Tourist Attractions (Family Entertainment), Tourist Attractions (Arts, Culture & Heritage), Medical Tourism, Education Tourism and Shopping Malls. The online voting period was for just three weeks from the 16th of April to the 5th of May 2017. And in this short period the total number of online voters (based on unique registrations) for all categories was 211, 285. This is a huge leap in numbers as compared to the 17, 934 voters in 2014 and 4,718 voters during the inaugural programme in 2011.
The Chairman of the KLMTA 2017, Tan Sri Dr. Ong Hong Peng, stated in his opening address that he was delighted with this edition of the awards programme and the response it garnered from the industry players and from the public. He said that the reputation and prestige of the awards were key factors in getting good support. “The integrity of this or any awards programme is heavily dependant upon the quality of judges. The teams of judges for this edition of the programme are made up of individuals who are experienced industry veterans. They have the required experience and industry knowledge to know how to effectively identify the best nominee for the award,” said Tan Sri Dr. Ong Hong Peng. “Having got to know them over the course of the programme, I get a strong sense of passion, dedication and commitment from each of the 52 judges and Head Judges. Some of the judges have answered this call to serve the Kuala Lumpur tourism industry for the third time. These few committed individuals have had the opportunity to truly track the evolution of the programme over the years,” he continued.
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The judges for each of the 14 categories and sub-categories were made up of separate panels of experienced industry veterans and experts in their fields. Each panel was led by a head judge, who was responsible for ensuring that the judging was carried out according to the set criteria. The criteria for the judging process were based upon the vision set out in the Kuala Lumpur Tourism Master Plan 2015-2015.
This year’s award recipients too were of exceptional standards, with the judging panels deciding to recognize not just the top scorers of the judging process with the top honours, but a new recognition was introduced. This year there will be a number of nominees in selected categories that will be recognized with “Certificates of Excellence”. These certificates are to recognize those establishments that have achieved high levels of excellence yet narrowly missed out on the top award by a very slim margin. In his address, Tan Sri Dr. Ong Hong Peng mentioned that the results of the judging session was very close and that many establishments were achieving high standards of excellence and that this boded well for the Kuala Lumpur Tourism Industry as a whole. The sponsors for this edition of the programme were The Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur, Royal Selangor, The KL Hop-On-Hop-Off Bus, Arch Kuala Lumpur City Gallery, Canon Marketing (Malaysia) Sdn. Bhd. and Perfect Magic Network.
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FEATURE STORY
Mayor’s Award for Out
Congratulations To All Award Recipients Mayor’s Award for Outstanding ContributionTan Sri (Dr) Francis Yeoh Sock Ping.
Accommodation Category
4- Star Hotel for Accommodation Category (Platinum Award) Impiana KLCC Hotel & Spa.
Dining Category
Fine Dining Category (Platinum Award) - Taka by Sushi Saito.
(4-Star Hotel)
4-Star Hotel for Accommodation Category (Gold Award) Ambassador Row Hotel Suites by Lanson Place.
(Fine Dining Restaurant)
Fine Dining Category (Gold Award) - Nobu Kuala Lumpur.
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Accommodation Ca
3-Star Hotel for Accommodation Category (Platinum Award) Prescott Hotel Kuala Lumpur Sentral.
Dining Category
Home Grown for Dining Category (Gold Award) - Dancing Fish.
(Ho
tstanding Contribution
Mayor’s Award for Outstanding ContributionTan Sri Yong Poh Kon.
ategory
(3-Star Hotel)
3- Star Hotel for Accommodation Category (Gold Award) Hotel Capitol Kuala Lumpur.
ome Grown Restaurant)
Home Grown for Dining Category (Gold Award) - Serai Restaurant.
Accommodation Category
5-star Hotel for Accommodation Category (Platinum Award)Shangri-La Hotel, Kuala Lumpur.
5-Star Hotel for Accommodation Category (Gold Award) Mandarin Oriental, Kuala Lumpur.
Accommodation Category
Budget Hotel for Accommodation Category (Platinum Award) Tai Ichi Hotel.
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(Budget Hotel)
Budget Hotel for Accommodation Category (Gold Award) Sungei Wang Hotel.
Dining Category
Food Court for Dining Category (Platinum Award) - Lot 10 Hutong.
(5-Star Hotel)
(Food Court)
Food Court for Dining Category (Gold Award) - Quizinn by Rasa.
FEATURE STORY
Tourist Attractions Category
Family Entertainment for Tourist Attraction Category (Platinum Award) - KL Bird Park.
(Family Entertainment)
Family Entertainment for Tourist Attraction Category (Gold Award) Aquaria KLCC.
Medical Tourism Category
Medical Tourism Category (Platinum Award) - KPJ Tawakkal Specialist Hospital & KPJ Tawakkal Health Centre.
Medical Tourism Category (Gold Award) - Institut Jantung Negara.
Mayor’s Commendatable Award For Front Liners
Mayor’s Commendable Award (Front Liners) - Ms Lim Hwi Shuen (The Federal Kuala Lumpur). 12 | HELLO KL JUN/ JUL 17
Tourist Attractions Cate
Culture, Arts & Heritage for Tourist Attraction Category (Platinum Award) - Royal Selangor.
Education Tou
Education Tourism Category (Platinum Award) - University of Malaya.
egory
(Culture, Art & Heritage)
Culture, Arts & Heritage for Tourist Attraction Category (Gold Award) Kuala Lumpur City Gallery.
Shopping Mall Category
Shopping Mall Category (Platinum Award) - Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.
urism Category
Education Tourism Category (Gold Award) - Berjaya University College of Hospitality.
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Shopping Mall Category (Gold Award) - Sunway Putra Mall.
Wishing you a Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri & Happy Holidays
From All of Us at the Kuala Lumpur Tourism Burea
au.
FEATURE STORY
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Kuala Lumpur will once again play host to the South East Asia Games, after a lapse of 16 years. Branded as “Kuala Lumpur 2017”, the 29th South East Asia Games will be held from the 19th to the 31st of August 2017. The city will be abuzz with the biggest regional sporting event of the year, as athletes from all the nations of South East Asia will compete in the spirit of sport and goodwill. In anticipation of the games, KL-ites are already gearing up for the event with ample awareness in and around the city. The hype for the games has been gradually increasing in the nation’s capital city as many Malaysians will converge on the city to support their national teams and athletes during the competition. A drive or a stroll down any street of Kuala Lumpur and you can’t help but see promotion for this international event in one form or another.
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Competition starts early beginning 14 August, five days ahead of the official opening ceremony on 19 August at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil. The Games ends on 30 Aug. Only 19 of the sports events will require tickets while the rest are free for all spectators. The19 sports events that will require paid tickets are; aquatics (diving, swimming, synchronized and water polo), badminton, gymnastics, karate, taekwondo, pencak silat, futsal, netball, rugby, cycling (track), basketball, sepak takraw, billiard and snooker, muay and football. Tickets will also be required for the opening and closing ceremony of the Games. All tickets can be purchased online (at www.kualalumpur2017.com.my) or at the venues’ ticket offices. However, it is advisable to book tickets in advance as some of the events have very few tickets left due to an overwhelming response from the public. The public may catch the following 32 Games for free at the various match venues: aquatics (open swimming), archery, athletics, bowling tenpin, boxing, cricket, cycling (BMX and road), equestrian, fencing, golf, hockey, ice hockey, ice skating, judo, lawn bowl, petanque, sailing, shooting, squash, table tennis, tennis, triathlon, volley ball, water ski and wakeboard, weightlifting and wushu.
FEATURE STORY
THE THEME –
RISING TOGETHER The theme of the Games is “Rising Together”, signifying the coming of age for Southeast Asia as a community. The region has come a long way in making its mark on the global stage and this is a time for us to come together to write the next chapter in our collective journey of peace, progress, and prosperity. Kuala Lumpur 2017 will be an important milestone in the ASEAN region as it will be the first SEA Games and ASEAN Para Games to be held after the formation of the ASEAN Community in 2015. It will be a further proof that sports will not only play a big role in bringing all the citizens of Southeast Asia together in celebrating our achievements and commitment towards sportsmanship, but it will also uplift and inspire the entire region.
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THE GAMES LOGO
RIMAU – THE MASCOT
The logo is based on the famous Malaysian symbol which is the Wau Bulan, a type of moon-kite synonymous with the east coast states of the country. Graceful, beautiful, powerful and rising high above, the Wau establishes itself as something that uniquely represents the transcendent power of sports. The system of a combination of stripes and shards of colour is collated from the flags of all the Southeast Asian countries to create the Kuala Lumpur 2017 identity.
To personify and embody the spirit of the Games, there needs to be a mascot which is memorable and eye-catching. For Kuala Lumpur 2017, our mascot is inspired by the graceful and powerful Malayan Tiger. Rimau is gracious, friendly, competitive and athletic. Most importantly, Rimau is a true athlete. RIMAU stands for Respect, Integrity, Move, Attitude & Unity. R – RESPECT Respect your opponents, the officials and the fans. Uphold the virtues of the Games. I – INTEGRITY Honesty in respecting the code of ethics of the Games and the values that they embody. M – MOVE Faster, higher, stronger. Push the limit and break new barriers. A – ATTITUDE Positivity, sportsmanship and friendship. Compete to win but win with honour. U – UNITY Come together as one celebrating the true spirit of the Games.
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FOOD IN KL
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A taste of the “World’s Best Sushi” in Kuala Lumpur
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Diners in Kuala Lumpur now can taste for themselves what can be regarded as the best sushi in the world. Tokyo’s Sushi Saito, known as the “best sushi restaurant in the world”, is a three Michelin star restaurant that is now extended to Kuala Lumpur. Sushi Saito is one of only three sushi restaurants with three Michelin stars in Tokyo. Chef Takashi Saito is the youngest sushi chef to have obtained the coveted three stars, aged 37 in 2009. Known for his ability to create an airiness in the rice in his sushi. Chef Saito creates the perfect sushi combination with the red vinegar in the rice and thicker but smaller cuts of fish. Taka by Sushi Saito, located at the St.Regis Kuala Lumpur, is the only extension of Takashi Saito’s restaurant. It is the first and only three star Michelin star brand in Malaysia. Taka by Sushi Saito seats 16 at the traditional 300-year old ‘Hinoki’ cypress counters. All ingredients are personally chosen by Chef Saito from Tokyo’s Tsukiji market and shipped to Kuala Lumpur. Taka by Sushi Saito’s offerings mirrors those served in his restaurant in Tokyo. Chef Saito’s trademark dishes such as the abalone (awabi), octopus (tako), tuna (toro), sea eel (anago) and egg (tamago) are also served at Taka by Sushi Saito. Menus change based on seasonal ingredients. In December, the winter menu is served with ingredients such as cod milt (shirako), seasonal yellow tail (buri) and flounder (hirame). For enquires and reservations, please call +6012 330 3600 or +603 2727 6688 or email reservations@saitotenkuni.com
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SHOPPING IN KL
Luxury Shopping Experience The Malaysia Mega Sale – Luxury Shopping Experience, is an initiative driven by The Melium Group in collaboration with Tourism Malaysia Shopping Secretariat and other key tourism players to attract more high-end shopping tourists to Kuala Lumpur. It signifies the commitment of the private sector retailers towards the Government’s affort to promote Malaysia as a shopping haven, particularly for high-end, luxury brands. The sale, which is on from the 15th of June till the 31st of August 2017 was officially launched by the Secretary General of the Ministry of Tourism and Culture Malaysia, Y. Bhg. Datuk Hj. Ab Ghaffar B. A. Thambi. “Over the years, there has been a big development in the retail sector that has created a positive impact on tourism. In 2015, for the first time, shopping became the main tourist expenditure at 31.3%, overtaking the share for spending on accommodation. This trend continued to into 2016 as well, with tourist expenditure on shopping taking up a share of 31.7%. We are also seeing an increase in the amount spent by tourists for shopping. In 2016, tourists spent RM26.03 billion on shopping alone, up 20.3% from RM21.63 billion in the previous year. Meanwhile, per capita expenditure also improved from RM841.1 in 2015 to RM972.6 in 2016,” said Datuk Hj. Ab. Ghaffar. “Based on a report on the Tourism Refund Scheme, we found that 43% of the tourist expenditure is on watches and jewellery, which are considered luxury items. Chinese tourists are the largest spenders on these items, followed by Singaporeans, Indonesians, Indians and Bangladeshis. All this gives an indication of the growth and potential of luxury shopping and luxury tourism, with markets in Asia leading the way as high retail spenders”, he added.
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Today, there is a change in the luxury retail business across the globe, where shopping is becoming a strong driving force for tourism. If in the past, leisure has always served as the primary motivation for travelling; today shopping has become a trendy and determining factor in the decision to travel. Tourists are increasingly determining their destination based on where they can shop – and this trend has a huge impact for luxury brands and fashion. There are many independent stores, malls, shopping districts around the world such as Oxford Street in London and the Avenues des Champ Elysees in Paris that have become ‘must visit’ attractions for tourists. As shopping and travelling fuses together in an interesting way it gives an opportunity for luxury retail business in Malaysia to position all high-end brands to attract this new market of luxury shopper tourists.
The launch of the Malaysia Mega Sale – Luxury Shopping Experience coincides with the national sale season, the Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival. During this period, shopping malls throughout the country will be offering big discounts to shoppers. These are the months when tourist arrivals and tourist sales typically peaks, and events have been lined up for this period to appeal to the right target market. Upcoming events during this time include the Kuala Lumpur Fashion Week Ready to Wear, which will be held from the 16th to the 20th of August 2017. This event will be closely followed by the BBKLCC Fiesta, which will run from the 25th of August till the 3rd of September 2017, in conjunction with the Kuala Lumpur SEA Games.
The Melium Group is Malaysia’s leading retail group in international luxury fashion and lifestyle brands that offers an extensive range of international brands which include Givenchy, Lanvin, Roger Vivier, TOD’s, Hackett London, Max Mara, MCM, Stuart Weitzman, Emilio Pucci, Aigner and Malaysian designer label Farah Khan, among many others.
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SHOPPING IN KL
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SUNWAY PUTRA MALL YOUR SUNSATIONAL SHOPPING DESTINATION
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Situated within one of the most vibrant hubs and central business and residential districts of Kuala Lumpur, Sunway Putra is a 4.5 acre self-sustained integrated development comprising of a mall, hotel and office tower. It is set to acquire the best of Sunway’s award-winning and proven track record, leveraging on its business components, namely Sunway Putra Mall, Sunway Putra Tower and Sunway Putra Hotel. The mall underwent a complete transformation before reopening in 2015 with an increased retail space of 600,000 square feet. The new façade of the complex is eye-catching and colourful reflecting the chic modern interior and shopping concept. The South African Sun Drop Diamond was the inspiration behind the mall’s exterior design, and this concept is well adapted within the mall. It can be clearly seen from the design of the concierge counter to the many other public amenities and facilities. Sunway Putra Mall now hosts more than 300 international fashion and local brands that include UNIQLO, H&M, Braun Buffel, MONKI, MAC, Swarovski, Good2U. Shoppers will also find a good selection of eateries offering a wide variey of cuisine. Among the dining brands available include Red Lobster, Las Vacas, Second Cup, Rakuzen, Lygon Bistro & Pascucci Espresso Bar and for those looking for sweet treats they have Haagen Dasz, Swensen’s, DC Comics Superheroes Café and Baskin Robbin’s to look out for! The mall’s iconic foodcourt located on the 4th Floor is called Medan Hang Tuah, boasts of a unique dining experience of authentic local fare. The quaint dining environment offers a number of stalls that include names like Narenj, Lorong Seratus Tahun, Dayung’s Tea, Ayam Penyet Express and many others. There is also Market Place, a gathering point for all essentials from fresh and quality products, household items, fancy knick-knacks, to delectable snacks and cosy eateries.
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SHOPPING IN KL
Relax and rejuvenate at the wellness centres available in the mall: Arokaya, D&D Beauty, J&C Wellness and Beauty, Nail and Spa after a long day of shopping and exploring Kuala Lumpur. That’s not all. Kids will be thrilled when they visit The Parenthood, Malaysia’s first London family theme park where you can get toys, kids apparels and not to be missed, the indoor playland. There’s a cafe to munch on some cake while junior hits the playland, and great party rooms. Suitable for children of all ages from 9 months onwards.
SUNWAY PUTRA MALL
The mall has two main mini-anchors - TGV Cinemas which is the only multiple Cineplex offering for the surrounding catchment, providing the ‘revolutionary Beanieplex’, replacing the usual cinema seating with comfy and relaxing beanbags; and Cold Storage carrying lots of choices for household items and everyday needs. Sunway Putra Mall provides shopping fun to the local and international tourists as well, with them having immediate access from Sunway Putra Hotel, Seri Pacific Hotel, Vistana Hotel, Quality Hotel, Silka Maytower Hotel and many other prominent hotels nearby. For tourists, the mall offers exclusive discounts and benefits when they shop at Sunway Putra Mall. Additionally, visitors can also redeem an exclusive gift and Privilege Card by flashing their passport at the Concierge. Sunway Putra Mall recently clinched a Gold Award at Kuala Lumpur Mayor’s Tourism Awards 2017, under the Shopping Mall Category. The win saw the refurbished two-year old mall emerging as one of the only two winners in the shopping mall category. For more information, visit their website at www. sunwayputramall.com
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TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN KL
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The Royal Selangor Visitor Centre
Experience A Living Malaysian Heritage Standing majestically with its modern urban design, Royal Selangor Visitor Centre is the go-to place to experience pewter-both as a beautiful piece to be admired and as a craft, closely bound to Kuala Lumpur’s colonial past and kept alive through the passion and imagination of its artisans. “We started the visitor centre in 2004 to share the story of Malaysian pewter crafting and how it became part of Malaysian history with locals and the rest of the world,” said Yong Yoon Li, executive director of Royal Selangor International. His greatgrandfather Yong Koon started Royal Selangor in 1885 when the country was the world’s largest tin producer in the 19th century. Upon arrival at the centre, visitors are taken into The Gallery by a friendly guide. The past in which tin was a prized commodity, the triumphs and challenges of Yong Koon and his family are revisited in startling detail - through the narration of the guide and displays of Yong Koon’s tools, his personal effects and pewter artefacts. The star of The Gallery is Yong Koon’s lucky teapot – an artefact that saved a man’s life.
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TOURIST ATTRACTIONS IN KL
“My grandfather’s teapot saved Ah Ham’s life. He was a villager scrambling for rice in the abandoned go-downs during World War 2 when he spied something shiny on the ground. As he bent to pick it up, a bomb fell and shrapnel whizzed past his head. He was so stunned that he promptly took home the teapot instead of the rice, which earned him a scolding from his wife, I reckon! Since then, he considered it his lucky teapot.” explained Datin Paduka Chen Mun Kuen, the hearty granddaughter of Yong Koon who still oversees the showroom operations today, sharing her family’s story with the visitors. It was a while before her grandfather’s teapot returned home. Ah Ham finally relented and returned the teapot to the family. Today, it sits proudly in The Gallery while replicas of it grace the homes of many tea connoisseurs. Impossible to miss is the replica of the Petronas Twin Towers. Assembled from 7,062 Royal Selangor pewter tankards, both towers stand over two storeys high. Visitors also get a tantalising glimpse of fine sterling silver pieces through the Comyns Archive, which also houses 35,000 patterns, drawings and moulds of the 300 year old sterling silver brand acquired by Royal Selangor in 1993. Following The Gallery tour, visitors are ushered by the guide directly to the factory, the heart of Royal Selangor’s brand of pewter crafting. Here, visitors acquaint themselves with the processes of the craft. The more adventurous are welcome to challenge themselves by hammering small uniformly sized dimples on a cylindrical pewter sheet- the same process used by Royal Selangor artisans to create the classic hammered finish.
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Once they are done, they are offered a privileged glance at the Royal Selangor factory floor where real-time manufacturing takes place. The tour also includes a brief look at the craft of fine jewellery by Selberan, another Royal Selangor company. To truly experience pewter as a living craft, visitors are encouraged to enrol in the centre’s popular experiential workshops- The School of Hard Knocks (SOHK) and The Foundry. A short fun-filled half-hour session, SOHK participants learn to create their own take-home souvenir, a pewter dish using traditional tools, similar to those used by pewter smiths more than 100 years ago. Those keen on a unique memento of their visit should join The Foundry. Under the watchful eye of an experienced instructor, participants craft their own pewter accessory using fundamental pewter crafting processes – casting, polishing and decorating, with options to create something freehand or from existing moulds.
The visitor centre houses a showroom filled with a wide variety of pewter pieces that complement contemporary or classic styles. It also contains a Selberan and Comyns boutique. Visitors looking for a place to relax may adjourn to the Café, which serves cakes and coffee, among other light snacks and beverages. For memorable pictures, family and friends may head outside to post at the giant 2-metre tall Giant Tankard. In 1987, Royal Selangor was officially presented with the certificate from the Guinness Book of Records acknowledging it as the largest tankard in the world. The Royal Selangor Visitor Centre is open from 9.00am to 5.00pm every day, including weekends and public holidays. Admission to the Visitor Centre is free, and complimentary guided tours are provided. For further information, visit www.royalselangorvisitorcentre.com or call 03-4145 6122. E-mail enquiries can be directed to visitorcentre@royalselangor.com.my
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NEW IN KL
Pulp at APW, Bangsar
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Breakout (Real Escape Game) is the latest entertainment trend offering reality escape gaming experiences consist of various theme rooms with a capacity of 2 to 8 players per room. Breakout is the first escape game operator in the world that offers the combination of escape games with real-time roleplaying strategies.
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There are a total 12 unique thematic game rooms in Breakout for players to explore and players need to choose 1 game room to start with for each game session. Each game room is designed to have its own storyline, mindboggling puzzle, tasks and stratagems that have to be completed within 45 minutes. Players will be locked in each game room and they will start with different scenarios such as handcuffed, trapped or even caged based on the storyline. They will need to use their wits, skills and teamwork to solve the puzzles and breakout from the rooms using the clues given. To add a twist to the game, characters with special abilities will be introduced to instill analytical, time management, decision-making and strategizing skills among players. 35 | HELLO KL JUN/ JUL 17
NEW IN KL
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In Kuala Lumpur, Breakout is currently located in 2 different locations namely Avenue K and NU Sentral Shopping Centre. All game rooms are designed with movie-like experiences and curated personally based on English understanding, suitable for all age range of target audiences from teenagers to working adults. Upon request, the management of each outlet will also conduct activities such as team building sessions, birthday parties and special events. Breakout is a proud Malaysian brand rated as No.1 on Tripadvisor Malaysia under Fun and Games winning over 700 honest reviews from customers worldwide since 2014. Breakout has expanded to other countries including Canada, South Korea, Saudi Arabia and the United States. For more information log on to www.breakout.com.my
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KL ACCOLADES
Over the years, Kuala Lumpur has received many accolades for various areas of tourism, from many different international organisations. Here are some of the most recent accolades the city has received.
KL Tower KL Hop-On Hop-Off City Tour Bus Aquaria KLCC
KL City Gallery
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ortunities. eeing opp ts h g si d n ns a of attractio ments, never short rical monu is to r ortunity u is p h m to rs e p ke the opp ra ta Kuala Lu sc s, y e v sk a s cl u n o e en d fam to lush gre ip to KL. From worl rtainment rounded tr te ll n a e n s a id re k from nd ensu y se places a SSÂŽ to enjo to visit the h the KL PA it w d e it is can be v tion visit ctions here re informa All the attra ey and time. For mo on saving of m
Jadi Batek Centre
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www.klpa
KL Upside-Down House
KL Butterfly Park Berjaya Times Square Theme Park
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