Port Klang: KL … Petronas Twin Towers

Port Klang was another one of those ports where I ran out of time pre-RTW to do any research for what we might want to do.

The one thing we both agreed upon, however, was that we wanted to check out the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur … fondly referred to as KL. So, a few weeks ago I booked a driver/guide (Anuar) through Viator to take us to the towers. Everything else on the itinerary was a bonus.

Anuar had warned us that the drive from Port Klang to KL could take as much as two hours. The good news? It took us a little more than an hour to get to KL.

Although the Batu Caves were supposed to be the first stop on the tour, we flipped things around so that we could beat the crowds at the towers. The plan worked out beautifully. Even though our pre-purchased tickets were for 11:00a, we managed to get them changed on arrival to the 10:15a tour because we made such good time getting into the city.

Completed in 1997, the Petronas Twin Towers each consist of 88 floors. At a little more than 1,482 feet high, they remain unchallenged as the tallest twin towers in the world. They are constructed largely of reinforced concrete and feature “multi-faceted walls of 33,000 stainless steel girders and 55,000 glass panels.” The laminated glass reflects the harmful UV rays and reduces heat … very important in this hot country.

The design of each floor is based on a simple Islamic geometric form of two interlocking squares known as the Rub El Hizb. The form creates the shape of an eight-pointed star when viewed from the top … giving the buildings their unique style. This figure represents unity, harmony, stability, and rationality in the Islamic cultures.

The two towers are connected by a 750-ton, 192-feet long double-decker Sky Bridge on the 41st and 42nd floors — 558 feet above the ground. Connected, is perhaps not the right word to describe the bridge, however, as it is not fully attached to the towers. To allow for the shifting of the towers during high winds, the bridge is designed to slide in and out of the buildings.

Since we were allowed to go up to the 41st floor ahead of our group, we took some time to enjoy the scenery from the Sky Bridge and take photos. Then, we met up with our tour group at the entrance to the Sky Bridge. After the guide regaled us with some of the stats, he took us up to the Observation Deck on the 86th floor.

From this vantage point, not only did we get to enjoy the views again, but we also caught glimpses of the 242-foot high spires atop the towers. Here, we also saw scale models of the towers and the surrounding skyline. Then, going down to the 83rd floor, we had a chance to watch some videos before we were taken back down to the ground floor gift shop. Our only purchase was a souvenir photo against a backdrop showing the Petronas Towers.

Before leaving the Petronas Towers, we wandered the grounds. Anuar knew the perfect spot from which to capture shots of the towers … and even took a photo of us with the towers in the background. We also lucked out with a short glimpse of the fountain in action.

And then it was time to get on with our tour …Read more