My Zest Air Flight to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia! (Day 1)

The surprising ones were the greatest, and that was proven to me again when I finally braved myself and to fly out of the country for the first time via the historical inaugural flight of Zest Air to the beautiful and really stunning city of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia!

Last May 10, 2013, I unexpectedly had the chance to see the beauty of the world by flying to Malaysia together with a number of bloggers who were invited by Zest Air and Tourism Malaysia to Kuala Lumpur. A country and city that take pride of its people and history, I'd say that after that smooth and comfortable Zest Air flight Z2948 ride, my heart was beating so fast due to excitement and just can't wait to see the whole city who makes its visitors fall in love - like forever!

This trip was planned and prepared by Zest Air and AirAsia, who are strategically conniving to give Filipino customers that pocket-friendly and efficient travel opportunity around the world.

So, after leaving Manila, Philippines at 6:45 a.m., we arrived at Kuala Lumpur's Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) after almost 4 hours after, and found a bus which is waiting for us , together with some representatives from the Tourism Malaysia. Again, this is my first to travel outside the Philippines, and I was just plainly overwhelmed on how we, Filipinos, were so much like the Malaysians - the feature, the traits and even the hospitality. No wonder, Zest Air picked this place as their next international destination. :-)

Tina Travels' Marie Tiu was our tour guide for this whole trip. A Malaysian whose love for her country is so evident, she shared to us some interesting facts that kinda welcomed us and made us at home to the land I'm considering a new sanctuary.

We were supposed to check-in first, but since Marie knew that we have a limited time to see the whole city, she suggested that we see some of the tourist destinations first, the ones that are on our way to hotel, before finally taking a full rest from the almost 4 hour trip from Manila.

It was my longest plane ride to date, but all of the weariness were gone when my eyes were filled by beauty possessed by Instana Negara or the National Palace of Malaysia. This huge piece of beautifully designed structure housed the Supreme King, who is the head state of Malaysia. We were lucky to see a royalty car exiting the palace that afternoon, and it was only then that I learned that aside from the guards riding those huge horses, there were also two Malay guards on the side symbolizing the history that Instana Negara had been to.

After some more minutes of taking pictures and enjoying our first Malaysian tourist spot, our tour guide called us out to head to our next destination, the Restoran Minimax, where we had our first Malaysian food adventure. Our huge round table was filled  with food that I never expected to be that delicious! Love it!

Our weariness went back right after that sumptuous lunch, so we decided to check in first and freshen up a bit before we continue our first day here in Kuala Lumpur. We were booked in Berjaya Times Square Hotel, a hotel that is in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, so double yay for us!

After an hour and a change of outfit, I found myself riding the bus again, which is bound to another Kuala Lumpur's pride, the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery. Everything in this place is so wowing, from the story to accessibility and features that are just first-world kind of stuff, as in wow! Definitely, a must-visit here in Kuala Lumpur!

The place is adjacent to the very colorful Merdeka Square that shares more of Kuala Lumpur's Muslim heritage and culture. It is here where the tallest flagpole is located too, as well as the beautifully colored mosques that stole my heart - oh, I'm so in love with this place!!!

Our last destination for the trip that day was Jalan Alor. An equally colorful street that offers the fusion of Malaysia's inhabitants - Malays, Chinese and Indians - it was here where I had the most unforgettable Malaysian food trip. I'm honestly considering going back to Malaysia because of this place, and every time I am reminded of this place, oh, I can't help but to crave for some Malaysian food! Hahaha!

According to our guide, Marie, if you opt the most affordable dish in Kuala Lumpur that offers the most delectable ones, Jalan Alor is the place. The place is open from the afternoon til late night. And since the sun sets at around 7 p.m. in this side of the world, we had a great glimpse of the street from daylight to moonlight. This street is really alive at night with all kinds of Malaysian street food that are ready to fill you up. And so, instead of taking our service bus back to our hotel, everyone decided to just walk and savor the first night of our fun adventure here in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.

Our second day is packed with more adventures, so stay tune for I am really excited to share to all of you the beauty that this lovely city has... for now, selamat tinggal!