Woohoo!! I love the thrill of treasure hunts and had a great time taking part in the Tourism Malaysia Shopping Hunt 2016 on 1 Mar. Twenty two teams with participants from 11 countries took part in the shopping hunt frenzy across KL :-D
Off we go! From the starting point at MaTic (Malaysia Tourism Centre), the teams raced through Kuala Lumpur covering 15 of it's many (more) shopping malls. At each shopping mall, the teams were to locate designated landmarks based on clues given and post a group selfie to Tourism Malaysia shopping icon, Miss Shophia's Facebook page <- click.
Many of us dashed first from MaTic to Pavilion KL at Jalan Bukit Bintang with it's iconic water fountain. Jalan Bukit Bintang is Kuala Lumpur's most famous shopping belt.
The huge Pavilion KL mall has 450+ shops on seven shopping levels. Pavilion KL has many sections - this is Connection which houses it's fitness centre, karaoke, cinema, restaurants and more.
Pavilion KL has a hip Tokyo Street section popular for it's trendy Japanese food shops and all things Japanese.
There are many dining options in Malaysian shopping centres from local to international, from casual food courts to fine dining restaurants. This is Rocku Yakiniku buffet at Pavilion KL.
From Pavilion KL, we crossed Jalan Bukit Bintang to Starhill Gallery.
Starhill Gallery's signature is the luxury brands here.
Just beside Starhill Gallery is Fahrenheit 88 shopping centre. Fahrenheit 88 has 150+ fashion and gadget shops on seven levels.
Then there is LOT 10, one of the oldest shopping centres at Jalan Bukit Bintang. LOT 10 is constantly updated and well worth a visit for it's luxury brands. The mall has 40 fashion labels on five floors of shopping.
The Liverpool FC shop at LOT 10. Reds fans will never walk alone in Kuala Lumpur :-D
Steps away from LOT 10 is the buzzing Sungai Wang Plaza which is popular especially with ladies for it's wide range of clothing and fashion goods. The 1970s vintage Sungai Wang Plaza is a fashion and gadget bargain hunters' hot spot.
Crossing over to Berjaya Times Square at Jalan Imbi. Besides shopping, there is a huge indoor amusement park inside Berjaya Times Square.
My team at Berjaya Times Square's Tiny Taipei :-D Berjaya Times Square has 13 shopping floors and 1000 stores - it's crazy, I know.
From the frenzied shopping hunt, I realised that KL shopping centres are highly accessible by LRT. There is really no need for a car (and traffic jams :-D ).
One rapidKL card, took us to all the places we needed for the Shopping Hunt.
All the shopping centres we visited were served by comfortable LRT.
Of course, any shopping trip to KL must include Suria KLCC shopping centre at the iconic Petronas Twin Towers! Suria KLCC has 400+ shops anchored by ISETAN, Marks and Spencer and homegrown Parkson.
Besides numerous shops with all the international brands, Suria KLCC houses Petrosains - The Discovery Centre. At Petrosains, we learn all about the fascinating science and history of petroleum.
A short skip and hop from Suria KLCC took us to AK or Avenue K which boasts H&M's flagship in KL. So, H&M fans - mark this spot :-D
Next stop, the spanking new Quill Mall. Eight floors, 300+ shops with many international brands. My first time here and I love it's bright, cheerful, spacious, airy, clean, relaxing feel. Big change from those claustrophobic places with crushing crowds.
Quill Mall boasts a state-of-art, giant sized electronic display at it's vast center court.
From Quill Mall, we took the LRT to Sunway Putra Mall. Sunway Putra Mall boasts 8 levels of shopping with 300+ stores.
Sunway Putra Mall is linked to PWTC LRT station by a short link bridge. Actually, many shopping centres in KL are integrated with LRT stations.
Next stop is the giant Jakel Mall at Jalan Munshi Abdullah.
Jakel Mall, from what I saw during the Shopping Hunt, is the go to place for textiles in KL. The huge mall has 5 floors of dazzling textiles and silks :-D
Besides it's popular house brands like Ariani, Jakel Mall also carries exclusive Italian fabrics from Gucci, Valentino, Prada and Versace.
Next, we darted to another of KL's shopping belt along Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman or TAR for short. SOGO KL founded in 1994 is one of the most established and popular shopping centres in Kuala Lumpur. SOGO is KL's largest single department store with 10 floors of shopping and has a loyal following who prefers emporium style shopping.
Harisons just across Jalan TAR from SOGO is one of KL's oldest boutiques. Three floors of ready-to-wear and custom made, house brands and international labels, men's wear and ladies fashion, clothes, curtains, table cloth and bed linen. Just about everything silk and fabric ;-D
Gulati's Silk House is another clothing stalwart along Jalan TAR. Founded 50 years ago, the three storey Gulati's Silk caters to everyday wear as well as luxurious silk for the well heeled.
We walked down Jalan TAR and stopped for a selfie at the venerable nearly 100 year old Coliseum Cafe (founded 1921) - the definitive Hainanese kopitiam. No time to eat during the Shopping Hunt - marked this iconic place down for a revisit :-D
We could take a LRT ride from Jalan TAR to the Central Market but to save time we cut through crowded back lanes on foot and found this checkpoint - the giant silver kites at Pasar Seni - within 10 minutes.
The Central Market or Pasar Seni is a collection of traditional arts and crafts shops housed in a charming art decor style heritage building which used to be KL's wet market and warehouse. It's founded during the time of Kapitan Yap Ah Loy in 1888, the early days of KL - it's that old.
If you are looking for traditional crafts like this handmade kite, Central Market is the place for you.
Get your hand drawn batik at the Central Market.
Our next and final checkpoint was Nu Sentral Mall - what a relief - the Shopping Hunt was truly exhausting. Literally, "shop" till you drop :-D
Located right at the KL Sentral transport hub, NU Sentral’s selling points are the 3 Cs of connectivity, convergence, and convenience.
Catering to travellers and locals, there are plenty of gift ideas at the 8 levels of shopping at NU Sentral :-D Many mid-range international brands are here and the anchor tenant is Parkson.
And, finally, congratulations to the winning team who walked away with RM5,000 shopping vouchers.
Five hours shopping frenzy, 15 shopping centres and 75 group selfies.
Our team? We came in number 6 out of 22 - a respectable result and we had a lot of fun together :-D
The Malaysia National Sales Grand Launch 2016 also saw the unveiling of Miss SHOPhia, Malaysia's official shopping icon.
At the press conference chaired by Dy Minister of Tourism and Culture Datuk Mas Ermieyati Samsudin (centre), we were thrilled to hear that Miss SHOPhia has her own blog, YouTube channel and social media platforms like Miss SHOPhia Facebook page <-click, IG: @miss_shophia, Twitter: missshophia.
Miss SHOPhia will represent Malaysia in local and overseas events promoting shopping in Malaysia.
May I wish you “Super Bargains, Fantastic Experiences” at the 1Malaysia Super Sale (1 - 31st March), 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival (15 - 31st August) and 1Malaysia Year-End Sale (1 Nov - 31 Dec).
Date: 1 Mar 2016
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