KL Tower ; A must visit when youre in Kuala Lumpur

How was your weekend? Cause i really cant wait to tell you about mine! I was given the oppurtunity to check out the KL Tower, which has evolved so much since my last visit. I dont even know where to start! hehe. There were so many attractions and things to do when youre around the KL tower, from visiting their mini zoo, check out their forest reserve,  get a taste of Malaysia, F1 Stimulators and more! Tourist and visitors would be spoilt with choices while theyre there.

Entrance to KL Tower's Mini Zoo

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As i reached the KL Tower, we were given a stroll around their KL Tower Mini Zoo which had a variety of rare animals like Meerkats, Racoons, Falabella's and more! This was my first time here, and i was impressed to be able to catch animals that i've never seen before. Here are some photos of the animals that i managed to captured.

The variety of animals you can spot at the Mini Zoo.

Spotted some feathery animals looking happy.

Spot the Bat-eared fox. hehe

Get up close with squirrels and other furry creatures.

Ella, a blogger happily feeding a bird.

9 months old babies.

And this i presume could be the father of the birds. hehe. (looking fierce)

Dont you think they look happy being in their own natural habitat. You would definitely not regret walking around this mini zoo which can easily take up to 1 hour of your time to enjoy the animals running around freely, wanting to be pet by visitors. hehe. A great place to bring kids too!

The Longkang Fishing Pond

Trying my luck to catch some fishes.

The outdoor seating are to enjoy nature.

They even had a Longkang Fishing pond, where kids can try their luck to catch a fish, and they're able to bring the fish home if they catch any! I tried to give myself a go, but i must say that it was rather challenging to catch the fishes :( So no luck! But it was a lot of fun trying to catch them. hehe

Entrance to The Blue Coral Aquarium

There's also a souvenir shop!

Next stop, the Blu Coral Aquarium which was great stop right after visiting the mini zoo. The mini zoo was a great way to enjoy the humid weather here in Malaysia, but cooling off in an air conditioned environment would be great to get rid of the sweat. hehe. Here are some photos of what you can find when youre at the Blue Coral Aquarium:

The pathway in the aquarium.

Underwater creatures spotted.

From tiger fishes, sea cumbers, corals, and more, you will definitely learn a thing or two about underwater creatures of the sea. And do not worry if youre not a fan of sea creatures, but youre interested to know about them, each aquarium will have a description of the species and where can they be found. A great entertaining visit to expand your knowledge. hehe

Descriptions available.

Once thats done and over, now for the real deal! hehe. How can you visit KL Tower and not be in the KL Tower itself right? If youre there for the view, well you have 2 choices of how you would want to enjoy the view. Its either you decide to visit their Open Sky Deck or their Viewing deck.

Open Sky Deck

Well the Open Sky Deck is literal being out in the open, and it felt like you could be on top of the world. But please take note that if you have kids with you, they need to be above 12 years old to be able to visit the Open Deck. I absolutely love the scenery. And despite the haze, i could still see everything! Its amazing to see my own country has gone so far with evolution.

Playing around with their 3D art.

Enjoying the scenery.

Managed to enjoy their 3D interactive art while enjoying the breathtaking view. Dont you think the view is just stunning?! Its a really nice spot to enjoy Kuala Lumpur by being away from all the traffic, the chaos and the busy city life. Next stop, the viewing deck.

The Viewing Deck

The viewing deck is a more safer side to enjoy the scenery and its exactly 276 meters above ground level. If you dont like being in high places, well, this would be the option for you. Theres souvenir stores, photo spots, information of towers all around the world and more!

Souvenir store available.

Some comparison with other Towers at the rest of the world.

Trying my luck to spot a handsome man on the street. (no luck tho) hehe

After enjoying the panoramic scenery, we decided to head down to another tourist location which just recently launched 3 months ago, called the Flavours of Malaysia. After a long morning walk around KL Tower, that really build myself an appetite, and favours of Malaysia sounds pretty good for lunch to me. hehe.

Flavours of Malaysia

The entry price.

Flavours of Malaysia is basically my last stop of the day and to my surprise, i found that there's a little mini exhibition of all the 'village' houses from all the different states in Malaysia. But since i was hungry, i decided to have a yummy Malaysian Buffet lunch.

The entrance to the restaurant.

Nasi Lemak, Roti Canai and some desserts.

The variety was not bad and i absolutely the love the taste of the dishes! Im not too fond to spicy food, so despite having sambal and other malay cuisines, its rather surprising that they were edible compared to when i eat out at other places. The menu of the day was serving, Satay, Nasi Lemak, Ulam, Bubur kacang, Roti Canai and more! So, if youre not a fan of spicy burning cili, this is a must try, especially if youre foreign and you want to our Malaysian food. Managed to talk to the chef as well, and he said that the dishes are well catered to international tastebuds which is GREAT! :D

Performance by the Semia Orang Asli

We even had a special presentation by the Semia Orang Asli who performed us some traditional dances and music while we enjoyed our food during lunch. I was told by the manager that they came all the way from Pahang, and they were previously performing for the Sultan's of Selangor. Talk about a Royal presentation. It was a privilege for me to meet Indigenous people, and see them perform live in front of my eyes. Not a chance to be missed.

Village house replica's

Village house replica's, a goat and a visitor playing traditional games

Once lunch was done and over with, i decided to discover the traditional village houses that are available in different states in Malaysia. I never knew that the houses traditionally can be so detailed in different ways! There were even ducks and a goat in the area to make it seem more 'aunthentic'. Its like seeing the whole of Malaysia without having to travel to different states in Malaysia. hehe.

A tourist feeding a baby monkey at the park.

There is no doubt that theres a lot of things to do while youre at KL Tower. So many things to see all in one day. It definitely created memories to me. hehe. Its great to know that KL Tower has improved SO SO much from my last visit 10 years ago. And im thankful that i was given the opportunity to visit KL Tower again.

Well, i dont want this post to be too long, so i'll be ending it here. For more information on KL tower, do visit their official website at www.menarakl.com.my. Hehe. Do leave me comments below if you have any other questions which i may have not answered :*

Love,
Sara xx

BMS Organics ; Chef Wan wants Malaysia to Eat Healthy

Having a healthy, balanced diet is an essential part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. But i have to say that it becomes very challenging to eat healthy, when we have tons of variety to choose from. I was so happy to find out that BMS organics has recently open their doors at Mid Valley right next to Daiso, to encourage Malaysian to have a healthier eating lifestyle, and thus i decided to be at their launch earlier this month. This also marks BMS Organics 34th outlet in the country.

Present at the launch was Chef Datuk Redziawan Ismail // Chef Wan, who is on a mission to encourage Malaysians to eat healthy and dispel the misconception about healthy foods. And by looking at Chef Wan, he looks like he's still young. I guess its proven that your diet does determine on how you look. hehe

Mr Terry Lee, who was the COO of BMS Organics said " BMS Organics and Chef Wan share a common vision―to help Malaysians eat healthy and lead a wholesome lifestyle. By harnessing Chef Wan's culinary passion and expertise, we can create delicious, nutritious Malaysian dishes by using our organic, eco-friendly produce and products."

With Chef Wan as their special guest, its no doubt that passerby's were willing to stop and watch him share his secrets in cooking. In this collaboration, Chef Wan and BMS Organics gave a twist to 3 Malaysian favourite dishes, from Nasi Lemak, Organic Soya Milk Curry Laksa and Asam Laksa Vermicelli Soup.

Asam Laksa Vermicelli Soup

Nasi Lemak

Organic Soya Milk Curry Chicken

"We Malaysians love our lip-smacking cuisines, especially curry and meat, but our passion for flavoursome food has become increasingly unhealthy. As a chef, I take it my calling to help Malaysians develop a healthy eating culture," said the internationally renowned chef. I was shocked to find out that BMS has a tiny cafe in store, where people can decide to dine in, just to prove to you that healthy meals can be as delicious and yummy too.

According to a 2013 study by UK medical journal Lancet, Malaysia has been rated as the highest among Asian countries for obesity. Compared to global rates of around 30%, nearly 45% of Malaysian men and 49% of Malaysian women are overweight or obese. Obesity is known to be one of the risk factors of diabetes and heart diseases―the number one silent killer in Malaysia. YIKES! Better check on your diet guys. Im thankful that my mom is a doctor, so she constantly reminds me to eat a balance diet of vegies and fruits. 

"It is generally known that our daily diet tends to lack wholesome fibre. That's why in this quest for a healthier Malaysia, I have given our most-loved dishes extra fiber power by choosing fresh organic vegetables and products from BMS Organics," said Chef Wan. He also shared his three recipes during the cooking demonstration held  after the opening ceremony of BMS Organics store in Mid Valley Megamall.

Less Meat. Better Health.

In fact, many leading health organizations in the world now encourage people to cut down on their meat intake to promote overall well-being. A 2010 study by Oxford University’s Department of Public Health discovered that eating meat no more than 3 times a week could prevent 31,000 deaths from heart disease, 9,000 deaths from cancer and 5,000 deaths from stroke. A study by American Diabetes Association found that people following a meatless diet had a decreased risk of Type 2 diabetes too.

As organic foods are rich in fiber but low in sugar and fat, they help to reduce the risk of high cholesterol and high blood pressure caused by unhealthy diet.Certified organic produce and products are free from pesticides, artificial flavours, colours and preservatives. As such, they also help lower exposure to chemicals that are harmful to our health. 

In line with the increasing awareness of the health benefits that accompanies the reduction in meat consumption, a movement popularly known as Meat-Free Monday is now growing across the globe. It encourages people to skip meat on Monday to improve their health and the health of the planet. This is because meat production generates nearly 20% of man-made greenhouse gasses that accelerate climate change and consumes 20 times more fuel to make feed for beef than plant-based protein.

"Our collaboration with Chef Wan is part of our initiative to promote Meat-Free Monday. By skipping meat on Monday every week or once a week and substitute it with tasty, healthy meatless meal, we can make a world of difference to our health and the planet," said Terry Lee.

The three wholesome organic recipes by Chef Wan will be made available on BMS Organics' official website at www.bmsorganics.com. 

Sara xx

Photo Credits
+ Isaac Tan

[REVIEW] Scholl Velvet Smooth Express Pedi Electronic Foot File

Dont you hate it when the bottom part of your feet shows horrible cracks and scaly dry skin? I know i do, and i find it embarrassing when visiting a friend or a family members house, as in Malaysia, its a tradition to remove your shoes once you enter the house. These crack marks are usually due to excessive feet activity, like prolonged standing at work or home. And if your floors at home are hard, these are also the main causes of thick dry skin at the bottom of your feet.

Being very active in my daily routines of being all around Klang Valley, i was introduced to Scholls latest Velvet Smooth Express Pedi Electronic Foot File, and this may be the answer to my, and your problems! The first time i heard about this was in 2014, but i've been hearing about how good it is, so might as well give it a go. I also heard that the Roller Head is Replaceable too. SWEET!

It retails at RM135.20 at stores, which includes an Electronic Foot File, One roller Head, 4 AA batteries and 1 Cover. I love how the size of it is very easy to bring around, especially when youre travelling.The pack also says that you will instantly achieve beautifully smooth skin after 1 use, but of course, theres only one way to find out, review time!

I guess the highlight of the product would be the grey part, which is the Micralumina Roller that can be changed when needed. I love how when im holding it, its has this ergonomically shaped soft touch handles for it to be easy to hold, allowing easy movement to remove the hard skin layer from the bottom of your feet. So yes, DIY is possible!

Now, i love how that its easy to turn it on, and basically all you need to do is to turn the silver strip anti-clockwise and automatically, you will see the roller head turning. It does produce a sound, but its not too intimidating as the device has a sensor that will detect it to stop if theres too much pressure applied on the device. Neat trick huh?

What i did before using it was that i made sure that my feet were clean, and dry, which then i proceeded to the removal of the hard skin. By simply placing the Velvet Smooth express Pedi Electric Foot File on your feet, it will be doing all the work by removing the hard skin. In my case, i moved it in a downwards motion as its easier to control it that way.

From the before and after photo, i think you can see that the hard and cracked skin has been removed in just one use. Incredible! And if you think its hurts, it doesnt. It got me really fascinated to know that it was really easy to remove the hard skin from my heel. Its such an achievement for me to be able to remove the hard skin off without going to a pedicure salon to get it done for me too. So much win!

Since it practically shaves the hard skin off your feet, i would suggest you to either do it in the bathroom, or somewhere with not much wind as the callouses that come's off will be flying around to make a mess, so we wouldnt want that, do we?

Verdict: 
+ Express Pedi Electronic Foot File (RP: RM135.20)
+ Gently buffs away hard skin
+ Easy Ergonomic design Handle to hold
+ Roller head is Washable and Replaceable
+ Saves petrol, parking and time.
+ DIY possible!

I understand that as a woman, we have tons of shoes to wear every week, and at times when our high heel's are not padded well, this will cause hard skin to develop. I believe that women should not to neglect their feet, because theres a saying that "Beauty begins at your feet". Hehe

GOODNEWS! If you would like to have one for yourself, it retails at RM135.20, but to my special readers, you get an additional 5% off when you purchase it from http://bit.ly/schollmy by using this promo code: SCHSOU. Be fast because this code will only be valid until 31st October 2015.

Who said that removing hard skin would be hard? ;)

Sara xx.