Sunday, 15 October 2023

SUNDAY Saunter │ Corus Hotel • Avenue K • KL Sentral • Maya Mess)

Impromptu Walkabout — Testing the Lumix GX9

Cat took a while to recover from her health issues, and we had been fairly sedentary the past couple of weekends. But today, a spur of the moment decision saw us leaving our condo at noon — partly because we were itching to take our new toy, the Lumix GX9, out for a spin.

We walked to the Munshi Abdullah bus stop, and after a short wait, caught the RapidKL #300 bus to Corus Hotel.

We disembarked and made a beeline for the Aeroline ticket counter — so be sure to catch our previous video for some important updates.

Avenue K → KL Sentral → Brickfields

From Corus Hotel, we headed to Avenue K so Cat could reload her Touch ’n Go card. We took a stroll along the food stalls on the lower ground floor, but nothing whetted our appetite.

Another spur of the moment decision: we hopped onto the LRT and rode to KL Sentral.

From here, we crossed Jalan Brickfields and headed to one of our favourite banana leaf restaurants. (If you haven’t already, check out our previous video on Maya Mess!)

Lunch sorted, Cat asked that we return to KL Sentral — and so began our little shopping spree.

A Mini Shopping Spree

At Bath & Body Works, Cat browsed for a while before heading to Monki, where she picked up several dresses for our upcoming trip to Kuching.

Oops… did we just let the cat out of the bag?

With our shopping done, we stepped outside KL Sentral and waited for the free GOKL Red Line bus. It arrived shortly after, and a ten minute ride brought us to the Menara DBKL bus stop along Jalan Raja Laut.

From there, it was another ten minute walk back to our condo.

What’s Next

Brendan will be attending his UNIMAS graduation ceremony early next month, which is when we should be posting our next video — so please stay tuned!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
KLCC LRT Station @ Avenue K - https://maps.app.goo.gl/nfMrxqY2NuGeTnP79
Maya Mess @ Brickfields
Go KL Bus KL Sentral Bus Stop (Red Line)
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MAYA MESS Brickfields

Banana Leaf in Brickfields — Maya Mess Magic

Since nothing at Avenue K whetted our appetites, we made our way to Brickfields for our fix of banana leaf rice. We’ve been coming here for a while now, although this is the first time we’re showcasing it on our channel.

Maya Mess serves Chettinad cuisine, originating from its namesake region in the Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu, India. Chettinad food is famous for its bold spices, aromatic masalas, and fiery flavours — easily one of the most renowned cuisines in Tamil Nadu.

By the time we arrived, lunchtime was in full swing, and it took a while before we were seated. Once we settled in, the banana leaf was unfurled and the various delectable side dishes were served one by one — colourful, fragrant, and full of promise.

The Star of the Meal — Chicken Varuval

We added a serving of Chicken Varuval for good measure. This dry chicken curry from Southern India is made with fennel, cumin, coriander seeds, and dried chillies — a combination that gives it its unmistakable spicy kick.

We hope our time lapse footage did justice to the beautiful chaos of spices and herbs coming together on our banana leaves.

The Damage — RM54.20 of Pure Satisfaction

Our fiery meal came to RM54.20 (≈ USD/EUR11), which included:

  • 2 servings of banana leaf rice — RM29.80
  • Chicken Varuval — RM9.90
  • 2 glasses of Masala Tea — RM7.00
  • 1 Iced Tea — RM3.00
  • 1 Iced Lemon Tea — RM4.50

The Masala Tea after lunch helped wash down the fire in our bellies — warm, spiced, and soothing.

A Walk to KL Sentral

With lunch done, we took a slow walk back to KL Sentral for a short shopping spree before heading home.

Be sure to watch our next video!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
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AEROLINE: Important Updates!

Aeroline — Our Christmas Ride to Penang (With a Few Surprises)

As with last year, we’ll be spending Christmas in Penang again. Our favourite way to travel has always been by bus, and our favourite bus service has always been Aeroline.

So we made our way to Corus Hotel to buy our tickets — but not without a few surprising twists along the way. For anyone planning to travel with Aeroline, here are some things we learned.

What’s New (and Not So Great)

A few changes caught us off guard:

  • A one way ticket that used to cost RM60.00 (≈ USD13/EUR12) is now RM65.00 (≈ USD14/EUR13).
  • If you plan to travel Friday through Sunday, the price jumps to RM72.00 (≈ USD15/EUR14).
  • Cash only at the counter if you want to avoid a 3% admin charge.
  • Debit cards are not accepted for reasons unknown.
  • Large baggage is no longer free — a fee will be imposed.

To top it off, we couldn’t buy our return tickets yet because the date wasn’t “open” for purchase.

All these little inconveniences gave us pause.

Considering Alternatives

Truth be told, Aeroline’s new pricing structure has nudged us to consider other options. A very tempting alternative is the ETS Platinum from Butterworth to Kuala Lumpur, priced at RM73.00 (≈ USD15/EUR14).

For almost the same price, the ETS Platinum:

  • Stops only at major stations
  • Is the fastest long distance train service
  • Runs at popular travel times

It’s hard not to compare.

It really is a shame that Aeroline seems to be pricing themselves out of the game.

What’s Next

In the meantime, Brendan will be attending his UNIMAS graduation ceremony early next month — and that’s when we’ll be posting our next video.

Stay tuned for more adventures!

(Do visit our YouTube Channel Have Perut Will Travel)

📍 Location:
Corus Hotel Kuala Lumpur - https://maps.app.goo.gl/HmdLK9ww6Z4kdGVz6
Aeroline (KL) - https://maps.app.goo.gl/ACS2P64z1vz2VMQ8A
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