Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Putrajaya

Going to Putrajaya is easy. Take KLIA transit train from KL Central to Putrajaya central. Buy return ticket instead of one-way ticket because return ticket is cheaper. But, once you reach Putrajaya central, transportation mode is a problem. There are two types of public transport to reach the city centre. The first one is by taxi, which is expensive (at least for me as a budget traveler) and the second one is by bus. I decided to take bus to go around the city. However, I was very disappointed. I thought it would be very easy for me to go and see around the city because it is the government administrative centre (it should be easy to access around the city, right?), but it was not like my expectation. First, I did not have a map (I had already searched for it at the tourism centre but the map is not helpful It only shows the areas/percincts in Putrajaya ... which was very confusing to me. I also could not find any map at the Putrajaya central). Second, I could not find information which bus that I have to take and which places are recommended to visit. I had asked at the bus counter and the men over there only told me to take a bus with certain number without further explanation. And finally, I got lost in the middle of offices. Very very confusing and disappointing for me. Well, I still want to share my visit though.


KLIA Train ...

Putrajaya is the new Government Administrative Centre. In the past, the administrative centre was in Kuala Lumpur. It is about 135,000m2. The areas in Putrajaya are divided into precincts and consist of government offices.
After a long walk from nowhere (I did not manage to identify the place where the bus driver dropped me off) I arrived at Taman Putra Perdana. Taman Putra Perdana is located at in Precinct 1. It is quite a big park. I walked around the park and I found the Prime Minister and his staffs offices building, known as Perdana Putra. Perdana Putra is the main administrative offices of the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister, Ministers and Deputy Ministers in the Prime Minister’s Department, and Chief Secretary to the Government.


Prime Minister Office

I walked across the park and I saw Putra Mosque. Putra Mosque is one of Putrajaya’s icons. The mosque has a pink dome and is built from rose-tinted granite. The mosque accommodates 15,000 worshipers. Another place that is nearby to Putra Mosque is Dataran Putra. It is a 300-metre circular area with concentric stars shape. This landmark is a symbol of all the states in Malaysia.


Me & Putra Mosque

I also visited 'Tasik Putrajaya/ Putrajaya Lake'. There is Tasik Putrajaya Cruise. The cruise will take you around and see the city’s landmarks from the comfort of an air-conditioned passenger boat.

Basically, Putrajaya is a new developed city. Not much you can see here. As long as I know, you can only find parks, bridges, and buildings. However, they are modernly designed and unique. But if you do not like buildings, then I suggest to place this city as the least priority.

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