Putrajaya.

12 Jan 2013

Putrajaya.

Today we decided to go to Putrajaya to check out the Mosque, that we’d heard lots of great things about…so we got Walter the owner of the Jawadene Suite to drop us off at the local station, Salak Tinggi KLIA Transit Station & we caught the train to Putrajaya & Cyberjaya station which cost RM6 = AU$2.00 When we arrived we caught the bus, which cost of RM1 = AU 0.30!!
But first up we wanted to stop at the Alamnda shopping mall (which is on route to the Mosque),as we were hungry, the first thing we noticed when entering the Mall was a HUGE Christmas tree, Santa’s chair & decorations hanging from the ceiling, way more Christmassy than the shopping centers where we live!!! For lunch we went to our favorite bakery chain Rotiboy, we got a tuna roll & a vegetable roll (all the filling sits on top of the rolls) the bread is sooo soft, they tasted much nicer then it sounds, plus we got a couple of cakes & a bottle of water each for the horrendous price of RM13!!!
After exiting the mall we had to cross the road to catch a bus No. 901, which would take us to the Mosque, but after waiting for about ½ hour of sweating it out & still no sign of the bus, we crossed back over the road to the taxi rank Where we caught a taxi to the Mosque RM12 = AU3.25 the journey which took about 10 minutes if that…
Putrajaya Bridge is the link between the Government Precinct and the Mixed Development Precinct, also linking the Boulevard and Putra Square. It’s the most important bridge in Malaysia and it spans across 435 meters. It’s also a unique icon landmark of Putrajaya. The architecture and design were inspired by Khaji Bridge, a famous bridge in Iran.
The upper level of the bridge is a boulevard-like area, which is great for jogging…that we did not do…way too humid, otherwise we would have!

Opposite the Putrajaya Bridge is the Putra Mosque it’s the principal mosque for the state of Putrajaya. It was built-in 1997 and it took 2 years to complete. More than half of the building is floating on the lake and has a fade pinkish color that blends in during sunset. The architecture of the mosque is a unique blend of traditional style with a hint of modernization of craftsmanship and a touch of a few borrowed Islamic elements from other countries.
The lake that the Mosque sits next too is man-made, & offers boat rides & kayaking.

Just below the mosque is an eating area that offers a wide range of mouthwatering foods & drinks; there is also a large play area for kids to burn off some of their energy!
Just behind the food area are some market stalls selling the usual tourist ‘stuff’.
The cark park is located in front of the Mosque & Government House & In the middle (like a massive roundabout) there is a HUGE concert area with a small garden & water features, where all the locals take their families, to have a play, the kids chase each other, ride their push bikes, ride their electronic cars! & Some families even have a picnic there; it has a charming relaxed feel about the place, maybe it’s because of the surrounding buildings?
So after a hard day walking around & having something to eat, we were going to catch a taxi to the train station, but the old taxi driver said he would do us a deal & take us back to the Jawadene for RM15 = $4, so with the deal done we set off, after about 45 minutes (the taxi driver got lost…LOL) we arrived…we gave him RM20 for his trouble!

To get to the Mosque by road it will take about 40 minutes from Kuala Lumpur.
If you are travelling by Train you will need to catch the Express Rail Link KLIA transit at KLIA or KL Sentral Station to Putrajaya Cyberjaya & which goes every half hour in peak time and every 1-hour for non-peak time, not sure what price is as we went from a different station, you may find this link useful with times of trains- http://www.kliaekspres.com
From there take the Putra Nadi bus around the city & it costs only RM 0.50 each, about AU 0.15 cents!!!