Tuesday, April 24, 2018

Party on A Helipad

It's called the Heli Lounge Bar, located on the 34th floor of Menara KH in Bukit Bintang (not to be confused with KH Tower). Getting there is very easy. You can walk from Bukit Bintang or the Twin Towers. The nearest Monorail station is Raja Chulan. If you're taking the free GOKL bus from Bukit Bintang, there's a stop right in front of the building.

It really is a helipad by day--you can see the warning sign telling people to stay clear of the tail rotor. So it's not like something staged to resemble a helipad just to attract tourists but is actually not.

You're required to buy a drink at the bar first before they allow you to proceed upstairs to the helipad. So, no, you can't be a cheapskate and just go for the view. Drinks are priced around RM20 - RM40, which is quite cheap for KL standard. The helipad is still relatively unknown, although it has been around for quite a while. Perhaps they want to keep it that way, but I think it's only a matter of time. And when it does get more popular, surely the drinks won't be RM20 anymore.

You will need to climb up a few flights of stairs in order to reach the helipad. The stairwell is dimly lit and you'll be carrying your drink with you, so keep that in mind if you're planning to wear heels or get drunk or both.

The best time to go is around 6 pm, just as soon as they open. (But I previously heard some friends going there as early as 4 pm). Anyway, too early would mean having to endure the hot sun for too long, because there's practically no shade there. Too late, and there probably won't be any seat left and you might miss the sunset.

Try to call in advance to check if it will be open on the day that you plan to visit, because the first time I went, it was closed for a private function. I'm not sure if that happens regularly. Because the helipad would also be closed if it rains, be sure to check the weather forecast too.