Moms often don’t get the recognition they deserve for all that they do. So to celebrate moms in KL, we at Little Steps have spoken to just some of the extraordinary moms out there and asked them to share their favorite places to hang out with their families with you. They are supermodels, entrepreneurs, authors and ladies who work tirelessly for charity, but most importantly they are moms who truly inspire. Thank you-you all rock!
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Danielle travels a lot with work, so when she’s at home she naturally wants to spend all her time with her two children. “We do a lot of cooking together, something that is very close to my heart, which is why I wrote my book On The Table At Home. It contains loads of recipes that you cook for friends and family. At the weekend we like to head to Art Jammin at The Studio at KL where we can all get creative, or we take a long hike through Bukit Kiara to take in the nature. One of my favorite places to grab sa bite is at Rajus, which does the very best roti canai!”.
Art Jammin at The Studio KL, D1-G4-09, Solaris Dutamas 1, Jalan Dutamas 1, 50480, Malaysia, +03 6211 0177, info@thestudioatkl.com, www.thestudioatkl.com
Rajus, 27 Jalan Cantek 5/13, off Jalan Gasing, Selangor, 46000, Malaysia
On The Table At Home, www.onthetableathome.com
A real crusader for local charities Suzanne started up her own charitable organization, The Lost Food Project, to collect surplus food from supermarkets and manufacturers in Malaysia and then distribute it to those who really need it. “I would recommend visiting the UNESCO world heritage site, Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman (The Village Headman’s House). It is a little gem in the heart of busy KL. You can book a private tour of a traditional kampong house, discover many beautiful traditions, and learn how Malay families have lived over generations. The guides are excellent, and if you book ahead you can make any requests – the staff are very accommodating. If you are super organized you can even do some research on YouTube before you visit. Children can play traditional Malay games inside the house, and there are lovely gardens to run around when they need to let off some steam. The tour is extremely reasonable, and finishes with a traditional Malay lunch – perhaps more appealing to the parents than the children. Across the road you’ll find the KL Craft Complex, where children can try out batik painting – and even get to take home their masterpiece. There is free parking on site.”
Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman, 2 Jalan Stonor, 50450, Kuala Lumpur, +60 3-2144 9273, info@badanwarisan.org.my
KL Craft Complex, 5, Jalan Conlay, Kuala Lumpur, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, +60 3-2162 7459, Website
Sue runs the clinic for pregnant and new Chin refugee mums, carrying out baby check-ups, ensuring the mothers have enough powder milk when necessary and works tirelessly to keep the clinic a happy, nice place to go by collecting donations of toys and baby products. “We love hiking up to Chilling Waterfalls at Sungai Chilling. We always take a picnic with us for when we get up to the top. The seven river crossings you need to do are great fun and keep my three kids entertained on the trek up there. You can buy fish food at the entrance to the park and the fish are very friendly, coming up to the surface of the water to eat. The mostly shaded trek takes about an hour and a half each way and my kids have been walking it since they were about five years old.”
Chilling Waterfalls, located on the path to Fraser’s Hill, 44000 Kuala Kubu Bharu, Selangor, Malaysia, +6012 273 2716, you can find the exact coordinates on the website
As well as tirelessly raising money for charity by collecting and then selling pre-loved items and donations, Gail is also mom to two teens. “My life is pretty full on with juggling two teens, two dogs and thank goodness only one husband, plus my full-time commitment to fund raising for charity. I’m also hands on with what the money is spent on for the charities, such as organizing and doing renovations and repair projects in the children's home, or going to the wet market at 6am to buy fresh food, but I absolutely love doing it. With two teenagers and a busy schedule getting the family together isn’t always easy. The one passion we all share is Go Karting at City Karting Enterprise, Shah Alam stadium, where we keep our own Go Karts. The kids love it and the race community there is great. After that we usually go to our favorite Indian restaurant The Betel Leaf, an authentic chettinad restaurant in Lebuh Ampang. Its a friend’s family-run restaurant and we are always treated so well there, plus the food is excellent. Make sure you give the fish tikka a try, it’s delicious and my favorite dish on the menu.”
City Karting Enterprises, Level 1, Quadrant C, Shah Alam Stadium, Section 13, 40000 Shah Alam, Malaysia, +60 3-5512 5868, www.citykarting.com
Betel Leaf, 77A-79A, lebuh Ampang, 50100, Kuala Lumpur, +603 2032 5932, info@betel-leaf.com, www.betel-leaf.com
Rumah Hope - home for neglected children, www.rumahhope.org.my
Keeley and her husband Gary are key to the development of rugby in KL having helped to start up and establish the KL Tigers Rugby Club. “Our son started playing rugby when he was just four years old. He enjoyed it so much my husband Gary took it up too and then a bit later on I decided I was missing out so thought I’d give it a go as well! The club very much plays a huge part in our lives as a family, from organizing tournaments, to running the Saturday training and ensuring all goes smoothly, to arranging the annual KL Tigers Rugby Ball – we eat, breath and sleep rugby. But I love it and wouldn’t have it any other way. The club has come such a long way since it started just over 3 years ago and our weekends mainly involve something to do with Tigers. It’s a family thing.”
KL Tigers Rugby Club, www.kltigersrfc.com
Tracy is one of the masterminds behind the hugely popular HITT workout venue, Firestation Fit. “Being a pretty active family, we love being outdoors and spend a lot of time at the weekends at the Putrajaya aquatic centre, Marina Putrajaya. We wakeboard, wakesurf and also do some tubing. This is, without doubt, the very best day out for my family. Sometimes we rent a boat for two hours or so and head out on the lake. The boat driver offers tuition for first timers. Life jackets are provided and the boats are in excellent condition. We have done this for birthday groups as well as when we have family visiting from overseas.”
Marina Putrajaya, 1, Jalan P5/5, Presint 5, 62200 Putrajaya, Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya, Malaysia, +60 3-8888 5539, www.marinaputrajaya.com
Firestation Fit, www.firestation.fit
The Connected Café, serving European-style gourmet fresh food complete with kids play area naturally takes up a lot of Erika’s time, but when they have time as a family, she likes to head outdoors and up high! “Our family loves to go to FRIM. We love the lush greenery and the freedom to run around and we always take the kids' bikes or scooters with us. We all enjoy a little trek and then stop at the small waterfall where the children have loads of fun sliding down the rocks and into the little pool. After collecting lots of sticks and leaves we tuck into our picnic that we bring from home, which is followed by an ice-cream from a little shop there. We also love going to Amped at the Club @ Bukit Utama. It’s great because it’s air-conditioned. After an hour jumping the kids have fun in the Olympic sized pool or the kids' pool which has a few water slides and other water play equipment. The fun is followed by lunch or dinner at the restaurant there. The best time to go is during the week when The Club is not so crowded.”
FRIM, Jalan Frim, Kepong, 52109 Kuala Lumpur, Selangor, Malaysia, +60 3-6279 7000, www.frim.gov.my
The Club @ Bukit Utama, Persiaran Surian, Bandar Utama, 47800 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, + 60 3-7725 5199, www.theclub.com.my
Connected Café, Facebook
Swimming is a big deal when you live in a country with a swimming pool on every corner, which is why Zarina and her partner Joanne set up Aquabubs, a swim school for children aged three months to five years. But with three kids, family time is important too. “We love going to Out of Africa at PJ Palms. It’s a wonderful place to spend the weekends. There is a great pool for the kids coupled with a play area, plus the food is pretty good too. So it’s a winner for everyone. Being outside is key, we are frequent visitors to TTDI Park where, if we get there early enough, we can grab a divine soya bean drink from Jenny Hong, and also love to walk at Bukit Gasing before heading for Banana Leaf at Apu Uncle in Section 19, PJ.”
Out of Africa, PJ Palms Sport Centre, 1 Lorong Sultan, 46200 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, +60 3-7955 3432, www.outofafrica.com.my
TTDI Park, Jalan Abang Haji Openg, Taman Tun Dr Ismail; 60000 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Bukit Gasing, bukitgasing@gmail.com, www.bukitgasing.org
Apu Uncle, 14, Jalan 19/3, Seksyen 19, 46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor, Malaysia, +60 3-7932 3030, Aquabubs, Facebook
Mom to two beautiful little girls, Ung Yiu Lin has a love of fashion, having launched her own two labels in which she is fully involved. But she always has time for her two little daughters Ava and Zara. “We love to go camping at The Sticks. It’s such a wonderful experience to spend the evening out under the stars at one with nature and during the day you can have fun splashing around and keeping cool in the river. We also love to do a bit of wakeboarding. It’s such a lovely way to escape everything and just chill out with my girls.”
The Sticks, Lot 213 Jalan KKB - Fraser's Hill, 44000 Kuala Kubu Baru, Selangor, Malaysia, bookings@thesticks.my, www.thesticks.my
Shoes, Shoes, Shoes, www.shoesshoesshoes.com.my
Klutched, Facebook
When she’s not designing children’s clothes and coming up with new ideas for her fabulous snuggle bags, Priya loves spending time and chilling out with her husband and three kids. “I love taking my family to TPC Kuala Lumpur for a nice quiet Sunday lunch. Whether you sit inside or outside, the atmosphere is always lovely, there are great views across the golf course, plus as an added bonus there is loads of space for the kids to run around and burn of some energy. We also love heading to Titiwangsa Park for a spot of tandem bike riding around the stunning lake - although you need to get there early or it gets unbearably hot!”
TPC Kuala Lumpur, 10 Jalan 1/70D, off Jalan Bukit Kiara, 60000, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, +603 2011 9188, www.tpckl.com
Titiwangsa Park, 6, Lorong Titiwangsa, Titiwangsa, 53200 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, +603 2617 6273
Super creative Aine’s makes and sells children’s tepees under the company name Love Teekie. She has two children, a boy and a girl. “Most Sundays you’ll find us all on wheels of some sort or another, cruising around Publika. Wheelie Sunday is a fantastic initiative whereby the management of the shopping mall close the entire place off to cars between 7am and 10am giving children free reign to cycle, scoot or skate their way around safely. My kids prefer to ride around on their bikes whereas I like skating on my roller blades. Once we’ve burned off some steam we grab a table at Plan B and just chill out chatting and eating for most of the morning.”
Sharon is the very lovely assistant principal at Alice Smith School Jalan Bellamy. Wonderful with everyone else's children, Sharon also has two of her own. "We love The Thean Hou Temple, which opened in 1989 and is a 6-tiered temple to the Chinese sea goddess Mazu. You'll find it at the top of Robson Heights on Lorong Bellamy overlooking Jalan Syed Putra. It's a lovely introduction to temples and different cultures for young children. My nine year old son and four year old daughter love it. We go as a family once or twice a year and it's very family friendly. The staff are so welcoming at not at all pushy and it's free! But you can make a donation or buy a little book (translated into English) if you wish. There is a lovely little park behind with statues and stories and the children are also allowed to climb on the Chinese New Year characters. There is also a lovely Chinese restaurant called Sui Sui around the corner for lunch - yum!!!".
The Thean Hou Temple, 65, Persiaran Endah, Taman Persiaran Desa, 50460 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, +603 2274 7088, Website
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