Singaporeans love a good shopping trip and especially when it comes to getting the best bargains. So why not avoid Johor Bahru and trade the familiar weekend crowds of Orchard Road for an iconic 4.3 million square feet retail paradise inspired by Egypt? Just a scenic 4-hour drive up the North-South Expressway from Singapore, a Selangor shopping mall is the ultimate road trip destination. Wonderfully, Sunway Pyramid Shopping Mall in Bandar Sunway is guarded by a massive Sphinx and features pharaoh statues, hieroglyphics, and towering gold architecture that set the stage for a wildly entertaining Egyptian-like getaway. In fact, Sunway Pyramid Mall is nearly three times larger than Jewel Changi Airport. Plus, it’s Southeast Asia’s only Egyptian-themed mall adding to its uniqueness. Here’s what to expect.
Why is Sunway Pyramid worth the 4 hour drive?
This isn’t just another shopping centre: it’s a huge Egyptian-themed mega mall that’s totally unique to the region. Once you step inside, you are instantly hit by the sheer scale of the shopping mall. It boasts a enormous new 300,000 square feet OASIS retail zone, with an endless collection of international and local chains to keep shoppers busy for days.
Additionally, the gigantic Egyptian-themed playground offers a world-class indoor ice rink where you can glide across the ice to escape the tropical heat, alongside a state-of-the-art cinema complex showing all the latest blockbusters, kid-friendly activities, and the legendary Sunway Lagoon theme park. Excitingly, shoppers get direct access to the theme park which features the world’s largest surf pool, thrilling water slides, and adrenaline-pumping rollercoasters, among more than 80 attractions.
Interestingly, Sunway Pyramid houses more than 1,000 retail outlets spread across the mall. From huge anchor tenants like the largest MUJI in Malaysia to hidden boutiques for gifts, and delicious food spots…you’ll need a good pair of shows to walk around. Plus, this mall sits firmly within the top 20 world’s largest malls.
As a matter of fact, the malls boasts nearly 180 dedicated food and beverage outlets offering everything from Asian street food in a neon-lit avenue to celebrity chef meals, local Malaysian favourites, cheap eats, world-famous craft burgers, alfresco dining with stunning views, and more.
Malaysia’s first themed shopping and entertainment mall, Sunway Pyramid, first opened in 1997 before undergoing a magnificent transformation to become the gigantic shopping kingdom that it is today.
Sunway Pyramid offers plenty of parking spaces, nearby hotels like the luxurious Sunway Resort Hotel, and it’s just another 20 minutes drive to Kuala Lumpur—if you want to turn your mall visit into a weekend staycation and tick off all the beautiful sights in KL. Certainly, a top road trip destination for shopaholics and families alike.
How is it 3x the size of Jewel?
Remarkably, Sunway Pyramid is three times larger than the mall at Jewel Changi Airport. Comparing Sunway’s 4.3 million square feet (2 million square feet of retail space) to Jewel Changi Airport’s 1.46 million square feet of GFA (577,000 square feet of retail space), gives a retail ratio of 3.5 which we’ve rounded to three for this article. Plus, Jewel devotes a large amount of its internal space to Rain Vortex, Forest Valley, and other facilities compared to Sunway Pyramid’s sprawling maze of stores.
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