Let’s head to Putrajaya, where a teenage son dragged his mum, for a birthday celebration with his friends. The boys thought it would be fun to ride a Segway. What way? Seg-way!
What is it?
A Segway is a self-balancing device on one or two wheels, which you can use to travel short distances. It is powered by electricity and you can steer it with your hands and by moving your body you can change direction. Segway is derived from the Italian word segue, which means follow.
Self-balancing? Yeeks. After some instructions at a carpark in Putrajaya from our friendly guide and Segway specialist Nickki, my family and our son’s friends are getting around on their Segways, like they’re doing it every day. Also my 11-year-old daughter seems to get it. Mum on the other hand, is still struggling to get on the oh so tiny platform of the Segway.
“Just step on it,” advises instructor Nickki. Effortlessly, he moves around on his Segway. It’s like he was born on it. After some embarrassing moments (I will spare you the details), also mum is now ready-not-so-steady-go and we all follow our Putrajaya guide for a 10km long tour, which takes around 2.5 hours. We awe at the pink Putra Mosque, circle the big Putrajaya letters and cruise some beautiful parks. Nickki takes great care of all of us and he is very alert of the surroundings and focused on our safety. Do bring sun cream, a hat and some water, since the sun can be ruthless.
Current SOPs during the RMCO
Staff is sanitising all machines before customers start the training. The guides are wearing face masks at all times. Guests are free to decide whether they want to wear them though, as it’s considered an outdoor activity. After the activity, the staff is sanitising the machines again.
Learning more about Putrajaya
Riding on the Segways was a great way to learn more about Putrajaya. Did you know that Putrajaya was once just rubber and palm oil plantations? They started to build this city in 1993 and today this place is not only a place where you can arrange permits of all kinds, but is also the venue for many events.
Guide Nickki Cheah is making great videos and pictures. They are included in the price. Since our group was large, another guide was there as well, to make sure all of us behaved well on our tiny vehicles.
The minimum age to ride a Segway is 7 years. The device is environmentally friendly, since it is powered by electricity.
While the start of the tour might be wobbly, you do get the hang of it and after the tour, I felt very reluctant to give my Segway back! I know now what I want from Santa…
Where is it?
Eco Ride Malaysia organises tours in KL at Lake Gardens, in Putrajaya and also on Pulau Ketam (Crab Island). You can find more info here or you can contact Nickki on 017-8823 847.
If you want to explore more fun activities with kids in Putrajaya, how about wakeboarding?
Our trip was partly sponsored by Eco Ride Malaysia. As always, our opinions are honest and our own.
