This was my second time going to Thailand islands, so instead of flying to Bangkok, and staying there for a few days again, we decided to explore Kuala Lumpur, capital of Malaysia.
What to expect of KL?
Didn’t read a lot about the city of Kuala Lumpur before traveling, so there were no big expectations, but the first impression is that the city is filled with modern architecture and a large number of skyscrapers.
The second thing that was unexpected is that I haven’t seen a lot of tourists there, especially women. Maybe because of that people stared at me like I was a celebrity, or maybe they are just not used to seeing women wearing shorts. I had 3 male guardians around me, so I didn’t care 🙂
Also, when we were having a ride with a Uber driver, he was very friendly and told us a story of the people of Kuala Lumpur. Long story short: The three largest ethnic groups are Malay, Indian, and Chinese residents which all live in peace. This is why you have mix of their culture, religion, food, architecture…
So I would best describe Kuala Lumpur as a Malay-Chinese-Indian and modern architecture city.
We used Uber all the time ’cause we couldn’t get a good price with taxi drivers. Maybe ’cause it was obvious that we were tourists 🙂
Petronas twin towers
In Kuala Lumpur, first must-see thing is, of course, the Petronas Towers – the symbol of the city. They are the tallest buildings in KL and the tallest twin buildings in the world.
Also, you can visit the Skybridge, at the 86th floor, which is 170 above the street level and connects both towers, and take as many photos as you can, like we did 🙂
An interesting thing is that the Skybridge is not fully attached to the building so the bridge could have small movements. This way the Skybridge cannot be torn from the towers due any wind or earthquake. I don’t know if the bridge really moved due to the wind blowing or it was all in our minds 🙂
Batu caves
The second thing you have to do when in KL is to visit the Batu caves. The Batu caves is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India and it’s actually situated 11 km outside of the city.
The golden statue in front of the caves is really really beautiful. Never seen anything quite like it.
Also, be prepared, there are a lot of stairs you need to climb and a lot of monkeys you need to feed 🙂
Seeing monkeys for the first time running around free and being able to feed them, and the huge gold statue left a bigger impression on me than the caves them selves.
Central market
It’s a great place to wander around and buy some souvenirs.
The merchandise is very cheap and I managed to find some nice scarves for myself.
Changkat Bukit Bintang – Nightlife in KL
If you are looking for a street full of bars, this street is the perfect choice for you. This street was close to our hotel so we ended up going here every night.
Whiskey bars, cocktail bars, pubs… You name it.
Ok, one night, we ended up in a Club called Zouk, but that is a totally different story…
Sultan Abdul Samad Building
Sultan Abdul Samad Bilding is located in the city center at Dataran Merdeka ( Independence Square). It was built in the nineteenth century, 1897.
At first, it was used as the secretariat for the colonial British administration, and now, it’s the house of the Ministry of Information, Communications and Culture of Malaysia.
At the other side of the square there is an ” I love KL” sign. Perfect for taking a photo. Ok, not just one, many photos 🙂
Sri Maha Mariamman Temple
At the edge of Chinatown you can find this colorful Hindu temple. I’ve never been to India nor came across Indian culture so I find their lively color temples in high details very interesting.
To enter, you have to wear a shirt with sleeve and long pants or dress. Unfortunately we weren’t properly dressed, so we ended up just taking photos from the outside.
Food in KL
When in KL, try Nasi Lemak which is considered Malaysian national dish. It is a rice dish cooked in coconut milk and pandan leaf. Its served with: egg, cucumber, anchovies, beans… and other stuff. I would never have considered eating all these things together, but amazingly I can 🙂
Or, you can try Sri Nirvana maju (Indian dish) – Banana leaf rice.
Sky train
I’ve never rode a sky train before, so I had to do it here in KL.
This awesome rooftop view was from our hotel where we had an infinity pool. And this was my first time in the infinity pool as well.
Final impressions
As I mentioned earlier in the post, I was here with three guys, so exploring the city for 5 days was not an option, but drinking a lot was 🙂
KL is a great city, worth of visiting, but Tokyo will still remain the no 1 city in Asia for me, and no 1 in the world.
