KUALA LUMPUR
I’ll state this upfront - I like Malaysia. I love Kuala Lumpur. It’s diverse. It’s modern. It’s exciting. It’s flashy. It’s easy and efficient. Kuala Lumpur is a “new” city - it was created in the 1850s - so it lacks some of the historical sites - temples, mosques, palaces - found in other parts of Southeast Asia. The Malays were not also the great builders like the Burmese, Siamese, and Khmers. From a positive perspective what this means is that you are free to explore the city without a checklist and roam wherever without feeling obligated to see something.
If you’re in Kuala Lumpur, invariably you’ll find yourself in the Golden Triangle area. It’s a huge mall and gathering area connected via a pedestrian walkway all the way to the Petronas Towers. It’s one of the great public spaces in SE Asia and an ideal place to people watch. I’ve had dinner several times at the Hakka Restaurant down below one of the pedestrian walk way corners. That I’ve eaten Chinese multiple times in Malaysia indicates how strong the Chinese presence is and at times it overwhelms the Malay culture. If you want Malaysian food you’ll need to do a little bit of planning and have a place in mind before leaving the hostel/hotel.
Kuala Lumpur serves as an excellent base for many day trips in southern, peninsular Malaysia and as the main hub for Air Asia you can catch a discount flight to almost anywhere in Asia or Australia.
If you’re in Kuala Lumpur, invariably you’ll find yourself in the Golden Triangle area. It’s a huge mall and gathering area connected via a pedestrian walkway all the way to the Petronas Towers. It’s one of the great public spaces in SE Asia and an ideal place to people watch. I’ve had dinner several times at the Hakka Restaurant down below one of the pedestrian walk way corners. That I’ve eaten Chinese multiple times in Malaysia indicates how strong the Chinese presence is and at times it overwhelms the Malay culture. If you want Malaysian food you’ll need to do a little bit of planning and have a place in mind before leaving the hostel/hotel.
Kuala Lumpur serves as an excellent base for many day trips in southern, peninsular Malaysia and as the main hub for Air Asia you can catch a discount flight to almost anywhere in Asia or Australia.
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I spent my remaining time in Kuala Lumpur briefly checking out Masjid Negara, lunched at an old school place in Chinatown and had a few dinners at Jalan Alor. My accommodation, Sunshine Hostel, was in the best location of any hostel I stayed at in SE Asia. I never recommend places to stay but I’ll make an exception for this place because of it's central location.
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For my first Kuala Lumpur day trip (or half day trip in this case) I took the metro to Batu Caves. These caves are a Hindu Religious site reflecting the heavy presence of Indians in the region. There’s an absolutely amazing golden statue at the base of the Batu Cave stairs which makes for one of the most have photos - even though the statue was put in place in 2006 it seems as if it has been there forever. There’s also a unique festival at the caves around February. Devotees pierce their skin with hooks and drag heavy objects. I’m looking forward to a February 2015 return to the city.
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For additional Kuala Lumpur photos see FLICKR ALBUM.