KL, the little sister of NYC

The biggest positive surprise for me in South East Asia was Kuala Lumpur (or KL, as the locals call it). Apart from the cool sights in Kuala Lumpur, KL is a very developed city with an international crowd and therefore, a traveler, who has been on the road for a while, might be happy to find a piece of home in KL. Plus, I was pretty impressed how in this international environment, where the majority of people are Muslims, all the religions coexist together peacefully. I’m not religious but I just feel like I have to point out this positive example, in these times, where we only here about religion in association with terrorism.

The city center of KL is so modern with the skyscrapers, malls and metro system, that I couldn’t help but think that it’s pretty similar to New York City. And I love New York! So, if Asia tempts you but you still have some doubts that it might be too different or strange to you, perhaps starting your journey in KL would be a good idea.

How to get around

Big metropolises always seem a bit overwhelming in the beginning. If you arrive at the airport, the quickest way to the city is by KLIA Express train (buy tickets here). It takes you to the central train station (KL Sentral) in about 30min and costs RM 55 for adults if you buy it there or RM 40 if you buy the ticket online. A taxi for two people takes anything from an hour on upwards and should cost about RM 80. The cheapest option is a bus for RM10 which should also take an hour or more, depending on traffic. You find the bus stop by going down to level 2 from the arrival hall and then follow the signs through a linkway to the bus terminal. There are shops and a cafe at the bus terminal. The Airport Coach also drives to KL Sentral. If you take Star Shuttle (RM12) it can bring you to Pudu Sentral bus station from where you can travel on to other cities. There are also buses to Nilai KTM Komuter station, and express buses to Ipoh and other destinations as well. They all run frequently.

The other possibility is that you arrive at Puduraya bus station. It’s open until midnight every day and located right next to Chinatown, where lots of cheap hostels are located. Many local buses run through the city, you just have to ask around to figure out which ones you need to take. People are friendly and most of them speak English.

Then there are the trains and the metro. Also two different systems with different stations but most of the wagons are heavenly cooled down with a/c and there are some wagons for women only. The train seemed like the cheapest option of the three (if you go to the Batu Caves). I was glad that a guy made me aware of the fact, that if you travel by metro and need to switch trains to get to your destination, you always have to buy a new ticket. So, if you buy a ticket at your starting point, with your final destination, but you have to hop onto a different metro train somewhere, you basically wasted some money.

Sights in Kuala Lumpur

Chinatown

Now, that’s a Chinatown how I imagine it to be! There are so many lanterns hanged between the buildings that I asked somebody whether a festival was going on, when I first stumbled into Chinatown on the lookout for a hostel. The reply I got was, no, it’s like this here every day. Furthermore, there is a huge outdoor market until about 11pm, where you can buy a cheap version of anything (shoes, bags, headphones, to name a few). And of course, there is Chinese food, which I can never resist. There even were new things I had never tried before, like some kind of bean juice (I don’t think I’ll try that again) and delicious dumplings.

Batu Caves

The Batu Caves are probably the cultural highlight of KL or even of Malaysia and therefore, I thought that they deserve their own post. (Click here if you want to know more about them).

Petronas Towers

It’s impossible not to notice the Petronas Towers when you are in KL. They are two impressive towers which are connected by a bridge. Inside you find offices and of course a big mall with designer stores and normal stores, movie theater and restaurants. A 3D movie there cost 23 RM. I liked the towers the best at night because they look amazing when they are light up and shine bright against the night sky.

In my guide book it said that you could visit the bridge between the Petronas towers for free if you get a ticket in the lobby of the 2^nd tower. However, when I asked them, they just laughed at me and said it’s 80 RM to go to the bridge and the top. Later in the park, I met a friendly Malaysian woman who also told me to go to the bridge for free. She was very surprised to hear that it costs now. Quite a high rise from 0 to 80…

Yes, on the back side of the Petronas Towers is a big park with a beautiful pool with fountains and a small rainforest, from where you have a beautiful view on the towers.

Fountain Show

Every evening at 9pm there is a fountain show with lights and music in the pool behind the Petronas Towers. There are lots of stairs and benches you can sit on around the pool, so that you can really enjoy the spectacle. If you have seen the one in Dubai, you probably won’t be as impressed with this one but it’s still really worth watching if only already for all the people you meet there. I had such interesting conversations about beer and the differences between Europe and Malaysia while I was waiting for the show.

KL Tower

Also a building your eyes won’t miss. I didn’t actually visit the building but the area around it looks like it’s good for going out in the evening. There were many pubs, bars and restaurants.

What is your favorite sight in Kuala Lumpur? Which tip in this post do you find most useful? What’s your favorite thing/place in Malaysia? Please, let us know in a comment.

If you need a hostel or hotel click here or just walk around Chinatown and chose one by walking inside.

At the beginning of the Batu Caves