Kuala Lumpur is a major Southeast Asian hub, so it was only a matter of time before we got to visit this Malaysian capital. We stayed there five nights, and though we had to work a bit, we did see how this fast developing city has become so popular for tourists and expats alike.
Below you can find our itinerary of our five-night stay!
Things to do
Shop til you drop
KL is definitely a major shopping city, and you can definitely shop your heart out in all the malls that you can find in and around the city. In Bukit Bintang there are literally malls lined up next to each other, so if you need a shopping fix, this is the place to go!
Petronas Towers
A trip to Kuala Lumpur is not complete without seeing the famous Petronas Twin Towers! They are really a sight to behold, and of course, a fun selfie prop! At night the towers light up and glitter gold, which is also a pretty sight to see.
Batu Caves
The Batu Caves are the famous limestone caves located just outside KL. You can find large and imposing statues in this 100-year old temple. We didn’t manage to visit it, but if you have time, definitely give it a go! Beware of the monkeys though.
Watch the river fountains at the Masjid Jamek Kuala Lumpur Mosque
We saw this purely by chance as we walked around the area one night, but it was somehow magical! When you walk along the river at the Masjid Jamek Mosque, at around 8pm the chanting starts and also the fountains at the river turns on. It’s a really cool thing to see, so if you find yourself in the area around Central Market, definitely have a look!
Make a Selfie at the Countdown Clock
Another thing that we found purely by chance was this Countdown Clock that is cloaked in cascading water showers. You have to stand in front of the cascading water for a while, before it will open an entrance and you can walk inside the ‘clock’. Once inside, you can make a selfie and there is a big screen showcasing all the selfies that have been made in the past hours. It’s really funny to see some of them not being aware that they’re being photographed!
KL Bird Park
In this park, you can find thousands of birds that are roaming around freely in a big enclosure. It’s definitely a nice thing to do if you love being in the nature and watching & hearing the birds around you.
Things to eat
Food is abundant in Kuala Lumpur, so you definitely won’t starve while you’re there. There are stalls, restaurants, and cafes literally at every corner, so you can take your pick. If all else fails, simply walk into a mall and find the food court!
Here are some places that we tried:
Breakfast at Tg’s
For a traditional Malaysian breakfast, we headed to this local place ‘Tg’s” for some Roti and Teh Tarik. The Roti with Egg and Cheese was pretty good as well as the Teh Tarik, which is black tea with condensed milk and the national drink of Malaysia, so definitely a must-try!
Another Traditional Breakfast at Toast Box in the Pavilion Foodcourt
Another traditional Malay breakfast is toast with Kaya spread and a slab of butter(a spread made with coconut butter and egg) and White coffee (coffee with condensed milk) along with a very, very soft-boiled egg (this egg is not for people who dislike raw food. I don’t think it’s that bad, but the white of the egg is pretty liquid, just FYI!). Nevertheless, I quite enjoyed the breakfast! It’s definitely not for every day though, as it’s pretty fatty and sugary!
Alor Street Food Night Market
Although this street is quite touristic, you can still find good and different kinds of food here, such as Malay, Chinese, Indian and even Thai or Vietnamese. The market opens at night and becomes lively. We tried several stalls, but we particularly loved the chicken sate, the grilled stingray, the egg fried rice and the conocut ice cream.
Kasturi Walk & Restoran Yusof Dan Zakir
There’s a little street just next to the Central Market, where a few stalls sell some really nice food. In that street there’s also a nice Indian restaurant located called Restoran Yusof Zakir.
Food court at Pavilion Mall
Though the Pavilion Mall might be quite an expensive mall, the food court in the basement level has a lot to offer in terms of selection and price-quality ratio. You can find anything from Japanese to Indian food, as well as some more upscale dining restaurants.
Dinner Buffet at The Majestic Hotel
While we stayed at this fancy hotel we decided to ‘splurge’ and go to the dinner buffet at the hotels’ restaurant, Contango. And it was absolutely amazing! They had a wide assortment of food, including sushi, Indian, Malay and Western cuisine. And the desserts were absolutely amazing! We ate so much and we still didn’t manage to try everything. The price of the buffet is 115 RM (around €23) which is actually very decent for Western standards. If you’re in the neighborhood, definitely try this amazing buffet!
Where to stay
Kuala Lumpur is really cheap in terms of accommodation, so you will be sure to find something really nice on Airbnb in the center of the city (Bukit Bintang), including amenities such as a pool and gym.
Sign up on Airbnb now & get €25 off your first Airbnb stay by signing up via this link!
As prices are so cheap, we also stayed two night at the luxurious Majestic Hotel, which was actually a surprise for Andrea’s birthday! It was a really great stay; we got a really beautiful corner room and the breakfast buffet was simply delicious.
Where to work from
VCR Cafe
This cafe is apparently THE go-to place for digital nomads in KL, and rightly so! It has fast and stable internet and great coffee and food, as well as plenty of seats. We were really lucky that our Airbnb was located right next to VCR cafe. I definitely recommend this place to get some work done or just try the amazing coffee & cake.
There are also a few coworking spaces in Kuala Lumpur. We didn’t manage to visit them, but here’s a nice list of awesome coworking spaces in KL.
Other Tips
Public Transport
There’s an efficient metro & train system in place in KL, but Uber and Grab are really cheap and efficient as well. So loads of options in terms of transportation!
Currency
The official currency is Malaysian Ringgit and 5 RM is around €1 at the moment of writing.
Power Outlet
The power outlets in Malaysia are the British ones.
