Another summer, another trip to Asia. I genuinely don’t think I will ever tire of exploring Asia, it’s a world away from the Western world and I’m obsessed with indulging in its culture. Not to mention, that I’m a student on a budget, and your money goes so much further!
Kuala Lumpur was the first stop of our trip – equipped with a fully-detailed itinerary researched by me for weeks beforehand (shock)…
We stayed at Parkroyal Serviced Suites, located right in the centre of the city, just minutes-walk away from so many sights! The views from our room were unreal – even better after our free room upgrade?! We decided to do all of our transport using the metro because it’s so cheap and misses all of the crazy rush-hour traffic!
Touristy Must-dos:
KL Tower (Sky Deck) – Every year I coax Joel into going up the highest buildings in different cities and every year he seems to oblige. It’s definitely a worth-while trip to take in 360-degree views of Kuala Lumpur and top views of the Petronas Towers! There were also glass boxes that you could go in to get a photo suspended over the city – we both agreed that at least one of us would wet-ourselves with fear if we tried it.
Batu Caves – In a humid climate, climbing up 272 stairs is a good way to get your heart rate up on your Fitbit. The Batu Caves are dominated by monkeys and the decadent colours covering the Hindu temple and shrines inside the caves are amazing – the locals take so much pride in maintaining them and people climb it every day to worship! Religion and the gym rolled into one…
You don’t realise just how big the Lord Murugan statue is until you arrive, it also makes for a great game of “Where’s Wally?” if you have a picture of the stairs!
Pavilion Shopping Mall – A shopping-addict’s dream!
Royal Selangor Visitor Centre – We booked a driver for the day and he took it into his stride to show us some more experiences of KL. The women that worked on the pewter products were SO talented, some of the most intricate hand-crafted designs I’ve ever seen!
Beryl’s Chocolate Kingdom – If you’re craving a chocolate fix, this is a must-do – more free chocolate samples than you could imagine! Personal highlight: tricking Joel into trying chilli chocolate when he can’t eat a curry hotter than a korma…
Jalan Petaling – KL’s Chinatown! Bargains everywhere!
Petronas Towers – My first piece of advice: BOOK IN ADVANCE! A visit to the top of the towers sells out by the day before so, don’t leave it until last-minute! Outside the towers is jam-packed with tourists trying to get the best shot – if we were asked by a street-seller to buy a picture that gets all of the towers in once, we were asked 876378 times. I was determined (and too stubborn to pay) to get a wicked picture myself… Although, the angles aren’t good for the double-chins!
Good Grub:
Merchant’s Lane Café – This is rated one of KL’s “most instagrammable” cafés and rightly so. The whole décor was really rustic and vintage, perfect for a photo – and the food was delicious! It’s very inconspicuous, as it’s just a small door along a street full of shops but, as soon as you walk up the stairs the atmosphere is a buzz and it has a great terrace area!
Madam Kwan’s – We decided to eat in one of the Petronas Tower restaurants and this place was rammed. We did our “usual” and ordered different meals that we could share, I couldn’t bear to think that I was eating somewhere amazing and I only got to try one thing (problems of the food-obsessed)…
Lot 10 Hutong Food Market – When I was doing my pre-holiday research, this was rated one of the best street-food markets in KL. Take a trip down the stairs (not as seedy as it sounds) and it’s like a food utopia; it’s so fast-paced with flaming woks, steaming buns and hacking chopsticks. We visited here twice to make sure we trialled as many of the stalls as we could – and the steamed-buns from the old lady with the trolley and the microphone (yes, I’m talking a Britney Spears headset) are to die for!
Changkat Bukit Bintang – A bar and restaurant-filled street. Perfect for a bev and if you’re up for more of a “night-out” atmosphere, with its booming music and cheap cocktails!
I absolutely loved Kuala Lumpur – so clean, so cultured and so hot! I can’t wait to return!
“My priority is to ensure peace and harmony in Malaysia. That is uppermost in my mind” – Najib Razak
Clo
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Links:
Parkroyal Serviced Suites
5*
Trip Advisor – 4.5
Booking.com – 8.5
https://www.panpacific.com/en/serviced-suites/pr-ss-kuala-lumpur.html?utm_source=google&utm_medium=business_listing
KL Tower
https://www.menarakl.com.my
Pavilion Shopping Mall
http://www.pavilion-kl.com
Royal Selangor Visitor Centre
https://us.royalselangor.com/visitor-centre
Beryl’s Chocolate Kingdom
http://www.berylschocolate.com.my
Petronas Towers
https://www.petronastwintowers.com.my
Merchants Lane Café
https://www.facebook.com/merchantslane
Madam Kwan’s
http://www.madamkwans.com.my
Lot 10 Hutong Food Market
http://www.lot10hutong.com
