Kuala Lumpar Survival Guide
So if you read my last post on 'Medicine in Malaysia', you will know that I have recently spent some time travelling around South East Asia. And the first stop on my grand adventure was the vibrant city
of Kuala Lumpur. So of course that means its time to share another 'City Survival Guide', so you too can know what to do, what to see and what to avoid!
Kuala Lumpur is a sprawling, multicultural city dripping in influences from its three major populations: Malay, Chinese and Indian. If you aren't used to the bustle and heat of Asian cities then be prepared for a bit of culture shock, but compared to the likes of many other parts of South-East Asia (here's looking at you Bangkok) KL is actually pretty tame. Whatever your stance KL is a city of two faces, I'm certain everyone will find something they love and something that makes them want to grab the first flight home. So to help you avoid the rough and find the gems, here is your one stop shop on survival in Kuala Lumpur!
A must see for absolutely anyone visiting KL. A train ride or short drive just to the edge of the city will take you to the cities most impressive natural spectacle. After taking the 272 step pilgrimage to the cave entrances, and having avoided getting your things stolen by pesky monkeys roaming the stairs, you will be rewarded with a breathtaking network of limestone caves. The biggest cave, Temple Cave is open to the public and features beautiful ornate Hindu shrines. Just below Temple Cave lies Dark Cave, a conservation site mostly closed to the public, which for 35RM (about £6.50) you can take an hour long tour of some of the outer caves. WARNING: This tour is not for the faint hearted. You will come nose to nose with venomous spiders, glow worms and many, MANY, cockroaches (and if youre really lucky snakes!). About halfway through the tour the guides will turn off the flashlights plunging you into absolute, total darkness. If you can stomach it, it is 100% worth it. (If this isn't enough adventure for you there is also a 3 hour adventure caving tour available for 80RM, about £15, but you need to book in advance). Once you are back down to safety at the base of the steps there is a complex of shops and market stalls where you can buy food (watermelon, durian and jackfruit everywhere you look) and various trinkety items and gifts.
A great spot for seeing the sights of the city. Set inside a beautiful tropical park KL tower is a 1,381 feet communications tower and you can ride the elevator all the way up to the top for spectacular views of the city. As the 7th tallest freestanding tower in the world you can bet there is a lot to see from the top. It's worth noting though that you can visit one of two levels: the observation deck and the skydeck. Whilst the skydeck is only one floor above, it is open air where the observation deck is indoors. Visiting the skydeck is hardly worth the nearly twice-the-price entry fee if you go during the daytime. However at night there is a lot of glare from the indoor lights reflecting off the windows in the observation deck, which can obscure your view a little, so depending on your budget it may be worth the extra money for the better view at night.
Unfortunately bad planning and Ipoh's awful public transport system meant we had to skip out on this part of our trip. This grew to be more and more gut wrenching as, over the past couple months I have met more and more people who absolutely rave about it. Cameron highlands are over 700km of luscious temperate tea plantations, with acres upon acres of hiking trails in what may be one of the most beautiful places on the planet. To make it happen your best bet is to book on one of the many Cameron Highlands tours sold at various points throughout Kuala Lumpur - just be sure to shop around to make sure you get the best price!
And now just a few quick fire bits of info to truly help you settle into your stay:
Until next time,
Kuala Lumpur is a sprawling, multicultural city dripping in influences from its three major populations: Malay, Chinese and Indian. If you aren't used to the bustle and heat of Asian cities then be prepared for a bit of culture shock, but compared to the likes of many other parts of South-East Asia (here's looking at you Bangkok) KL is actually pretty tame. Whatever your stance KL is a city of two faces, I'm certain everyone will find something they love and something that makes them want to grab the first flight home. So to help you avoid the rough and find the gems, here is your one stop shop on survival in Kuala Lumpur!
First... What to do!?
KL has a wealth of things to enchant you, no matter if your interests lie in nature, science, shopping or sightseeing! These are just a few to get you started...KL Bird Park
This was not particularly high up on my to-do list when I arrived in KL, I figured why travel all across the world just to go to go a glorified zoo. Despite this, one day we found our plans cut short so we turned to our 'backup plan', KL Bird Park. And oh boy was it surprisingly worth it!. At nearly 21 acres this enormous aviary is almost entirely open-plan, giving the birds the ability to roam freely in a tropical paradise. They even have a mini mountain and waterfall! If you are a bird lover, budding photographer or fan of leisurely strolls through tropical gardens then this one is for you! Also, for about 1RM (about 18p) you can have an 'up close experience' with some beautiful parrots who will eat out of your hand and walk all over you!
Entry fee: 63RM (about £12).
Batu Caves
KL Tower
A great spot for seeing the sights of the city. Set inside a beautiful tropical park KL tower is a 1,381 feet communications tower and you can ride the elevator all the way up to the top for spectacular views of the city. As the 7th tallest freestanding tower in the world you can bet there is a lot to see from the top. It's worth noting though that you can visit one of two levels: the observation deck and the skydeck. Whilst the skydeck is only one floor above, it is open air where the observation deck is indoors. Visiting the skydeck is hardly worth the nearly twice-the-price entry fee if you go during the daytime. However at night there is a lot of glare from the indoor lights reflecting off the windows in the observation deck, which can obscure your view a little, so depending on your budget it may be worth the extra money for the better view at night.
Shopping (KLCC) (+ Science Museum)
KL is famed for is numerous and masisve shopping malls. Needless to say if you like shopping you will not be left cold! KLCC (or KL City Centre) is in my opinion the best spot for shopping, as there is a ridiculous sized shopping mall with a beautiful tropical garden outside to lounge in when your feet are tired out. The mall is also surrounded by numerous attractions for the less shopping-enthused, from Petronas Towers, KLCC Aquarium, and Petrosains, one of the best, most interactive science museums I've ever been to, with a mini roller coaster style ride to get in! All of these attractions are accessible without needing to step foot outside the mall.Petaling Street
If you want to experience a dash of crazy market culture, Petaling Street is the place to go. KL's own Chinatown, Petaling Street is packed with market stalls with more food than you can dream of, and fake designer products sold on every other stall, ready for you to haggle your heart out.
What NOT to do
Walk
Walk. It may sound ridiculous, particularly to anyone from Europe but you seriously cannot walk anywhere in KL. The climate is so hot that the city has evolved to fit the demand for air conditioned cars. As a result, half the city is missing footpaths, and in the places where they do exist there are no crossings to get from one side of the road to the other, very limited signage to let you know where you are, and you will often find footpaths just end unexpectedly, leaving you stranded. And don't even dream of walking in the road, the traffic is notoriously mental, so unless you plan on trying to take on an army of scooters whizzing along the edge of the road, just take a taxi instead.
Visit Ipoh
Tragically I am being deadly serious when I say this picture (above) is the best thing about Ipoh. A two hour, frustratingly difficult to arrange train ride took us to KL's neighbouring city of Ipoh, where we were disappointed to find there is not a great deal going on. Most of the attractions regarded as popular where closed or impossible to find, and walking around was even more challenging than in KL! There are quite a few places to eat, but beyond that Ipoh was dirty, desolate and disappointing.
WHAT I WISH I'D DONE
Visit Cameron Highlands:
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KEY FACTS:
And now just a few quick fire bits of info to truly help you settle into your stay:
Language: Many! But mostly Malay. In touristy parts you'll do fine speaking English though.
Currency: Malaysian Ringgit. May be abbreviated to either MYR or RM (typically RM in shops). Exchange Rate as of November 2018 is 1MYR:0.18GBP
Cost: $ Malaysia in general is cheap, so enjoy eating out every day and buying up a storm in the markets.
Transport: Take. A. Taxi. Public transport is moderate at best, and we've already discussed the impracticality of walking. Your best bet is to use the local alternative to Uber called 'Grab' - traditional taxis are renowned for ripping off tourists, and are often not metered. Grab gives you a fixed rate and you pay online so no need to stress over what notes you are carrying! Plus its so popular someone will pick you up within minuets, no matter where you are in the city.
When to go: The dry season, May through September. Don't try outside these times unless you want to get wet.
Where to stay: We stayed with friends when we visited, and it definitely transformed our stay. They were able to take us out to some local spots to eat and knew exactly what to order, not to mention they were happy to give us a lift to the local train station which made getting around 100 times easier. If you don't happen to know any locals see if you can stay in an airbnb where you'll have more chance to meet people who will be able to give you some insider tips. If this doesn't quite appeal to you, there are countless hotels and hostels for all budgets throughout the city, you wont struggle to find a place to stay!
Top 3 Things to Pack: 1: Insect Repellent - malaria, whilst unlikely, is a risk
2: Sunscreen
3: A sarong - essential cover up for visiting temples, even for men!
That's all I've got for you this time friends, as always I hope I've inspired a little wanderlust (and maybe helped shape your next holiday plans!).
Until next time,
Happy Travelling!
Vicky
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