Malaysia Part 3: Kuala Lumpur

As far as Asian cities are concerned, Kuala Lumpur is relatively small in size and very accessible by foot. After eight days of island paradise, Eric and I headed mainland to explore the Malaysian capital. Arriving a few hours later than expected we made it to our hostel around sundown. Our first stop for the night, after our hostel, was the Central Market, an indoor shopping complex filled with traditional crafts from Malaysia, India, China, and the Middle East. After perusing the various international treasures, we made our way to Chinatown.

Before I go on any further I should explain explain to you that Kuala Lumpur is a very diverse city; home to large populations of Chinese, Indians, and Arabs. This diversity results in at least four different languages being spoken at all times, lucky for us English was one of the four. Chinatown is home to hundreds of street vendors, selling various knocked-off goods, and hundreds of restaurants whose hosts’ are soliciting for costumers on the busy streets. After turning down a tempting Marc Jacobs wallet, Eric and I take at seat at the first restaurant we see. Even though the food is tempting, we are just here for drinks. We order the day’s special, two large bottles of Anchor Pilsner. After taking in the sights, sounds, and beers of our first stop we move on to another place to grab a seat and one more drink before we call it a night.

The next morning (Saturday) we get an early start so we can fully explore the city before we have to catch the red eye out. We started with a walk around the old colonial district. There elegant government buildings and quaint, colorful shop houses remain from the British colonization. Towards the end of the colonial district we enter Merdeka (Independence) Square. This was where the now-Malaysian flag was raised to mark the country’s independence back in 1957. From Merdeka Square we make our way to the lake and garden district to check out the orchid and hibiscus gardens. While these grounds are exquisitely maintained, none of the flowers were in bloom. We weren’t that upset though, it gave us a chance to hang out in the shade for a bit. We back tracked for a bit after and made our way to the Jimek Mosque. This mosque is home to the only coconut palms in the city. Here, we were allowed to walk the outside grounds. However, in order to do so, I needed to where the robe and head scarf provided at the front gate. The Mosque was gorgeous. The architecture was regal, using fine marble tile.





Little India was the next stop on our walking expedition. I have never been to India, but from the news reports I’ve seen, traffic seems to be a mess. Little India in Kuala Lumpur is no different. Cars remain at a standstill in the streets as pedestrians weave their way through the cars. Little India is filled with large bazaars, selling various Indian goods: saris, spices, and a multitude of other things I cannot name. Even though the streets were extremely crowded, I loved little India. There was something about the hustle and bustle I found charming and invigorating.

After wandering Little India we found ourselves headed towards the city’s “Golden Triangle”, the upscale district. On our way, a crowded Chinese café caught our eye. There was about a ten person wait, but we figured if it was this busy I must be good. We ordered the Beef Redang (spicy curried beef with rice and potatoes) and the fried mee sua (mee noodles stir fried with beef, cabbage, onion and soy sauce). Once we had food in our stomachs and smiles on our faces we entered the golden triangle to visit the Petronas Towers. The Petronas Towers were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998-2004 and they remain the world’s tallest twin towers. Inside, the first five floors are dedicated to a high end mall, selling the world’s most luxurious brands.

The last stop on our day’s adventure was Berjaya Times Square. Here, we wandered the upscale streets, which are supposedly home to the city’s best night life. We were also able to walk the outside perimeter of the Old Pudu Jail. While this jail is no longer in use today, the decaying walls give off an air of hostility and darkness. Today, graffiti covers the perimeters walls. However, for one block stretch, graffiti covers the world’s longest mural, left over from the jails active period. Now, it’s well faded, but the prisoners of the jail came out every day to work on the tropical landscape. The lack of maintenance of the mural and the jail are symbols of a time far gone and forgotten for Kuala Lumpur; for better or for worse.


The end of our day was marked by salty skin and swollen feet. However, I would gladly do it all over again. I’ve come to love exploring cities by foot. This way, I get to see every detail, of every street corner. After a year of this, I don’t know if I could rent a car in my future travels; I wouldn’t want to remember all the street corners as one big blur.