One Day In Kuala Lumpur
I have always been a fan of long layovers. Especially when you get outside and explore an extra destination, even if briefly.
I recently got back from a press trip to a jazz festival in Borneo, Malaysia. You should definitely add this famous island to your bucket list. It’s full of lush forests, diverse wildlife, and yet, luckily, severely lacking tourists. It’s only a 2 hour flight from Kuala Lumpur, or KL for short, and you can probably find a cheap flight with AirAsia (Malaysia’s popular budget airline). But I digress.
Kuala Lumpur is a big whirlwind of sights, colors and cultures. I had about 24 hours in the city and really covered a lot of ground in that time. Below, here’s a brief itinerary to get you started.
Kuala Lumpur by Morning:
First order of business- the Petronas Towers!
If you do anything in KL, it’s seeing this architectural marvel. I woke up early (8ish) and headed straight there. It was cool to check out the towers without flocks of tourists around. I even saw tons of locals on their way to work inside the towers. I decided not to head up to the top because A) its v expensive and B) you have to book in advance. They’re aptly nicknamed the Twin Towers, which I love since it reminds me of home.
(Pro Tip: There are often quite a few locals waiting outside the towers, hoping to sell small fisheye cameras to tourists. I was suckered into buying one because it’s a cool lense, was quite cheap and ultimately, the only way to get the full towers into a picture from up close. But South East Asia is such a great place to haggle so don’t forget to get their prices down before saying yes. I barely haggled to about $10 USD/40 Ringget but if I wasn’t so eager, I could’ve easily talked him down to $7 I bet)
You can then have a nice wander around the city, perhaps checking out Central Market if you’re keen to pick up a few souvenirs. The River of Life is a nice walk through the city center that will get you there, and also to a few gorgeous mosques along the way.
An awesome aspect of KL is the sheer diversity that’s obvious on the metro and walking down the streets, but especially when it comes to religious institutions. Without a particular destination in mind, you can embrace the journey, meandering from ornate mosques to colorful temples or meditation centers, soaking up the culture.
Exploring in the Afternoon:
One of the best parts of KL is definitely the food.
The city sits at an intersection of Thai, Indian, Chinese, and Singaporean cultures and geographies, just to name a few. Brickfields is a great place for a sit down meal at an Indian restaurant, buffet style on the cheap or fancier, airconned places that accept credit cards if you’d prefer to rack up those travel points.
(Pro Tip: carry cash and lots of it. You’ll need it to enjoy street snacks, dumplings down in cool alley ways or chow down on a heaping plate of $2 noodles. I’d budget 100–200 Malaysian Ringgeh a day for KL, at least just for a quick layover.
Then, definitely make your way over to Batu Caves.
If you have a bit more than a layover (at least 2 days in KL,) I’d recommend spreading this out so you don’t feel so rushed. But, if you’re pressed for time, Batu Caves are super close to the city center, easy to get to, and well worth the visit. It’s a massive Hindu temple built into the slide of a cliff. There’s several caves to meander into, including the Dark Cave, which is one of the regions most famous ecological hubs for research. There are lots of unique animals inside, including the world’s rarest spider. If you’re into the idea of a pitch black exploration, definitely look into booking in advance to go on one of the tours.
Otherwise, expect a ton of stairs and unreal views of the city. Plus, it’s one of those beautiful, unique places on earth that I’m grateful to have experienced. The scent of incense burning, the sound of gongs chiming (and construction being done inside the caves), and the relaxing sensation of the cool, damp interior, all came together for a soothing reprieve from the intense humidity of KL. You’ll likely spend about 2 hours here, and if you’re in a rush at this point, feel free to skip the public transport on the way home. Cabs are readily available.
(Pro Tip: Wear a pair of long trousers or a long skirt, as they’ll have sarongs at the door to cover you if you don’t bring one. If you forget, its only costs 5MRY to rent one. But you can’t actually keep the sarong they give you so may as well bring your own.)
Evening in KL:
Chinatown is another great place to grab a bite, if you didn’t already wander that way during the day (it’s along the River of Life). You could, instead, check out Tapak Urban by KLCC if you’d like to catch another glimpse of the towers lit up by night. It’s a local hotspot (I know because my friends from KL suggested it!) and contains a bunch of food trucks with delicious, cheap, Malaysian eats. That opens at 6 pm.
Or, hop on the MRT and get off at Buket Bintang, KL’s equivalent of Time’s Square. It’s a 24 hour spot to shop, eat and explore. Maybe it’s just me, bu
t I quite enjoyed walking into the McDonalds here and seeing the unique items on the menu from nasi goreng (a Malaysian classic) to banana flavored McFlurries. Fun Fact, btw, speaking of ice cream. Did you know that in Malaysia, kernels of corn are a common ice cream topping? I tried it and it actually tasted really good.
Getting Around Kuala Lumpur:
At first, KL seems confusing with all its acronymed forms of transportation. They have a monorail (KLMonorail), several above ground trains and a metro system, plus a bus system. To make life easier, all you’ll really need to know for your short time here is that the Go KL Bus system is totally free, so ride the bus everywhere you can. Also, the KL Komuter train will get you to the Batu Caves on the cheap.
KL Sentral Station, the big hub, is the largest train station in South East Asia. From here, you’ll likely want to catch a train back to the airport (The KLIA). There’s two versions, an express and a local, but you may as well take the faster one because they cost the same thing. You could also hire a Grab (The region’s version of Uber) but make sure you agree upon the price beforehand, especially if you pay cash, so as to avoid being scammed.
(Pro Tip: Walk if you can around rush hour. Otherwise you will sit in gridlocked traffic — the bumper to bumper horrendous kind, anywhere between 6–8pm. Or expect a crowded subway, but at least there’s aircon)
Where To Stay:
I’m an avid fan of hostels so I went for Reggae Mansion. It’s a cool place that, aptly named, probably used to be a mansion. Rooms are fully air conditioned, which is a bonus in this sticky, tropical city. Your bed is pod style which means there’s walls between each and curtains for privacy. It was also v dark in my room and check out wasn’t until 12. So I was able to go back to the room for a proper midday shower after running around all morning. Also, within a 2 minute walk are heaps of delicious and cheap Indian restaurants that are perfect for a midnight feast. Because this, much like NYC, is a city that rarely sleeps.
That’s just a quick overview of all the things you can get up to in Kuala Lumpur. Honorable mentions include sipping a nice, expensive drink at the Helipad Hotel (which I didn’t get a chance to do, but boasts sick views of the city). Or you can enjoy one of the best middle eastern meals in the city at Tarbush. Really, there were so many delicious Iranian, Iraqi and Saudi restaurants to name a few — lots of cuisines you don’t get as much of in the West!
Let me know if you’ve ever been to KL in the comments. Do you have anything to add for a quick layover? I’d love to hear about your experience!
