Nanda & Nathan The Travellers: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

December 25-26, 2014 ---- Kuala Lumpur was our last destination in Malaysia before flying back to Bangkok, Thailand. The capital city is about 2-3 hour bus ride from Malacca and 5-6 hours from Penang. We stayed at a hotel in Chinatown, which was very convenient to go anywhere in KL. After a few days in Penang and Malacca, we were used to the diversity of the locals and the languages used in the country. Luckily both Nathan and I speak Mandarin Chinese, which often came in handy.

Day 1

The first full day in KL we did our own walking tour around the city. We first went to Masjid Jamek and were welcomed by a friendly volunteer-guide of the mosque. Every female visitor was required to wear the body and head covers they provided before stepping in the mosque area. The masjid's interior was plain but elegant, and there was a worshiping space for female Muslims separate from men.

Then we walked to Sultan Abdul Samad Building and visited the museum inside. The building was built in the late 19 century and has held many important events. The exhibits inside were about Malaysian landscapes and the "Perak Man." Merdeka Square or Independence Square is right where the Sultan Abdul Samad Building is located. There are many other landmarks around the square, and it's really a great place for taking a panoramic photo.

There are quite a lot of shopping streets in KL, but the most well-known is Petaling Street. There you can find all kinds of cheap goods, and it gets really crowded at night. Not too far from Petaling Street is Central Market where a lot of tourists look for souvenirs. If you like shopping at fancy malls, you can take the metro to Bukit Bintang for fashion clothes and accessories.

Malaysians are not only diverse in ethnicity but also in religion. We walked through KL and found ourselves in Buddhist temples, Hindu temples, Islam Masjids, Christian churches and a Sikh temple scattered together within a few blocks. I think this makes Malaysia an interesting country!

The National Museum is also worth a visit. Next to it is a beautiful park with lots of deer and a bird park that kids would love. Around 4 p.m. we walked to The National Mosque of Malaysia, but it was closed for prayer time, so we didn't get to see inside. However, at least we knew that tourists are welcome to go in. Just need to get there at the right time.

In the evening we went to the Petronas Towers for Christmas dinner. The twin tower is the most famous landmark in KL, and no trip to KL counts without a photo in front of the towers. :-)

Day 2

The second day in KL and the last day in Malaysia we just took our time in the morning and had brunch before heading out. Batu Caves is located about 30 minute from central KL. We took a train from KL Sentral and got to Batu Caves in the early afternoon. The rain had just stopped, so we were able to climb 272 steps up to the caves without any difficulty. The scenery around and inside of the caves was beautiful. Many Hindu shrines are situated both inside the caves and at the foot of the mountain, and there are a lot of monkeys running around and begging for food and fruit that the worshipers bring to worship their gods. This is definitely a place to visit if you have enough time in KL.

Because our flight didn't leave till late at night, we decided to have dinner in town before heading to the airport. Jalan Alor Street is well-known for where to find delicious local food. I don't remember the name of the restaurant we picked, but I'm sure any restaurant on this street will serve you yummy food. Just go there!

A taxi ride from KL city center to the airport is about 45 minutes and it can cost around RM80-100. Because we were a party of three, it cost less to take a taxi to the airport than taking the KLIA Express.

Malaysia is a great country to visit and we had a lot of fun in Penang, Malacca and KL. I can't say that it's a must-visit country in South East Asia, but if anyone has a chance to be in this part of the globe, why not give Malaysia a try?