We didn’t linger long in the capital of Malaysia but had a great time nonetheless.
We arrived on a sunny Saturday evening during federal territory weekend (a big national holiday for the people of Kuala Lumpur). The city was bustling with people enjoying their holiday, which made for a great atmosphere, even if the holiday crowds did mean sitting through some chaotic traffic jams and queueing 10 minutes just to use our apartment lift. Our Airbnb was in a huge high-rise building with absolutely incredible views. From our bedroom window we could see the tops of the iconic Petronas Twin Towers and the space needles Malaysian cousin. We spent hours simply relaxing, drawing and admiring the skyline.

Our second day in the city was our exploration day. We took a taxi down to Chinatown and stopped for a delicious traditional meal. The waitress warned us it was “a little bit spicy”, which I confidently said I could handle (after all Bryson had survived the waitresses warnings in Phuket and I am just as tough). Unfortunately a little bit spicy turned out to mean mouth on fire spicy and I spent the next few hours regretting my decision.

We then spent some time wandering Chinatown and soaking in the atmosphere. It was made up colourful colonial buildings, alongside beautiful temples and festive decorations celebrating both Federal Territory Day and the Chinese New Year which is fast approaching. After Chinatown we walked along the market roads of the city. We enjoyed exploring the street filled with lots of fake luxury brands. Bryson bough a ‘Mount Blanche’pen (a pun on Mont Blanc) for just three dollars. The market also had lots of pop-up stalls including a bookshop and local craft stores, which were great fun to browse.

From there we walked along the river past stunning mosques and religious buildings before ending up in Merdeka Square (the square the commemorates the first raising of the Malaysian flag after years of British colonial rule).

Food was another highlight of the city. Our favourite lunch spot in the city was the restaurant right by our Airbnb called the Banyan Tree. It as the name suggests, had a beautiful big Banyan tree, lights and delicious food. We ate everything from a traditional nasi lemak, to French toast and the best burger I’ve probably ever had (though also the most unhealthy).

One evening we visited Jalan Alor, also known as Food Street. It was packed with hundreds of local food stalls and shops and the smells were incredible. We spent over an hour wandering around, trying to decide what to eat. After dinner we decided to walk all the way back to our accommodation via the Twin Towers. They were beautifully lit up, shining against the night sky, and it was a perfect way to end the evening.

The city was also really modern and clean. Most buildings looked newly built and I did not see any rubbish on the streets. We also appreciated the greenery of the city. There were trees everywhere as well as parks and botanical gardens woven throughout.

Overall, we had an amazing time in Kuala Lumpur and would love to return one day to explore more of Malaysia.