Emily writes · Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia · 31 January–3 February 2026
We did not stay long in Kuala Lumpur. We arrived on a Saturday evening during Federal Territory weekend, when the city was full of people enjoying the holiday. Traffic barely moved and the queue for our apartment lift took ten minutes.
Our Airbnb was high enough that we could see the tops of the Petronas Twin Towers and the Space Needle’s Malaysian cousin from bed. We spent a lot of time drawing and looking out of the window.
Our second day started in Chinatown with a meal the waitress described as “a little bit spicy.” I accepted that as a challenge because Bryson had survived the same warning in Phuket. This was foolish. My mouth was on fire and I regretted it for hours.
Chinatown had colonial buildings, temples, and decorations for Federal Territory Day and the approaching Chinese New Year. The market streets sold fake luxury goods. Bryson bought a three dollar pen labelled “Mount Blanche,” which may be the best possible fake Mont Blanc. We also found a pop up bookshop and local craft stalls.
We followed the river past mosques and other religious buildings to Merdeka Square, where the Malaysian flag was first raised after British colonial rule.
The Banyan Tree beside our building became our regular lunch place. It had an actual banyan tree strung with lights. We tried nasi lemak, French toast, and a burger that may have been the best and least healthy one I have eaten.
At Jalan Alor, hundreds of stalls left us unable to choose dinner for over an hour. We eventually ate, then walked back past the Petronas Twin Towers. They looked better at night than they had from our bedroom window.
I had arrived with a much messier picture of Kuala Lumpur in my head. The routes we walked had trees and parks between the towers and very little litter. My mental picture had been wrong.
We left after only a few days. I would come back, although next time I will believe the waitress.
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