Good Morning Kuala Lumpur
Arrival to Citizen M Hotel
Last night we took a 9pm flight from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia… a one hour trip. I’ve been spoilt by Singapore’s Changi Airport. Upon landing at Kuala Lumpur International Airport, we had to stand in a long line at immigration and it took a fair while to get our taxi. The airport is an almost one hour drive from the downtown.
On a positive note, Malaysia is a lot less expensive than Singapore.
We are staying in a hipster type hotel in the Bukit Bintang area. The hotel has the rather odd name of “CitizenM Hotel“. However it is a very new, cool place. It has a streamlined style and everything is controlled with your room card or the room’s iPad. The iPad operates the motorized window shades, the TV and the lights which can be changed to any colour and level of brightness you desire. John wants red lights tonight! We are paying a lot less than our tiny, basic budget Singapore hotel but getting sooooo much more.
After a delicious buffet breakfast, we head to the Kuala Lumpur City Center Park (KLCC Park). …sidenote: Malaysians really like to abbreviate everything. There are many interesting sky scrapers. KL is a very modern city.
Aquaria KLCC/KLCC Park & The Twin Petronas Towers
Our first stop is Aquaria KLCC. It is a small aquarium and doesn’t take too long to visit. It is packed with families, probably because it is a holiday weekend here.
We exit to KLCC Park with its fountains surrounded by unique skyscrapers. Most notably the twin Petronas Towers with a walkway between them.
We check out the big (air conditioned) Suria KLCC Shopping Mall. It has six levels and over 300 stores. South East Asians seem to really like prestige brand name, designer merchandise. Shopping seems to be big here as it was in Singapore.
The weather seems to be a bit cooler in Malaysia (29 degrees) and not as humid. We notice that in both Singapore and Kuala Lumpur, there are no street cats or dogs and very few dogs on leash. Kuala Lumpur (KL) is very clean.
KL Tower
We walk to KL Tower which is the KL version of Toronto’s CN Tower. It is now feeling very hot. It is now sunny and 31 degrees.
KL Forest Eco Park
Our next stop is the KL Forest Eco Park where we climb across and down many rope bridges. Unfortunately then you have to climb up steepish hills to get back to the entrance. Did I mention that it is very hot. I better be dropping some pounds with all this exercise.
We do a number of paths with stairs looking for an exit. I can hear calls to prayer from a nearby mosque.
Jamel Mosque
We decide to walk to our next destination. Throughout the day we notice that there are substantially more men than women around.
We pass the River of Life and take in the picturesque Jamel Mosque . Built in 1909 it is one of the oldest Mosques in KL.
Central Market
Time for a break and some lunch. We walk around the Central Market before choosing an authentic Malaysian restaurant just outside the market. I have no idea what we just ordered. An adventure in eating.
John is drinking something sweet with a smokey taste to it. Quite good. I decide to have one. My meal was good. Lots of veggies, a hard boiled egg and peanuts in a spicy red coconut broth.
I get myself some mini cream tarts at a stall outside of Central Market and watch a street singer sing “Country Roads”. From Oktoberfest in Munich to markets in South East Asia, that song is still popular. Click here for a short video.
Merdeka Square
Our next stop is Merdeka Square (means Independence Square). It is located in the British colonial area where Malaysia claimed it’s independence in 1959. Such a lovely area.
I enjoy greeting the police horse.
Chinatown KL
Of course we need to check out Petaling Street in nearby Chinatown. There are two temples of note in the area; KL’s oldest Hindu Temple (Sri Mahamariamman Temple and a beautiful red Taoist Guan Di Temple.
By this point we are both pooped so we walk back to the hotel for a break and nap before heading out to the night market.
Night Market
The night market is awesome. We start out with bottles of fresh squeezed pomegranate juice. Click here for a video.
We walk the whole street, scouting out potential restaurants. We continue checking out the massage area (about $30 per hour for a lavender oil massage) before walking the bar street. Heading back to the night market, we eat at Men Kee Grill fish. I have Japanese conks and a butter green vegetable and John has something with an Asian name. They were both really good.
As we walk back to our hotel through the night market, another street performing is singing “Country Roads”.
We are really enjoying Kuala Lumpur. The city has a real lively vibe.