I’m all about travel experiences lately and making a conscious effort to explore more of this world. Every trip we plan, usually has an underlying reason, i.e. wedding, birthday, someone else was planning and I tagged along. This was one of the only trips I can think of I’ve planned where it was just for us and it was a little weird – no specific plans except to explore. My main purpose for this trip was making it super far south to Bali, Indonesia. All the reasonably priced flights had layovers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. I did some research for inspiration and decided I wanted to make a weekend layover in the predominantly Muslim country before jetting to paradise.
{initial malaysian reactions from a foreigners point of view}
I found a location in KL where I wanted to stay specifically because the rooftop views were unreal. My theme for this trip was infinity pools and Malaysian cultural. I had zero clue that Malaysia had major muslim and Indian influence. I found an inspo photo of the Batu Caves and the golden statue was high on my list. The more research I did, the more intrigued I was by the country. We made our way to Southeast Asia and got new passport ink.
It was hot.. humid, but still pleasant coming from frigid Korea where the highs were in the 30’s for February. The airport is about an hour away from the city center and taking an Uber couldn’t have been easier (cost about $15-20). Using the app makes me realize how much I appreciate it even more being in a foreign country where English might not be the predominant language and money exchange is not an issue fresh in a country. BUT in Kuala Lumpur, English was EVERYWHERE so communicating was ridiculously easy and made for talking with the locals incredibly nice and refreshing. I was very impressed because since I live in Korea, it’s not quite the same when it comes to English..
I was so taken with the locals and their level of kindness from the moment we stepped off the plane. Malaysia is very well built up and has a futuristic feel mixed with european flair. I had no idea I would love it as much as I did! Love how exploring new places just opens up your eyes and can surprise you!
Our first night we got in late but I wanted to check out the pool views and see if the pictures were all the rage in real life. OMG… We got to the rooftop and I was so taken with the skyline. The Petronas Towers were these bright shining majestic buildings and I was so fascinated.. Adding the Menara Tower made for a cool Jetson’s feel.
{kl views on views on views}
Day one I woke up super early and my jaw nearly dropped when I saw the lush greenery surrounding our new weekend home. KL has so many lush green areas.. another surprise for my shifting eyes! We grabbed breakfast at the rooftop Hemisphere restaurant which served decent western food to fuel us for the morning and only around $5 per meal.
The Batu Caves were one of the main reasons I wanted to come to Kuala Lumpur. I saw the gold statue, Lord Murugan, in a picture and added it to my KL dreamboard. It was so crazy to see this huge Hindu shrine (one of the largest outside of India) and green mountainous backdrop after the iconic KL skyline. It really makes you feel the culture and even though it’s only about 15 minutes outside of the city, feels like you’re miles away! Everyone else had the same idea and it was busy.. turns out my plan to getaway during an American holiday in Asia coincided with Chinese New Year. So. There’s. That. #planningfail
Monkeys roam free in the caves after reaching the summit of the 272 steep steps to the top behind the statue. Usually 272 steps is a walk in the park, but when it’s 23020253020 degrees and 1000% humidity, it felt like a sauna in Jabba the Hutt’s armpit.. If you’re going here, dress somewhat modestly or bring a sarong if you’re wearing shorts or short dress – dudes too. Luckily fresh young coconuts were everywhere for hydration for about $1.. winning hard core.
This place surpassed my expectations and a must see when in KL.
{kuala lumpur, malaysia must see list}
I had a few places on my list to hit up to include some sleeper locations I hadn’t anticipated but legit wasn’t mad because they were pink. PINK GUYS.. PINK
In no particular order:
1. Merdeka Square – also known as “Independence Square” built by the British and now used for culture and arts.
2. National Textile Museum – This striped building was near the top of my list.. because stripes…
3. Mendara Sky Deck – This gives you one of the best views of the city from 1,381 feet in the air, the tallest point in Kuala Lumpur. We waited in line for an hour to snap a photo in one of the two sky deck clear boxes. I obviously wanted the one with the Petronas in view.. It was refreshing to be up there with the cooled air away from the heat of the concrete. We got 2 minutes inside the box to snap as many photos as possible. I suggest thinking of poses beforehand to maximize photos for those instagrammable moments.
4. Petronas Twin Towers – OK. GUYS. These towers are straight mesmerizing. If you saw my post on IG, you already know how infatuated I was with these towers. I couldn’t figure out how these buildings were so photographed.. but when I saw them in person, I got it. We were at ground zero and I was obsessed with my head sticking straight up at the gleaming silver architecture. So many people walking around trying to get the best shots with their fisheye lenses. We wandered around till I found “the spot”. After we snapped one of my prized photos from the trip, we had a major “holiday stroll” (read: when you walk slower than normal because you’re on vacation) around the area because I wanted to see the towers lit up at night up close. There’s the shopping mall, KLCC, behind the towers and a large park with a water fountain show. Good way to burn some time and see more! An obvious must during your visit. GO!
5. Putra Mosque – So this place is technically 30 minutes from KL in Putrajaya. It’s much more quieter and where more Government buildings are. I stumbled upon this place somehow online and became obsessed. Malaysia has a huge muslim population so it’s no surprise to see many women wearing the hijab.. I had never been to a mosque before so it was fitting that the first one I would go to would be PINK! Ummm, obsesssssedddddd… I had on shorts the day we went, and that’s a major no no at a mosque, but they provide robes to wear.. in pink.. to cover up when roaming the grounds. Great for winter time because it felt like a heavy coat… not so good when it’s 90+ degrees and you’re already profusely sweating from the sweltering heat. But… for the ‘gram. Be sure to check visiting hours because if you’re non-muslim, you have to go during non-prayer times.
We found some really cool sights in KL that I was so happy to randomly stumble upon. For instance, the pink church, St. Anthony’s. We were walking to grab food and I turned an eye and my opticals saw the pink exterior and a photoshoot ensued soon after we got food. One thing I’ve learned is to feed the instahusband if I want to keep taking more photos; a protip if you will.
{chinese new year in southeast asia}
Since it was Chinese New Year, I wanted to honor the holiday and eat Chinese food. Come to find out from the locals, the chinese food in the KL neighborhood is pretty legit. We yelped (yasss it exists there) and found Sek Yuen. Walked in, got seated, and were told there were no menus. Hmmm… I need to know what I’m eating. The waitress said they had chicken, pork, beef, and duck. I was at a loss. So I walked around the restaurant and pointed at the various dishes on people’s tables of what we wanted to order. Well that was an interesting experience. Nor did they have water.. but they did have Coke. Probably one of the most fun times I’d ever had ordering food in my life. Basically, they can make whatever you want with their main proteins, you just have to ask for it. Also, they low-key had shark fin soup but I didn’t know this till AFTER we ate there. All the documentaries came flooding into my mind. Also, apologize for my tiredness in the photo.. it had been a day and it was all over my face.. Overall, good experience and I recommend.. but not the shark fin soup.. because no.
If you’re on the fence with KL, I would highly recommend making a long layover stop. Three days is plenty of time to see the city and even venture a little ways out.. There’s more to see in Malaysia (I’ve already decided I want to see other parts), but Kuala Lumpur did not disappoint with their culture and beautiful skyline, it in fact made me really love it and I wasn’t anticipating that. For all my commentary and stories for some bts on the pictures, use hashtag #BrigittexMalaysia on Instagram @brigittepatton
I made a short travel video of all the highlights.. checkkkkkk ittttt…… bet you didn’t know I could sweat that much… #unicornpee
Next up is Bali.. so be sure to follow!!