We knew that one month wouldn’t be enough to explore the southern part of Indonesia like we wanted to. But unfortunately, as we had a free visa, we weren’t able to extend it. So we hopped onto a flight bound for Kuala Lumpur, to spend a couple of days here before heading back into Indonesia for another month. We weren’t sure we were ready for busy city life just yet, but Kuala Lumpur changed our minds.
It was SO refreshing to be in a clean and modern city. The roads were safe, there were plenty of pedestrians and there were no open gutters or broken sidewalks. We had a beautiful hotel right in the middle of the ‘Golden Triangle’, with a breathtaking view over the city skyline. It was exactly what we needed.
One of the best ways to explore a city is by foot, and so we set out into the heat. Kuala Lumpur really is a cosmopolitan fusion city, with influences from the middle east and India, to China and Indonesia. You walk through a luxury shopping mall into a street lined with exotic restaurants, before you find yourself in a conference centre with a Starbucks and an air conditioned walkway. We had to visit the Petronas Towers, which were the tallest buildings in the world for a time. The beautiful art deco-esque towers are joined by a skybridge, and a tour takes you up to the bridge, as well as onto the Observation Deck on the 86th floor. Even the rainstorm coming in couldn’t dampen the view, with the city stretching away into the distant mountains.
That evening we stumbled across the famous Jalan Alor street food market, a bustling street that’s spilling over with street food stalls and small restaurants. The wafts of spices and garlic filled the air, and we found a spot at a popular restaurant, watching the crowds go by and taking in a million and one new sights.
And so ended our flying visit to Kuala Lumpur. The city has so much more to offer than we could see in a day, and we can’t wait to come back to Malaysia and explore it all. For now it’s back to Indonesia, to chase some white sand beaches and turquoise blue seas.