1 More Week in Kuala Lumpur
I actually ended up with food poisoning this week (just a part of traveling!) but we still managed to fit in a lot of great experiences in this week! To read about my first week in KL see here: however, I'm in KL for an orientation so you could probably fit all the activities from both posts into one week (if you don't mind staying busy).
Merdeka Square
If you've travelled with me at all, you know I inherited an affinity for history from my dad! I would recommend visiting this square to anyone coming to KL: not only is it a beautiful open area to relax (you could spend several hours here), but it is also a space to think about colonial history and its legacy. The Malaysian flag is flying high where the British flag was lowered in 1957 (the area is also called Independence Square!) but you can still see European style architecture right behind it.
The Sultan Abdul Samad Building also borders the square, and seeing it juxtaposed with the modern skyscrapers is such a view!
After relaxing on the lawn for a bit (and taking so many pictures) you can visit multiple museums nearby: textile, music or KL city are all right by the square. You also have to grab a picture by the iconic "I ❤ KL" sculpture!
Canopy Walk, Eco Forest Park and KL Tower
KL has a jungle right in its heart! Head towards the KL Tower to explore the Eco Forest Park: and spent an hour or so walking the canopy walk. It has two entrances, one right by the tower and another accessible by Jalan Raja Chulan: at the information center (if it's closed) just walk the path to the left and it will lead you to the entrance to the canopy.
It was unfortunately under construction when we visited, but we could still see amazing city and natural views from the short distance we were able to go!
Rooftop Bars // Nightlife
KL is a big city, so there are great opportunities for night life. We enjoyed Changkat (a bar street) for happy hours and more relaxed nights, roof top bars in this same area or fancier places like Marini's on 57 for great views, and if you like dancing: Zouk, the largest club in Malaysia. I definitely thought there would be no alcohol available (after my 21st birthday in Morocco, another largely Islamic country, where alcohol was nowhere to be found!) but it is definitely around in KL, and not terribly expensive.
But like in any city, please remember to be careful with both your things and yourself if you're going to be checking out the nightlife.
Botanical Gardens, Butterfly & Bird Parks
We love our nature spots! For RM 25, you can take a million pictures of butterflies in the butterfly park, a part of the botanical gardens! It's a fairly large enclosed area, so you could easily spend an hour here. Some are very friendly!
I am a pretty scared of birds so I wasn't insanely pumped to stop by the bird park, but a fellow ETA swayed me with his enthusiasm: and I'm so glad he did! The cost is RM50, but I would say it was worth the American equivalent of $10.
We spent almost 5 hours here: wandering with so many species of birds! Very few of the birds are caged, so they will come right by you. (I imagine this stop would be so fun with kids!)
We were straight up awestruck when we got to witness a peacock unfurl and "dance" with his feathers.
Thean Hou Temple
...is so underrated!! We barely saw this temple in travel guides for KL, but it was one of our favorite visits of the week. I was certainly nostalgic for my time in Beijing, but the sea of red lanterns was breathtaking for all of us.
There were very few tourists (I don't know why, it's free to enter!) so we could hear the lanterns shaking with the wind and it was a beautiful experience. Incredible views of the city as well, and very open to tourists hoping to witness or learn more about the traditions of Buddhism! You can also (we learned later) find your fortune from the goddess the temple is dedicated to; you shake a group of sticks until one is higher than the rest, then open a drawer labeled with that number to retrieve a letter!
Islamic Arts Center
This museum is RM 7 for students, and is very close to the National Mosque and Botanical Gardens, so you could make a day of all three without too much walking (it's hot in Malaysia!). I would recommend this museum especially to Americans: I know I have a pretty Euro/Christian perception of history so it was an experience to see these narratives disrupted by the artifacts here: for example, seeing Arabic script on a traditional Chinese vase, realizing "1500s" makes me think of the European Middle Ages and nothing else, or just how much art and history I know NOTHING about despite being a liberal arts major in college! You can also see some beautiful, beautiful Quran's and other texts, and a shroud that covered the Kaaba in Mecca!
Sri Mahamariamman Temple
Again, I recommend trying to see all the facets of Malaysia during your stay in KL, including Chinese and Indian influences. We were able to stop by Brickfields, the Indian district, again this week (and found the banana leaf restaurant we wandered 40 days searching for last week!). Stepping into this temple was our quietest moments of the week, and I would definitely recommend it. No pictures: just soak in the art and respectfully experience different forms of worship. The exterior is beautiful as well--the tier (above) features carvings of 288 Hindu figures!
Go Trekking
Trekking is just the British word for hiking, but it sounds way more intense right? There are multiple hiking trails around KL of different levels of difficulty: some of my friends headed to Devil's Backbone and other spots, but we all definitely enjoyed our 3 hour hike by the Jungle Lodge. Strap on your Chacos and make your way through jungle, streams and leeches: and if you're lucky, swim in a waterfall!
Pro tip: BUG SPRAY. (Don't want to be getting dengue during your trip.)
Take a Cooking Class
If you have a good bit of time in KL, taking a cooking class was really fun! We went through a website called Just Locals, which was great because we went to a wonderful lady's house and knew we could pay her directly! We learned how to cook a whole host of Indian food: curry chicken, lassi, salads, and enjoyed eating it as much as cooking it!
Get a Massage
If you've never received a massage from a person (vs. a massage chair) it may be an intense, strange experience (it definitely was for me!) but it is very affordable in KL if you want to give it a try! #relax
Look into Festivals and Events
We are here around Lunar New Year (I learned from a friend than "Lunar" is a better descriptor than "Chinese" for this festival since multiple cultures celebrate it!) so we were able to see a Lion Dance! (AWESOME). I recommend looking into what festivals are occurring around when you travel to KL--as a multicultural city and country, there are holidays celebrated all year!
Since I'm here with a government program, we also had the chance to have dinner at the Ambassador's Residence! We also did a whole lot of bonding, some deep thinking about identities and culture, jumped into some mural painting and enjoyed our last bit of American food for awhile... but see here for an entire blog post of all the incredible (new to me) food you can get ahold of in KL!
Now we're off to Kuala Terenggannu (KT)! Stay tuned for more on travel in Malaysia, and as always comment below with questions or further suggestions!