1 Week in Kuala Lumpur
Selemat pagi! For once in my life, I am going to write a blog post on time! I have spent the last week in Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia--better known as KL. I am here for orientation at the start of a yearlong Fulbright grant so most of this week we’ve been in sessions, learning how to teach and practice respectful public diplomacy…and meeting the other 97 wonderful people in our ETA cohort! We have also had plenty of chances to start exploring the city and culture in person.
Here’s six snapshots of my experience so far. I hope you check out these parts of KL if you ever travel here!
Masjid Negara - National Mosque
If you don’t already know a lot about Malaysia (which I DEFINITELY did not before a) meeting my Malaysian friend in the U.K. and b) applying for this program) you may have a little American bubble surprise that it is a predominately Muslim country. I know I definitely strongly associated Islam with the Middle East, but Islam is of course a global religion. As Islam is the national religion of Malaysia, KL has a national mosque—Masjid Negara—which I highly recommend visiting during your stay here.
The best way we found to get around was by uber, grab car or lyft which were all affordable: similar in cost to taking the monorail and you are able to pay in cash. The National Mosque is near the city center (close to Chinatown) so you can get a ride here quickly from most hotels. Make sure you research times that are open for non-Muslims (if you are non-Muslim) on the website; we went Saturday from 3-4pm.
One thing I was worried about when coming here was discomfort in terms of dress and cultural appropriation, as I will be wearing buja kurangs to school and will need to cover my hair when going into mosques or temples. I found that at least so far the Malaysian people I have met are excited for us to join in their cultural practices, including dress! That being said, my advice is to be hyper aware and respectful of what you’re wearing—so when you visit the National Mosque and are asked to slip off your shoes and are handed a robe and hijab to wear, maybe skip the snapchat but take lots of pictures with the beautiful architecture!
While you will not be able to enter the prayer hall, you can easily spend an hour wandering the open architecture, columns and pools. We spent a good amount of time learning about the basics of the faith from a volunteer, which was incredible—but even if you are not comfortable discussing religion, I would recommend going to see the mosque itself and the views of the skyline from its piers.
Batu Caves
While Islam is the national religion of Malaysia, the country is far from homogenous in race, culture or religion. Our favorite experience of the trip so far was heading to the outskirts of KL, and seeing the strong Hindu history as well! We took the monorail there, an above ground train, which was beautiful and only RM 5--but ubering back was the same price for a third of the trip time (20 mins), so choose what works for you. We spent half of a day there, but you could easily spend an entire day. You will need to take off your shoes to enter the temples, so slip ons or flip flops are great, and will need long pants or a skirt (ladies only). However, they do have skirts to rent if you forget!
Exiting from the monorail station, the Entrance Shrine is directly in front of you. After soaking in the bright colors, incense and cool marble underfoot, we headed towards the right: you can’t miss the giant turquoise statue of Hanuman!
Though it is RM5 to enter the Ramayana caves, I highly recommend it. As a literary nerd, I loved walking through the statues depicting scenes from the Ramayana, surrounded my stalagmites with a massive cave backdrop! We thought this scene—waking up Kumbhakarna— was especially great. (For more literary destinations around the world: check out this running blog post:P)
Heading on towards the main cave, you can stop for a coconut, dragonfruit or jackfruit snack. (Malaysia pro tip: HYDRATE! It’s insanely hot year round, so drinking water is necessary 24/7). Once in the main area, the massive 140 ft gold statue of Murugan blew us away! Take your touristy photos, then get to climbing all those 272 stairs (*hydrate*).
This area is also home to a host of wild and fearless monkeys: I made sure to run away from all of them! One of my braver friends go much closer, and came away with a terrifying picture of a big set of monkey teeth!
Be wary of that cute look. Once up the steps (go you!) the massive cave is awe-inspiring—keep going to reach the next cave filled with light and open air: the site of the main temple you see on google images. Like always, be respectful of the people worshipping, but I would recommend experiencing the quiet and the fun of the temples (and monkeys) to people of any religion.
There are also tours available for the more cave-inclined: for around RM35, you can take a 45 min tour deep into the bat and stalactite filled Dark Cave.
Chinatown
Malaysia is also home to a great number of ethnically Chinese communities, and you can experience many of the great things about Chinese culture here in KL! I was certainly on the hunt for my favorite Chinese food from my time in Beijing.
You can also spend your time shopping in the markets on Petaling Street: bargain for those imitation bags, electronics or souvenirs for your friends back home! We didn’t have any trouble, but in any area with large crowds it is best to watch your belongings. Fun fact: these massive markets pack up completely at night!
After wandering the shops and red lantern-lit streets, we also enjoyed the nightlife: finding a small rooftop hostel bar at the nearby Travel Hub. (I can’t speak much to my usual budget travel accommodation advice—they have us in the Dorsett Hotel!) We thought the bar had a very nice Western feel if you’re starting to feel culture shocked or overwhelmed.
Brickfields
If you’re a curry-fiend like me or are interested in Indian culture, take the time to spend an evening in Brickfields, an area of the city. We decided to walk there from the city center which was BEAUTIFUL, but do be careful when navigating via those great off-line maps: you might end up in a highway interchange like we did! Once there, check out the night markets and try a few new fruits or snacks.
Above else, try the curry and dahl. All the curry and dahl. See below for more details!
Makan, Makan, Makan
Eat, eat then eat some more! Already in just the first week it is clear that food is a huge part of Malaysian life and culture (not so unlike Southern life!). In a country and city center with so many ethnic influences, the food is varied and fantastic. Get ready for lots of fish flavor and be ready to ask for less spicy options if you’re wimpy like me. I’m sure I’ll be blogging specifically about food soon, but here’s what I have liked so far.
Rice never tasted so good?
"Real" Pad Thai
Not pictured: me dying from the spice level!
Yellow Watermelon
Tastes the same!
Chicken Fried Rice
Hey, I'm working my way up to Nasi Lemak😜
KLCC: Patronus Towers, Skyscrapers, Glitzy Shopping Centers
Again, this is modern city center. It’s extremely international, so I’ve had to remind myself I am in another country a few times! Having so many wonderful conversations with other Americans probably contributes to this, but many of the shops are also familiar. We have spent a lot of time in the nearby Pavilion mall which hosts a Prada, Versace, Gucci and so on if you’re into high-end shopping (we just ate in the food court), but the area is also a great tourist stop if you want to take in the skyscrapers!
Specifically, a trip to KL without seeing the Patronus Towers wouldn’t be complete. I’d recommend seeing them in the day, and returning to KLCC (city center) at night as well to see the towers all lit up, and the light show in the pool at its feet. The times are irregular, but we caught it at 7:30 on a Wednesday!
Comment below if you have ideas for us to try next week! Keep me accountable: be on the lookout for another post on KL soon!