What I did in Kuala Lumpur
Just barely two weeks after Busan I'm already packing my bags and sitting on a plane headed towards my next adventure. This time I chose a farther destination, but it was a place I'd heard a lot of good things about, so I guess now I can check it off my list of 2018 travel goals. Kuala Lumpur (KL) was a blast, and I learned quite a bit while I was there.
But first, let's talk about what I did while I was in this beautiful, diverse city.
Malaysia is actually a primarily Islamic country, so I made sure to visit some mosques in the city. While both mosques were beautiful, I think I liked the aesthetic of Jamek Mosque a little more. The site had more trees and plants, as well as fountains. Plus the overall design of the dome, minarets, and prayer hall felt very inviting and artistic. The National Mosque was much bigger and very open, allowing people to comfortably walk around the complex. We had a long discussion with a woman originally from Australia who told us about Islam and its beliefs. It was wonderful to learn about such a beautiful religion and feel welcomed into these places of worship.
Of course, as with visiting any religious site, it's important to dress modestly whether you are a male or female. Women should wear head scarves and make sure their arms and legs are fully covered. Men should wear pants or shorts that stop below the knee. Because Malaysia is generally pretty hot, both mosques provide coverings for people who are not dressed appropriately for the visit. Also, visiting these mosques was free, so I would highly recommend making this a part of your trip should you visit KL. Also, do be aware that tourists are not allowed in during prayer times and you should schedule your visit in the late morning or late afternoon (at least that's what we did).
Food Tour
Food tours are a great way to try local specialties or foods you might generally not try on your own. For several trips I've taken (but not yet talked about on the blog) I've booked tours through Trip Advisor. It's pretty easy to use and I've had great experiences so far. This particular food tour was a bit unusual because we happened to book it the exact evening of the Ghost Festival parade. According to our guide, this parade happens ONCE a year. And he's only seen it one time. He insisted that we were extremely lucky to be witnessing it, and I did not doubt him. The parade was wild!
This Buddhist and Taoist festival celebrates the dead and deceased ancestors, which are believed to visit the living on the 15th day of the seventh month. Our guide said the gates of hell are open for a month as well. The parade had dragons, lions, Chinese deities, possessed men, men with large poles shoved through their cheeks, and even cows! It was loud and colorful, and an unforgettable experience.
Oh and the actual food tour was also great. Our tour guide was very knowledgable about the city, and Chinese culture. Plus he was super interesting! We ate durian, dim sum, putu piring, satay, pineapple with chili flakes, baked bbq buns, drank fresh limeade, and ate a dessert called roti tissue. The durian was gross, but everything else was delicious!
Near the National Mosque is a giant green area with gardens and a bird park. The plan was to go to the bird park and the botanical garden, but the bird park took a few hours, and we were also wanting to go to the mosque. It would be totally possible to do the gardens and the park though if you start your day earlier than we did. There are many points of interest just within the area, so it might be better to split the activities over the course of two days. Most of the attractions close at 6pm, but the botanical garden is open until 8pm. Oh, and the planetarium is closed on Mondays.
The bird park was neat, with exotic birds from around the world roaming the park, or behind giant cages. You can even pay a small fee to feed the parrots. Except one of them was more interested in eating my hair...
This time around the museum of choice was an Islamic arts museum. I make it a priority to visit art or historical museums on any of the trips I take, and this one was actually chosen by one of my friends. I have always admired Islamic art and respected that it never includes images of Allah or God in any religious paintings. The intricate patterns and calligraphy speak volumes on their own while displaying exquisite craftsmanship. Plus, the colors!!
This museum was much bigger than I expected, and has an array of art throughout history and across cultures. The first floor has impressive models of many famous mosques around the world. Prepare to spend a few hours here, and a modest entrance fee.
Open: 10:00-18:00
Batu Caves
The Batu Caves were actually not initially on the itinerary, but my friends really wanted to go. I'd heard mixed reviews about them, one namely being that it was a tourist trap. However, I'm glad that we ended up going. The Hindu temple at the foot of the caves was brilliantly painted to match the rainbow stairs. In fact, the temple (I think it was the Ganesh Temple) was much more interesting than the caves in my opinion. While it was fun climbing the stairs and passing by all the adorable monkeys, and the caves themselves were nice, the best part of the trip was witnessing my friend get robbed by a monkey.
On our way down there is actually an entrance to something called "The Dark Cave", but you have to pay to get in. We peeked at the dead specimens in jars by the entrance and decided against forking out the cash. On the stairwell leading back towards the rainbow stairs a monkey caught my friend's attention. It was eyeing her with interest so she took a picture of it. As soon as she turned around it snatched the bag she was carrying with the souvenir she'd just bought and darted up a tree branch. Of course, she screamed and was in complete shock as she watched the monkey tear open the box with her $6 statue of Murigan inside. Realizing it wasn't edible, the monkey begrudgingly hurled it over the staircase from its tree branch perch.
The box and the bag were goners, sent the the bottom of a waterfall, but the statue survived with only some dents and scratched paint. Another tourist picked it up, (luckily avoiding the wrath of flying statues) and returned it to my friend, who at this point was no longer regretting buying the stupid thing because it now has a hilarious story behind it.
The lesson here is to watch out for thieving monkeys. Don't carry anything in your hand unless you regretted buying it and don't care to see it again. And always keep an eye on your purse. That's just good sense. But go to the Caves because they are actually pretty cool.
Thean Hou Temple
Speaking of cool, right after the caves we visited this Chinese temple. My schooling in Eastern religions had me believing this was a Buddhist temple, but I think it was actually Buddhist, Taoist, and Confucianist. It was awesome! The colors and detail are insane, and I especially liked the numerous dragon/phoenix motifs adorning the architecture. After perusing make sure to eat some dragon's beard candy down below the temple. It sounds like drugs, but it's not.
Petronas Twin Towers
Okay so before I say anything else, I advise you to buy tickets in advance for whichever day you plan to go. The first time we went tickets were sold out for like two days, so we reserved some online since going up the towers was something my buddies really wanted to do. It costs 80RM ($20) which is about as much as I expected a famous tower tour to cost. I don't discourage it by any means. It's a nice view, and you can learn some trivia about the towers at the top. Of course you can also read about them for free online. Apparently their design is inspired by Islamic art patterns. Oh, and they are the tallest twin towers in the world, so that's kinda cool!
If you like knock off brand names and being hassled by shady store owners, then this is the perfect place to shop. Really you can buy like five different things from the long line of stalls, which are small and very close together, but why not try out haggling and maybe getting an authentic coach purse (or is it?)? I bought a t-shirt and a dress, but decided against a Rolex. Of course I'm being a bit facetious, however it's somewhere you should go to experience a night market and pick up souvenirs. Happy shopping!
KL Forest Eco Park
This tiny tropical rainforest is situated in the heart of the big city. And yes, it rained while we were there. It's possible to walk the trails on the ground or make your way through the tree tops via the canopy walk. It's a nice (and steamy) park, but it definitely wasn't a highlight of the trip. Again, I'd recommend the Botanical gardens and parks over by the National Mosque if you need a nature fix.
The lighting in the jazz club was very dim so I don't have any good pictures, but I have good memories! The small venue felt very intimate and exclusive, and the drinks were excellent. We did not order food, but I was tempted because it all looked delicious. I'd recommend buying tickets in advance, that way you can choose which event you'd like to attend, plus you're guaranteed a seat. Our food tour guide actually recommended this place to us, so I felt confident that it was a good choice before we even went there. If you like jazz and sipping on cocktails, I'd say this place is a must visit in KL!