Day Twenty One – New Country, Malaysia
Planning this trip, we wanted to balance revisiting some of our favorites with a few new experiences. So here we are, arriving for the first time in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
When we decided to stay an extra day at Bambu Indah, we opted for the 7 am flight to make up for a little lost time in Malaysia. No sugarcoating this one… a late night of packing, waking up at 3 am, and leaving for the airport at 4 am is tough. We bumble through check in with a unique check in, our baskets we bought in Bali.
We’re not sure the baskets will make it all the way back home, but we are going to try 🙏. Through immigration and Bali’s impressive airport.
Three hour flight to Malaysia, followed by a calm and peaceful walk through immigration and customs. Quick baggage collection (first ones on the belt), and bam, the airport is basically a luxury mall, with lots of American stores and shops, including Garrett’s Popcorn.
Roll up to the taxi booth, get a fixed rate (keeps is from getting scammed) for our 45 minute ride to our hotel in the city center.
For this leg of the trip, we opted for the W Hotel for its location and for the iconic pool deck looking directly at Kuala Lumpur’s famous Petronas Twin Towers.
Warning, we will spend three days staring at these towers from all angles of the city, so be prepared for a lot of tower pics 😎.
Sitting at the bottom six levels of the iconic building is a world class mall. That’s right, SIX levels. Considering the constant heat in Malaysia, it is no surprise their country has designed and built some of the regions best malls.
The mall, named Suria KLCC, is just part of the towers. The towers also hosts an Oceanarium, dancing fountains, loads of office space, and a beautiful urban park (KLCC Park) surrounding this impressive city center icon.
For us, our first mall visit has an alternate purpose. Get to the DHL store and inquire about shipping our baskets. Mission accomplished, and we will be back tomorrow to seal the deal.
A tiny bit of rest (remember this day started at 3 am), and we are ready to get back out and explore. At this moment, we discover the Grab app. We had seen a lot of Grab logos throughout Bali, but didn’t inquire until now. It’s basically SE Asia’s version of our Uber, and cheaper. And from this point forward, we use it OFTEN.
Starting with a short trip to the Alor Street Food Night Market. We arrive at 5 pm as it opens to relatively quiet calm street, the calm before the storm. Within minutes, it’s bustling! After a couple of laps back and forth, game on. Chicken bao, Chinese pancakes, dumplings, & tanghulu to name a few. Good times!
No doubt, if we ever make it back to Kuala Lumpur, our first meal will be back on Jalan Alor Street.
As we jump in a Grab to head back to our hotel for sunset, it’s hard not to notice the constant haze lingering over the city. Air pollution has been an ongoing problem in many countries in the SE Asia, and Malaysia is one of the worst affected. Haze has been a major issue for the country, caused by burn practices by farmers and fires from Sumatra in Indonesia, especially around this time of year. The Indonesian farmers set these fires intentionally to open up land for their new crops, sometimes spinning out of control. Luckily for us, it didn’t cause too much of an issue and did start to clear out a bit during our short time here.
Back at our hotel, the scene and energy on our pool deck is spectacular. Daytime for relaxing and enjoying the pool, nighttime for cocktails south beach style, with sunset drinks and snacks on pool deck looking up at twin towers.
Solid ending to a long day and our first day in Malaysia!
Day Twenty Two – Exploring Kuala Lumpur
Here we go, a lot to see, and only one hot day to get out and experience Kuala Lumpur.
First mission, catch a Grab and head to Batu Caves.
The Batu Caves, located just outside Kuala Lumpur, are a stunning Hindu temple complex set within towering limestone caves. Dominated by a 42.7-meter golden statue of Lord Murugan, the site is a major pilgrimage destination, especially during the vibrant Thaipusam festival. We climbed, I mean sweat, our way up the 272 colorful steps to reach the main Temple Cave. Pretty awesome that it is free to enjoy, but watch out for the curious monkeys roaming the grounds (too many monkeys in SE Asia). It’s an impressive mix of spirituality, natural beauty, and cultural experience.
Next up, catch a Grab and off to Thean Hou Temple. Thean Hou Temple, perched on Robson Hill in Kuala Lumpur, is one of Southeast Asia’s most impressive Chinese temples, blending Buddhism, Taoism, and Confucianism in a stunning six-tiered design. Dedicated to the sea goddess Thean Hou, it features ornate carvings, vibrant red pillars, and sweeping views of the city skyline. Visitors come to pray, admire the intricate architecture, or take part in traditional Chinese ceremonies and festivals. With peaceful gardens, a tortoise pond, and colorful lanterns, especially during Lunar New Year, the temple offers a rich cultural and spiritual experience—free to explore and perfect for photos.
And yup, grab another Grab and head to KL Forest Eco Park. We are pretty excited about this stop, a beautiful nature park in the heart of the bustling city. Well, apparently they closed up for a couple of months to make some renovations, and it began just a couple of days ago. Sadness!
Next up, we decide to forego a ride, after a tiny spat over price with a local cab driver. He tried to charge us 4 times what he should’ve. Sorry buddy, not going to fall for your scam. So, we jump out of the cab and decide to give walking a try on this toasty summer day. The walk led us along a busy road, and rather than continuing to sweat it out for no scenery, you guessed it, we stopped and got on the Grab app to get a ride back to our hotel.
The city of Kuala Lumpur is amazing, often overlooked by people who travel to SE Asia. We are thrilled we made this stop happen. Even the summer heat didn’t affect us. But if we had one gripe, it’s that the city is spread out and not the most walkable city, making us even more thankful for the affordable Grab app.
In our last post, we somewhat foolishly bought a lot of baskets at a local shop in Ubud. Today, we are completing the foolishness and walking over to the mall to ship them home via DHL. We took advantage of sending some overpacking home too, just to make our lives a little easier on the home stretch of our holiday. The intent of the baskets is to use them for lighting in our backyard. Optimistic for a creative, Balinese style final product, which would make our foolish decisions worthwhile!
A short walk around one of the biggest malls we have ever seen. Six levels and almost 400 stores (mostly high-end), and some great food options & air conditioning.
Back to the hotel for a swim, a bit of relaxing, and some of our last views from our pool deck. They’re kicking us out for a private Anome party tonight. Impressive spot to host a party!
What’s often amazing is how close you can be to something so amazing and not even know it. Just on the flip side of the Twin Towers is the KLCC Park.
KLCC Park is a beautifully landscaped urban park located in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, right next to the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. Designed by Brazilian architect Roberto Burle Marx, the 50-acre park offers a peaceful green escape amid the city’s modern skyline. It features lush gardens, over 1,900 trees, a man-made lake with a musical fountain, and walking paths that span about 1.3 kilometers—perfect for jogging or a leisurely stroll. A popular spot for both locals and tourists, the park also includes a children’s playground, wading pool, and plenty of shaded seating areas. KLCC Park is especially magical at night, when the fountains come alive with light and music, providing a scenic and relaxing atmosphere right in the center of Kuala Lumpur.
Pretty much Kuala Lumpur’s version of Central Park. A walk through the inviting park leads us to Trader’s Hotel with one goal in mind, the Sky Bar on floor 33 for drinks, overlooking the park and seeing the majestic towers from a new angle.
One last mission on our list to check off and enjoy on this too short trip to Kuala Lumpur. Experience the light show in front of the Twin Towers.
Some local Malaysian cuisine at the food court.
Loved our quick stopover in Malaysia!
Now back to the hotel for our ritual every few days, packing for our next stop tomorrow morning: Krabi, Thailand!
Two Wayfaring Wanderers 