A week in Kuala Lumpur

So I have just arrived back from a week’s trip to the Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur (or KL to those of us in the know!) so I thought I’d share a little bit about my adventure there.

After having been in a developing country for over a year I had almost forgotten what it could be like. The airport felt massive and there were chain shops everywhere, I saw Body Shop and Mac Donald’s and Starbucks all within several feet of the airport exit and I immediately felt a little overwhelmed.

After a quick shuttle bus ride to the main train terminal in KL we hopped on the monorail system to get to our hotel. It felt very strange to be on a train again and I managed to get my first glimpse of the fame ‘Petronas Twin Towers’ which dominate the KL skyline. One of the first things that struck me about KL was how high everything was. In Cambodia there are very few high rise buildings, even in Phnom Penh there are only a couple, so it felt strange to be suddenly surrounded by these huge towering buildings.
Another aspect of KL which really caught my attention was just how multi-cultural it is. There are Indians, Chinese, Malay and a whole range of other ethnicities who have large populations in the city and seem to have created one unique identity rather than fragmented ones. The same goes for religion, the country is officially Islamic but there are huge communities of Hidus, Buddhists, Christians and Sikhs living side by side, and peacefully, which gives KL an amazing and diverse culture and identity.

The hotel we stayed in was located very centrally, only 5 minutes walk to the main shopping malls and 10 from the towers. More importantly it also had a bath which made me very happy indeed, I think I had one every day!

KL is not the place to start a diet that is for sure. The range and quality of food available is amazing. From street food (although this did seem quite similar to Cambodia!) all the way through to Michelin starred restaurants. I am definitely in love with Malaysian Satay, which are skewers of chicken or beef (no pork in a Muslim country remember) served with a thick peanut sauce. Brilliant. I also tried Japanese Tapan yaka, which is where they cook your dinner on a long hot plate which everyone sits around with the chef in the middle.
There is also ample opportunity to eat western food and I must admit to having a lovely Italian one night yum!
Alcohol, however, is very far from cheap and although might seem fairly reasonable for you Londoners I found the prices shocking. No heavy nights out for me! I did manage to have a few cocktails in the amazing Sky Bar in Traders hotel, which has a great view of the Petronas Towers, courtesy of ladies night and some lovely people with jobs!

During my stay I managed to make it out to the amazing Batu caves, around 30km out of town, which are an ancient Hindu shrine and involve a steep walk up 286 steps in 35 degree heat! I also made it up with towers for an amazing view of the city and out to the Forestry Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM) where I went on a jungle hike which involved an incredible view from the tops of the trees, 60m above ground, 2050ft above sea level and a great vista of KL city itself.

I certainly managed to do a lot in my short visit to the city and I’m glad I had the opportunity to see more of Asia before I head home.

Right now I am trying to wrap up all my work with VSO here in Mondulkiri along with packing up all my life as I am leaving in 10 days and flying home on 31st October. Time is really flying now and before I know it I’ll be back in the freezing cold of the UK, searching for a job...!