Kuala Lumpur

So we went to Kuala Lumpur – or KL, as most of the people actually call it.

What can I say. Overall, it came across as pretty underwhelming. It wasn’t necessarily bad, but nothing special either.

We originally went there to get a visa for China. The Chinese consulate’s website made it clear, that this was not an easy task. You need all kinds of documents, eg. a proof of residency. It is much easier to get a visa for China in your home country. When I asked my friend, who lives in Shanghai, why they make it so hard to get a visa, he said: “They don’t want foreigners to take pictures of monks, who set them selves on fire.” Well… In the end we thought, it wasn’t worth the trouble and decided to head to Tokyo, Japan instead – which is where we are right now.

Back to KL: The one great thing to see are the Petronas Twin Towers.

Everything else, the shopping malls, the markets, etc. are pretty much the same as in any other big city.

One evening – to get a nice view for the sunset – we went to Heli Lounge, which is basically a rooftop bar, located on a heli pad. From there you have a great view of the city. You need to order a drink to get access to the top. You should stick to beer or soft drinks though, because all of the cocktails we tried (four in total, one for each of us that went), were truly and utterly horrible! Must have been the worst Mojito I’ve ever tasted. But hey, people probably go there for the view and not to get drunk.

Accommodation was very nice: We got a great apartment via Airbnb, which was only 400 meters away from KLCC. Chrissy, the host was amazing and available around the clock via text messaging (we used iMessage). She organized transport from and to the airport and I highly recommend staying in one of her places, when visiting KL.

Most days we got food right around the corner on Jalan Cangkat Perak street. There are several food stalls, with all kinds of local dishes, and you can also find a full range of multi-cultural food experiences there. We paid about 15 Ringgit (currently about 3.70 EUR) for two full meals + drinks. Not bad at all.

Speaking of money: Malaysia’s banknotes are among my favorites. They are colorful and very compact. Furthermore you do not need coins very often, which is always a plus in my book.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, we found KL to be nothing special. Come here for the Twin Towers and probably the food. Two or three days are probably enough.

Enjoy a couple of images I took during our week in KL.

View from our Apartment in Kuala Lumpur
View from our apartment in Kuala Lumpur
Painting the high rises of Kuala Lumpur
Painting the high rises of Kuala Lumpur
Mosque and Scooters in Kuala Lumpur
Mosque and Scooters
China Town Kuala Lumpur
China Town in Kuala Lumpur
Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur during mid-day
Petronas Twin Towers – highlight of the city
Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur during sunset
Petronas Towers during sunset
Taking a picuture of the Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur during sunset
Taking a picture of the Twin Towers during sunset
Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur photographed from Heli Lounge roof-top bar
Petronas Twin Towers as seen from Heli Lounge during sunset
Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur at night
Petronas Twin Towers at night