Wild Rose Travel

Kuala Lumpur

September 2022

The federal territory of Kuala Lumpur is one of Asia’s fastest growing cities, with easy connections to the rest of Asia and the world. Boasting an unbeatable skyline with towering skyscrapers including the Petronas Twin Towers, alongside lush green escapes, multi-coloured temples and bustling food markets – Kuala Lumpur is a city with something to offer everyone.

Flying into Kuala Lumpur from London, this was the first stop on our Malaysian adventure. We booked 2 nights at Ohana hostel, opting for a budget double room with a shared bathroom, communal kitchen and social area. This hostel is located within a residential block of flats, and therefore includes use of the buildings communal gym and swimming pool. The rooms are spread over multiple floors, so it’s worth noting you may not be on the same floor as the kitchen and communal area – we were not!

Click here for the hostel we stayed in – Ohana hostel KL.

Day 1

On the first evening after we’d settled into our room and freshened up, we visited the Jalan Alor food Street for dinner. Located close to Ohana hostel, it took around 10-minutes on foot. As this was the first night, we were not yet accustomed to the local prices and although a nice experience, a lot of the food here was overpriced. After scanning multiple menus, we soon realised all restaurants were very similar and there was not much choice of cuisine either. If you’re staying near the area it is worth a walk up and down to see the local delicacies, but probably not worth a visit otherwise.

After having something to eat, we were knackered after 24 hours of travel but we couldn’t help ourselves and decided to make the trek to see the Petronas twin towers – I was too excited to wait until the following day! It was about a 30-minute walk from Jalan Alor, and the walk itself was amazing. One of my favourite things to do in a new city is just walk around with no particular plan and see the sights – the buildings alight in the dark are particularly spectacular. We could see the Petronas Towers at all times, but getting to them was quite a mission over and under lots of busy roads.

Petronas Twin Towers

I think it’s safe to say the towers are the hot spot in Kuala Lumpur, with hundreds of tourists hanging around and queuing to get the shot stood beneath, showcasing the towers in all their glory lit up above. Of course we had to join in, and you can see my attempt at the top of this page.

The towers are 88 storeys tall, taking six years to construct from 1993. They remain the World’s tallest twin building’s, and were the tallest construction in Malaysia until 2019, when they were surpassed by the Exchange 106 – a single tower also situated in Kuala Lumpur.

We visited the towers both at night and again during the day time – and can confirm the accumulation of tourists seemed to be the same amount at both times. It’s one of those spots you need to come either during the middle of the night or very early hours to see reduced numbers.

You can in-fact go into the towers themselves, with an observation deck situated on the 86th floor. There is also a sky bridge you can visit, on levels 41 and 42. The lower floors of the buildings contain a shopping mall – with the remainder of the towers closed off to the public as office space.

Day 2 – Batu Caves

On our first full day, we decided to visit Batu Caves. Another main attraction in Kuala Lumpur, Batu Caves are a series of limestone caves and temples situated in Gombak. They get their name (“Batu”) from the Malay to English translation of “rock.” Jumping straight on the train (one huge plus of Ohana hostel’s location – it is right outside a big shopping complex with a train station inside), we arrived at Batu Caves after one change-over, and approximately 30-minutes total travel time.

The weather was bright as we left the city, but the sky was full of rain and thunder as soon as we arrived. Sheltering underneath the station when we departed the train waiting for the worst to pass, we entered Batu Caves with near to no tourists – thanks rain!

Tip: Like most religious spots in Asia, you must wear modest clothing with females covering both knees and shoulders.

In the end we absolutely loved exploring the caves in the rain – the main opening at the very back was even more enchanting with thunder rumbling and echoing throughout the cave walls, with a circle of rain falling through the opening. We stood and marvelled here for quite some time.

Inside and surrounding the caves you’re likely to come across monkeys, chickens, cockerels, and bats. Keep your eyes peeled and don’t forget to look up!

Sentul Park

Sentul Park is a private gated community park, within the centre of Kuala Lumpur. Although public access is only available in certain areas, we spent around an hour here as a bit of a city escape with a slice of fresh air and greenery. Inside the public area is a lake where you can see plenty of fish, terapins and monitor lizards. Next to the lake is a restaurant, a performing arts centre which has a cafe, and a koi centre. You can explore the koi centre free of charge.

Transport

In addition to the trains, one of the highlights of Kuala Lumpur (if a keen budget traveller!) is the free bus service around the city centre, called ‘Go KL’. There are a number of coloured bus routes offering a hop-on hop-off service every 10 minutes or so. If you need to get somewhere for a specific time, I would advise taking an earlier bus to be on the safe side. Whilst they are running on scheduled routes, and more often than not are on time, we did experience a couple of minor delays. Overall, they were super helpful in navigating around the city, especially to give the feet a well deserved rest.

Next stop – Malacca