Weekend in KL report 2023

[Bonecollector]

Just had a great weekend in KL, not my first time here but the other two I was either busy with work or was in agony over that last shot. Saw a couple of museums, walked around a lot, ate some great food and went walking at Taman Tugu. We got a great deal with Air Asia, flights and hotel 2 nights for 10Kbaht. We arrived last Friday lunch time and left Sunday evening. The highlight for me was late afternoon walks in Taman Tugu, then the walk down through the Perdana Botanical Gardens, then onto Bintang for a couple of beers. Both evenings at Taman Tugu we had a cool wind and thunder from a thunderstorm nearby. The three days we were there rain actually never hit us.

We got the KL 2day travel pass which worked out quite well. For 120RM you get a return on the KLIA express train and use of all but two lines on the metro system for two calendar days. The third day we realised we had 5RM on the cards which can be refunded at the airport kiosk. You cannot enter the metro system if you have under 5RM on the card it appears. The 10% service and 6% tax in many places was a bit of a kick in the balls but to be honest, in all of these establishments, the awesome Nepalese, Indian or Bangladesh service thoroughly deserved the 10% and in one instance I gave him another 10RM cause he was such a wicked guy, Bengali's usually are! Best curry's and best authors of South Asia for me!

Best restaurant - Google Maps

Best place to visit - Google Maps

Here are some pics:

[Bonecollector]

[PAG]

Looks like a great weekend.

[Bonecollector]

Looks like a great weekend.

Thanks PAG, we really enjoyed ourselves. In general, I have really enjoyed my trips to KL, Singapore and Jakarta; I really love the way the sun goes down later than I am used to. I think it never dips beneath 18.50 but I could be wrong. KL is definitely somewhere we will probably escape the Thai summers in our retirement. It is still hot but not 40's hot and I have read the pollution usually comes in August and September.

[Loy Toy]

I really love KL and the people there.

The place has really improved infra-structure wise over the years and is a place I would consider living in even though it is difficult getting a pork meal but there are places if you know where.

Great thread Boney and thanks for sharing!

[david44]

Thanks great pix, is that a Baobab tree in #2?

Been many times but not since Covid hope to have a couple of days in autumn.
A friend who works there tells me Bangsa, a few km S of Brickfields little India is the new buzz.
As a fan of Guinness and Tandoori and Tamil food KL has plenty of choice, always seems a bit sticky dirty and overcast, but safer than Bangkok, so must be a great place I have always enjoyed my time there.

[Bonecollector]

I really love KL and the people there.

The place has really improved infra-structure wise over the years and is a place I would consider living in even though it is difficult getting a pork meal but there are places if you know where.

Great thread Boney and thanks for sharing!

No worries mate, after this recent trip I too feel the people are in general a lot more open than in Thailand. Obviously you get good and bad wherever you go but I definitely felt very welcome and very appreciated as a tourist there. We read that the place to get pork is China town or any of the hundreds of great Chinese restaurants there. We got some nice duck noodles one lunch but not much different from Thailand. Infrastructure was great, could be improved but such things as fans on metro platforms was inspiring 555 why the fuck can they not do that in Bangkok??!!

[Bonecollector]

Thanks great pix, is that a Baobab tree in #2?

Been many times but not since Covid hope to have a couple of days in autumn.
A friend who works there tells me Bangsa, a few km S of Brickfields little India is the new buzz.
As a fan of Guinness and Tandoori and Tamil food KL has plenty of choice, always seems a bit sticky dirty and overcast, but safer than Bangkok, so must be a great place I have always enjoyed my time there.

Thanks David. I believe it is or at least a similar family. Strangely enough, this was the largest tree in the reserve but yet didn't have a name tag. I cannot recommend going to Taman Tugu enough and I am sure it is a place you would love. It is a shame I didn't make my travel plans known before hand as I am sure there would have been many suggestions such as yours. To be honest we liked it so much, we might try and sneak in another weekend before heading to Blighty. I have heard there can be pollution but that is mainly in one particular valley where all the car pollution gets stuck. The slash and burn as far as I have read, only comes in August and September.

Another great place to hike is Ketumbar Hill Google Maps

[DrWilly]

Not even an offer of a beer...

[katie23]

^Were you in KL in Dec 2019, willy? I didn't know that anyone from TD lived there during that time. Had I known, I probably would have met up - or not (depending on my partner).

@bonecollector - nice pics & trip report. I've also always enjoyed KL. Been there 3x now, for short trips. It's a good point for a weekend or a stepping stone to other places like Cameron Highlands, Langkawi, etc.

Btw, Cameron Highlands is a good place if you want to escape the summer heat. It's a hilltop station/ city. Temps were ~18 to 24 Celsius in December. It's easy to go there as a commuter; around 4 hrs by bus from the main (provincial) bus station. Then when you're there, you can take taxis to go around or join an organized tour like we did. Details in my KL thread from 2020. Cheers!

[tomcat]

...*sigh*...I was hoping for pics of hot Thai men in lingerie...

[Bonecollector]

12+ years in KL and must admit it was really good . . . one of then better places I've lived/worked . . . and it continues - next month bak to Penang and KL for a few weeks work. Escaping the cold weather here . . . 5 degrees this morning.

You were very lucky then mate, a fabulous place to live. My cousin lived there with his family for many years and really loved it. We will definitely be spending a lot more time there over the years. I am actually looking forward to Ole Blighty weather, beats heat in the 40's! Any good restaurant advice for KL and Penang?

[Bonecollector]

@bonecollector - nice pics & trip report. I've also always enjoyed KL. Been there 3x now, for short trips. It's a good point for a weekend or a stepping stone to other places like Cameron Highlands, Langkawi, etc.

Btw, Cameron Highlands is a good place if you want to escape the summer heat. It's a hilltop station/ city. Temps were ~18 to 24 Celsius in December. It's easy to go there as a commuter; around 4 hrs by bus from the main (provincial) bus station. Then when you're there, you can take taxis to go around or join an organized tour like we did. Details in my KL thread from 2020. Cheers!

Tx Katie and t for the advice, we shall do that next time! I expect there is lot's of hiking up there too? I see you can get the train from KL to Taiping and then probably a bus. That would make a great trip going from Bangkok to KL by train via Butterworth, Penang, The Cameron highlands and then KL. In general Malaysia looks like a great place to get around via public transport. I really enjoyed hanging around KL Sentral station for a few hours, great mall and there are plenty of bag lockers. I am a strange traveler, I like to just hang and walk around more than go to museums.

A note on the bag lockers, if anyone is in KL there are good bag lockers in KL Sentral. The red ones by the main entrance only accept card but the purple ones on the lower ground floor by the Starbucks accept notes. The small lockers will take two 20L backpacks with a bit of space to spare. 10RM for the whole day is not that bad of a price.

[Bonecollector]

...*sigh*...I was hoping for pics of hot Thai men in lingerie...

Sorry to disappoint 5555

[katie23]

@bc - I liked Cameron Highlands - it's like Baguio City in that it's high in elevation and has cooler temps. Yes, there are many hiking trails, depending on length & difficulty levels. There are also several waterfalls that you can trek to. We went to 1 falls and had an unsuccessful attempt towards another. Lol.

Re: train travel, you can travel by train from Bangkok (or Chiang Mai if you're from the north) all the way to Singapore. You just have to plan & schedule your trip so that the long parts are overnight and in the morning, you arrive at a city that you wish to explore. From Penang/ Butterworth to Cameron, there are buses. From Cameron to KL, there are buses too. I don't know if the train passes Cameron since it's a bit out of the way - your vehicle (car or bus) has to climb the mountain for ~1 hour. I may be wrong, so better check.

There are also some hiking trails in/ near KL - just Google them. I researched on those prior to my trip but we didn't get to try those trails.

During my last trip to KL, our hotel was in Little India (Brickfields), just a few minutes walk from KL Sentral. I chose that area (and hotel) since I've been to KL before and found it a very convenient location. There were lots of Indian food places - ranging from cheap canteen-style to middle range, so you can have a wander there. If you drink beer, you can order it from the Indian canteens but they'll cover the beer can with newspaper. I asked my partner why they covered it. He said it's so that they don't offend anyone (since some Muslims may be eating there too).

From KL, you can also go to Genting Highlands which is 1 hour away by bus from KL Sentral. I think there are also hiking trails there, but not sure. I went there only for a day trip and we just explored the casino (didn't play) and strolled around. There's alsi an amusement park and a gondola/ cable car.

From KL, you can take an overnight train or bus to Singapore, if you want to visit SG too.

Good luck in your future travel plans!

[Bonecollector]

@bc - I liked Cameron Highlands - it's like Baguio City in that it's high in elevation and has cooler temps. Yes, there are many hiking trails, depending on length & difficulty levels. There are also several waterfalls that you can trek to. We went to 1 falls and had an unsuccessful attempt towards another. Lol.

Re: train travel, you can travel by train from Bangkok (or Chiang Mai if you're from the north) all the way to Singapore. You just have to plan & schedule your trip so that the long parts are overnight and in the morning, you arrive at a city that you wish to explore. From Penang/ Butterworth to Cameron, there are buses. From Cameron to KL, there are buses too. I don't know if the train passes Cameron since it's a bit out of the way - your vehicle (car or bus) has to climb the mountain for ~1 hour. I may be wrong, so better check.

There are also some hiking trails in/ near KL - just Google them. I researched on those prior to my trip but we didn't get to try those trails.

During my last trip to KL, our hotel was in Little India (Brickfields), just a few minutes walk from KL Sentral. I chose that area (and hotel) since I've been to KL before and found it a very convenient location. There were lots of Indian food places - ranging from cheap canteen-style to middle range, so you can have a wander there. If you drink beer, you can order it from the Indian canteens but they'll cover the beer can with newspaper. I asked my partner why they covered it. He said it's so that they don't offend anyone (since some Muslims may be eating there too).

From KL, you can also go to Genting Highlands which is 1 hour away by bus from KL Sentral. I think there are also hiking trails there, but not sure. I went there only for a day trip and we just explored the casino (didn't play) and strolled around. There's alsi an amusement park and a gondola/ cable car.

From KL, you can take an overnight train or bus to Singapore, if you want to visit SG too.

Good luck in your future travel plans!

Wow thank you so much for all of this Katie, a plethora of valuable information. I have taken the train down to Pedang Besar and then on to Butterworth/ Penang, good trip and I hope to do it again one day but travel onto the Cameron Highlands, as you suggested, then KL. Not a massive fan of Singapore to be honest but would like to see it again as I have not been back since 2007. With regards to staying in KL, I had a look at Airbnb's and I found there are some really great deals. There is a management company called, 'Five Senses', who seem to own or manage a multitude of really nice apartments in KL.

Thanks again Katie for all your information, I will revisit this page when we next go!

[Bonecollector]

Oh so many . . . and you can start at any pasar malam worth its salt, as long as it isn't solely Malay. A nice mixed one with Indian, Chinese and Malay hawkers.

My favourites in Penang are:
BaBa Phang, its Nonya cuisine simply brilliant (similar to Peranakan on the mainland)
Holy Crab Penang

Definitely two must-visits.


KL is so big and diverse . . . I'd suggest you stay around Damansara, my office is opposite Ikano (IKEA) just off the LDP . . . it's in a region called Petaling Jaya or simply PJ and you have so many choices simply everywhere.

If you're into or would like to try some fusion then my absolute favourite is:
Marco 1Utama. Not cheap by any stretch of the imagination but oh so very very good . . . MARCO 1 UTAMA
Fatty Crab . . . divine . . . or simply anything else.
There's a Japanese restaurant on the ground floor of the OneWorld Hotel - can't remember the name but it is brilliant (and the OneWorld has the best breakfast spread of any hotel I've ever stayed)


Simply too many choices . . . and of course durian at SS2 (seksyen 2)

Starting to think I should have started this thread before I bloody went, heyho, at least I have many things to look forward to for my next trip. Thanks for all the advice, I am sure others reading this will find this all really helpful. What I love about KL and something I also found on my travels throughout Indonesia, is the fusion between Indian, Arabic and Malay/ Asian cuisine. Traveling is always a pleasurable experience but when you enjoy the local food as well, it's a winning combination.

Thanks for all the info Pan

[MarilynMonroe]

Great pics, thanks. Glad you had fun. Petronas towers are so cool looking. One place I haven't been is Malaysia. I've been watching my favorite VLoggers recently who are in Malaysia and they've been quite a few places. I am learning loads from them. Check it out if interested.

[DrWilly]

Camping in Cameron Highlands

[katie23]

^looks great, willy! What's the outdoor temp in Cameron when you were there, and did the kids enjoy the camping?

[katie23]

@bone collector - you're welcome. Prior to my trip to my trip to Cameron Highlands, I made an inquiry thread here on TD and members threw in a lot of helpful suggestions.

There was also one who posted pics of the organized tour that they took (forgot who exactly), so I knew what to expect when I took a similar, half-day tour.

I think Malaysia is very convenient for independent travellers since there are lots of public transport options. English is widely spoken so that's a plus factor too, and the prices are reasonable. Cheers!

[DrWilly]

^looks great, willy! What's the outdoor temp in Cameron when you were there, and did the kids enjoy the camping?

Hi Katie. Maybe 28⁰ in the day, dropping to 18⁰ in the evening. Something like that. AC not needed. All the tents had fans, lights and a tv.

The kids liked it except for the bugs. Which is weird because my daughter will happy catch frogs in her hands but freaks out about moths and beetles.

[PeterBrodbeck]

The main Chinese dialects in Malaysia vary depending on your location. In Kuala Lumpur and Ipoh, Cantonese is predominantly spoken, while around 30 km away in Klang, people communicate in Hokkien, similar to Penang. However, Mandarin is widely used throughout most parts of Malaysia.

[MarilynMonroe]

Some great information here, Katie, PH, WK, and Bonecollector. Seems like a really awesome place of both city and nature!

Genting highlands and Cameroon highlands look amazing too!

[BLD]

Another thing about KL is it doesn't really offer any beaches . The best you can do is go to Port Dickson which is about An hours drive from.the AA terminal or fly to penang or langkawi