Kuala Lumpur, Asian quality at its best.
If you want to go to only one metropolis in Asia, why not try out Kuala Lumpur? It’s vibrant, clean and proactive. I can not claim to have visited all the large metropolises in Asia, and I don’t mean to say one has to. But I am pleased to suggest Kuala Lumpur as your choice. Kuala Lumpur was my second stop in Malaysia, coming from Singapore, and I stopped in Malacca for a few days. The bus from Malacca to Kuala Lumpur took less than 2 hours and cost about two euros.
Stretching towards the sky
The Patronas Towers are maybe the most famous landmark of Kuala Lumpur. I think everybody has seen the towers, with the skybridge in between them, in pictures or films. However, some don’t necessarily know exactly where they are. I do not always choose to prioritise going up in all the high buildings around the world, even though I like to see things from above, in a bird’s eye view. It usually does not give outstanding pictures, and everything is so far down and small. But, to walk out on the bridge between the two towers was something different, and I hopped on a guided tour to the top.
The buildings are the tallest twin towers in the world, with their 88 floors. The bridge is on the 41st and 42nd floors—no doubt there is an excellent view from the bridge, and from the top floor. This city has another high building as well, the Merdeka 118. This is the second-tallest building in the world after Burj Khalifa, in Dubai. I did not visit The Merdeka 118, but it appeared in many of my pictures.
Do ones research
I like to think I do good research before I go to a new place, including where I want to go and what I want to see. But sometimes you can miss out on specific details. The first day, I set out to reach the towers and Chinatown, in what I considered extreme heat. And I was walking the streets, crossing, or rather running across the roads, and eventually reached my destination. It was first when I got my “private” guide that I realised something they have in Kuala Lumpur. They have a sky pedestrian bridge, which is a few kilometres long, connecting the different shopping centres, etc. Then you did not have to walk in the sun or cross any roads.
Contrasts
The downtown of Kuala Lumpur is relatively small when you consider that the whole city has more than nine million inhabitants. It has a good metro system, but you can easily walk between many of the main attractions. In the midst of all the tall skyscrapers, you find this Mosque, Masjid Jamek. It was built in 1909. It was the principal mosque of Kuala Lumpur until the construction of the national mosque, Masjid Negara, in 1965.
Chinatown of Kuala Lumpur
Chinatown in several cities all over the world has this vibrant vibe of food vendors, colourful lanterns and fake designer items. It is always fun to have a stroll through, smell all the good food, and just people-watch. I rarely get any surprises in these areas, but I did have a pleasant experience when visiting BookXcess Rex KL0. I love to walk into libraries and book stores, I do not really know why, but I get the feeling of wanting to read and absorb knowledge.
This bookstore must have been a theatre or a cinema before, judging by the entrance, and the way the store was situated on stairs, with a black wall at the bottom. It was definitely an Instagram spot, because people were climbing and posing all over the place. I was not there to buy any books, because I already had all the books I could carry in my backpack. But I was tempted, almost all the books were in English, and there were so many fascinating subjects and titles.
The Batu Caves
Located about 13 km north of the capital city. You find the Batu Caves, a 325-metre-tall limestone cave. The complex contains many Hindu temples. The complex also hosts a 43 m high Murugan statue, one of the largest Murugan statues in the world. The colourful stairs leading up to the caves are also very striking. I went here in the early evening, so it wasn’t too hot, and it was a little quieter, which allowed me to enjoy it in peace.
I almost feel unfair to make the post for Kuala Lumpur this short; there was so much more to see, and I had some nice food here. The Sunken Garden was also a nice spot to relax. Who knows, maybe my travels will bring me here again.
