Kuala Lumpur is an unexpected treat
Where should you go when travelling to Southeast Asia? Thailand and Vietnam are perennial favourites for backpackers and more well-heeled holidayers alike. Some fancying a city break might go to Singapore lured by the luxury hotels and food, maybe even the excellent museums. Malaysia still reels in a good number. Some visit the East Coast and the Bornean states appreciating their natural beauty and perhaps seeing orangutans. Others go to the jewel-like isle of Penang which offers not just natural beauty but also Georgetown with its World Heritage city centre and famously good food. Some might even trek up to the Cameron Highlands, an old hill station from the days of British rule, to witness a strange imperial fantasia where you can stroll among the tea plantations, play golf, and then settle down for tea and scones.
If you suggested to a tourist in Malaysia they might profitably spend a week in Kuala Lumpur they would likely look at you a little strangely. Really? Kuala Lumpur? Sure, it is convenient to fly into but what do you do there? Much of the old city has been bulldozed, making way for skyscrapers and multi-lane motorways that bisect the city. The Petronas Towers were once the tallest building in the world but no longer, and once you have goggled at them and maybe visited the mall inside you’re done. When one finds out that the city’s name simply translates as “Muddy Estuary” the last tinge of tropical romanticism slips away.
That might all be true but there’s more to Kuala Lumpur than meets the eye. While much of the old town is sadly gone beautiful areas still remain especially around the centre. Start at Masjid Jamek, a mosque built in Moorish fantasy style, which can be visited in between daily prayers. Just across the river are the old government buildings also built in the charming pseudo-Indian imperial style, and beyond them the Royal Selangor Turf Club. Those were the days civil servants had a clear sense of priorities. No longer the centre of government these buildings do house other things including The National Textile Museum. Entrance to the museum is free and after a brief tour of it beautiful examples of local batik cloth are on sale in the gift shop. If you turn north from Masjid Jamek you enter Kampung Baru, a still lively market area packed with stalls. To the south by the river there is also Pasar Seni, the central market building. Just along from there is KL’s lively Chinatown around Petaling Street. Here market stalls are a stone’s throw from Chinese temples, as well as the beautiful Hindu Sri Maha Mariamman Temple.
There are a number of options for those who fancy getting out of the crowded hubbub of the city. Many make the trip out to the Batu Caves, vast natural limestone caves now home to Indian temples. However, the site’s popularity means more crowds, and any visitor has to be prepared to brave an epically high staircase. Within the city itself Bukit Nanas offers an island of forest greenery which you can wander freely through before ascending up high on treetop walkways. There skyscrapers peak through the trees inhabited by troupes of drowsing monkeys. KLCC Park also offers a surprising oasis of calm.
Conveniently the Masjid Negara and the Islamic Arts Museum are also located just by and in KLCC Park. The former, built with Central Asian oil money, is vast and done in a strangely asymmetric geometric style. While it certainly catches the eye, and the central prayer room does have a lavish beauty, you can’t help but think things perhaps went a little wrong when you move from it to the museum. In contrast the Islamic Arts building is cleanly elegant, and houses a wonderful collection of objects produced under the auspices of a religion whose reach stretched from China to Mali. For those more interested in the modern art scene the Ilham Gallery beckons. Situated in a skyscraper in the centre of town it hosts wonderful exhibitions dedicated to the work of contemporary artists from across Southeast Asia.
However, undeniably the greatest attraction of the city is the food. Malaysia is famous for its culinary offerings. Malay, Indian, and Chinese cuisine crowd alongside each other, and combine deliciously and KL is more than able to match the famed hawker stalls of Penang. Unsurprisingly the area around Petaling Street has some of the best Chinese food. Hokkien mee, a delicious fried noodle dish with many local variants, is a classic available everywhere. Excellent yong tau foo and curry mee, vegetables or tofu stuffed with meats and a spicy noodle dish, can be found on the nearby Madras Lane. Finally, Song Kee Beef Ball Noodles is justly famed for its eponymous food. For those fancying Indian food Sri Nirwana and Bala’s in Bangsar both offer fantastic South Indian food served banana leaf style, some rice and dahl on a banana leaf with extras ordered as you like. Bala’s also offers fantastic thosai, delicious rice crepes served with dahls and chutneys. Don’t be put off by queues – they move fast. Finally, the nightly Jalan Alor food market offers everything under the sun including favourites such as chili crab and stingray. You can also get what are popularly held to be the best chicken wings in the city and divine salted egg squid at Wong Ah, recognisable thanks to its Mickey Mouse-style logo.
After eating at Jalan Alor I used to enjoy slowly lounging through the warm tropical night to No Black Tie, KL’s best jazz bar. Some of the city’s best local jazz musicians frequently play there so best book ahead if you want to be sure of a place to watch the performance. If jazz isn’t your scene Kuala Lumpur has an excellent and varied night life. Cocktail bars are one of its many specialties with some of my personal favourites being JungleBird a snazzy tiki place, Pahit a well-stocked gin bar, and Coley with its signature Koktel’s twists on classic drinks using local ingredients. Bangsar the home of my favourite South Indian food is also known as good place for bars, music, and generally living it up at the end of a long day.