Kuala Lumpur: 4 days travel diary

2 PM, Kathmandu, Nepal. What does Kathmandu have to do with my trip to Malaysia? Unexpected events, fate, and improvisation are part and parcel of any Southeast Asia road trip. Visiting Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia wasn’t originally on my itinerary, but it turned out to be an excellent last-minute Plan B (or almost). 

Travel to Kuala Lumpur: day 1  

March 16, 2023, 10:30 PM — I finally land at KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport), returning after 20 days traveling through India and Nepal, now stepping into a much more Western-feeling environment (at least the arrivals terminal seemed that way). Around midnight, after waiting for my backpack and grabbing a Grab, I arrive at my home for the next few days, 1000 Miles Hostel in Chinatown. Time to start sweating.

I kick things off with my trusty lifesaver peanut butter, enjoy the hostel’s free coffee, and my sandwich. Enough omelets, puris, boiled eggs, and banana pancakes — time to detox from Indian and Nepali food! My Kuala Lumpur adventure begins, in a city famed as a tropical paradise with a cool, temperate climate… oh wait, wrong continent. Today it’s 34°C with 50% humidity. Not a bad start!

I kick things off with my trusty lifesaver — peanut butter — and enjoy the hostel’s free coffee and my sandwich. Enough omelets, puris, boiled eggs, and banana pancakes — I need to detox from Indian and Nepali food! My Kuala Lumpur adventure begins, in a city famed as a tropical paradise with a cool, temperate climate… oh wait, wrong continent. Today it’s 34°C with 50% humidity. Not a bad start!

I head straight to KLCC Park using the free KL City Bus — a small, well-kept park overlooking the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. After a short stroll, I decide to brave the heat and make my way to Pasar Seni, the area bordering Chinatown and the traditionally Islamic district (home to Masjid Negara and the Islamic Arts Museum). My plan was to visit the KL Bird Park, an urban forest housing hundreds of bird species, massive aviaries, and, of course, plenty of humidity. I have to admit, it wasn’t the best choice — very touristy. Luckily, on my way back to Chinatown, I wandered through the streets adorned with Julia Volchkova’s street art, which was an unexpected delight in Kuala Lumpur!

If you're looking for nice guided tour in Kuala Lumpur I recommend this one!

For my first Malaysian lunch, I couldn’t resist Chinatown street food — Kedai Kopi Lai Foong. For just €4, I got beef noodle soup, rice, grilled chicken, and water — not a bad start!

As a traveler (and photographer), I like to live my days as close as possible to my usual routines: eating healthily (while tasting almost everything), staying active, and connecting with people. Just like in Kathmandu, I looked for a gym for indoor climbing. Behind Bukit Bintang (the main shopping street) I found Camp5 Gym inside the Jumptown Mall. Using that as an excuse, I wandered around Pavilion and the surrounding area — a very commercial, busy, noisy district full of people.

Visiting Kuala Lumpur: day 2

At 9 AM, I meet in the hostel lobby with Sarah from Germany, Cecile from Denmark, and Eline from the Netherlands — which sounds like the start of a joke… but in reality, these are three girls I met through the Hostelworld app, a super convenient feature for travelers like me who stay in hostels. The app lets you connect not only with people staying in the same hostel (with their consent) but also join group chats about the city you’re visiting!

We decide to visit Batu Caves together, one of the most popular Hindu sanctuaries outside India. Meanwhile, I had made friends with the Grab driver who took me from the airport to the hostel and arranged a convenient round-trip transfer. In less than half an hour, we’re at the base of the limestone hill that hosts the sanctuary.

Back in the city center, Cecile, Sarah, and I head up to the KL Tower observation deck, and I have to say — the view from above is absolutely breathtaking!

After a not-so-refreshing shower, it’s time to enjoy the evening water and light show at KLCC Park, with the Petronas Towers as a backdrop. I also need to do quite a bit of laundry, and I have to say — the laundry service I find in Chinatown easily beats the one I used in Kathmandu near the climbing center!

I climb the stairs and find myself in someone’s home with a dog barking at me from above. What I step into is a corridor/room filled with all sorts of things: a scale, papers on the counter, hanging clothes, stuffed animals, a pink inflatable ring, holes in the ceiling — a pretty unusual setup. Eventually, a little man appears, weighs my bag, I pay, and he sets an appointment for the next day. Here’s hoping it all goes smoothly!

Travel to Kuala Lumpur: day 3

A relaxed wake-up and the usual champion’s breakfast — coffee and a peanut butter sandwich. Today I finally get to visit Bukit Nanas Eco Forest Park, which was closed the first day. It’s a mini tropical forest in a tropical city — basically sweat to the nth degree! The park is full of trails, lush vegetation, and a few brave tourists daring the weather.

After my walk, I head back to the hostel for a shower and a change of clothes — my outfit is practically ready for the bin. I decide to have lunch around Jalan Alor, famous for its street food. I order Morning Glory and fried rice with shrimp, and despite being seated under a fan (outdoors, no AC!), I struggle heroically to finish my meal.

I take advantage of some AC at Starbucks to start working on photos from the first 20 days of my trip and to write my daily journal. Tomorrow at lunchtime, I’ll catch a bus to Singapore, so tonight it’s an early night — maybe with some Netflix and a few Oreos. Oh, and before heading to bed, I pick up my laundry — and to my pleasant surprise, not only is the place still there, but my clothes actually smell good!

Trip to Kuala Lumpur: day 4

I get up early, hoping to vary my breakfast, but my search for some protein to put between two slices of bread is in vain. I return to the hostel with two bottles of water and a lot of disappointment. Luckily, the hostel has a nice lobby where I can work, grab a coffee, and chat with other backpackers — and with the receptionist, who somehow already remembers my name from the first night!

At 12:15 PM, my Grab driver picks me up, heading to TBS (Terminal Bersepadu Selatan, the bus terminal).

The ride to the terminal wasn’t exactly encouraging — the driver wanted to know all my upcoming travel plans. As soon as I mentioned Borneo and Semporna, he started warning me about kidnapping stories involving Filipino pirates in the archipelago near Semporna (spoiler: everything went perfectly). Anxiety for me, three stars for him! Goodbye, Kuala Lumpur — see you in a few days!