It was day two of my long holiday weekend in Southeast Asia. After spending a day exploring Singapore, I was ready to depart for Malaysia [see post: 24 Hours in Singapore]. Unless you are traveling for business, you really do not need much time in Singapore as a tourist. It takes less than half an hour by road to get from the Marina Bay area to the Singapore-Malaysia border on the other side of the tiny sovereign city-state. Given the close proximity, I decided that I would spend majority of the trip in Malaysia’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur.
Prior to departure, I bought a one-way bus ticket from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur with Sri Maju Group. There are many companies that offer transfers to Kuala Lumpur from the Golden Mile Complex in Singapore. I chose to book with Sri Maju Group based on the company’s relatively good reviews for $27 SGD, which was a little bit more than the other companies were charging. The journey took a little over six hours and left me in Kuala Lumpur early in the evening on Sunday, May 27, 2018.
Getting Around
I booked a two-night stay at Sunshine Bedz KL located in Bukit Bintang, the shopping and entertainment district of Kuala Lumpur.
The location of the hostel could not be any more perfect – across the street from the Bukit Bintang Monorail station and a quick walk from Changkat, a stretch of clubs, restaurants, and cafes. Truly the “heart of the heart”.
Kuala Lumpur has a massive public transportation system. The KL Monorail train system network runs between the city’s transportation hub, KL Sentral, and Titiwangsa in the center of Kuala Lumpur. KL Sentral serves as the main station and allows travelers to interconnect between almost all train lines, including the Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM) Komuter system and the Light Rail Transit (LRT) system. In addition, the city’s Mass Rapid Transit (MRT) line runs through the city center. Between these options, you are connected to every destination from the Kuala Lumpur International Airport to the city’s main attractions and even Batu Caves.
In addition to the train system network, Go KL City Bus is a free city bus service with four routes that cover most of Kuala Lumpur’s major tourist attractions. With a bus every fifteen minutes, getting around is not only cheap, but also convenient. In addition, RapidKL Bus, the other major public bus service, connects commuters to other parts of the city. However, you likely will not be using this service.
And, of course, taxis are everywhere. But, if you do not want to deal with taxi drivers not using their meters and tricking you into paying ridiculous amounts, the ride-hailing service GrabCar is Malaysia’s Uber and works well within the city.
In and Around Kuala Lumpur
Towering skyscrapers. Cave temples. Street food. With merely two days in Kuala Lumpur, I had a lot to see and do!
Petronas Towers – A landmark of Kuala Lumpur. Per the Internet, the Petronas Towers were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004 and remain the tallest twin towers in the world. Note: The Skybridge and Observation Deck are closed on Mondays. Purchase your tickets in advance – tickets do sell out.
KL Tower – Also known as Menara Kuala Lumpur, is a communication tower that also offers a chance to enjoy panoramic views of Kuala Lumpur from the tower’s Sky Deck or its revolving restaurant, Atmosphere 360. Additionally, thrill-seekers can walk into the Sky Box that extends out from the Sky Deck ledge for a quick adrenaline rush.
Batu Caves – A limestone hill that has a series of caves and cave temples. Also, Batu Caves are one of Kuala Lumpur’s most iconic and frequented tourist attractions. At the entrance of one of the caves, a large statue of the Hindu God of War makes for an excellent photograph opportunity before the steep 272 stair climb up to Cathedral Cave, the largest and most popular cavern in Batu Caves. Note: Beware of the monkeys!
Visitors can also explore the cave ecosystem with a guided educational tour of the Dark Cave – home to thousands of both fruit- and insect-eating bats, cockroaches, crickets, snakes, and other creepy crawlers.
Another one of the three main caves, the Ramayana Cave, features dioramas of the Indian epic Ramayana.
Kuala Lumpur City Center – Kuala Lumpur is a very large city with many districts. Returning from Batu Caves, I took the train to Chinatown and decided to explore the city on foot, while slowly making my way back towards Bukit Bintang.
Street Food – No description needed.
