In November, I had the opportunity to travel to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia—opening myself up to the place, the people, the culture, and the inevitable wisdom I would learn about myself for two days. As of recent, I have had many opportunities to travel (reflected upon in my Culture Capsules here) and I’m increasingly learning that cities are what intrigue me most. On my first day in Kuala Lumpur, I spent much of my time traveling around the Kuala Lumpur city center for a full day of exploration.
The Places:
After arriving in KL, my first stop was the Bukit Bintang Shopping Walk, a district known for having some of the trendiest shops and tallest buildings—ultimately a metropolis of sorts breathing life into each visitor. Economically, there’s a store or shopping mall for everyone—definitely a place to explore KL trends and pick up some good steals.
After exploring the shopping area (and having to pray for my sanity and bank account after discovering the Brands Outlet), I followed the KLCC Connecting Bridge, which connects this Kuala Lumpur epicenter. Determined to see the Petronas Towers, I followed the covered bridge path until I reached the astonishing structure.
The colossal skyscraper is Kuala Lumpur’s representative structure, completed in March 1996, that dominate’s Kuala Lumpur’s skyline. The Petronas Towers are truly astonishing, that attracts a crowd throughout the entire day and night.
At the base of the towers is the Suria KLCC Mall, a shopping center with an arrangement of things to do, things to buy, and things to see from various vantage points. The immersive KLCC experience takes each visitor through a well connected experience revolving around the Petronas Towers.
Each experience complements the Towers, as you exit the Suria KLCC Mall you’re able to explore the KLCC Park with splash pools, walking park, and playgrounds for kids (as I found out when I was kicked off of the swings, ha). Humidity is an understatement as the humidity and heat got the best of me—but luckily there were countless trees to retreat to indulge in the shade.
After traveling throughout the mall (once again, retreating to what entertains me most in new places: city life and malls, ha), I decided to try a Malaysia dish from Madame Kwan’s Restaurant—the dish was fulfilling, but the highlight was definitely the drink purchased at the end of the meal. I’m sure it was simply high fructose corn syrup, soda, and a special flavoring. Nonetheless, it got me throughout the rest of my travels.
When exploring new places, I thoroughly enjoy exploring their city centers. Following my time in the KLCC epicenter, I walked around the city more and ended up watching the sunset atop the Menara Tower Observation Deck, the world’s 7th tallest freestanding tower.
I ended my night strolling the Bukit Bintang Shopping Walk (to make my final purchases at Brands Outlet)and pushing the limits of my legs, walking to see the Petronas Towers at night, and struggling to find the transit I needed to return to my hotel. Kuala Lumpur’s transportation system involves a Monorail, LRT, Express, and Bus. Transit in the city is seemingly easy by map, but not as easy in reality. In the KLCC area, I had difficulty in finding the LRT in the microcosm of a city within a city.
The People:
Two things I noticed and appreciated in the areas I frequented while in Malaysia were their skin tones and the citizens’ proclivity to speak English. Usually, the best stories from abroad come from finding your way in a country where mutual language is not a commonality, but with Malaysia, English as a prominent language makes Kuala Lumpur a comfortable getaway.
Lessons from the Culture: When traveling a new city or traveling the world, allow the language, conversation, and communications of the culture be the soundtrack to your travels (Not the hype, new playlist you just created for yourself; it’s easy to score your explorations with your personal musical selections in order to transcend seemingly wasted time, but challenge yourself).
