KickAss Kuala Lumpur

On our first visit to Kuala Lumpur in 2022 we stayed in a disappointing Airbnb in the wrong part of town for first-time visitors. It didn’t help us connect with this thriving, ordered metropolis of nine million people and it didn’t prompt a return visit to try again until now. During our relaxing two week visit in September/October 2024 we stayed in a great Airbnb in a more suitable neighborhood with better access to what the city has to offer! We finally connected with this beautiful big city and really fell in love with it, rivaling our enchancement with nearby Bangkok and Singapore.

We love visiting big cities throughout the world but can sometimes get exhausted from heavy traffic, intense crowding and simply getting from point to point. We’ve been pleasantly surprised how mellow we feel as we’ve toured around Kuala Lumpur.

Full disclosure: day temperatures of 91F (33C) are common but October humidity seemed much lower than high-season Bangkok, Thailand to the north. We got warm and mildly sweaty (but only ocassionally really hot) on outside walks over 20-30 minutes but perfectly engineered indoor environments are part of the fabric of the city and are never far away where we cooled down and got distracted by discovering something new. Hyper urban wonders abound, with generally universal cashless transactions in all stores including street food vendors. We hardly used any currency!

Here’s a short list of what we love best…

Cultural diversity with Malay, Chinese, Indian and various east/west international expat communities in a uniquely dominant muslim population (Islam followers account for 46% of inhabitants, followed by Buddhism 36%, Hinduism 9%, Christianity 6%, Daoism 1% and other religions 2%). We never heard the five times daily call to prayer — something we really enjoy when visiting India, Indonesia and elsewhere.
Incredible street food and creative restaurant options galore. Our top restuarant stops included YaHala Restaurant - Chulan, Poblano, Seeds Origin Healthy Food Cafe, Ciccio Bar Pizzeria, La Chica Mexican Grill Changkat, 1212 Restaurant (Indian / Pakistani).
Unique tourist attractions are plentiful, easy to find and access. Our list included KL Tower, Petronas towers, Islamic Arts Museum, National Museum of Malaysia, Botanical Garden, and Batu Caves,.
Public transportation options are plentiful, pristine and afforable. And easy to use for visitors.
Shopping centers are everywhere. You can find anything and everything while people watching in pleasant air-conditioned interiors. We also enjoyed reasonably priced services for manicure/pedicure, body massage, facials, routine medical testing, etc.
It’s affordable — perhaps the most affordable big city in the world. Ride across town for one or two dollars. Have a great meal for two people for $20 (with plentiful options to spend less), or splurge in a fancy place for $40-50. Stay in a nice hotel or apartment for $50-70 (also with options to spend less).

See our Malaysia 2024 page for more details about our time in Kuala Lumpur.