Kuala Lumpur is one of the many gateways to Southeast Asia and it is a fabulous spot to dip your toes into this fascinating subcontinent. The city is vast and sprawling, with many different neighborhoods boasting wildly different characters and attractions. Most travelers will be thrown in together in the few blocks surrounding Petaling Street Market. This makes it easy to find like-minded individuals to start your adventures with. So get your group and start your exploration of this jewel of the Malay peninsula.

Petaling Street Market

Petaling Street Market is kind of the focal point for tourism in Kuala Lumpur. If you are staying in a hostel or budget backpacker establishment, you are probably here or within two blocks of here. This is four blocks of wall-to-wall pedestrian street market nearly all hours of the day. Starting before you got up this morning and packing up after you’ve headed to the bars, the vendors on Petaling Street sell all sorts of wonderful, mass-produced souvenirs, second hand clothing, knock off designer gear, food and sweets to take home, American team jerseys, and clothing for a season that doesn’t exist in the country. It is a great wander, amazing people watching, and a necessary experience of the city. If you are looking for something more unique or handmade though, check out the Kedai Jual Beli Duit Lama Central Market (or just ask for the Central Market) a few blocks northwest of Petaling Street.

Batu Caves

I didn’t include this visit my first time through Kuala Lumpur, and I am glad I had another chance at it again years later. Batu Caves must be some of the most interesting temple grounds in the region. At first greeting, a massive statue stands beside a long and colorful staircase, leading up and into the mountain. As you climb, the cave mouth stretches out above you and once you reach the top, and your eyes adjust, you see the first of a series of underground temples. The ground changes from rough earth to concrete to stone pavers a few times throughout the space, so be careful especially if it is wet and you are in standard issue backpacker flip-flops. Also, before you leave, turn right at the bottom of the stairs and follow the road around to the end. Here, there is a strange cave filled with statues and sculptures depicting spiritual scenes that is well worth the USD $1ish entrance ticket.

Concerts At The Petronas Twin Towers

Not a lot of information here but a really cool venue and worth looking into while in the city. There is a concert hall in the Petronas Twin towers that hosts the philharmonic and other groups for spectacular shows in a really cool space. While I was there, they were doing an ensemble of Star Wars music that was simply excellent. So, if it is your thing, check out the schedule and see if something is happening while you are in town.

Menara Kuala Lumpur The Other Tower

Everyone visiting Kuala Lumpur has heard of the Petronas Twin Towers. Typically, a climb up these twin towers to the observation deck is on most itineraries. A few issues though, the price of such an excursion is already high and going higher. You don’t get anywhere near the top of the towers, as you go to the connecting platform between the two buildings that is about two thirds of the way up, and they have a really random schedule of opening or closing. It is a great experience, as are most tower climbs in cities. It is still a wonderful view, but if any of these reasons has thrown you off, take a look at the Menara Kuala Lumpur. This is the tall, spindly looking tower on the hill a bit to the west of the Petronas towers. It is cheaper, you go to the top, and it is on a hill so the view is already going to be better. Plus, you get to see the Petronas towers in the view instead of standing on them looking out.

Mee Tarik Restoran

One of the best meals I had in Kuala Lumpur, Mee Tarik (or pulled noodle) Restoran makes all of its dumplings and noodles on the spot, right out in the open seating area for you to see. Somehow this place is not on the tourist map. So, while other restaurants up and down Jalan Sultan have lines of tourists waiting outside, or people with menus trying to get more customers, take the hint and join the line of locals all waiting to sit down at communal tables at Mee Tarik. I highly suggest the teh tarik (pulled tea), mee pedas (spicy noodles), lamb dao xiao (big flat noodles with lamb), and of course some beef dumplings for the table.

Changkat Bukit Bintang

Located firmly in the expat district of Kuala Lumpur, Changkat Bukit Bintang is one of the most popular going out streets in the city. Just around the corner from Jalan Alor, a popular stretch of dining establishments, Changkat Bukit Bintang is about six city blocks of wall to wall bars of every variety. A few local places are left, a few western Irish pubs or English football bars have moved in, and everything in between is something in between. Places with Bahasa names serve pints of Guinness and fish and chips, places with English names or misspelled Italian menus serve nasi goreng, popiah, and laksa. It is a marvelous clash of cultures that takes some serious unpacking to figure out. If you are British, this street is the place to find your dearly missed Sunday roast, but read the menus before ordering as the dish varies from restaurant to restaurant.

Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad

Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad is a beautiful building hidden away in the middle of the city. The coolest part about this place is the way the river has been designed to split and run around the man made island topped with the mosque. The river level drops significantly from north to south, so the courtyard extending south of the mosque overlooks the waterfalls on either side. A really interesting find in the middle of downtown, I suggest walking up the riverbank from the east, circling around the north side of the mosque and then coming down the western bank next to the train station.

National Mosque Of Malaysia

An interesting chance to see one of the largest practicing mosques around, the National Mosque of Malaysia is an easy visit from the popular Petaling Street backpacker area. With the grounds and the fountains and the many balconies, the space is quite huge. And there are a few welcome points to pick up brochures with information about the site as well as information on the Islamic faith, its practices, meanings, and traditions. Keep in mind, proper attire is necessary. For men, long pants and a shirt with sleeves are enough. Women will be required to borrow clothing from the checkpoint on the south side of the mosque. As of Dec 2022, this was the only open entrance for tourists. And check the times ahead if you can because, although tourists are warmly welcomed, some times are reserved for prayer only.

Meat Floss

Oh, now this is a strange one. I first encountered meat floss as a topping on some snacks in Vietnam, but Kuala Lumpur takes it to another level. If you peer through the market stalls of Petaling or Jalan Sultan, you may see shops selling large, flat, cured and pressed meat that I can only describe as resembling gourmet jerky (if that is a thing). The same shops may have large jars or glass boxes with stuff that looks like orangey-brown cotton candy. This is “meat floss.” Slow cooked and spun and spun and spun, the meat comes apart into tiny strands that tangle up together and create an almost fluffy texture but still tastes vaguely of jerky. You can buy bags of this by the gram, but what is more fun, is getting it as a sandwich. Some places will sell a sandwich or burger or hotdog or something with meat floss as a topping. Others will sell it as the sandwich itself. A hotdog bun stuffed with this fluffy-what-once-was-meat-stuff possibly topped with a spicy sauce. So, choose your experience and give it a shot.

Perdana Botanical Garden

Perdana Botanical Garden is a huge green space situated just northwest of the major skyscrapers of downtown Kuala Lumpur. This area fills up every day with joggers, workout classes, picnic-ers, student groups, and families just going for a stroll. It is one of the most used parks I think I have ever seen. Having said that, the place is huge, so you don’t feel crowded or hemmed in. And while a walk though the park is nice, there are actually many things to do here. Aside from footpaths, hiking trails and playgrounds, Perdana Gardens contains cafes, restaurants, a dinosaur park, a lake with boating, a deer park, several memorials and monuments, a butterfly enclosure, a giant bird park, a planetarium, an orchid garden and even a miniature Stonehenge.

Birdnest Collective Guesthouse And Rooftop BBQ

There are truly, so many, so very many guesthouses around the Petaling Street market and Jalan Sultan. I have stayed in four, so I am by no means an expert, but my advice would be the Birdnest Collective Guesthouse. This is just far enough off the main drag to be a bit quieter, but close enough that almost everything is within a 3-minute walk. The rooms are inexpensive, comfortable, air conditioned, and the owner is very amiable and helpful with almost anything you are planning to do in the area. But the highlight for me was the rooftop. A huge space with many tables, plush chairs and couches, and… a BBQ. Ask for some tools and some matches, make a run to the supermarket and stock up, and sit on the rooftop of a downtown guesthouse as the city lights come on, grilling food and having a couple of drinks with your hostel friends. A fantastic way to take a break from the hectic life on the streets below.

“See the best of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia” by Creed Evans was originally published on Wanderdash (follow Creed @creedevans)