Kuala Lumpur for beginners
- Bernd
- Aug 11, 2024
- 10 min read
This trip is part of a longer tour: It starts in Vienna/Austria, takes me to Kuala Lumpur/Malaysia, to Miri/Malaysia, then on to Jakarta/Indonesia, Karawang/Indonesia, Manila/Philippines, Tagbilaran/Philippines. Via Kuala Lumpur I go to Abu Dhabi for a few days and finally back to Germany.
Arrival
The flight with Etihad, with a stopover in Abu Dhabi, went smoothly, without any significant turbulence. At some distance in the greater Turkey area, a military plane - at least I think it is one - whizzed past us. Perhaps it was following the colleague who had just flown past much closer. So close that I was able to identify the plane as a fighter jet. Unfortunately, my cell phone was not at hand.
Entry
Die Reise nach Malaysia ist verhältnismäßig einfach. Deutsche brauchen bei einem Aufenthalt von bis zu drei Monaten kein Visum. Aber: Seit dem 01. Januar 2024 ist die elektronische Anmeldung über die Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) Pflicht, und zwar 72 Stunden vor der Einreise, früher macht keinen Sinn: www.mdacmalaysia.com
Auf der Website steht der Hinweis, dass die Bearbeitungszeit bis zu 3 Tage dauern kann. Hierfür wird eine Gebühr von 39 € berechnet (Stand Mai 2024). Achtung: Wochenende zählt nicht als Arbeitstag.
Transport
The airport is 61 km outside of Kuala Lumpur, so allow an hour to get to the city center.
Tipp
Be careful with the ladies and gentlemen who are holding a laminated price list for the VIP taxi. I tried it once. Maybe the service and the vehicle are better. At least that's what I thought. No luck. They charged 290,000 MYR, including toll, for transport to the city center. That's about €57. A hefty price for a vehicle in which the rear seat belts don't work.
For transportation by taxi or GRAB, the equivalent of UBER, I was charged just over 80,000 MYR including toll. I rounded up to 90,000 MYR. The vehicles are much more comfortable, with functioning seat belts.
If you have the time and energy to use public transport after a long flight, you can take the train (KLIA), which connects the airport with the city center, or the bus.
Jetlag
Normally, I make a stopover in the UAE when I travel to Asia. This time, that wasn't possible. That comes at the end of my tour. I prescribe myself a rest period for the first three days. The time difference, the high humidity, the heat, the food and the sensory overload in the (Asian) megacities should not be underestimated.
So I'm taking it slow and relaxed. Without tourist pressure. Plus, I've already visited Kuala Lumpur several times. That's an advantage.
Scarletz Suites
My rating ****
Adress: Jalan Yap Kwan Seng, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
I take a taxi and rent a one-bedroom at the Scarletz Suites for a few days. The building is very centrally located, right across from the Crown Plaza Hotel and within walking distance of the busy city center.
I book hotels or apartments without breakfast because the breakfast time window annoys me, especially at the beginning of a trip when you're still battling jet lag.
And - what a joy - in the immediate vicinity of the Orchid I discover a nice restaurant, which brings us to my second travel tip.
Orchid
My rating: *****
District: Kampung Baru, Lorong Yap Kwan Seng, Kampung Baru, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
The Orchid is a well-organized shisha bar and restaurant spread over two floors. It has excellent oriental-Asian cuisine and is noticeably cheaper than the places around the shopping malls and tourist hotspots. We already know this from Vienna. The shisha is much cheaper than in and around the malls and of very good quality. WiFi is also available.
Yellow lines
A horde of young, hormone-driven tourists appears behind me. I don't bother to turn around, I'm more than preoccupied with the traffic and road conditions. In addition, sidewalks end abruptly, rise or suddenly fall. Hold the line, is all I can say. Fortunately, I'm spared the low-hanging electrical cables that are often found in other Asian countries.
The group of two women and three men, around twenty years old, walk past me, fooling around. Hormones, after all.
And then it happened. One of the guys just sprained his foot badly. I guess he can forget about the club for the next few days and weeks. If only he had read my blog.
What happened?
Beware of trap
We know the marking. As a rule, the yellow line is at the end of the step and is supposed to show us, after that it goes down.
Not so in Kuala Lumpur. Here the yellow line is in a place where we don't expect it: already on the road. This is clearly visible in the picture below. It can easily be 20 cm or more. The yellow line is painted on the road and not on the edge of the sidewalk.
If you are even more unlucky, an unforeseen hole can appear in the asphalt unexpectedly, suddenly :-)). It doesn't help if you can assign the yellow line but miss the hole. If you make a misstep, your foot is likely to break, perhaps with a rat bite on your big toe. Pain go away!
Conclusion: keep your eyes open on unfamiliar roads. Be sure to revive your sense of personal responsibility.
Petronas Twin Towers
My rating: *****
Website: petronastwintowers.com
Here you will find information about visiting times and current ticket prices.
The Twin Towers are located in the Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC) district. At 451.8 m and 88 floors, they are the tallest and probably most photographed twin buildings in the world.
At a height of 172 m, the towers are connected by a steel bridge, the Skybridge.
In second place with 355 m is JW Marriott, Dubai, in third place with 354 m is Emirates Tower, Dubai.
Please do not confuse it with the Burj Khalifa, it is not a twin tower.
In the immediate vicinity of the tower is the very expensive Suria KLCC Shopping Center and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel.
In front of the very busy building there is a small water feature and a few green areas with seating. Especially in the evenings, various photographers offer their services with powerful spotlights that can temporarily blind you. At the back of the tower there is a huge park, a lake with water and light features and children's playgrounds.
Which brings us to the next topic.
Orientation in Kuala Lumpur
As in all major cities, traffic is enormous in Kuala Lumpur. To the left and right of the streets, countless skyscrapers are tightly packed together. Frankfurt is a village in comparison. In the maze of streets and the crowds of people in the city center, you can quickly lose your bearings. I almost always walk around a city. That adds up to a good 10 km a day.
Make note of conspicuous buildings, streets and monuments. A branch of McDonald's or Starbucks is completely unsuitable here. There are plenty of branches of this type. I don't know about you, but sometimes these familiar cafes are a good opportunity for a short break, even though the coffee at Starbucks is extremely expensive.
But sometimes I just appreciate the ambience, the air-conditioned rooms and the WiFi. It's also really relaxing - Starbucks or a similar destination - to gather your strength and thoughts. And you can write quite well there too.
It´s Magic
My rating: **
An insider tip that isn't one.
I think that travel literature is far too lavish with so-called insider tips. You can assume that if they report on something, it is no longer an insider tip. You have to work out insider tips yourself. Like in a later travel blog about Miri.
Nevertheless, here is my tip for relaxing in the city: Right next to the Suria KLCC shopping center, where the Petronas Towers are, there is a small park that is atmospherically lit in the evening. It is not very big but in my opinion beautiful and well done. It is located on Jalan P. Ramlee Street.
City Walk: günstig besser Essen
My rating: ****
Block AX2 and AX3, Jalan P. Ramlee, Kuala Lumpur
Not far from the Petronas Towers is the City Walk, a passage with street food and small restaurants and cafes at reasonable prices.
Coffee currency, photos below from left to right:
At the stands you can get a coffee for 6 to 9 MYR
At the Croisserie Artisan Bakery a cappuccino in a proper cup costs 12 MYR plus tax
At Starbucks at the end, outside the passage, you pay 13 MYR plus tax for a cappuccino in a paper cup.
And in the huge and expensive Pavilion shopping center you shell out 17 MYR for a cappuccino.
Some of the shops and small restaurants were being renovated and renewed at the time of my visit (May 2024). Let yourself be surprised.
Bukit Bintang with crazy Shopping Malls
My rating: *****
If you continue walking south, you will reach the very busy and popular district of Bukit Bintang, with its diverse shopping opportunities, cafes and restaurants.
In the malls you will sometimes find beautifully or crazy decorated halls for specific themes and occasions. Customers love that. They pose alone or in groups for a souvenir photo. It is amusing to see the contortions they come up with.
I keep wondering what he's hitting. Why is this archaic muscleman so angry? Is there a tourist behind the stones who didn't want to pay for the overpriced coffee? Or maybe someone from the German tax office, which is increasingly ripping off its customers? Perhaps in Malaysia the recipients of citizens' money have to crush stones by hand in order to give them the seal of approval "Handmade, Handmade!" seal of approval. I have no idea.
Maybe you have an idea.
In general, there are interesting and exotic things to discover that we don't have here. Soft ice cream, for example. The ice cream seller piles a comparatively gigantic portion onto the delicate cone (see picture below). I couldn't resist. It's not that easy to keep your balance while eating the giant cone of ice cream.
Relaxation
I walk east in Bukit Bintang, cross the big intersection and make my way into Jln Bukit Bintang, with its countless brightly lit shops, restaurants, souvenir shops and relaxation salons.
On the corner of Changkar Bukit Bintang I discover a mixture of bar, restaurant and karaoke. Two larger than life figures at the entrance are reminiscent of Michael Jackson, the King of Pop.
Royal Superstar
My rating: ***
In front of the entrance, talented guests and those who consider themselves talented present their singing skills. The atmosphere is exuberant, the audience is benevolent.
Die delicate Changkat Bukit Bintang
My rating: *****
Yes, and while we're here, beyond the glass palaces, life is pulsating. Everyone meets here: locals, international tourists, beggars, young people, middle-aged people, old people, families, stranded people. But above all, you'll find an abundance of street food here.
The freshly prepared fruit juice here costs only a fraction of what you pay in the shopping malls. I never had any intestinal problems. Eating in the expensive and supposedly clean establishments means a radical weight-loss diet for your wallet. Not here. The orange juice is freshly prepared in front of your eyes.
However, you should be careful here. The durian fruit is very popular in Asian countries. If you don't see the fruit, but are surprised by a sudden, pungent smell, then that is exactly the fruit.
I haven't tried them because my stomach turns. I left eating them to a friend. He actually ate a scorpion in Bangkok. Even today my stomach turns when I think about it.
The sinful Changkat Bukit Bintang - an instruction manual
My rating: *****
Massage parlors offer their services on both sides of the street. Men and women, some are charming, others are doggedly typing on their cell phone keys with disinterest. Some stand in my way, walk a few meters with me and tug timidly on my sleeve. They promise me total relaxation.
To say it in advance: not all salons offer the infamous happy ending.
When receiving an authentic Thai massage, no man or woman would have any other thoughts than being able to leave the massage parlor safe and sound.
The ever-popular full-body massages come in every conceivable variation: At the top of the list is the Thai massage, optionally with or without oil. Followed by the Balinese massage, the Swedish massage and the hot stone massage.
In addition, the salons also offer a whole range of partial massages, such as foot massage, facial massage and hand massage, which take place in the main room of the massage practice.
Massaaaaage in 16 Lektionen! or The best comes last
The full body massages take place in a separate room or in a larger room that is divided into individual compartments by curtains. You lie on a cot or on a mattress that is on the floor.
The quality of the massage and the materials, from the furnishings to the oils used, depends on the price you are willing to pay.
The friendly specialist will ask you to undress down to your underwear.
So you wait almost naked for the relaxation. Take a look around. Oops. Does the towel have stains? At the very least, it smells musty and not fresh.
Your masseuse or masseur is coming. Please don't ask if the towel is fresh. He or she will answer your question with an irritated "Yes!" Insist on a fresh one. Make sure it is not taken from the neighboring bunk. Smell it.
It can start. But first clarify how hard the massage should be before your bones and joints break. You are a customer and can choose from very soft -10 to torture +10.
Finally, you are lying face down on the lounger, possibly staring through a hole at the floor.
If you have booked the slightly more expensive oil massage, you should smell it beforehand. Sometimes it doesn't smell of French lavender as promised, but rather of diesel. If you're lucky, it's baby oil.
Now it depends: If the courteous staff asks you to take off your underwear, you should be suspicious. This could be a sign that you should modify your massage and upgrade it for a small additional charge, assuming you agree.
Now it's time to save face: The reason for this measure is that your designer underwear won't get unnecessarily oily. He-he-he.
If you leave your Calvin Klein on, it could be a warning from you to the service staff that you are either a, uncooperative (open end) or b, uptight (happy end) or c, not interested (lonely end).
Points 9 to 11 also work the other way around: Are you disappointed that you are not asked to take off your underwear because so many of your friends talked about the happy ending? You are referring to point 9.
In the cheap salons, the noise of traffic coming through the cracks in the cardboard walls may not offer much reason for relaxation. Maybe there's a strange tingling sensation on her skin even though no one is giving massages there.
Only now do you notice the Asian relaxation music. It plays in a continuous loop around your sensitive ears until your long-forgotten migraine pounds against the inside of your skull.
There's nothing you can do about it anyway, because the air conditioning has cooled the room down so much that you're almost completely frozen and unable to move. Bad luck for gropers.
You should ignore harmless snoring, infantile giggling or ambiguous exhalations from the other side of the curtain. It could be an indication that you chose or got the wrong personnel for your application.
Note: The price, e.g. in a luxury massage parlor, is no guarantee of seriousness.
The instructions above apply equally to women, men and other genders. Nobody and nothing is excluded or favored. Not even aliens.
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