We originally planned to spend four nights in Kuala Lumpur, but after a rough bout of sickness (sorry, Pat (again)), we decided to extend our stay to seven nights. We figured the extra time would give me a chance to recover and allow us enough time to explore the city’s sights without rushing.

We arrived in KL late on Friday, 28 February (noting this blog is delayed by almost a month–apologies to our diehard fans) and were thrilled to call a self-contained apartment “home” for the week. Our place had a smart TV, a stovetop, filtered water, and a stunning view of the KL skyline–exactly what we needed for a comfortable and low-key stay. After the chaos of our Singapore departure, we couldn’t quite believe we made it to KL after being in Changi General Hospital that morning. So, we grabbed some takeaway for dinner and went to bed early, resting up for a big week ahead.

Day 1: City Exploring

On Saturday morning, we eased into the day with a gentle brunch at LOKL Café, where I stuck to toast with honey and chamomile tea as I was limited to easy-on-the-tummy options only. We wandered through the bustling Bukit Bintang–a busy strip filled with alfresco bars, restaurants, upscale malls and fashion stores. We passed Jalan Alor, the famous “Eat Street”, and promised ourselves we’d come back one night when I could enjoy some more “adventurous” food (i.e. “normal”).

Determined to make a home-cooked meal at some stage during the week, we pushed our way through a crammed local supermarket and stocked up on pasta, olive oil, and salt. The hardest part was purchasing garlic! Apparently, we could only buy it in 1 kilogram bags, which seemed excessive for two people making a single pasta dish…

We took the rest of the day easy (a common theme, you’ll find), binge-watching Running Point on Netflix before heading to the Petronas Towers to search for Pat’s birthday present: a new pair of Ray-Bans. Up close, the Towers are incredible, and are arguably KL’s most iconic landmark, still holding the title of the tallest twin towers in the world–even surpassing the original World Trade Center towers in New York City! For dinner, we went to a Western restaurant, which I am largely embarrassed to do when travelling in Asia… But, when the only things you can stomach are plain pizza, potatoes, or bread, there really aren’t many other options!

Day 2: Happy Birthday to Patty

We kicked off Pat’s 25th birthday with a delicious breakfast at 103 Coffee, followed by a morning-tea break featuring a slice of Ferrero Rocher chocolate cake because everyone MUST have cake on their birthday. We ventured to Dark Horse Sports Bar to catch the Las Vegas NRL games, and thank goodness we made a booking… We had the whole place to ourselves! We spent hours there playing pool and some cards, and shared a parmy and mash for lunch–a classic Aussie comfort food. After a quick stop back at our apartment to freshen up, we headed to Helipad for drinks (yes, a helipad by day and rooftop bar by night). 360-degree views of the whole city at sunset, paired with a bottle of Argentinian wine, was the perfect way to toast the birthday boy. We could see the whole skyline from the bar, including the shimmering Petronas Towers, and the impressive Merdeka 118, one of the world’s tallest buildings (second only to the Burj Khalifa in Dubai).

Since we had to cancel our annual Michelin-star birthday dinner (thanks to Indonesia), we made a last-minute booking at Zenzero for an incredible Italian feast. We shared (meaning I had a few mouthfuls of) a tomato and burrata salad, squid ink crab ravioli, and steak and roast vegetables. It was a super fun and wholesome day, and I hope Pat enjoyed his Malaysian quarter-of-a-century celebrations!

Day 3: Big Weekend Recovery

We slept in the next day (which I needed much more than Pat after over-doing it the day before), grabbed brunch, and walked around the city, eventually finding ourselves at The Pavilion–a massive Malaysian shopping centre with over 700 stores across eight floors. It’s easy to get lost in there. We spent hours wandering through the endless shops, occasionally stopping to check out the eateries and window displays. After hours of retail therapy (only having purchased a jibbit for Pat’s Crocs), we stopped for a drink and a game of cards before heading back to our apartment to finish our show.

That evening, we ventured to the bustling and cultural Chinatown for a classic Chinese meal (salt and spicy calamari, sweet and sour pork, and fried rice) and some Tiger beer. Truthfully, after the big weekend, thousands of steps, and the encompassing humidity of KL, we were both feeling pretty exhausted, so we called it an early night.

Day 4: The Sights of Little India

We woke up feeling more refreshed and decided to explore Little India after grabbing breakfast on the way. The influence of Indian culture on KL was fascinating, and it really showed in Indian Brickfields from the architecture, to the stores, the textiles, the bollywood music blaring through the streets, and the aromatic street food. We stopped by the Victoria Fountain, a small but charming historical landmark located in Merdeka Square, not far from Little India. It was built in the early 1900s to commemorate the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria and stands as a reminder of Malaysia’s British colonial past. We also walked past the Torana Gate, a gift to Malaysia from the Government of India symbolising friendship and cultural exchange between the two nations. 

Deciding to conquer the heat all in one go, we proceeded to visit the Sri Kandaswamy Temple, a beautiful Hindu temple built in 1902. It’s one of the most prominent temples in KL, displaying an array of colours and detailed carvings in the Sri Lankan Tamil temple style. Afterwards, we headed to the Wei Ling Gallery, one of KL’s smallest yet most prestigious contemporary art spaces. We caught the current exhibition, “The Dichotomy of Opposites”, a tiny but thought-provoking collection, which we probably wouldn’t have seen if the air conditioning wasn’t so inviting.

We stumbled upon another huge shopping centre in Little India, sought refuge in a cool supermarket, and finally found garlic (in a reasonable size) and some parmesan cheese for a home-cooked aglio e olio pasta. After hours in the draining heat, we settled at home mid-afternoon for a late lunch (pasta, finally) and a nap. Later that night, we returned to Eat Street for some Malaysian street food, but I was still in a food coma from the pasta, I just watched Pat indulge in his beef wagyu sticks and fresh mango juice. We settled into a nearby bar for a few pints while Pat watched the Aussies lose in the ODI cricket (painful for him but more painful for me), with some card games in between. 

Day 5: Hop-On Hop-Off Bus, KL Tower 

We figured the best way to see the rest of KL was the classic Hop-On Hop-Off bus. We stopped at the Petronas Towers (again) to pick up Pat’s new birthday glasses, but then got caught in torrential rain while heading to the KL Tower (formally Menara Kuala Lumpur). The Tower was completed in 1995 and stands at 421 metres. It has an observation deck that provides panoramic views of the city, but given the visibility was poor that day, and figuring we’d already had a great view from the Helipad, we decided to skip out on paying our way to the top. We had planned to visit the Eco Forest Park attached to the KL Tower grounds, but it was closed. Instead, we sweated our way home, ordered food in for the night, and moved onto a new show: Severance–our idea of a perfect lazy evening.

Day 6: Hop-On Hop-Off (Round Two)

For our last full day, we hopped back on the bus to take the “garden route”. We’d already seen most of it, but we spent the ride chatting with Doug, an 85-year-old Aussie from Perth traveling solo through Malaysia. Some people are impressive! We passed Merdeka Square, the National Mosque, the National Palace (which was HUGE), the National Museum, Central Market, and Little India. We missed our stop at Sunway Putra Mall because we were too busy learning about Doug and not about KL.

Finally disembarking at the interchange point, I found a nail salon to get my nails done, which took THREE hours. I met Mathilde from Belgium and we chatted the hours away. At least it gave Pat plenty of time to write his Singapore blog. Afterwards, we stopped at a sports bar to catch Thursday night footy before heading back to “Eat Street” for some delicious Chinese food. We battled the crowds to get home, packed our bags, and prepared for our departure the next day.

Day 7: Batu Caves & Departure

We squeezed in a trip to Batu Caves before checking out of our apartment. The Batu Caves are a series of limestone caves and Hindu shrines located just outside KL. The huge statue of Lord Murugan at the entrance stands at 42-ish meters, making it the tallest statue of a Hindu deity in Malaysia. KL seems to break records for a lot of the tallest things. We climbed the 272 colourful steps leading to the caves, passing mischievous monkeys along the way. Before leaving, we grabbed a somewhat unusual but delicious breakfast of cheese roti and curry puffs before boarding our LONG bus ride to Cameron Highlands.

Final Thoughts on KL

We really enjoyed Kuala Lumpur. It’s a vibrant, modern city with great food, lively nightlife, and lots and lots of culture. That said, we probably wouldn’t rush back after spending a week there. It’s a super duper humid Sydney with an arguably prettier skyline but wayyyyy more congestion and pollution. But, for a week of recovery, exploration and endless eats–it definitely delivered!