After our relaxing time in Phuket, we landed late in a new city and country: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. KL is a growing, diverse, modern city with excellent infrastructure and impeccable cleanliness. We think that strict rules, such as a $250 fine and/or up to 3 months imprisonment for not paying a public transit fare, help keep things orderly. The largest groups in KL are the 46% Malay, 43% Chinese, and 10% Indian. Islam is the official religion of Malaysia, so pork and alcohol products are less ubiquitous and are labeled “non-halal.” We took a free walking tour provided by city hall to get oriented, and saw some colonial architecture left before Malaysia became independent from the British in 1957. We had lunch at FS Nasi Kandar, a casual Malay/Indian eatery full of office workers. In the afternoon, we visited the Islamic Arts Museum, which boasts a spectacular collection of fine books, colorful textiles and ceramics, dazzling jewelry, ancient weaponry, and model homes from across the Muslim world and the past millennium. The museum is a must see. We spent the evening exploring KL’s high-end commercial district, Bukit Bintang, and stopped by the famous Petronas Towers, the tallest in the world between 1998 and 2004 at 1,483 feet. The next day, we had an Indian lunch with dosas, chapatti bread, mango lassis, and rose milk at Chat Masala. We took the local commuter train to the Batu Caves, a Hindu shrine of temples built in limestone caves. We then dashed across the city to visit the National Mosque, an airy 1960s building with white tile and blue fountains, before heading to another walking tour in Kampong Bharu, a traditional local neighborhood threatened by development. The old-fashioned houses, street stalls, and small businesses stand in great contrast with the gleaming skyscrapers and high-end malls nearby. We tried nasi lemak, the very popular national dish, at Nasi Lemak Antarabangsa. KL is a vibrant, modern city with an entirely different feel than other cities we’ve visited in Southeast Asia. Its ambitious growth will continue to transform the skyline and the country.
1 Comment
Rica Tarnoff
3/14/2018 01:25:21 pm
I am certainly going to miss these blogs after you get home I feel like I’ve gotten in education
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