MALAYSIA: RETURN TO KUALA LUMPUR

Return To Kuala Lumpur. Seventeen days into our three month trip across Asia, my lifelong friend Dina and I had travelled from Manchester UK to Singapore and onto Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia – where we’d relaxed for four days to recover from our jetlag – before spending a week on the Malaysian ‘food capital’ island of Penang followed by five days on the neighbouring island of Langkawi also known as ‘the jewel of keddah’.

Next, we return to Kuala Lumpur (KL) to spend a whole week exploring the local sights, catching up with my dear friend Sally who lives in KL, and spending a whole day in a hospital for health check-ups! Regarding the health checks – I’d explained to Dina how the last time I’d been in KL (four years earlier) I’d had a comprehensive health check involving blood tests, scans, and a doctor consultation. It’s such an easy and affordable thing to do while in the metropolitan capital city of Malaysia and ‘medical tourism’ is so popular that we both decided to slot a health check into our travel itinerary!

I’ve previously mentioned to you how Kuala Lumpur is one of my favourite cities in the world and how I have been fortunate to have visited KL on lots of occasions. It was during one of these wonderful visits many years ago that I met my lovely friend Sally – we were both in Perhentian Islands volunteering at a Sea Turtle Sanctuary – and we’ve happily kept in touch ever since.

On this occasion, Sally met Dina and I off our flight from Langkawi and took us straight to a fabulous Indian restaurant in Bangsar for lunch. It was so great to see Sally again and, as I hadn’t been to Banana Leaf Restaurant before, it was a wonderful experience to have deliciously authentic Indian food served to us at the table and straight onto a banana leaf in traditional ‘samba’ style!

BANANA LEAF RESTAURANT KUALA LUMPUR — *Banana Leaf Restaurant Kuala Lumpur*

TABLE OF CONTENTS

If you’ve read My Asia Diaries Part Three you’ll have noted that on our first arrival into KL from the UK, we had stayed for four nights in a Club Room at the five-star Traders Hotel for the incredible views of The Twin Petronas Towers and for the Lounge Access.

But during this week long stay in KL, while planning to be out and about exploring rather than recovering from jet lag, we were staying in a shared room at the centrally located and mid-price-range Holiday Inn Express KL City Centre. I have stayed here a couple of times before and so know the hotel and the area. I would always recommend a Holiday Inn Express to you as the room rate includes a really good breakfast. On this occasion though, I have to tell you we had a couple of issues.

Firstly, the hotel was having water supply/pressure problems and one morning when we found we couldn’t shower, wash or flush the toilet, and we had to move rooms to a lower floor. Secondly, the hotel had planned an all-day air-con maintenance day on the day before we were due to check out (in the middle of a Malaysian heatwave!) and notified guests with a leaflet through the door that the air-con would be off throughout the hotel for all that day.

As we’d planned to spend most of this day in our room packing and prepping for flying to Vietnam the next day, and I’d planned to catch up on a bit of online work, this was such an inconvenience to us that we decided to check out early and stay closer to KLIA (Kuala Lumpur International Airport at the (wonderful) Ibis Styles Sepang.

More recently, on my homeward bound end of trip to KL in preparation for my return flight back to the UK, I stayed in a lovely boutique hotel in KL’s Chinatown called Santa Grand Classic and also (for the second time this trip) at the airport at Ibis Styles Sepang. I would highly recommend both of these to you.

If you are planning and pondering a trip to Kuala Lumpur for yourself I have written a post ‘Where To Stay In Kuala Lumpur’ that could be helpful to you.

RETURN TO KUALA LUMPUR Dina and Janice - Petronas Towers KL — *Dina and Janice – Petronas Towers KL*

WHAT TO SEE IN KUALA LUMPUR

I have to mention at this point that this sightseeing return to Kuala Lumpur was a bit of a trial because of the incredible (+40 deg C) heat and humidity right across Malaysia. I’d planned our trip to arrive in March when the heat would be reasonable but temperatures were way higher than normal for the time of year and so any daytime walking had to be sensibly replaced by Grab taxis to try and stay cool. (The Grab App works really well in Asia)

To avoid the scorching heat we also prioritised visiting the air-conditioned malls at KLCC Suria (located beneath the Petronas Towers ) or Pavilion Mall (at Bukit Bintang district) or the shaded markets like Petaling Street and Central Market and other fun and interesting or delicious indoor activities (like coffee shops and cafes) as much as possible.

An exception was the day that we braved the heatwave (despite our dear friend Sally’s instance that it was too crazy hot to go outside) and headed a short distance out of town to The Batu Caves. The Batu Caves are main tourist attraction and I had been enthusing to Dina about and that the caves were a must-visit while exploring Kuala Lumpur.

I felt it was worth our effort to see the massive golden statue of Lord Murugan – the Hindu God of War and Victory – and what is one of the most famous Hindu religious sites outside India at the top of the 272 rainbow coloured and monkey infested steps to the top of the temple cave entrance. More details on our visit below but meantime enjoy our video!

RETURN TO KUALA LUMPUR The massive golden statue of Lord Murugan – Batu Caves KL — *The massive golden statue of Lord Murugan – Batu Caves KL*

PETRONAS TWIN TOWERS

Returning to Kuala Lumpur and seeing the Petronas Twin Towers – lit up like two massive glowing diamonds against the night sky – is a memory that will always stay with me.

Seeing those towers in the KL cityscape from the KLIA Express Train from the airport always gives me a frisson of excitement. So, you simply cannot visit Kuala Lumpur without standing at the base of the Petronas Twin Towers and looking up at this incredible sight. Even better, get your ticket to go up to the top for that amazing 360 degree view of this fabulous city but also to walk across its Sky Bridge that is suspended between the towers.

A highlight of this most recent trip was booking a room at Traders Hotel and having an uninterrupted and mind-blowing view of the twin towers not just from the club lounge or the Sky Bar but from our hotel room window!

PETRONAS TOWERS KL — *Petronas Towers By Day And Night from our hotel room at Traders Hotel KL*

KLCC SURIA MALL AND PAVILION MALL

Pavilion Mall in Bukit Bintang shopping and tourism district (the Golden Triangle) in Kuala Lumpur and The Suria Mall in KLCC (beneath the Petronas Towers) are just two of the high end malls in Kuala Lumpur where I like to browse rather than buy. But if you are an avid shopper then you’ll love to spend time and your Malaysian Ringgits in these huge bright and shiny malls filled with fabulous ‘names’ and retail temptations!

PETALING STREET MARKET

A traditional street market in the bustling heart of historic Chinatown that can trace its cultural origins back to the 1870s and Kuala Lumpur’s early tin-rush days. Framed by its iconic dragon arches, Petaling Street Market is an exciting place for bargain hunting and finding all sorts of trinkets – authentic or otherwise – and a great place to test your haggling skills!

Here at Central Market you’ll also get a fantastic view of the magnificent new addition to the Kl cityscape – the Merkeda 118 building. Standing at 678.9 metres (2,227 feet) tall across 118 stories, it is the tallest building in Southeast Asia and the second tallest building in the entire world – trailing only the Burj Khalifa in Dubai.

Petaling Street market in the bustling heart of KL's historic Chinatown — *Petaling Street market in the bustling heart of KL’s historic Chinatown*

CENTRAL MARKET

Housed inside a beautifully restored 1930s Art Deco building just a short walk from Petaling Street is Central Market also known locally as Pasar Seni. This market is a lively cultural hub and a treasure trove of Malaysian heritage and creativity. Here in this artistic atmosphere you’ll discover everything you couldn’t find in Petaling Street – from intricate hand-dyed batik fabrics and traditional woodcarvings to handcrafted pewter, delicate songket textiles, and unique Malaysian souvenirs. Here Dina tried the infamous durian fruit and gave it the thumbs down and I had a henna tattoo done on my hand!

BATU CAVES

We took a Grab taxi to get to The Batu Caves but as KL’s transport network is very good you’ll also easily find busses and trains and day trip excursions available to get to the caves.

The caves themselves are magnificent and are said to be four hundred million years old. The site was first established as a temple and place of worship around 1880. I’ve personally found that over the years, the tourist attraction that is The Batu Caves, has changed quite a lot.

When I first visited, the area in front of the base of the steps up to the caves and at the site of the towering 140 foot golden statue of Lord Murugan wasn’t nearly as busy with vendors selling touristy trinkets and souvenirs. Back then, the iconic rainbow coloured painted steps weren’t painted but the cheeky monkeys were still as prevalent !

The steps to the Batu Caves are worth the effort of climbing because they lead you straight up and into breathtakingly massive open caves and caverns with high ceilings and ancient vents where there are steams of bright sunlight. These are the caves and caverns that house the vibrant Hindu Shrines and Deities in South Indian Tamil tradition.

I’m not a religious person, but I am spiritual, and I found it fascinating to watch the traditional methods of worship being practiced and to witness the ritual blessings (Puja) administered by the Hindu (Pujari) priests inside the temple cave. The Pujari wear simple but sacred garments around their waists and legs and across their shoulders and with their foreheads marked with a red dot (Kumkum) and their arms and bare chests are marked with stripes of white sacred (Vibhuti)ashes.

I watched in fascination as the Pujari waved a brass lamp containing the Holy Flame (aarti) before the deities before offering the flame to the worshippers, who waved their hands lightly over the flame, and then touched their eyes and foreheads to absorb the divine blessing.

Heading back down the steps, feeling blessed to have witnessed the Batu Caves, we took in the views and enjoyed watching the cheeky monkeys!

*Batu Caves: the steps up to the caves and the towering golden statue of Lord Murugan*

*Feeling blessed to have witnessed the Batu Caves and watched the monkeys!*

MEDICAL HEALTH CHECK-UP IN KUALA LUMPUR

I think it’s a great idea to have a full medical health check up while visiting Kuala Lumpur. Previously – four years earlier – I had visited the Atlantis Health Care Clinic (not an affiliate link) to have a specialised medical profile examination to include blood analysis testing and organ ultrasound scans and a bone density scan. Helpfully, my previous visit had picked up on a vitamin B12 deficiency to which I was showing symptoms.

On this return to Kuala Lumpur visit, Dina and I both had both booked to have this specialised women’s check up and (to our relief) at the end of the day and at our consultation with lovely Dr Surinder, we were both given a clean bill of health and advice on how to maintain our health as we age. Interestingly, my latest bone scan showed that since my last scan, four years earlier, I had actually managed to increase my bone density, probably due to me taking up progressive weight training over the past eighteen months. I was very pleased to know my efforts had paid off, not just in muscle strength but in bone strength, too.

*Health Checks at The Atlantis Health Care Clinic KL*

We ended our week’s fabulous return to Kuala Lumpur with a dinner date with our lovely friend Sally and her husband Gordon.

NEXT TIME: In Part Seven – we head off to explore Vietnam and fly directly from Kuala Lumpur to Hanoi in North Vietnam. I’ve visited Vietnam several times before but I’d never been to Hanoi – so I was anticipating this next part of our trip to be a real highlight – especially as we’d also planned to take an overnight classic train from Hanoi to the high north and the mountain town of Sapa. This area not only borders China but is the highest peak in Vietnam and the Indochinese peninsula (the highest peak is Mount Fansipan which we planned to scale!) is also known as ‘The Roof of Indochina’. Subscribe to my mailing list so you don’t miss this and join us in Vietnam!

*Kuala Lumpur dinner date with our lovely friend Sally and her husband Gordon*

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THE RESOURCES I USE TO PLAN AND BOOK MY TRAVEL ITINERARIES

SKYSCANNER .NET – I use Skyscanner website as a search engine to find and compare flights and source best flights. But I believe it’s always important to book the flight you’ve selected directly with the airline – as if anything goes wrong you are dealing directly with the airline rather than a third party agent.

AIR ASIA – my favourite budget airline when I’m flying around Asia – the main hub is Kuala Lumpur Terminal 2.

TRIPADVISOR UK or TRIPADVISOR .COM – to read reviews and research hotels, things to do, local restaurants etc.

BOOKING.COM – this is my favourite for booking site for hotels and accomodation. I use the Booking.com App on my phone to reserve and to book – it’s quick and easy and I often choose the free cancellation period option in case I change my mind and rebook. I have achieved ‘genius’ level through my (hundreds) of bookings over the years. This often gives me discounts and perks like free breakfasts and room upgrades in selected accommodations. I’ve never had any problems or issues with Booking Dotcom so I’m happy to recommend booking with them.

EXPEDIA UK – travel site for booking flights, accommodations, holiday packages, car hire and more.

AGODA .COM – travel site for booking hotels and transport and things to do at your destination.

HOTELS .COM – booking site for hotel accommodation.

VRBO .COM – booking site for hotels and accommodation.

KLOOK.COM – this is my favourite attraction ticket website – I use the App on my phone – to easily book tickets and tours.

GET YOUR GUIDE – discover and book things to do and tours at your destination.

TOURRADAR – If you don’t want to book everything independently and would rather have the planning done for you and would prefer a guided adventure as part of a group then I will suggest taking a look at TourRadar. I’m associated with TourRadar and they have a fabulous choice of tours and holidays and cruises all over the world at really great prices. I’m looking at booking some of their tours for myself next year. Booking through my highlighted link automatically gives you another £$50 off! If you’d like to discuss specific tours with me then get in touch and I’ll do my best to advise you.

HELPING YOU PLAN YOUR OWN TRAVEL ADVENTURE

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THIS STORY IN THE MEDIA

I’m also talking about this epic trip of friendship and adventure in the media and would like to let you know that I’ve written a feature for UK Woman and Home Magazine. Our travel story will be featured in the January 2027 issue which will be in the shops and available to buy in December 2026. Don’t forget to get your copy! Also see My Media Page.

GRAB YOUR PASSPORT AND DON’T LOOK BACK!