Kuala Lumpar

There's nothing worse that a huge queue for immigration after an early morning flight. At 5 am after 3 hours of sleep, it was hard enough navigating the massive airport never mind staying awake while standing in line for our passports to be stamped. Luckily, we had a ride waiting for us once we finally escaped. We had arrived in Kuala Lumpar, home of family friend Martin, who was lovely enough to let us crash at his pad and show us the sights... but first we desperatly needed a nap.

Mid morning nap completed, our first day was spent exploring the city. With Martin leading the way, we all jumped on the conveniently located train near his home to the Central Market, the first of many shopping malls we would see. This market was geared towards "craft" goods, though there was definitely some doubt over whether they were authentically hand made or not. After a quick look around we wandered over to China Town and the famous Petaling street. Petaling street along with the roads running off from it houses a vibrant bustling covered market, which is a haven for shoppers looking for "designer" goods on a budget. Alongside the stalls selling imitation goods are food stalls and restaurants, selling seafood and Chinese style grub. Although designer clothes, real or not, are not really mine and Ben's thing it was still fun to wander around, seeing what there was to buy and soaking up the atmosphere. 

Next on the tour was some famous landmarks; Masjid Jamek Mosque and the Independence square. The mosque was built in 1907 and is the oldest place of Islamic worship in the city. Although it's not the biggest mosque in Kuala Lumpar, it is the most photographed due to it's picturesque position nestled next to the Klang River. The nearby Independence square - formally known as Merdeka Square - was once cricket grounds surrounded by British colonial administrative buildings among other things. This changed on the 31 August 1957, when Malaysia was returned to Malaysian rule. Since then the square had been the site for the Merdeka Parade (National day parade) to celebrate Malaysian Independence. The buildings surrounding the square show a range of different architectural styles, from Moghul to British. Although some of the buildings appear to be historic, the oldest of them was built at the beginning of the 1800's.

To complete our afternoons exploration we hopped on the train to visit the Petronas Twin Towers

The construction of the twin towers started in1993 and although they are the same age as me, I think they might have aged better. They dominate the cities skyline, looking like two alien spaceships about to take off - especially at night when they are lit up with a soft glowing blue light. They suit Kuala Lumpar's modern vibes and they stood out in contrast to all the antiquated buildings and monuments we had seen over the last few months of travelling. When we had finished gawking and taking our photos, we headed inside where of course, in true Malaysian style - there was a shopping mall (which thankfully had air-conditioning).

Foot sore and still somehow tired despite the nap, we headed back to Martins pad to rest in preparation for a night on the town. We kicked things off in the "pub street" area of Bukit Bintang, which is known for being the shopping and entertainment centre for KL. This area is filled with trendy wine bars, Irish pubs and everything in between - the music was blaring from all corners and the street was packed with locals and tourists all competing for the best seats in the best bars. It was much more reminiscent of a holiday resort or city centre back home (especially then drink prices) than anything we'd found so far in our travels, that it definitely came as a culture shock. We headed to the Irish bar to meet with some of Martin's friends and have a snack before moving onto the next bar and the next round of drinks. As our final stop of the evening was the Blue Boys Club, and that didn't really get going until 1 am we had to pace ourselves, but that doesn't mean we weren't a bit tipsy when the time came to head over there.

Blue Boys is well known for being the longest running gay club in Malaysia. An impressive feat in a country were homosexuality is not only frowned upon, but is illegal for their Muslim Malay residents who are bound by Syariah law. Although the club is occasionally raided that doesn't stop them from proudly keeping their culture alive in the heart of the city. When we arrived the place was packed and a Drag show was underway, the performers were amazing and all had flawless makeup and hair that I could never dream of achieving! Once the show was over you could clearly see what a family blue boys had created with the local and Ex-pax community, with the Drag Queens greeting their regulars by name and coming for a chat before wandering through the crowds. As much as we enjoyed our time here and our introduction to Kuala lumpars LGBTQ+ community, by the time the performance was over and we'd had a little dance it was coming up to 3 in the morning and it was time to head home. We left Martin with his friends (he definitely beat us as a party animal) and headed off to bed.

The next day was spent relaxing, with a trip out to the hills outside of the city. Although it wasn't quite what Martin remembered, with the walks through the jungle being shut off it was nice to relax by the riverside and get some fresh air. We also got our first glimpse of Malay life outside of the city as we drove through villages and towns on our way back to KL.

As the sun was about to set we headed over to the Heli Lounge bar for some drinks and amazing 360 degree views of the city! Although still used as an active helipad during the day, at night it transforms into a nightlife hotspot. Although much cheaper than the KL tower or the Petronas Twin towers, the cover fee to enter was a bit pricey at 50 Ringett each. The complimentary cocktail and views soon proved it's worth, we could see both the sky scraping landmarks from the our seats in the bar. Already packed when we arrived, we managed to snag a table next a couple from Johannesburg S.A who (luckily) were great fun to chat with. We stayed well past sunset, chatting away and taking many photos of the city surrounding us. Soon our stomachs were rumbling so we headed off to find some grub before heading home.

On our 3rd and final day in Kuala Lumpar we didn't see the city at all, instead we headed south to Malacca. Although its sat only one and a half hours south from KL, the two could not be any more different. Since the early 1400's when Malacca was founded, it quickly became a busy and prosperous trade settlement with it's port in a prime location for the many trade routes. It was especially popular with Chinese traders, and the early Chinese influence can still be seen to this day in the many Buddhist temples around the city. Although it differs in it's Chinese influence, the city reminded us of other port cities we'd visited on our trip such as Fort Galle and Kochi. These too had been colonised first by the Portuguese, then by the Dutch and finally by the British. The river that flows through Malacca however, is lined with small bars and cafes, and colourful wall murals decorated the cities walls, bringing a quirky vibe to the place.

We admired the architecture with a walk around the town, wandering along the river where many dutch colonial buildings remain, before heading up the only hill in the area to the ruins St Pauls Church. Built to be a simple chapel in1521 - during Portuguese occupation of the city - by a nobleman who narrowly escaped death on during a stormy voyage across the South China Sea, the church saw many additions in the following years. That didn't save it from being from being deconsecrated in 1753 once the dutch (who had since taken over the city) built a new church

which fit their aesthetic more. Thus, the church slowly fell into ruin and by the 1800's the British used the space as a powder magazine. It's since been shored up to stop further ruination and the Portuguese burial vault uncovered with the tomb stones now out on display.

Thoroughly hot and sweaty at this point we headed off to a shopping mall to have a quick cool down before heading to the Chinese area of town for an amazing dinner. As Chinese new year was just around the corner we were lucky to see the area decked out in lanterns ready for the celebrations.

On our way back to KL, we stopped off at Port Dickson a small seaside town as an excuse to stretch our legs. The town is mainly used as a military base and training grounds but despite this still attracts many families on the weekends as its a convenient hop from the capital. That night, me and Ben stayed in absolutely exhausted while Martin headed off for a late night massage and to have some drinks with friends. We still can't work out where he gets all his energy from!

Martin kindly dropped us off at the BTS bus station the next day, where we'd be leaving him and heading off to the Cameron highlands. We'd had an amazing time in Kuala Lumpar, we can't thank Martin enough for his amazing hospitality and honestly think we wouldn't have enjoyed the city half as much without having him to guide us and show us the sights!

Trip Date : Jan 2020