Gnarfgnarf activities in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Traffic in central Kuala Lumpur

Trendy cafe in Bangsar

Malls all you want

ACTIVITIES IN KUALA LUMPUR

There are lots of things to do in KL. You can have a hip and happening time at the various party spots in KL or you could divert your energy to shopping in KL. Most KL destinations are best accessed by cab. Cab drivers in KL always know the fastest route to any destination. Cab fares are also relatively cheap, but make sure there's a price meter in the taxi before indicating where you want to go. If there is no meter, tell the driver your destination and ask him for a price quote. You should not pay more RM10 if you're only traveling within KL. Traffic might be bad at times so be forewarned and try not to travel at peak hours (lunchtime and between 5.30pm and 7pm when folk go home after a day at work). Buses are also a viable option for the popular areas. There isn't a hard and fast bus guide and it would do you good to ask any local at the bus-stop or the bus-driver for some help. Here are some recommended activities.

Bangsar

Located at the border of KL (Jalan Telawi), this place is readily accessible by cab. Bangsar comprises a few streets that are filled with café's, pubs and restaurants of every kind. Full of good-looking and trendy people. The outer limits of Bangsar are residential in nature and tend to be occupied by the upper middle class KL-ites. Hence, the groovy cars parked all over Bangsar. No coffee-shop or stall food here so stick more wads of RM (Ringgit Malaysia - local currency) into your wallet. Check out Café Alexis. This outfit serves great local and foreign delights. The Laksa and Nasi Ulam (traditional Malay rice dish with a variety of curries and spices) are fabulous. Expect to pay US $10-15 for a full meal with dessert. Very cool interior and the food-weary may filter upstairs to the Alexis bar. The bar offer a great bird's eye view of the people walking on the streets below. Good look-out point. A new addition is Madam Kwan's. You can get great local food here in very comfortable and funky surroundings. There may be queues so go early. Expect to pay about US $10 for dinner alone. For drinks, you may check out The Talk, Modestos and a whole host of other pubs. Or you could pub-hop in Bangsar. Guaranteed a good time. The younger and less-affluent KL-ites like to eat at the open air food street in Bangsar. If you've blown your budget, you could eat here first (good Indian and Malay dishes) and move towards the pubs and clubs later so you don't miss out completely on the Bangsar experience.

Bintang Walk

If you're stuck in central KL due to heavy rain or heavy traffic, check out Bintang Walk at Bukit Bintang Road. This is a short street that is filled with cool restaurants and trendy café's. Located in the heart of the shopping district, the café's are a great place to rest your aching legs and put down your heavy shopping bags. Bintang Walk is supposed to be a little more up-market than Bangsar but the prices are about the same.

Shopping

Shopping is a must for tourists in KL. Start at Bukit Bintang Road. There are at least 4 malls to plough through here. The newer malls are Lot 10, Starhill Plaza and KL plaza. All have a good variety of clothing shops. Starhill has a lot of imported designer goods so the prices here would be high. My favorite mall is Sungei Wang Plaza. This mall is just across the road from Lot 10, KL Plaza and Starhill. It is huge and is filled with many little shops and boutiques. Things here are generally cheap, especially if they bear a 'made in Malaysia' tag. Women can get designer look-alike outfits, shoes, handbags and other fashion accessories here for non-designer prices (ie. really cheap). You can get the best price if you try a little bargaining. Apart from clothing, you can also get souvenirs and traditional Malaysian outfits here as well. Behind Sungei Wang Plaza is Imbi Plaza, the best IT mall in KL. You get original and copied software, games and equipment here. There are many stalls here and those who dare should try a little bargaining. Another good shopping mall is KLCC, which is located at the bottom of the infamous twin towers. This is a super-duper huge mall filled with all the stores you need and lots of restaurants to rest your legs. Definitely worth going to. Another super-duper mall that you don't want to miss out on is Mid-Valley Mega-mall. This is a new mall, located at the border of KL and Bangsar. If you really want to spend some money, dedicate a minimum of three hours to this mall. It's huge and filled with local and imported goods. You can buy any variety of clothing for US $3 or US $300, it's up to you. The variety of food you get here is also good. If you have a thirst for Hollywood, you can also watch movies at the cinemas in Mega-mall.

Pasar Malam

The Malaysian experience is never complete without a walk through the Pasar Malam. Pasar Malams take place in the evenings from about 6pm to 11pm at various places. At Bangsar, it's on Sunday from 5.30pm. A little beyond the borders of KL, you can find Pasar Malam St SS2 in Petaling Jaya on Mondays and Thursdays. The range of goods sold at Pasar Malams include fresh produce like fish, vegetables and tropical fruits like mangosteens, durians, rambutans, watermelons and others. Household items like torchlights, alarm clocks, locks, hangers and pails are also sold. In addition, look out for clothing items - mass produced bras and underwear, pajamas, t-shirts, shorts, Batik (local Malay print) housecoats which can pass out as evening wear in the West and dresses. Note the local designer's ingenious methods of copying haute couture designs without being overtly flouting intellectual property rights of their foreign counterparts. There are also food stalls scattered throughout the Pasar Malam. Get good Laksa, Fried Carrot Cake, dried and sweetened squid, Popiah (a paper thin roll filled with vegetables, peanuts, prawns and a sweet and spicy sauce - yummy!) and maize (steamed, then salted and margerined) here. Stalls selling CDs, VCDs, computer games that are modeled after the originals are sold at rock-bottom prices here too. Movie VCDs can be bought at RM5 (slightly under US $2) and music CDs go at RM12 (about US $3-4).

Petaling Street

Adventurous visitors should not miss a walk on Petaling Street. This street is notoriously famous for its all-day parade of sidewalk stalls that sell imitation goods of all sorts i.e.. wallets, t-shirts, watches and many others. Bargaining here is an absolute must or you'd be ripped off. The atmosphere here is rugged, busy but authentically KL-ian. Dominated by Chinese old-timers and some say retired gang-leaders, Petaling Street offers an interesting contrast to the hustle and bustle of the modern KL life. You not only can get cheap goods, you can also savour some good food. Look out for Yook Woo Hin restaurant on Petaling Street. It is one the longest surviving family-run food places in KL. Expect queues, shouting and fantastic food. Look out for Chinese medicinal shops that sell ginseng and all sort of traditional remedies for all sorts of ailments. Chinese tea-houses are also nice to rest in. If you're at Petaling Street at night, it's best to exercise caution over your valuables.