My First Impressions of Kuala Lumpur - And The Best Hotel Ever!

I arrived in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia 1 1/2 weeks ago, after a short and intense stay in Singapore. I had pushed myself too much (being very active with an ongoing cold) and I was desperate for some rest. So in the beginning Kuala Lumpur didn't feel like the right place. My very first impression was that the city was loud, with heavy traffic, dirty, and had a lot of homeless people on the streets. But I was super happy with my hotel, I almost cried with joy when I got my room (also because I had stayed in hostels for a month before arriving here). But seriously, I think this hotel is the best one I have ever stayed in. I slept in a comfortable bed for the first time in over 2 months!

I had booked one week at the hotel to start with but I have extended it one more week and I think I'll extend it even longer. I'm starting to understand Kuala Lumpur's charm but it took me some time.

Above you see the view from the restaurant at the hotel. I actually had an even nicer view from my first room here (after one week I asked to change the room, I don't have a great view anymore but I still like my new room better, for other reasons).

Like always when I'm in a new city I tend to walk a lot. So in the beginning I was out exploring a lot (even though I probably should have rested more). Kuala Lumpur has a lot of big shopping malls, and they always seem to be very busy. They also have big food courts so it's a common place to eat but not the most peaceful environment. I don't really have any pictures of the shopping malls though...

It's a great mix of modern buildings (even though many of the skyscrapers feel rather worn down) and old buildings. To the left below you see the famous Twin Towers (mostly photographed at nighttime).

It's definitely possible to explore the city center on foot, this city has sidewalks (a big contrast to Thailand) but sometimes you have to wait a long time to cross the street.

My hotel is in Chinatown so that's the area I have become mostly familiar with so far. In the beginning, it was a bit of a struggle to find food that I liked. But by now I have several places that I can go to. Food is more expensive here compared to Thailand I would say (like most things). One big difference though is that when you eat at a restaurant you also see locals eating there. And everything is in English. More or less everyone seems to speak really good English here. That makes things a lot easier.

Another big contrast to Thailand which was a bit challenging in the beginning is that a lot of men here comment when I pass by or want to start a conversation etc. They definitely look at me! I have been shielded from this kind of behavior because it's very different in Thailand. I felt weak when I arrived and I wasn't prepared, I instinctively just wanted to cover myself completely (even though I was already fairly covered), and I didn't feel completely safe. But I have overcome this now, you just have to toughen up, this kind of behavior is present all around the world. It's just something you have to deal with as a woman.

There's a lot of street art in Chinatown.

That's my hotel, to the right below. It's brand new, they have only been open for a couple of months. Everything is super clean and so thought-through. I'm very impressed! (And I'm not easily impressed). I didn't know that Kuala Lumpur had a tower, it definitely reminds me of Berlin 🙂

A couple of days ago I visited KL Bird Park. They promote themselves as the world's largest free-flight walk-in aviary. I didn't really know what to expect but had read some good reviews and felt it would be nice to escape the busy streets for a while. But I felt rather sad walking around in there. The ticket was also rather expensive, about €20. It's not a visit I would recommend. Yes, some birds could fly around 'free' but not really. A lot of birds were kept in cages. And they had a couple of eagles in a small space (it broke my heart to see). But many people paid extra to be photographed with the birds. It was a bit of a circus, also with a show (mostly with parrots doing tricks, etc).

The park had a lot of peacocks. It wasn't that busy there though. That was one positive thing 🙂 But it was super hot, and very humid. It's hot in Kuala Lumpur, almost 35 degrees Celsius. It usually rains once per day though, with a thunderstorm. It's rather refreshing. So it's definitely greener here than in Northern Thailand.

Another day I visited KL Forest Eco Park, the only remaining patch of tropical rainforest in central Kuala Lumpur. The park has a famous canopy walk. It used to be free to visit the park (that was what I had read online) but when I arrived I was informed that from the 1st of January 2024, they charge an entrance fee (about €8). I do feel that this city tends to charge for more or less every attraction. Of course, it's a way to make money. It was rather nice to walk around in this park (not only the canopy walk) but as in the bird park, it was very hot and humid. Here it was also a lot of mosquitos.

Moving on. Below you see my breakfast at the hotel. Breakfast is included in the price I got and is served by a café in the same building. It's very modern and they cook it fresh for you after you have ordered. They have great coffee and they have oat milk (my favorite drink haha) so I'm very happy. I usually take my coffee to go and have it in my room as I start working.

The staff here is very helpful and kind. Even though I think they misunderstand my questions sometimes (they take it as critique I fear). But I have told them that I'm very happy here and I'm probably the longest-staying guest at the moment.

That's it for now. Yesterday I visited the famous Batu Caves but that deserves a separate post 🙂

Thanks for reading 🌸

Wishing you a lovely day 💚