The next stop after Singapore was Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. We probably wouldn’t have ventured in that direction on our own but our friends really wanted to see the Batu Caves. We hadn’t heard of them before we planned the trip, but the caves turned out to be one of the highlights of our visit to Malaysia. Malaysia turned out to be an interesting mix of Indian, Malay, and Chinese cultures.
Getting There
Our flight into Singapore from the Maldives brought us to Changi Airport, a beautiful and sprawling complex with flights to every corner of the globe at all hours. By contrast, our flight from Singapore to Kuala Lumpur (KL) departed from Seletar, a recently remodeled airport with one gate. I was surprised at the apparent money that had been spent for this small building to support six flights a day going exclusively to KL. If it were in the US, I would suspect graft…
The Hotel Majestic
Our friends had arranged for a stay at the Majestic Hotel, which had its heyday as one of the first railroad hotels in the area. It is still a bit of a Grande dame, with luxurious rooms and a beautiful orchid solarium. As Marriott elites, we were upgraded to a large suite. We particularly enjoyed the expansive breakfast buffet and the elegance of partaking in high tea one afternoon.
The only downside was the location. The hotel is located on a one-way road a bit far from the main shopping and dining areas. This meant either a long walk or a circuitous taxi ride to get anywhere. Overall, the hotel was nice, but I would probably choose a place more centrally located if I were to return.
History Of Malaysia
Hindu and Buddhist then Muslim rulers held sway from ancient times in the Malay region until European colonization began in the early 16th century. Japanese occupation in World War II incited a wave of nationalism which continued after the British regained power after the war, eventually leading to the creation of the Federation of Malaya. Malaysia today is nearly 2/3 Muslim and religious strife continues to be part of national politics.
An unusual twist in Malaysia’s history occurred in August of 1965. Originally part of the Federation formed in 1963, Singapore was expelled from Malaysia to form its own country. The emerging wealth and power in Singapore alarmed the rest of the federation, who feared Singapore would impose strict equal treatment of all citizens. It seems the majority of the Federation preferred to provide the indigenous Malaya with special rights and the Singapore folks didn’t want to. This is a rare case of a relatively peaceful separation of sovereignty.
History Of Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur itself is relatively young for a city with a population of nearly 8 million. The area was only settled beginning in the 1840s when Chinese merchants began tin mining in the region. KL really exists because it was the closest navigable point up the Klang River. Things really took off when the British colonial capital was relocated to the city in 1880.
We opted for a history tour in the pouring rain, which took us by colonial headquarters and administration buildings. We also saw the oldest mosque in KL and the old central market, which was moved and now there are just shops with knockoffs in the building.
Petronas Towers and Merdeka 118
One of the highlights of our time in KL was a visit to the Petronas Twin Towers. At 1483 feet and inspired by Islamic architecture, they were for a while the tallest structures in Southeast Asia. Petronas is a Malaysian national oil company. Apparently, there is a lot of oil in Malaysia. Petronas’ first headquarters building is a beautiful white marble building of Islamic architecture.
Another large tower, the second tallest in the world, the Merdeka 118 building is nearing completion. Its location was closer to the historic center where we spent our time. As such, it dominated nearly every view we had while touring the area. The architecture has a unique style with a single, off-center tower rising tall above the main building. The building profile is meant to mimic a famous picture of the Malaysian president, Tunku Abdul Rahman’s stature, as he proclaimed Malaysian independence in 1957. I guess you had to be there.
Batu Caves
One of the more interesting sites near Kuala Lumpur is the Batu Caves complex. Apparently, one of the early Indian traders saw the caves and was inspired to promote their spiritual aspects. Today, the temple complex has a series of caves, with the main entrance requiring the ascent of 272 steps to get inside. The temple is dedicated to Lord Murugan, the Hindu god of war. A huge golden statue of him at the entrance includes a spear his mother gave him that he used to kill demons. The statue and the steps dominate the very impressive site that has quite a few Hindu temples.
Compelling stories of Hindu lore are depicted in beautiful statues throughout the site. Everywhere there are monkeys enjoying handouts from visitors, adding to the entertainment.
Kuala Lumpur Food
Having had a smattering of Malaysian food over the years, I was really looking forward to going to the source to get some authentic victuals. I was impressed in some ways and let down in others. I suspect I would have found more to love had we stayed in town longer than three days, so the jury is still out on that.
We walked to a nearby buffet on our first night in town. My hope was to quickly learn about a wide variety of dishes. Unfortunately, the explanations mostly used English names of things, like three dishes described as chicken with rice, so the learning part was a “fail”. The restaurant location, on top of a parking structure, was also a little strange.
Food Tour
Next, we took a food tour. This did help us understand a bit more. However, being located between India and China has led to a multicultural cuisine where you can find those delicacies in addition to more local dishes. The variety of food on the tour was a bit dizzying: Indian dosa and roti with fish, vegetables, chicken, and mutton curries. Followed by Chinese flat rice noodles with sweet and spicy sauces, coconut milk with iced, palm sugar, and little rice noodles.
We continued on to a laksa shop endorsed by Anthony Bourdain. We also tried cham, an iced mix of coffee and tea with sweetened condensed milk (made from palm oil). The cham was in a famous Chinese bakery selling Chinese wedding cakes in two colors, one for the bride and one for the groom. There were also husband and wife pastries which were small phyllo dough pastries filled with fruit. That was one afternoon. Whew!
The Speakeasy and Old China Café
At the end of the history tour, we went up three flights of stairs to The Attic, a speakeasy bar in a hostel. We saw a nice rooftop sunset while enjoying cocktails as well as some of the national rice wine tuak.
After the bar, we went down to the Old China Café. This restaurant is well known for its traditional dishes. So, we tried the National dish: fish with eggplant and okra (called “lady fingers”). In addition, we enjoyed fried noodles, blue coconut rice, and chicken in sauce. We also had a traditional top hat appetizer presented with small cups (like a top hat) that you fill with a chicken slaw and top with egg and hot sauce.
Overall Impressions of Kuala Lumpur
While we enjoyed our brief time in Kuala Lumpur, we didn’t see a lot to draw us back. Perhaps more time would have allowed us to experience some of the museums and develop a greater appreciation for the city and Malaysia. I suspect we will only return if it serves as a jumping-off point for other places within Malaysia.
What’s the tallest building you have been in?
