If you're travelling in and around South East Asia, the likelihood of one of your flights stopping over at Kuala Lumpur is pretty high. Whilst stopovers can be annoying, this blog will prove why KL is such a good place to break up your journey and why you will come to love our favourite stopover.
If you condense all of our time spent travelling over the past two years, Rachel and I have been on the road for nearly 8 months. In that time we have had the pleasure of visiting Kuala Lumpur three times (with another visit booked soon)! The reason for this isn't just that we love the city and can't help ourselves from coming back (well, not entirely anyway) but because of its cheap accessibility to the rest of Asia and how easy it is to take stock, re energise and buy all those things you thought you could only get at home!
We are ashamed to admit that the first time we came to KL we weren't all that impressed by it. We felt as though it had sacrificed certain charms and quirks, that we had loved about other cities in South East Asia, for modernisation and a more westernised lifestyle.
'Some of the best knock-off goods in the world'
Of course we loved the markets, Chinatown and Petaling Street which offer some of the best knock offs in the world, but when we first arrived we wanted to feel like we were as far away from home as we were; we were hungry for new experiences, cultures, and just something different, rather than Nike trainers and Mulberry handbags. We've come to realise that this is exactly what makes Kuala Lumpur so special - honing our haggling skills in the markets, talking with locals and immersing ourselves in the chaos of a market street that is so typically Asian. There is a whole lot more to KL than meets the eye at first glance; the cosmopolitan nature of the city is intriguing especially with the prevalence of western influences on food and shopping; it's almost like you're back home, if home had moved to Malaysia (if you get me?).
'It's a home from home'
Anyway, this is precisely the reason that we love to visit Kuala Lumpur. It's a home from home which means a LOT when you've been on the move for such a long time. The last two times we've visited Malaysia we stayed at WP Hotel, which is in the Chow Kit area, within walking distance to the KLCC Petronas Towers (though a taxi is preferable). We absolutely loved it here, the Deluxe Room had perfect wifi, which we had missed more than we care to admit, amazing views of the city's impressive skyline, a hot AND powerful shower (who knew they existed in South East Asia) and most importantly super comfy beds! The infinity pool that overlooks the Petronas Towers and the KL Tower is just the icing on the cake! It felt like luxury and at just over £25 it didnt stretch our budget too far. Needless to say we will definitely be staying there again!
'Every now and then you need a cheeky Nando's'
Taking a few days to stop over in Kuala Lumpur is a really good idea from a practical perspective as well. I mean, the flights are cheap, and nine times out of ten it is cheaper than flying directly from A to B. Secondly, if you've been travelling for a while you do miss certain things from home, and this is where the KLCC comes into its own. Trying new exotic cuisines every day is all well and good, but every now and then you need a cheeky Nando's. Not only can you get chain restaurants as they are at home, but it's so easy to pick up those essential items you've run out of which you thought you'd never find in South East Asia; like the brand of shampoo you prefer or, for us, contact lense solution - they just have stuff like that which makes your life so much easier.
'No visa, no worries'
Plus, you don't need a visa to enter the country for a stopover of just a few days so there's no visa expenses (for U.K. Citizens) and it's stress free to arrive!
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