Category: Malaysia

One of my favourite buildings in the world. I mean, why not right? It’s the tallest of its kind in Southeast Asia and it evokes a kind of powerful status for Malaysia and the region. I always enjoy looking at it.

Felt like Christmas was invented by Malaysia! KL Pavilion was teeming with festive holiday decor. I couldn’t resist taking a few photos.

KL Pavilion is located in Bukit Bintang near the Grand Millennium Hotel. It is connected to KLCC/PETRONAS Twin Towers by a covered walkway.

I still can’t tell if Jalan Alor is more touristy now than ever. But since we were staying near Jalan Alor, we decided to have merienda and dinner there. The ambiance still feels raw and vibrant compared to the restored Chinatown Food Street in Singapore. The beef satay I tried at one of the stalls was disappointing but the chicken satay was tasty. I think this was my second or third time at Jalan Alor and I noticed more tents were pitched up front.

Jalan Alor is located in Bukit Bintang almost a stone’s throw away from the new MRT station they are building there.

This boutique hotel located near Changkat Bukit Bintang is wonderfully located in terms of accessing the monorail, KL Pavillion, and KLCC (via a covered walkway). That is if you don’t mind that the neighbourhood is a party place and you can hear the music thumping even in your room.

I’ve stayed at backpacker’s places before and to be honest, Rainforest BnB was a bit of a let-down during our visit because all the rooms we got had poor air conditioning. I rarely complain but with KL’s humidity beating down on you, the a/c in the rooms was almost non-existent. The staff was friendly enough to give us a different room, but my friend and I encountered the same problem.

The “breakfast” portion was also a let-down because I was expecting a bit more above the standard backpacker fare of toast and jam.

Stay here if you want easy access to everything in Bukit Bintang and don’t mind the party music at 2 o’clock in the morning. Consider this place because it is photogenic and if you don’t mind terrible air-conditioning. Or, if you plan to book, ask for rooms where the a/c is functional.

But as I’m reaching my 30s soon, I feel like it’s time to graduate from staying at backpacker places (even if this is more of a “bed and breakfast” boutique hotel)… I’d like to stay at 3-4 star hotels in my next travels.

Rainforest BnB website: http://www.rainforestbnbhotel.com/

The caves were amazing and large! Definitely worth a visit if you are going to KL. I wasn’t expecting the caves to be that large and vast. Incredible to climb up all those stairs. Batu Caves is a Hindu temple, and one of the most famous ones outside India.

To get to Batu Caves, take the KTM Komuter from KL Sentral up to Batu Caves (the northern-most terminus). The train station sits right outside the caves which is even more fantastic.

I’ve always wanted to try Tune Hotel. My past accommodations in KL were hostels in Chinatown and hotels in parts of the city. I’ve never stayed at an airport hotel before.

J and I booked a night at Tune Hotel klia2 which is connected to the new klia2 terminal. Incredibly convenient and (above) budget-friendly. While a night here isn’t as cheap as a place downtown, I love how it’s just outside the budget terminal. The facilities look clean. Convenient for those who are stopping quickly over in KL.

We booked a double bed for MYR 200.00 (SGD 78.00/PHP 2,600). Checking in at midnight with an intention to check out by 9am. Oh, and the staff at the reception were warm and welcoming.