Travel green in Kuala Lumpur
ACCORDING to a study of popular travel hashtags on Instagram, Malaysia’s capital city was a Top 10 holiday destination for 2019 with a huge array of food, culture and scenic photos shared.
Not only is a visit to Kuala Lumpur good for the soul, you can also ensure your travel is good for the environment.
Thanks to the completion of KL’s Mass Rapid Transit, Light Rail Transit and Monorail lines, it has become much easier to get around KL by train, so you can be a more eco-conscious traveller. Read on for the Top 5 fun things you can do in KL while using the train network like a local.
1. BRICKFIELDS
You can also enjoy a cultural experience near the Tun Sambanthan station.
From the station, take a 10minute walk to the vibrant Brickfields, otherwise known as KL’s Little India.
The name Brickfields is a reference to rebuilding efforts in the area in 1881 – using bricks and tiles – after its wooden and thatched buildings were destroyed by a fire and flood.
Today, it is an area teeming with activity.
Visitors can spend time in the traditional shops, restaurants and places of worship. One of the area’s nicknames is “the Divine Location”.
2. BATU CAVES
Feeling adventurous and looking for alternative things to do in Kuala Lumpur? Make a trip to the Batu Caves, which has been hailed as a Malaysian national treasure.
A limestone hill “riddled with caves”, Batu Caves is home to a fascinating array of Hindu temples and shrines.
Note that you will need to climb 272 steps to reach the Temple Cave, which is the largest and best-known cave in the area, guarded by a 42.7m gold statue of Lord Murugan.
Crafted by 15 Indian sculptors, the imposing statue was constructed with 1550 cubic metres of concrete, 250 tonnes of steel bars, and 300 litres of gold paint brought in from Thailand.
3. CENTRAL MARKET From Bukit Bintang station, take the train to Pasar Seni station, which is right across the Central Market Kuala Lumpur. This is where you can browse more than 350 shops and kiosks selling handicrafts, batik, souvenirs, antiques, and other collectibles.
You can also enjoy a batik workshop, learning more about Chinese calligraphy, or having your palm read. It’s especially lively during festive occasions, with cultural performances, “live” demonstrations and themed workshops.
4. LOST IN CHINATOWN
From the Central Market, it’s a six-minute walk to KL’s Chinatown (Petaling Street), a bustling area for walking, shopping and eating.
For something more modern and light-hearted, head to the newish (and free) attraction Lost In Chinatown, where you can learn about KL’s Chinese community while snapping the perfect selfie with “Bruce Lee” and more.
5. CHAN SHE SHU YUEN ANCESTRAL HALL
A historic site that you can visit is the Chan She Shu Yuen Clan Ancestral Hall, which was built between 1899 and 1906. The architecture is modelled on an ancestral hall in Guangzhou, China. In 2006, the ancestral hall was accorded national heritage status; outside of China, it is rare to find a well-preserved building featuring these design elements.