How to Spend 3 Days in Kuala Lumpur

We started off by taking the train into the city which stops of at KL Sentral, where there’s also a conveniently placed shopping mall just next door with a massive selection of restaurants. Refuelled and ready to go we had a look around some of the shops before heading to our accommodation so that we could drop off our bags and freshen up. 

After riding the elevator all the way up to the 33rd floor of a tower overlooking all of Kuala Lumpur, with an amazing view of the Petronas Twin Towers straight from our bed! What made this apartment even better was that after a long morning of dragging our bags around airports and shopping centres, we discovered there was a rooftop pool just 7 storeys up from our room! 

Despite the fact that it was over 30 degrees and we were exhausted we managed to drag ourselves away from the rooftop pool and manage to do a little bit of sightseeing. 

Our first stop was the Central Market, which was full of all sorts of great souvenirs and clothes. We had a good look around and found a few nice items but with almost no space left in our backpacks we had to leave them behind.

A short walk from the Central Market is Petaling Street and Chinatown, the bustling market area of Kuala Lumpur. Here you can find anything from genuine fake Calvin Kleins and Louis Vuitton purses to fresh fruit and vegetables. It’s an eclectic mix of sights and smells but we didn’t hang around for very long after watching a chicken being beheaded at the meat market...

The next day we visited the Thean Hou Temple where the preparations for the Chinese New Year were already in full swing. There was almost nobody there which meant that it had a really peaceful and calming atmosphere, although the same cannot be said for the taxi ride there and back! 

The temple was built in the 80’s but looks like it could have been built over 100 years ago. It’s very well kept and the architectural details are so impressive that it’s worth taking the time to look around at all the small intricate carvings and paintings. 

On the way back towards the centre we hopped out at the National Mosque which was next to the Islamic Arts Museum. We arrived just as the afternoon prayers were starting so we couldn’t go into the Mosque but just had a look from the outside. Afterwards we visited the Islamic Arts Museum with the hope of getting to the rooftop to have a look at the colourful dome up there but Sod’s Law had other plans. It was closed to the public for one reason or another so after a quick look around we decided to find some late lunch. We did manage to sneak a glimpse of the famous dome through the curtains but we couldn't get any closer, I guess its just another reason to go back!

It would be unthinkable to visit Kuala Lumpur and not stand underneath what used to be the tallest buildings in the world. The twin towers were the top dogs until 2004 but despite being overshadowed by the Burj Khalifa, the towers are still just as impressive when seen from below. We had a look around but didn't manage to get tickets to the sky bridge so instead we found another building that was almost as tall so that we could have another good look at the towers. 

We found ourselves a comfy spot at the Skybar perched on top of the Trader's Hotel, and whilst it wasn't quite as high up as the towers, the panoramic windows meant we had a great spot to watch the sunset and see the city lights come alive. 

Our favourite part of the trip was discovering that not only was there a roof top pool a few storeys above our heads, but that there was also a great restaurant and cocktail bar up there too!

After a well needed and very refreshing swim we dried off and went to the restaurant to order some drinks and food. Watching the sunset on our last night whilst sipping delicious cocktails was a brilliant way to round off a few days in the city. It was a big change of pace from our few days in the quiet and relaxing Maldives but it certainly helped energise us before heading to Bangkok. 

Three days was definitely not long enough to see everything that the city and its surroundings has to offer. We wished we'd had enough time to visit the Batu Caves and some of the other amazing sights nearby but that will have to be saved for another visit. Kuala Lumpur is a city with so much to see and do that we're sure it would be almost impossible to see it all in one trip, but if you're willing to run around like a beheaded chicken then you can certainly squeeze in plenty to fill your boots!