One Month in Malaysia

After spending 5 days in Singapore, we took the bus across the border for one month in Malaysia. We took the luxury bus, which was a bit more expensive than the regular travel bus, but we had read many reviews, and it seemed the better choice for us. The company we booked with was Transtar Travel, and the seat cost was around $23 USD per person. We booked through their website and arrived at the pick-up location about 20 minutes early. The seats were comfortable, providing snacks and meals during the trip.

After about five hours, we arrived in Kuala Lumpur! We were staying in the Bukit Bintang area and decided to take a Grab taxi to our Airbnb. The place we booked for our month in Malaysia was one of the best places we’ve ever stayed. It was very spacious and clean and had a beautiful view. The building had a gym and pool and was also easily walkable to the various malls and the monorail.

Most of our month in KL was spent exercising and working. We took a few trips, but most of it was spent taking it slow. So, in this blog, I’ll also include our short time in Penang, Malaysia.

Visit Batu Caves

Batu Caves is a cave complex of Hindu temples famous for its colorful stairs and the huge gold statue of the Hindu God Murugan. To get there from Bukit Bintang, we took the monorail to KL Sentral and then the KTM Seremban train directly there. The site is free to enter, but make sure you’re dressed appropriately. I had to pay to buy a wrap to cover up my legs since I was wearing shorts.

The stairs are steep and generally hot and humid in Malaysia, so bring water and take your time. But also be aware of the monkeys. They may look cute, but they can get pretty vicious around snacks and food items. We watched them grab bags, water bottles, and whatever they could get their hands on, out of people’s hands or even out of their bags.

Spend Time at The National Mosque of Malaysia and the KL Bird Park

The National Mosque of Malaysia is the largest in Malaysia and is a beautiful structure. It’s free to enter, but tourists must register. The registration system at the entrance is super simple. From there, they give both men and women cover-ups if they’re wearing shorts, skirts, tank tops, or (for women) no head coverings. We had a wonderful woman give us information about the mosque and answer questions about Islam, which were informative. We did not have to pay for it, and she did not ask for a tip; she was just interested in sharing her religion with others.

After the mosque, we walked to the bird park. Unfortunately, I was traumatized after a giant cockroach started climbing up my leg, and I couldn’t shake it off. I still have nightmares about it (haha!). But moving on, the bird park was large, and you could see the rare Rhinoceros hornbill. The price is around $20 USD per adult.

Check Out Merdeka Square and Petaling Street

Merdeka Square (Independence Square) is where the Malaysian flag was hoisted for the first time when they gained independence in 1957. The square is beautiful, with a mix of British, Malay, and Chinese-style buildings. From there, you can walk to Petaling Street or Chinatown. Chinatown is a very busy area with lots of delicious food and shopping. There’s also some great street art around the area. It’s fun to explore. From there, you can also walk to Central Market, an indoor marketplace and the oldest surviving bazaar in the city.

Walk Around KLCC and the Petronas Towers

The Petronas Towers are the most notable structures in KL and are known as the world’s largest twin towers. Walking around KLCC Park, especially at night, is beautiful. You get great views of the towers and can stay for the light show at the fountain. Unfortunately, we did not get tickets to the top of the Petronas Towers because they were all sold out when we tried. They sell out fast, so book as soon as you know you’re going. The tickets cost around $23 USD per adult if you’re not a Malaysian citizen.

Visit ALL the Malls

KL seems to be made up of malls, especially in the Bukit Bintang area. Sean and I figured out a way to almost walk through 4 or 5 malls without going outside. For electronics of all sorts, Plaza Low Yat is the place to be. The food court downstairs is also very good and prices are decent. Sungai Wang is a more local, affordable mall (but also incredibly confusing, and you’ll most likely get lost the first few times). Berjaya Times Square was our favorite, with a large variety of stores, a great grocery store, a nice movie theater, and so many activities to do, including an entire amusement park. We ended up going to the archery range in that mall.

LaLaport is a very Japanese-inspired mall with revolving sushi, and it even has a Donki! The Pavilion is a more high-end mall with lots of great food options and shopping. If you love sweets like us, go down near the food court for croissant taiyaki… so delicious!

DON’T MISS: MinNature Malaysia

MinNature Malaysia is located in Sungai Wang shopping mall. It celebrates the cultural history of Malaysia in miniature 3D prints. It’s incredible! The tickets cost around $7 USD per adult. We spent several hours there. They have so many displays, a couple of light shows, and a huge a seek-and-find game in each section. Sean and I had an unexpected amount of fun trying to find the miniature figures (but I won since I found the invisible man!).

Places and Foods to Eat In Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Our month in Malaysia wouldn’t be complete without enjoying some of their famous foods. Honestly, I’m not huge on spicy foods, so Nasi Lemak wasn’t really my thing. But we did find some incredibly delicious foods.

TG’s Bistro has great Indian food, though it is a bit touristy due to having the largest roti tisu. Zhang La La Mee Tarik had some of the best hand-pulled noodles. We went several times for the beef noodle soup, and I still crave it! Kaki Croissant – located at the bottom of Plaza Low Yat – had delicious and fresh croissant sandwiches and amazing cham (a mix of milk tea and coffee). Solace Bukit Bintang had some delicious breakfast options, though they were pricier.

Getting a Health Screening in Malaysia

Malaysia is known for its healthcare system and is a big spot for medical tourism. Because of that, we decided to get health screenings done. We choose Gleneagles Hospital. It was a super easy process. I booked an appointment online, and they followed up via email to confirm the appointment. We arrived about 10 minutes early, took a number, and waited to be called. Then we went to the registration desk, where they had us fill out forms. Make sure you bring your passport.

From there, they send you into the next area, where you’ll then be shuffled from room to room, depending on the exams you have. The whole system is a bit of organized chaos. Each section has a screen, and your number will be called when it’s your turn. There are also several staff around to help move you to your next screening.

After all your tests are done (maybe about 2 hours), you’ll pay and they’ll give you a follow-up time for the same day to go over your results with the doctor. We had lunch at the hospital, walked to a nearby mall, and then went back for our result appointment. Everything came back good, just a bit of high cholesterol for us both, and I was still getting over an infection I had in Istanbul. The total for the two of us was around $500 USD to have bloodwork, x-rays, ultrasounds, a stress test, pap smear, eye exams, and body composition. No insurance. Want me to say that louder for the Americans in the back?

Penang, Malaysia

After one month in Malaysia, we took a bus from KL to Penang. The bus ride was about 8 or 9 hours and cost around $31 USD total for both of us. Again, we got lunch served on the bus, and it was a smooth and comfortable ride.

We spent about 3 or 4 days in Penang, where we basically just focused on the food. It’s a fairly small city so easy to get around via Grab. I think it had cost us around $1 to $2 every time we got a ride. We visited Hainan Thean Hou Temple, which is a beautiful Chinese temple. It was free to enter. We decided to go in the evening to see it lit up, but make sure to check the closing time. I think we had maybe 30 minutes to walk around before they started closing. It was plenty of time, though.

Walk around the Clan Jetties and visit Armenian Street (where the famous artwork is located). The Clan Jetties are residential houses that are built upon stilts and connected by wooden boards over the water. There’s not a ton to do there, but it’s cool to see and walk around.

If you’re around Armenian Street and love cats, check out The Heritage Cat. It’s a great cat-themed souvenir shop. For a great speak-easy spot for a cocktail, head to Archipelago. We walked around it quite a bit before we finally found the door. It’s an inconspicuous blue door, and you have to pull a wire to get inside. But they serve delicious, reasonably priced cocktails.

The Food of Penang, Malaysia

Finally, eat the food. As someone who doesn’t particularly enjoy seafood, I was extremely surprised that I loved the laksa. It had such a unique flavor. We enjoyed it at Penang Road Famous Laksa. They only serve two dishes, laksa, and char kway teow. We got one plate of each, and both were delicious. Another delicious and cheap street food was Mother And Son Wonton Mee Stall. For delicious sandwich options, check out Sand Wish. Again, it was slightly difficult to find. I had a yummy purple yam, avocado, and egg sandwich. We also stumbled across these delicious, fresh sesame pancakes on some street corner. So cheap, too!

That was our time in Penang before heading to the island of Langkawi, Malaysia.