Tastier than a Hemsworth sarnie and more ambitious than a forgotten Kardash. SE Asia’s youngest capital boasts a fabulously mixed heritage and riot of culture, colour, fashion and art. Pack a hearty and adventurous appetite for the manifold scents and spices. Stretchy pants on, sleeves up, chow down!
Overview
The CBD encompasses the area around the iconic Petronas Twin Towers. A hop away, malls sizzle in Bukit Bintang and vendors bustle in Chinatown. East lies the historic suburb Ampang, housing expats and embassies, while southwest sits Bangsar, all but a skip from colourful nabe Brickfields and jetset hub KL Sentral.
Need to Know
Weather: There’s one prevailing weather type here: hot and humid. Pack/dress light unless you like a moist moment
Language: Malaysians are master multilinguists (Malay, Hindi, Tamil, Mandarin, Cantonese), but English will do just fine
Traffic: Rush hour deadlock can seriously impact your plans, so always allow extra time; Friday traffic is snarly due to lunchtime prayers, so if possible, plan to travel well before or after 2pm
Transport: All taxis are meant to use their meters, but often try to haggle, so take the pricier blue cabs who don’t
Etiquette: Slip off your shoes before entering someone’s home; opt for decent attire in places of worship – faux fur knix nay, headcovering shawl yay
Alcohol: Non-halal in Malay & Indian Muslim restos
