Kuala Lumpur

Around Town, KL

We stopped for just one day in Kuala Lumpur on our way between the Cameron Highlands and our next destination, Malacca. Kuala Lumpur (KL) is the largest city and capital of Malaysia. The city was founded relatively recently in 1857 as a tin mining outpost, and lacks some of the diverse cultural heritage found in other older Malaysian cities. The city’s attractions for visitors are more modern, including the Petronas Twin Towers.

2013-12-04 21.00.05
Beanbags Aplenty in the Lobby of Our Hotel
2013-12-04 11.55.34
Kuala Lumpur Monorail
2013-12-03 18.06.45
These Taxis Sure Have a Lot of Rules -- No Kissing
2013-12-03 18.29.13
As Usual, Durians are Not Welcome in Hotels
2013-12-04 15.26.48
...But at the Train Station, Durian Popcorn is OK
Batu Caves

The Batu Caves are located just outside of Kuala Lumpur, but the inter-city rail network still can take you straight there. The Batu Caves are one of the most popular Hindu temples outside of India. The area around the caves, especially the stairs, are crawling with monkeys.

2013-12-04 13.14.11
Waiting at the Platform
2013-12-04 13.55.31
KL's Got Train Cars for Women Only
2013-12-04 15.10.15-1
No Dudes Beyond This Point
2013-12-04 13.59.21
The First Statue to Greet Visitors to the Batu Caves
2013-12-04 14.03.15
Staircase Up to the Caves
2013-12-04 14.03.28
Self-Portait Before Heading Up the Stairs
2013-12-04 14.08.09-1
Monkeys Were Swarming All Over These Stairs
2013-12-04 14.09.10-1
Momma + Baby Monkey
2013-12-04 14.12.58
Inside the First Cave
2013-12-04 14.15.54
Temple Inside the Caves
2013-12-04 14.16.02
Another View Inside the Cave
2013-12-04 14.22.58
View of KL from the Cave
2013-12-04 14.27.46
More Monkeys
2013-12-04 14.27.50-3
Don't Mess with These Guys
Petronas Towers

The Petronas Towers were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 until 2004. You have to buy a ticket a week in advance to go to the top, which is sort of ridiculous unless you’re planning on spending an entire week in the city. We visited the enormous mall in the base of the towers, ate dinner, and took some photos from ground level.

2013-12-04 17.32.39
The Petronas Towers
2013-12-04 17.56.25
View of the Towers from the Inside Skylight
2013-12-04 15.58.31
Steep View Up One of the Towers
2013-12-04 18.31.52
Giant Shopping Mall in the Base of the Petronas Towers
2013-12-04 16.56.17
Christmas Decorations in the Mall Make You a Bit Homesick...
2013-12-04 16.22.03
Malaysian Milk Tea and Laksa
2013-12-04 16.37.25
The Malaysian Shave Ice Doesn't Even Come Close to Hawaii's
2013-12-04 17.11.00
People Gotta Have Their Durian Here!
2013-12-04 19.31.36
Jean Paul Gaultier Coke... Sort of Sums Up the Mall Experience...
2013-12-04 19.47.21
Tower Illuminated at Night

One thought on “Kuala Lumpur