When someone says Kuala Lumpur, “Petronas Twin Tower” is the first thing that comes to mind, along with the savoury street food.
“Malaysia Truly Asia,” as aptly said, represents unique cultural diversity. We planned our Kuala Lumpur trip on the way back from Bali, Indonesia. We had three full days to explore this beautiful city.
Even you can plan your Kuala Lumpur trip on a long weekend.
In case you haven’t read our Bali blog, do give it a read…
Meanwhile, let’s take you all on this beautiful journey of Kuala Lumpur, where we will share some essential tips to explore the rich culture of Malaysia. Also, this will help you plan your itinerary. In case you need any help, we are just a click away!
Let’s begin…
Best Time to visit Kuala Lumpur
It largely depends on your preference for activities, events, etc. Some of the critical factors to consider are as follows:
1. Dry Season (December to February): These months are considered peak seasons for travellers worldwide.
2. Shoulder Season (March- April, September- November): These months attract a bit less crowds due to short rain showers but you can consider these as you might get cool deals on hotels, flights, etc.
We also chose the month of September. We were lucky enough as we didn’t encounter any rain. 🙂
3. Monsoon Season (May-August): Higher rainfall with humidity.
4. Festival Season: You can plan accordingly if you wish to visit and experience the festive vibes. To our knowledge, Chinese New Year celebrations occur during January or February and Hindu Festival Deepavali is celebrated during October or November. Do check the exact dates and plan your perfect trip.
Things to carry in your backpack
- Lightweight clothing that are light and breathable.
- Walking/hiking shoes.
- Umbrella or rain jacket.
- Sunscreen lotion with high SPF.
- Sunglasses.
- First aid kit with essential medicines.
- Reusable water bottle.
- Light snacks.
- Travel adapter (Type G plugs for Malaysia power outlets).
- Insects/mosquito repellent.
- Power bank.
- Travel map in case of low network coverage area.
Visa for Foreigners
Would recommend the readers to check the visa requirement here for your country. We applied for eVisa from their site. The eVisa fee was around 3700 INR per person. Processing time is about 5-7 working days. This is an easy process. After registering on their site and applying with all the required documents, you will get the visa mail soon in your inbox :).
Travel Insurance
Though travel insurance is not mandatory to enter Malaysia, we strongly recommend getting one as it provides coverage in case of unforeseen circumstances such as medical emergencies, baggage loss, trip cancellation, etc.
There are many online options available to choose from. Most of them are pretty affordable. You can check out various options at Policy Bazaar. We have taken Care Health Insurance, which was sufficient per our requirement.
Things to keep in mind before you book your Stay
We have chosen our stay considering the below points. Also, for budget travellers, these will be helpful.
- Check out the stay options, which provide complimentary breakfast, as it saves you a lot.
- Do not forget to check out the distance of your hotel from the main tourist attractions and the city centre, of course.
- Staying in hostels can save you a penny if you travel solo.
- Look out for the food options nearby. Also, you can explore various street food options.
- Plan for the travel attractions in advance and book the tickets online. It will save your time waiting in the queues.
Food Options
When it comes to Kuala Lumpur, you are spoiled with food options. A few of the must-try are:
1. Nasi Lemak: It is the National dish of Malaysia. This consists of rice cooked in coconut milk with spicy chilli sauce, peanuts, boiled eggs, fried anchovies (small fish) and cucumber.
2. Roti Canai: Flatbread usually served with different types of curries.
3. Laksa: Spicy noodle soup with seafood or chicken.
4. Nasi Kandar: It is a Malaysian- Indian rice dish with various vegetables, curries or meat.
Also, you would get multiple options from Indian, Chinese or International cuisine. Last but not the least to try is street food. Jalan Alor is one of the best areas for this.
Local Transport
Kuala Lumpur has several local transport options, such as MRT (Mass Rapid Transit), LRT (Light Rail Transit), Monorail, KTM Komuter, buses, and taxis/cabs. You can quickly grab the MRT, LRT or Monorail tickets from the nearest stations and reach your destination conveniently while enjoying these rides. It’s easily accessible and affordable too. The most popular cab option is Grab.
Currency and SIM Card
The official currency of Malaysia is Malaysian Ringgit (MYR or RM). You can exchange your foreign currencies, such as US Dollars, Euros, Pounds, etc., at any money exchanger. A few popular money exchangers where you can convert your currency are Vital Rate, Max Money, NS Cashpoint, etc. You can find their multiple outlets in the city.
Avoid currency conversion at the airport as they do not provide reasonable rates. If required, convert a small amount to fulfil your immediate needs.
There are various Network service providers from where you can buy a sim. A few of them are: Maxis, Celcom, Digi, UMobile, etc.
Now, coming to the most essential part of the blog.…
Budget breakup for the Trip
Stay options: You could find many stay options in Bukit Bintang (one of the best place to stay being the centre point in the city). Hostels/Hotels starts around 1500 – 2000 INR per person/night for double bedroom. We also chose this area during our trip. Also, the famous streets like Jalan Rembia are close to this place which is renowned for the street food.
Food: Average meal cost for the local delicacies is around 500- 800 INR per person. You can refer to the Food Options section in this blog for more details.
Cost to reach Kuala Lumpur:
To & Fro From Kolkata India to Kuala Lumpur: 16000-22000 INR per person(ofcourse, depends on how early you book before your planned trip ).
This trip cost us around 35000/- INR per person for 4 days 3 nights.
Places we visited during our Trip
1. Local Attractions (KL Tower, Guan Di Temple, Mahariammam Temple, Thean Hou Temple and Petaling Street)
Plan a Perfect Trip to Kuala Lumpur Attractions in 2024- Part 1
2. Batu Caves and Genting Highlands
Plan a Perfect Trip to Batu Caves And Genting Highlands in 2024 With these Important Tips
3. Local Attractions (KL Bird Park, KLCC Aquaria and Petronas Twin Tower
Plan a Perfect Trip to Kuala Lumpur Attractions in 2024-Part 2
4. What kind of help are we going to provide?
Let us inform you that we prepare itineraries not only for anywhere in India but also for Asia. We have been travelling since we were toddlers. So here in our blogs and stories, we will give you a glimpse of our journey and help you plan your trip.
Read about our Uzbekistan blogs.
Read about our Kazakhstan blogs.
Read about our Singapore blogs.
Read about our Vietnam blogs.
Read about our Cambodia blogs.
Read about our Bali blogs.
Read about our Kuala Lumpur blog series.
Read about our Sri Lanka blogs.
Read about our Nepal blogs.
Read about our Char Dham blogs.
Read about our Ladakh blogs.
Read about our day trip to Hyderabad.
Read about our Madhya Pradesh blogs.
Read about our Andaman and Nicobar blogs.
Do follow our Instagram handle @mindfulllofvacations and watch for the next destination story of a new place. For any query related to any trip, drop a mail at @mitkau007@gmail.com.
by mitkau