Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur is a city I’m always happy to come back to. Recently I visited the Malaysian capital on a short trip to attend a friend’s wedding, and it struck me how much I loved being in a city I didn’t know I missed.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

There’s the obvious, and then the less obvious reasons why I love KL. Firstly, it’s always easy for me to love a place which has good food, a tropical climate and cultural attractions. I’ve never turned my nose up at a city which had all three of these; Singapore and Bangkok are also among my favourite cities.

A storm rolls in over Kuala Lumpur

However there’s more to KL than meets the eye. In some ways, KL is the mouse that roars – it is a South East Asian metropolis without the tourist credentials of the Thai capital, the mammoth transit hub of Singapore’s Changi Airport, or the financial prestige of Hong Kong. Yet KL is more than the sum of its parts.

Greater KL sprawls across the Klang Valley

KL is a fairly large city; 1.7 million in the immediate city, and over 7 million inhabitants in the wider Klang Valley metropolitan area (often called “Greater Kuala Lumpur”). It has hosted the Commonwealth Games, has mulled over an Olympic bid (in 2008 it even launched a bid but didn’t make it past the first round) and is home to some of the most iconic buildings in the world.

While it’s not the most iconic metropolis in the world, it’s one of my favourites. It’s a bit rougher around the edges than Singapore – it doesn’t have the island city’s predictable toy-town perfection, and as such is a bit more excitingly raw. It is still more orderly than most of Bangkok, and much less touristed, so while it might not have the electrifying ambiance of Khao San Road, it also lacks the human zoo ambiance of Khao San Road.

Street vendor in Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur

It’s also a city where it’s incredibly easy to scratch the surface. You can walk through the food stalls of Kampung Baru’s Jalan Raja Muda Musa, grab a delicious street food, and it’s not just a tourist trap – it’s a decent, popular place to eat. In the metropolitan area there is no shortage of great things to see and do, such as the amazing Batu Caves, both a natural wonder in a suburban neighbourhood and an place of spiritual significance for many Hindus.

Batu Caves

It’s also home to one of my favourite museums in the world, the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia, home to some of the Muslim world’s most gorgeous artefacts and artworks. Walking through the air conditioned corridors, hearing the azan (call to prayer) echoing through the city outside… it’s times like these that KL feels like more than just another South East Asian metropolis; instead, it’s a hidden gem, a quietly achieving city which is not regaled with a long history, but instead is simply a pleasure to experience.

Masjid Negara (National Mosque), near the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia.

Equal parts modernity and tradition, yet not rooted in some kind of staid past. Equal parts fun and serious; full of playful culture and spirit, yet somehow maintaining an air of reverence for the sacred. Just like the Malaysian curries which are served up on street corners and in climate controlled food courts alike; coconutty-sweet, chilli-spicy and star anise-aromatic, Kuala Lumpur is a perfectly balanced concoction.

Have you ever been to Kuala Lumpur? What did you think? Comment below!