My 2023 was a pretty lazy year for me, so it took me quite a while to finally write about my Kuala Lumpur travel experience, hehehe. Considering the many travel mistakes we made for that trip, I still think that it was a big success. We may have made some bad decisions (like travel schedule, travel gear, and such), but overall it was still a pretty rewarding and unforgettable first international trip for both my mom and I.
Why Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)?
As I’ve mentioned before, Japan is out of our options as our first out of the country destination because of our budget. Most common destinations our friends and acquaintances visited were Singapore and Thailand, so it became a common occurrence to see pictures and videos about those places in my FYP. I’ve been seeing them so much that it felt like I also visited the place too (which is really good, btw). That’s why I decided to check out other asian countries that we could visit without needing a visa, and that’s when I saw an airfare promo for Kuala Lumpur. I googled the place, and the rest is history.
Arrival at Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Our flight was delayed, so we arrived at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) around 7 in the evening instead of 3 in the afternoon. The line at the immigration was also pretty long, so it was quite hectic. Since it was my first international trip, everything was pretty much a first time experience for me. So instead of feeling frustrated, I still felt pretty excited, wahahaha. I don’t know how to explain it, but I guess I just can’t help but still feel positive and excited despite such a bad and somewhat frustrating start of the trip.
For this trip, I was traveling with my mom and it was also her first international trip. I would also like to point out how surprised we were because it was still pretty light outside considering it was already 7PM. In the Philippines, sunset starts pretty early so it could get dark around 6:30 in the evening or even earlier. So that was a pretty interesting experience.
After we passed the immigration, we almost missed our bag since it was already the last call for that flight. My, I don’t want to imagine not getting our bag for that night, weew. Since our flight was delayed, we were quite concerned with the airport transport that we booked before our flight. I of course emailed them earlier about our delayed flight so I was expecting a call or something, but I didn’t realize that their main point of communication would be on whatsapp. It didn’t even cross my mind to connect to the airport’s free wifi, lol, so it really took a while for us to contact our driver.
That was quite stressful eh? Hahaha. But after that, we had a pretty nice ride to our hotel. There was no traffic and it was nice seeing all the street lights in KL which felt like welcoming us to this wonderful city. So hello Kuala Lumpur!
The Hotel We Stayed at
We stayed at InnB Park Hotel in Bukit Bintang, which is just a few minutes walk to the nearest train station. There’s also 7 eleven across the streets, and other food vendors nearby. They also provide toiletries, instant coffee, bottled water, cups, slippers, towels, hair dryer, a safe deposit box, a small refrigerator, aircon and a TV. My mom said that the room is quite small, but for me it’s just the right size for two people.
The bathroom is also big enough. It has cold and hot showers and the water pressure is also pretty good. I think the only concern for me would be the toilet flush. I think it needs a little more pressure.
It was also pretty quiet, and the elevator works pretty well and there is no traffic. The receptionists were also pretty helpful and nice. They asked for a 200 MYR deposit, but they also accept other currencies. For us, we deposited Php 2,000 which we got back after we checked out. I’m not sure if they accept early check-in, but they accept late check-in and early check-out as per our experience.
Our First Morning in Kuala Lumpur
We woke up pretty early considering how tired we were last night, lol. I guess we were really excited to explore Kuala Lumpur, hehehe.
Our driver last night told us that their sun rises pretty late in the morning (than we were used to in the PH), and it sets around quarter to 8 in the evening. That said, we were still pretty amazed how it looked like dawn at 7 in the morning.
It was indeed a pretty exciting and hopeful first morning in Kuala Lumpur!
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
It was so much fun! I think the whole time we were exploring the city we were all smiles. It was really fun and exciting exploring Kuala Lumpur probably because of its diversity. There’s just so much to see and experience!
We also felt safe and secure as early as day 1. It really meant a lot to us since it was our first international trip, so feeling apprehensive is pretty much common in that situation.
Public Transportation
We used railway transportation almost all the time during this trip, and it was pretty convenient. It wasn’t my first train ride, but it was for my mom and she was really impressed. Their railway stations (especially Sentral) look clean, systematic and very traveler friendly. They have more than one railway line and it could look quite intimidating at first, but once you study it and follow each line, you will learn to also navigate it easily. As a matter of fact, I made some on the spot updates on our itinerary during this trip, and not once did we get lost, *wink.
We also used a grab car during this trip, and it was actually quite cheap and convenient. It’s definitely a great alternative if you want fast transport. Bus rides were also pretty comfortable, and easy to book. You can book online, and also on the spot easily.
Tourist Attractions in Kuala Lumpur
There’s a lot to see in Kuala Lumpur, which most of the time is free. I am a big fan of Asian Temples, so Malaysia is like heaven for me. There’s not just Chinese temples, but also Indian temples. I really recommend visiting Thean Hou Temple, Batu Caves, and Chin Swee Caves Temple.
Aside from that, we also enjoyed Perdana Botanical Garden. Definitely a perfect place to just relax and enjoy nature. This place is pretty big, so make sure to wear comfortable shoes and clothes.
Language & People
Most people we’ve talked to in Malaysia were really nice and approachable. Their main language is Malay, but most can also converse in English, Chinese, Hindi and even Tagalog! We were really surprised how many Malaysians and Indians can talk in Tagalog while we were there. One time while talking to an Indian seller in Batu Caves, we were really surprised when he suddenly spoke Tagalog to us when he heard us talking in Bisaya, lol.
Foods
Unfortunately we haven’t tried any Malaysian foods while we were there 🙁 We only tried Indian food once, and it was really spicy lol. So beware when they told you that it was only mild, because most of the time, it would be too much for you especially if you’re like me who have low spice tolerance. We also tried Chinese foods at Thean Hou Temple and we noticed that just like Indian foods, you can also easily taste the spices and herbs in their foods.
For breakfast, we usually eat donuts we see in the streets on the way to the train station from the hotel we were staying at, and also fruits. We love their fruits, especially their guava. They’re really sweet <3 And we also tried Mcdonalds, and it was also pretty good.
We also ordered food most of the time at Jollibee because we were really starving for some Filipino foods. It doesn’t taste that identical to our Jollibee in the Philippines since I think they also incorporated some Malaysian taste to their foods, but overall it was still pretty good.
Overall Experience
It was definitely a very exciting and unforgettable experience. It was safe and there’s also many places to see.
As McArthur said: “I shall return”.
Loved reading about your first international traveling experience. Glad you had wonderful experiences after the late start.
Thanks Sophia Rose! It was indeed a great experience. Hoping to have a fun trip this year too <3