is Kuala Lumpur too dangerous?

tara73

Hey,

whilst flying via Kuala Lumpur on my flight to Melbourne, I thought it's a good idea to stay for 2 days in KL and explore the city a bit (just seeing the highlights in CBD and around).
I'm not so sure anymore if this was a good idea, I did a bit of research for the safetey of KL and I got some very scary travel reports of mugging and even beating ups and machete use!!

So I would like to ask people here who've been there recently, is it ok for a female single person to visit Kuala Lumpur?

Thanks a lot for answers.

fits

I didnt get any sense that it was dangerous at all and I was there two months ago.

georgem25

I was there in December with another female friend for 2 days and didn't feel uncomfortable either

IHeartChemistry

I was in KL two months ago with two of my friends (all of us female). Felt grand, just be careful and don't go wandering around dark places alone at night and don't really go wandering around at night on your won in general. At times we did feel a little bit uncomfortable, but I think that was more of a cultural thing than anything. Just have your wits about you, and you'll be grand.

But enjoy it, the food is fantastic, the KL tower and the Petronas Towers are amazing, lots of shopping, some great sights too.

If you are worried, you can always head somewhere like Penang for two days instead. I loved Penang, lots of flights daily (only 50 minutes with Air Asia and not crazy prices), very relaxed, lots to see and felt crazy safe there. Also, the food is just amazing. Totally different vibe to KL and we preferred it to KL.

tara73

thanks all for quick replies.

@Iheartchemistry: yes, I assumed it would be relatively safe, just let common sense rule, as you said, not going out alone in the dark in dodgy places.

it's just that I found this:
http://www.virtualtourist.com/travel/Asia/Malaysia/Wilayah_Persekutuan/Kuala_Lumpur-1282074/Warnings_or_Dangers-Kuala_Lumpur-Theft_Pickpocketing-BR-1.html

and by reading it, my blood ran cold...but then, when looking at the dates, they were written years apart. So stuff like that happens in every bigger city in the world in that timeframe...but still it leaves a worrying feeling...

any other good/bad experiences or recommendations where defo not to go and where it's safe to go?

fits

Honestly chill out. You will be grand in the centre. Its a first world city and probably safer than many.

tara73

fits wrote: »

Honestly chill out. You will be grand in the centre. Its a first world city and probably safer than many.

I presume you are a man? See, I travel alone, as a woman, it's overall unfortunately a huge difference. adding a dodgy city to it, so much as I would like to chill out, it's my safety here and I'm better safe than sorry in this case.

So far everything I googled about KL and Malaysia doesn't sound good. It's written in every article that average crime rates rise every year. Corruption from the highest order, with the police involved. Are all this articles untrue? Don't think so.

I think I will rebook to fly via Singapore. I like a bit of adventure, that's why I thought doing KL and not Singapore, but after doing the research now, my gut is telling me to leave it. iI's no quality or relaxing holiday with this stories in mind.

fits

I am female and travel extensively on my own. I was with my husband in malaysia.. do whatever you want. Its your holiday.

athtrasna

In my opinion the biggest risk in KL is that you'll die of boredom. It's the one city in SE Asia that I wouldn't go back to if you paid me! Why KL and not one of the other fabulous cities of the region?

fits

athtrasna wrote: »

In my opinion the biggest risk in KL is that you'll die of boredom. It's the one city in SE Asia that I wouldn't go back to if you paid me! Why KL and not one of the other fabulous cities of the region?

Id agree. Its fairly boring outside of the nice food. Georgetown penang would be more interesting and its super easy to get up there from KLIA. We stayed in spices hotel and id recommend it as a lowish budget central place.

tara73

fits wrote: »

I am female and travel extensively on my own. I was with my husband in malaysia..

haha, alright, you travel extensively on your own...with your husband in malaysia..:rolleyes: that's the most bs to say in this case! just refrain from posting here please!

fits wrote: »

do whatever you want. Its your holiday.

thanks for the permit...:rolleyes:

fits

Lol! You are something else.

skibum

tara73 wrote: »

haha, alright, you travel extensively on your own...with your husband in malaysia..:rolleyes: that's the most bs to say in this case! just refrain from posting here please!



thanks for the permit...:rolleyes:

You were looking for advice and got it from some one who was there only two months ago, and you go all sarky..........

tara73

skibum wrote: »

You were looking for advice and got it from some one who was there only two months ago, and you go all sarky..........

yes, with reason!

please, just post if you have detailed information or suggestions (as I wrote, for example: where to go or not to go), or traveled alone there.
sweeping generalisations like: 'chill out', 'you'll be grand' etc. is not helpful for me.
safes your time and mine. thanks a lot.:)

lufties

I lived there for a year, its grand and safe. Just mind your belongings as you would anywhere.

fits

To be fair Tara about five people posted that they felt safe there and you chose to ignore it in favour of a website that describes isolated incidences at best. Have you looked up dublin for crime and pickpockets?

And i was pickpocketed this year. While travelling on my own. In a university town in the netherlands. I felt safer in malaysia than in many places in europe.

StringerBell

If you use the common sense approach that you should use wherever you go its fine, but nothing special tbh. And if it doesnt feel right to you then dont go there, so many fantastic places to see in the region you would enjoy a lot more Im sure, you will not enjoy anything if you feel uncomfortable there.

tara73

athtrasna wrote: »

In my opinion the biggest risk in KL is that you'll die of boredom. It's the one city in SE Asia that I wouldn't go back to if you paid me! Why KL and not one of the other fabulous cities of the region?

As I wrote in my OP, it's just a stopover on my flight to Melbourne. I think it is a lot of hassle to even not recommendable to go to a different city in Malaysia. How should that work? Fly/go by train?, get back to KL again, all in just two days?

I don't think I would get bored, it's just two days and I like to discover cities, especially also the non touristy areas. Can't imagine it's done in one day...

but anyway, thanks for input, still think I will rebook to singapore. Every other city I check, with the same website I posted the link earlier, isn't packed with horrorstories like KL, quite the opposite..

tara73

StringerBell wrote: »

And if it doesnt feel right to you then dont go there, so many fantastic places to see in the region you would enjoy a lot more Im sure, you will not enjoy anything if you feel uncomfortable there.

yes, that's it in a nutshell. I think I'm done with KL:). I know if I go, probably nothing will happen, but it's the bad feeling now, all the time beforehand...

and also it's the same old story, if you feel uncomfortable and anxious, body language is telling it, the head is all over the place, observing people pick up on it, and then something is happening...

kerry4sam

Thread closed and a post deleted by me.

The tone in here is not one I want to see a repetition of again elsewhere in our Travel forum.

Any issues, feel free to pm me.

Thanks,
kerry4sam