Anybody been to Kuala Lumpur ?

paul moore

Hello,
Just wondering if any you have been to Kuala Lumpar,
I have been to NY twice now and looking for a new place to vist !!
Is it any good ??
Is any good for shopping ?
Is it cheap ?
What hotels ?

Please,
Many Thanks!!!

davros

It's 7 or 8 years since I was there but I can't recall anything particularly pleasant about KL. I was there for an exam so I wasn't in sightseeing mode but what stands out in my mind was being blatantly ripped off by a taxi driver and the overt racism of the people.

I had waited in line for the taxi for 30 minutes and would have been stuck for another way to get back to my hotel. The driver refused to start his meter and quoted me a high price. He explained that I had exploited his country during the days of Empire (Irish and English were "all the same"). I could only haggle him down to a slightly less outrageous rip-off. I reported him to the tourism authority but I got no reply to that.

It was just after the 1997 Asian financial crash and the obnoxious Dr Mahathir, then prime minister, was publicly blaming "the Jews". So I got a lecture from another taxi driver on how the Jews were screwing his country.

It's horrific stuff, particularly because Malaysia seems like such a modern country. Subsequently, the Deputy Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim, turned against Dr. Mahathir, was banged up in jail on trumped up charges, beaten by the police and only released recently. Lovely.

Anyway, KL didn't appeal to me. It wasn't even a very "walkable" city, which is something I like in a city I'm visiting. But I did find Malacca (south of KL) very interesting, and Kuching (on Borneo) an understated gem (I'd love to go back to Kuching). These experiences redeemed Malaysia for me.

I really liked Singapore too, which is just up the road. I don't get the criticism that the place is "too perfect, too controlled". Given that Singapore has the same population as Ireland, it's a real eye-opener for an Irish visitor - we seem very poor in comparison.

That's all very subjective and based on only a few days visit a long time ago. I might be completely wrong about KL and you should definitely get a second opinion!

hawkmoon269

Paul, I was there only a month ago and thoroughly enjoyed it.

A very modern and impressive city. I must say, it helped that I know a Malaysian guy who was there at the time so I had a 'tour guide', but nevertheless I think I would still have enjoyed it.

Malaysia is a largely Muslim country but I would not be too concerned about that - KL is quite cosmopolitan and there are bars and nightclubs. Most people in KL speak good English.

Hotel prices are a lot cheaper than in Europe. Most things are cheaper there in fact, including eating out. Shopping - there is a large shopping centre called the KLCC in the city centre. Literally the biggest I have ever been in - clothes shops, designer boutiques, everything.

A visit to the KL Tower is a must. Consider also visiting the restaurant.

One thing I would agree with the second poster on - the anti-Semitic thing. They do have a thing against Jews, heaven knows why.

Apart from that I did not find it racist and had no problems whatever

Also, as the second poster said, Malacca is worth a visit.

Let me know if you need any further info.

Frank Grimes

I've been there 3 times in the last 3 years, had a great time each time. Didn't experience or hear any racism of any description from the Malaysians I met.
The taxi drivers there aren't any different to ones elsewhere in the world in terms of trying to rip people off, if they won't use the meter just get another one that will - there's plenty of them in KL. In general I had very little hassle from them, almost all would use the meter etc.
Food, accommodation and transport are fairly cheap, alcohol is pretty similar in price to here although most bars have "happy hours" that go on from early evening till 9pm or so when the drink can be almost half the normal price.

dermo88

I lived in KL for almost 2 years, and its a good place.

If you want to deal with taxi drivers, know your address in the local language, and get a quick crash course in basic Cantonese and Malay. Malay is simple enough. Always agree to use the "berkmeter" in advance.

You will be caught out if you are a Matt Salleh / Gweiloh, but they are friendly enough.

How I dealt with the Malaysians getting mixed up and thinking Irish and English were the same - I used to say "So your Singaporean then" (the two countries have the same kind of rivalry as Ireland and England). They copped on quick enough!

Do -

Eat out at the stalls on Jalan Alor. It looks like a public health hazard, but go, try it out. The seafood is as fresh as you will ever get. Literally out of the tank, and cooked. You won't get food poisoning, I guarantee that, I lived there two years, no problems.

Prepare to tolerate nuclear levels of spiciness. Your mouth will be on fire. To counteract this, drink WARM water. They also use vicious evil small chillis in their food. At this stage of my life, I can challenge a Malaysian to a chilli eating contest, and give them a run for their money.

Go to Petaling Street. Enjoy the pirated products, buy, buy buy.

Hotels and accomodation.

All kinds to suit all budgets. KL has a surplus of Hotel accomodation.

Back to 1997/1998.

That was an economic crash. The Jews got the blame because of Dr M (their then Prime Minister). A mercurial, controversial, intelligent man, the nearest way I can describe him is a benevolent dictator by consent of the people. The state also has control of the press, so they get only one side of the story.

George Soros (A Hungarian Jew), started a speculative wave in South East Asia. The taxi driver you spoke to probably (and there are more than a few in this situation), had their life savings in the stock market. Remember, the Malaysians do not have a state pension, they have something called CPF (Compulsory Provident Fund), which is used to save up for pensions and mortgages etc.

So thats where the Jews got the blame. Plus, when the New Strait Times, and the Star.com.my extol the virtues of Barisan Nasional, and the Prime Minister, who is going to say any different, or know any better. Malaysia is only on its 5th Prime Minister since 1957. If the Matt Salleh start bitching, well its not their country to bitch about.

Oh.....Anwar Ibrahim is a rather dodgy potential Islamic militant, with a smile. Hes the former Deputy Prime Minister who got done for corruption and sodomy. He could only serve 6 years for corruption, so they threw in the gay sex charge with his chauffeur to bump him up to 10 years or more, to keep him out of the way. I have heard this from Westernised Malaysians.....and discussed this. We are able to speak safely outside Malaysia, inside, you are asking for trouble if you voice an opinion too openly.

davros

dermo88 wrote:

If you want to deal with taxi drivers...

Good advice, of course, but there are times when they'll have you over a barrel. On that occasion I was stuck somewhere on a Sunday without public transport and to have stopped the taxi and got out would have meant another half an hour wait.

A country as buttoned up as Malaysia could easily make the taxis honest so it was annoying to find they were not. Anyway, if you say they are largely OK, that's good to hear.

So thats where the Jews got the blame.

They certainly got the blame for the crash in '97 but it goes much further than that. To quote Dr Mahathir from his famous farewell speech in 2003, "The Europeans killed 6 million Jews out of 12 million. But today the Jews rule this world by proxy. They get others to fight and die for them."

But I don't want to seem like I'm discouraging anyone from visiting Malaysia. Travel is wonderful because you get to learn about stuff like this. I look forward to reading the local newspapers and listening to taxi drivers (I don't argue with locals, by the way - there are always nuances I'm not aware of and it's just not productive anyway. Better just to ask questions and learn).

PunyHuman

I was in KL earlier this year and liked it, but didn't love it.

As davros said it's not really a walkable city - reminded me of Bangkok in that way, and also because of the fierce heat and humidity - but riding on the monorail is good fun and I never had any problems with taxi drivers.

I stayed in a budget hotel just off bustling Petaling Street. No frills, or windows, whatsoever, but it was pretty cheap. Streetside food and drink is also good value. I got talking to several Malaysians and found them very warm and friendly.

Plenty of things to see in the city: my favourite was the fascinating and blessedly air-conditioned Islamic Arts Museum. Singapore too is only an overnight train ride away and is well, well worth a visit.

Kobie

http://www.weebls-stuff.com/toons/scampi/