Blue Heart Journey: Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Last November Douglas and I planned to attend the Marine Corps Birthday Ball in Ho Chi Minh City (HCMC). A few days before our departure, however, our trip was canceled due to a schedule conflict within his detachment. Though we were disappointed, we are all too familiar with the cliché ‘things happen’ and kept it moving. A few days later I remembered us discussing taking a possible vacation outside of Vietnam prior to finalizing our arrangements for HCMC. At the time we decided it would have been too much in conjunction with the trip to HCMC. When one door closes another one eventually opens. We now had the opportunity and means to plan another vacation before the end of 2014. With several countries in Asia that are on our ‘must-see’ list, we settled on Malaysia and Singapore.

On the evening of December 1, 2014 we landed in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – or KL, as everyone around here calls it. The Detachment Commander in KL graciously volunteered to send his Marine driver to pick us up from the airport. The driver’s name was Chan and he was awesome! He greeted us directly outside of baggage claim with a warm smile and firm handshake. The ride from Kuala Lumpur National Airport to our hotel was nearly one hour. We were extremely grateful for his service because it saved us several ringgit (Malaysian currency).

Chan has been driving for Detachment KL for 12 years. We couldn’t help but notice his impeccable English as he shared ample knowledge of the country with us. We began discussing popular Malaysian dishes and types of food to eat during our stay. Chan asked if we were hungry and offered to take us out for dinner. We were considerably hungry after not eating since that afternoon. Our growling stomachs spoke for us as we welcomed his offer. Chan took us to a street food venue that was highly frequented by locals and close to our hotel. It was a sizable parking lot by day that transformed into a booming dining lot filled with local vendors by night. None of the food booths appeared to have anything that looked particularly good to me. I am extremely cautious when eating street food due to my gluten allergy. I’ll admit that being a sternly picky eater did not aid the situation. Luckily, I brought along my Malay gluten-free card I found on Celiac.com which explained my allergy in Malaysian. It’s a must have for any foreigners traveling with Celiac Disease who do not speak the local language.

Parking lot during the day

Street food lot during the night

Chan explaining the different options of Chinese food

Now this is fresh juice!

Douglas will eat just about anything, so his options were limitless. He chose a beef and pork noodle stir fry, while I ordered fish ball soup. Chicken soup was clearly not an option! While waiting for the food to arrive we ordered fresh fruit drinks from another vendor, and I mean super fresh. There is nothing better than ordering pineapple juice made solely with fresh pineapples and syrup as a sweetener if you like. Asia has us spoiled! We rarely go to a restaurant and order any juice beverage that is not freshly made.

My dish was the first one brought to the table…and nothing in my bowl looked appetizing. I could hardly bring myself to taste the fish ball. Have you ever thought something tasted bad by its looks alone? That was what I felt. I used Douglas as my taste tester as I often do, and I could tell from his facial expression that I better sip on the broth and leave the fish balls alone! I did eventually take a small bite of the fish ball, only to say I did. My presumption about the fish ball was correct; the broth however was edible. Douglas had nothing but good things to say about his noodle dish. At least one meal was a win for the night.

Beef and pork noodle stir fry

Fish ball soup

Fresh pineapple and star fruit juice in the background

Chan also suggested Douglas try a pork bun. It’s a baked dough bun filled with pork, beef, and/or vegetables. He raved at how good it was. He ended up trying other dough buns while in KL but none of them came remotely close to tasting as good as the one Chan got him that night. We greatly appreciated Chan’s hospitality and guidance during our stay in KL.

Vendor for pork buns

Pork bun

It was almost 10pm when Chan dropped us off at the JW Marriott, our hotel of choice. It is located off the bustling street of Bukit Bintang. It’s a very pricy area to stay in, but we were fortunate to have received a terrific rate due to the help of the Detachment Commander in KL once again. His kindness saved us a significant amount of money, which always makes any trip that much better!

Bukit Bintang Street - directly in front of our hotel

Afternoon traffic on Bukit Bintang

Entrance to our hotel which is attached to Star Gallery Mall

The Christmas tree was laden with plastic water bottles with lights inside...very unique

Entrance to hotel restaurant

Shook - Hotel Restaurant

We look pretty good before 6am! Check out at 5:15am on Dec. 5

Kuala Lumpur is a vibrant city, home to a diverse blend of ethnicities such as Malay, Indian, and Chinese. Various languages are spoken there, but the national language is Malay. Fun fact: English is a required language for all Malaysians to learn in school. It was refreshing to vacation in a country without battling a language barrier. The weather in KL was wonderful. It’s typically a tropical climate that is hot, sunny, and usually wet. We visited during the major wet season but didn’t see rain once. The perfectly warm weather made touring even more enjoyable.

Kuala Lumpur is a large retail capital and fashion hub. Bukit Bintang district has the highest number of malls – how convenient! We were surrounded by countless options of venues to shop to our hearts content. Coming from Vietnam, being in such an environment can easily become a recipe for financial disaster. Good thing neither Douglas nor I are mall fanatics. Going to one or two is fine, but we have no desire to spend the bulk of our trip in the shopping mall.

It was nice to see the beautiful displays of Christmas decorations throughout the mall. In my research prior to arriving in KL, I read that both Malaysia and Singapore heavily decorate their cities and stores for Christmas just as one would find in the US and other countries that celebrate the holiday. While they do cater to Westerners in this aspect, we were told that Malaysians also enjoy viewing the magnificent displays, participating in holiday festivities and celebrating in their own unique way without disrespecting their own religion.

As Malaysia is a diverse country, it is no surprise to find a plethora of religious practices there as well. Islam is the dominant religion, but Buddhism, Daoism, Hinduism, Christianity, Baha’i Faith, and Sikhism are also recognized amongst Malaysians. I must admit I couldn’t help but glance for more than a moment when I saw women covered in various hijabs. The most interesting ones are those where you cannot even see a woman’s eyes. I am curious as to what it would be like to dress that way every day. Obviously it would be completely normal if I were raised in that culture, but it sparked my curiosity as we passed by couples and ladies in the streets.

Yes, that is a giant Christmas tree and yes, that is an even bigger Christmas tree Santa to the right of it.

While the décor was lovely to see, our intention in going to the mall was for an afternoon snack. Some folks from the American Embassy recommended we visit Din Tai Fung restaurant for a taste of some excellent dim sum. The mall was conveniently located directly across from our hotel. Douglas had only eaten dim sum once before, but it was not a great experience for him. He ordered some dishes from the extensive menu and I did my best to find any gluten-free options available. I went with a white truffle chicken soup and sautéed spinach with garlic. The soup was average, but the vegetable dish was exceptional. Douglas tried vegetable and pork dumplings, shrimp dumplings, and something called xiao long bao, another type of dumpling – needless to say he enjoyed everything, and with good reason: Din Tai Fung has been rated among the top ten restaurants in the world. There are locations throughout many Asian countries, Australia, and the United States. Maybe one day they will cater to gluten-free eaters, and I’ll have the opportunity to try it out for myself.

This was another pork bun...not as good as the street food!

Spinach and pork dumpling

Shrimp dumplings in super spicy sauce. Douglas wasn't ready!

I thought it was very cool to have a basket at the table for our bags. Smart concept! I hate placing my bag on the floor.

We ventured to Avenue K Shopping Mall to play a game called Breakout. Why are a couple of adults without children seeking to play games while on vacation? It’s fun, that’s why! I read about Breakout on TripAdvisor while researching things to do in KL. It’s a real life escape game. Here’s how it works: first, you choose a themed room to enter. Each player is assigned a character and given a tool/hint that will aid you during the game. At the start of the game you are separated into two different rooms. Each player has to solve these mind-boggling puzzles and tasks to proceed through the unlocked door. You continue to do this until you and your partner eventually end up in the same room and then try to unlock the last door together. The goal is to break out within forty-five minutes. Douglas and I were incredibly upset that we eventually broke out two minutes too late! Ugh! We didn’t win the game but it was a thrill the entire time. I must admit that Douglas did all the hard work in getting us through the doors. We would have never made it to minute forty-seven if it were up to me! If you’re ever in a city that has this game or something similar I highly recommend you give it a try.

Giant pink Santa in a Mini guiding his pink rocket-powered reindeer. OK.

We did some shopping at KL’s famous Central Market. It is a large handicrafts outlet with a variety of small shops that sell inexpensive and traditional goods. Central Market is the perfect place to buy gifts and souvenirs. It’s also a huge plus that the market is indoors and air conditioned.

Outdoor area of Central Market

Indoor area of Central Market

I have always loved sand art! This man has been making sand art for almost 20 years, and it shows.

We couldn't leave without purchasing a bottle. This man has such talent!

Design your own mug

Living Life to Its Fullest - words of choice for my mug

Who wants some sweet corn ice cream? Anyone?

Douglas finally found his Malaysian shirt

Our main mode of transportation around the city was by foot. Our hotel location made it extremely convenient to walk most places. We took some reasonably priced taxis, but not between midnight and 6am. The night before checking out of our hotel we were informed that taxis add a 50% surcharge to your ride in those hours, and of course we needed a taxi to the airport at 5:15am. We negotiated a price with one of the hotel drivers who had given us his card earlier in the trip. We wound up paying much more than planned for our departure ride but neither of us was sore about the expense because of how much money we saved at the beginning of our trip with Chan picking us up from the airport…and let’s not forget our discounted hotel. All things eventually balance themselves out.

Our second preferred mode of transportation through the city was the LRT and Monorail. KL’s train system seemed a bit outdated compared to those we have traveled on in other countries, but it did the job and got us to our destinations in good time, especially during rush hour. KL traffic can be horrendous at peak times. Driving was the last thing we wanted to do when walking or taking the train was an option.

Plastic tokens? What is this, Chuck E Cheese???

It might not be Grand Central, but still very nice.

During our drive from the airport to our hotel on the first night, Chan mentioned a place called Beryl’s Chocolate Kingdom located within walking distance of our hotel. My mind was blown simply from the name. Kingdom, you say??? I’d like to call myself a chocolate connoisseur at heart, though Douglas would argue my title by exclaiming that I simply eat any form of chocolate whether it’s good or bad. There may be some truth to that… Once informed about the Kingdom I quickly adjusted our itinerary to squeeze in a stop. Beryl’s uses only the highest quality of cocoa beans from Ghana to make the best chocolate in Malaysia. After reading that statement on their website I felt I could check off our visit to the Kingdom as a cultural experience!

It felt magical as I walked into the store. I was seriously in awe. I just wanted to taste everything. There were staff members who passed out free samples of various forms of chocolate for testing. I tested more samples than I would like to admit. One would have thought I was grading them! There were so many types of chocolate to choose from, I became overwhelmed. Douglas lingered behind me in the store sharing very little of my excitement. When I asked him if he was going to buy anything he replied, “This is all you. Get what you want!” Yay! It really does take very little to make me smile. I must applaud myself because even in the midst of my excitement and the numerous options of chocolate I had to choose from, I only purchased a bag of tiramisu chocolate and a tiny box of four individual pieces of chocolate – two of which were for Douglas. I amazed myself! I’ve come such a long way with self-control. Had that moment existed several years ago I would have needed two bags to hold all the chocolate I purchased. As good as that chocolate looked, my current shape and good health looked even better! At age 33 I have finally learned how to indulge in moderation.

I was not the only one who tickled my fancy with some of my favorite food items. Chan also informed us about a Papa John’s and Krispy Kreme located in Times Square Mall within walking distance from our hotel. Douglas eyes nearly popped out of his head as Chan said the words. My husband loves him some Papa John’s pizza and Krispy Kreme doughnuts. When Douglas was younger he said he used to consume those foods with no care for his health or his waistline – the joys of having a young and rampant metabolism. Before I was diagnosed with Celiac Disease I too indulged in Krispy Kreme doughnuts and found them to warm my heart as they warmed my mouth. I never cared for Papa John’s pizza though. I was always a Pizza Hut girl when given the option. Douglas devoured his pizza and walked out of Krispy Kreme with half a dozen doughnuts. He is still kicking himself for wasting two of his doughnut options on plain glazed. He purchased two cheesecake doughnuts and fell in love. Don’t worry honey, we’ll be in the States soon enough where cheesecake doughnuts will be limitless! Luckily for Douglas he is a master at self-control and moderation when it comes to sweets.

Nothing like it in Hanoi! Eat up!

That last piece of crust would have put him over the edge...

We stayed in Kuala Lumpur for four days and filled each one with fun activities, delicious foods, and visits to historic landmarks and popular attractions in and around the city. Although the heart of KL is very urban, filled with every aspect of a big city, there is much more beyond the bright lights and the hustle and bustle. Douglas and I had a terrific vacation and enjoyed meaningful cultural experiences during our stay. It was certainly well worth the visit.