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Wonderful Malaysia

Top10 shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur

I love to shop. What are the must-visit shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur?

Kuala Lumpur has numerous shopping malls. Tourists may find it difficult to decide which of them are absolute must-visits and which are the ones that can easily be skipped during their stay in Kuala Lumpur. First off; if you are visiting Kuala Lumpur with the sole purpose of going on a serious shopping spree you should know that there is actually only one place to stay and that is in a hotel around Bukit Bintang. Most of the malls in our top10 are located in this area. Luckily many of the popular 5-star hotels are located in this area, so it should be easy to find proper accommodation. But also budget travelers are able to find accommodation that suits their budget; as there are many guesthouses located in the Changkat Bukit Bintang area (only a 5/10 minute walk from all major shopping malls).

In our list we took multiple factors into account. Not all malls are perhaps interesting for every type of shopper. Some of the great malls are located well outside of Kuala Lumpur, perhaps still very much worth a visit to some, for others probably not worth the hassle.

1. Pavilion KL

Pavilion KL shopping mall Kuala Lumpur

Our personal favorite by far is Pavilion KL. Pavilion was opened in 2007 and has been an instant hit since then. Pavilion offers many nice shops, and caters to the more general type of shopper. There are many luxurious shops, but also enough regular shops. Pavilion has a great food court but also many restaurants and (coffee) bars. Definitely the place to be (visit) for tourists.

2. Suria KLCC

Suria KLCC shopping mall Kuala Lumpur

Suria KLCC has been one of the most popular tourist malls for ages. Locals always call it a tourist mall, but still many tens of thousands come to this mall every weekend to relax and hang out. Tourists may find many shops offer different products that at other malls, Suria KLCC has many shops that sell familiar international brands (and is also know for carrying western sizes).

3. Plaza Lowyat

Plaza Low Yat shopping mall Kuala Lumpur

Not all tourists will like Lowyat as it is small, crowded and often very noisy. Lowyat is the premier IT, Gadget and Lifestyle mall in Kuala Lumpur. Here you will find hundreds of small shops selling luxurious products like cameras, phones, laptops, tablets and much more. If you are looking for electronic accessories, this is definitely the place to be. Do know that you can only get great discounts after some tough bargaining.

4. Midvalley Mega Mall The Gardens

The Gardens shopping mall Kuala Lumpur

This is the first mall that is not located within the city center of Kuala Lumpur. It means that you have to get into a taxi and travel for a bit first before arriving at one of the biggest and most popular (local) mall in the city. Midvalley is already a few years old. Here you can find many regular shops selling all kinds of products. Midvalley is connected to The Gardens, a luxurious mall (and also one of the prettiest) with many exclusive brands.

5. Lot10

Lot10 shopping mall Kuala Lumpur

Lot10 is perhaps the most centrally located mall in Kuala Lumpur, right along Jalan Bukit Bintang. It has quite a few nice shops and also a National Geographer Flagship Store. In the basement you can find Hutong, a wonderful food court with mainly Chinese hawkers. Lot10 lies conveniently between numerous other popular malls in Bukit Bintang. If you enter this area by Monorail then the station to embark is right next to Lot10.

6. Fahrenheit88

Fahrenheit88 shopping mall Kuala Lumpur

Fahrenheit88 is a modern mall near opposite of Pavilion KL. It used to be known as KL Plaza, but the new owner wanted to rename the mall after a huge renovation. Fahrenheit88 has some very nice stores. At the top floor you find Signature IT, a huge IT department store. Fahrenheit88 became one of the places to be among locals because of the huge Uniqlo clothing shop that occupies a few floors.

7. 1Utama

1Utama shopping mall Kuala Lumpur

Though pretty far away from Kuala Lumpur City Center, 1Utama is a not to be missed shopping mall. After the huge renovation it again it a wonderful place to shop for all kinds of products (and also one of the biggest). There is also a huge Foodrepublic food court, where you can try many local dishes. 1Utama is not really popular among tourists because of the distance from most of the tourist hotels; still it is very much worth a visit.

8. Sunway Pyramid

Sunway Pyramid shopping mall Kuala Lumpur

Sunway Pyramid is extremely popular among locals that live outside of Kuala Lumpur. It could very well be the most popular mall in Malaysia when looking at absolute amount of monthly visitors. Sunway is more than a shopping mall; it is a huge entertainment complex with numerous bars, restaurants, hundreds of shops, hotels, resorts and even a huge amusement park (and water park). Those that travel with children will probably do them a huge favor by visiting Sunway Pyramid.

9. The Curve

The Curve shopping mall Kuala Lumpur

The Curve is neither the biggest nor the most popular mall in Kuala Lumpur. It is also located pretty far out of the city center. Still it is a nice place to visit. Besides the mall there are many bars and restaurants. Opposite the Curve is Ikano Power Center, where you can find a few flagship stores of popular local and foreign brands. The Curve is especially popular among the local expat community.

10. Berjaya Times Square

Berjaya Times Square shopping mall Kuala Lumpur

Last in our list is Berjaya Times Square; the biggest shopping mall in Malaysia. It has well over 600 shops, ranging from huge stores at the lower levels to numerous small shops at the higher levels. There is even an indoor roller coaster inside this shopping, which makes it the perfect mall to visit if you are traveling with children. Berjaya Times Square is also located within the Bukit Bintang area; at a 10 minutes’ walk from Lot10 or Lowyat Plaza.

Other very popular malls in and around Kuala Lumpur

Malls that didn’t make it into our top10 are still very much worth a visit, especially the ones within the Golden Triangle (Bukit Bintang area and KLCC area). Below we listed a few other shopping malls and explained the main reasons you might have for visiting them.

11. Starhill Gallery: probably the most exclusive and luxurious mall in Kuala Lumpur.

12. Sungei Wang BB Plaza: together the most popular local malls in Kuala Lumpur.

13. AvenueK: modern but small shopping center opposite of Suria KLCC.

14. Pertama Complex: the best mall to buy sports products.

15. Bangsar Village Shopping Mall: very popular expat mall in one of the biggest expat enclaves.

16. IMBA Plaza: the best (or worst) place to buy pirated dvd’s, software and other media.

17. Great Eastern Mall: biggest mall in the Ampang area. Especially popular among expats.

18. Tropicana Mall: popular ‘family mall’. Many furniture and children stores.

19. Plaza Mont Kiara: modern mall catering to expats that live in the Mt. Kiara area.

20. Bangsar Shopping Center: most popular expat mall in the Bangsar area. Best place to buy products like cheese, bread and other typical western products.

Looking for specific brands? Just let us know below and we will find it out for you!

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Wonderful Malaysia

Puri Damai Resort

puri damai sarawak 1

Puri Damai is a wonderful 4 star plus resort. 4 star plus means that the resort is generally considered a tad better than a regular 4 star resort, but misses a few things that make a resort of 5 star quality. It is located north of the city of Kuching in Sarawak, along the beautiful Damai Beach. From Kuching Airport it will take about 45 minutes to one hour to reach the resort, from Kuching city center approximately 45 minutes. It is the nearest coastal area from Kuching, and it is a popular area among locals from Kuching. Besides it is located next to Sarawak Cultural Village, a popular attraction near Kuching.

Many aspects of the resort were similar to the popular Pangkor Island Beach Resort (I’d guess both are owned by the same chain). The resort has a beautiful lobby overlooking the beach and ocean. There are two swimming pools, both huge in size.

We had a standard room on ground level, facing the pool and sea. From the balcony we could enjoy fantastic views over the South Chinese Sea. Unfortunately it wasn’t possible to exit the room via the balcony (though we were on ground level); a shame as the pool was only a few meters away. The rooms were quite spacious, with a nice, big bathroom, a small fridge, a safe, a small desk and a flat screen television. The loved the overall atmosphere of the rooms at Puri Damai.

Puri Damai also has a spa. Unfortunately we were unable to make reservations in time (as we were out on both whole days during our stay) but our friends told us it is a very nice spa.

Breakfast was decent, not bad but nothing special either. The main restaurant was decent too. As it is a very big area, it looks deserted when only a few guests have dinner there. We tried dinner there too, but were a bit disappointed. Again, not bad but we expected a bit more of it. The second day we went to the small, new food court opposite Sarawak Cultural Village and we actually had a much better meal there (especially the different varieties of Roti Canai were surprisingly good!).

We stayed at the resort during low season and there weren’t many other guests. Based on staff descriptions it can be really crowded at the resort during school holidays and public holidays. We had a great stay at Puri Damai.

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Wonderful Malaysia

Can I visit Malaysia during Ramadan?

Ramadan is known around the world as the Muslim month of fasting, during which Muslims refrain from eating and drinking (among others) from dawn until sunset.

In 2012 Ramadan started in Malaysia on the 21st of July and lasts until Hari Raya Puasa that marks the end of Ramadan and is celebrated by a 2 day National Holiday (19th and 20th of August 2012).

You would probably think that Ramadan is all about not eating, but in Malaysia it actually is still about eating, but contrary to normal days it is not possible 24/7.

During Ramadan travelers may experience the days to be a bit dull and less vibrant, especially in local areas. You have to keep in mind that to some it is quite difficult to go on with their daily lives without any food or drinks. People still work, do business and exercise, but they can only eat before sunrise and after sunset.

We clearly notice that people have to get adjusted to not eating during the day. During the first days of Ramadan we usually encounter people that are grumpy or plain frustrated. This especially goes for traffic, the amount of accidents are always much higher during Ramadan.

In bigger cities like Kuala Lumpur and Georgetown you will hardly notice anything different, mainly because the percentage of Muslims is much lower over there. For example residents of Chinese origin will still eat during the days, so travelers should be on the lookout for Chinese restaurants in order to enjoy a nice local lunch. In almost every popular tourist spot in Malaysia you can easily get a meal during the day. The same goes for the eateries within modern shopping malls, here too business is as usual (albeit rather quiet during the day in some areas).

In other cities and more local areas Ramadan is clearly visible. For example, in states like Kelantan, Kedah and Kuala Terengganu, shops and restaurants often stay closed during the days. Only around noon do they open, in order to be able to sell food to the people. This food is not eaten on the spot, but everything is bought for later that day, as people can only start eating after sundown.

We once visited Kota Bharu and Kuala Terengganu during Ramadan, and experienced a special atmosphere. During the day both cities seemed deserted, but at night it pleasantly came back to live again. Travelers have no reasons to stay away from these areas during Ramadan. Though days might be quiet and perhaps less vibrant, the nights absolutely make up for it.

Another amazing example of Ramadan we experienced was in the city of Kuantan. Here we were strolling down the streets in the city center and suddenly we noticed a food court that was full with people, but everybody was quiet. What struck us odd was that all had a hot dinner plate on the table in front of them, but nobody was eating. Then the prayer started and soon after everybody started eating, and the food court made that typical buzzing sound again.

During Ramadan all major hotels and restaurants have a special Ramadan Buffet. Here you can eat as much as you want for a fixed price. Often the best hotels are competing with each other on which one has the best Ramadan Dinner Buffet. Locals (even non-muslims) bring their whole families to these restaurants to ‘break the fast’ (also known as berbuka puasa or iftar).

ramadan malaysia buffet

It is also customary to invite people over for a intimate dinner at home. It is not uncommon that travelers are invited by locals, as Ramadan is also about doing good things for others. Welcoming foreigners into their houses is a good example of friendliness towards others.

ramadan malaysia open house

An open house is usually done the first few days of Hari Raya Aidilfitri (after the end of Ramadan), but sometimes you even get invited for an open house weeks after Aidilfitri. We’ve been invited to many ‘open houses’ ourselves over the years and it’s safe to say that if you decline an invitation you are missing out on a wonderful cultural experience.

Every day during Ramadan you can witness local Ramadan Bazaars. Here you can buy food, groceries, fruits and snacks. Some snacks are typically sold during Ramadan, often very sweet. Food at the Bazaar is usually very cheap. We sometimes get our food there too, and for RM25 (which equals to about €6) you have a dinner table full of dishes and snacks. Ramadan Bazaars usually start around 4.30pm and close at 7.30pm.

ramadan bazaar malaysia 2

ramadan bazaar malaysia 3

ramadan bazaar malaysia 4

Typical dishes you can buy at the Bazaar are fried chicken wings and legs, char kway teow, roti murtabak, rendang, satay, ketupat and much more. Popular snacks are kuih lapis (in several colors), kuih dadar, ondeh ondeh, cucur, caramel jelly cake and of course dodol. No Bazaar is complete without a sugar cane juice vendor. The great thing is that everything is prepared fresh on the spot.

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ramadan bazaar malaysia 1

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ramadan bazaar malaysia snacks 1

So to get back at the main question, can I visit Malaysia during Ramadan, the answer is a wholehearted ‘yes’. The Holy month of Ramadan is a special month with many cultural highlights. Travelers are able to experience this up close when they are in Malaysia during this time, and we are certain that they will love it!

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Tourism Malaysia

Central Market

“I always come here to rent books. It is a good place to start if it’s your first time in KL.”  
by jazila

“last week i bring some foreign friend to central market new food court i really impress with the decoration so unique a beautiful place with 8 stall promote malaysian food iam happy to introduce malaysian foodto my friend one of the stall call kedah which really embarrass me because the menu show is not kedah food it is THAI FOOD instead it totally unexcepted because iam kedahan”  
by qmiko

“Segalanya ada disini.. tapi harga barangan agak mahal..tempat yg paling lamayg saya akan singgah ialah dikawasan pelukis,memang mengasyikkan..”  
by moose

“3.75 ! Recently i went to CM to buy a keris for decoration. In my humble opinion, Central Market ( Pasar Seni )
is a great place for tourists and locals.
I think that it’ll be nicer if the shops were stationed according to their own respective catagories.
The food court takes a lot of this prestigious buildings space.
More entries (shop,gallery or open oppurtunity) from so many undiscovered sources might just be an evolution to this Market.
What i mean is that Batik goes with batik.. sports however could be replaced by a Gallery for example. I also think that Central Market has the potential to link up with more international content and further enhance the Markets ability to showcase a wider scope of fusion end products.
Honestly, i was a little dissapointed with the amount of space that the food court has.
“  

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Tourism Malaysia

A Weekend At The Greater Desaru

Desaru, Johor

 

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WHERE TO EAT
SENGAT SEAFOOD RESTAURANT
Teluk Sengat, Kota Tinggi, Johor
(Tel.: +6 07 895 5116; Teluk Sengat; From RM150 per group of 10; Time: 11.30AM-10PM)
What: One of the many seafood restaurants available in Kota Tinggi that serves fresh catches of the day. Diners get to enjoy tasty meals by the seafront, watching the sunset.Why: After a full day of activities, you deserve to treat yourself to a satisfying meal of seafood freshly caught from the sea.
Must try: Nyonya fish, Chilli crab, and Pepper crab.


WHAT TO DO
CROC WORLD TELUK SENGAT
Teluk Sengat, Kota Tinggi, Johor
(Tel.: +6 07 895 5220; Teluk Sengat; Adult/Child: RM8/RM4; Time: 9AM-6PM)
What: Opened since the 1920s, this crocodile farm has about 1,000 salt water crocodiles, including one that is more than 135 years old!
Why: Meet the oldest inmate in Croc World, and also, if you’re brave enough, you may pet the baby crocodiles, or even kiss them!

DESARU OSTRICH FARM
Sungai Rengit, Kota Tinggi, Johor
(Tel.: +6 07 826 5846; Sungai Rengit; Adult/Child: RM10/RM6; Time: 10AM-6PM)
What: An ostrich farm with some 300 big birds roaming free in their natural habitat.Why: You can get up close and personal with the birds, maybe try out some delectable dishes made out of ostrich eggs, such as satay and marble cake, or even purchase some lamps made out of empty ostrich eggshells.

DESARU FRUIT FARM
Desaru, Kota Tinggi, Johor
(Tel.: +6 07 822 5886; http://www.desaruff.com; Desaru; Adult/Child: RM18/RM15; Time: 8AM-6PM)
What: A 50-acre fruit farm with a huge collection of fruits growing, such as durian, rambutan and mangosteen, papaya, banana, pineapple and many more.
Why: Try out a table full of fruits freshly plucked from the orchard, and even buy a few bundles back.

TANJUNG BALAU FISHING VILLAGE
Tanjung Balau, Kota Tinggi, Johor
(Tanjung Balau; Adult/Child: Free; Time: Daytime)
What: A popular beach with a commercialised fishing village, equipped with facilities such as a food court, children’s playground and souvenir shop.Why: It is a good place for photo enthusiasts to take pictures, and for families to spend a day there relaxing. If you’re lucky, you can meet up with the fishermen coming back with the catch of the day!

FIREFLIES WATCHING
Johor River, Kota Tinggi, Johor
(Tel.: +6 019 779 6385 (Mr Liew – Bujang Boat Service); Johor River; Adult/Child: RM20 per person; Time: From 7.15PM, 45 minutes per trip)
What: A night river cruise along Johor River to check out the abundant firefly colony there. Meals can be provided upon prior request.Why: A quiet and serene way to end your hectic day being in the midst of one of nature’s most beautiful creatures.


WHERE TO STAY
BOB’S HOMESTAY RESORT
Kota Tinggi, Johor
(Tel.: +6 019 355 8889; http://www.bobshomestayresort.com; Kota Tinggi; From RM70)
What: Humble abodes by the Johor River with a host, Bob, who welcomes you with open arms.
Why: You can experience the kampung life in Johor complete with cultural performances and a riverside BBQ, as well as hop on the heritage trail nearby to get to know the history of Johor a little bit more.

DESARU HOLIDAY CHALETS
Desaru, Johor
(Tel.: +6 07 822 1212; http://www.desaruresort.com; Desaru; From RM120nett)
What: The first resort to be opened in Desaru since 1974, with well-maintained and spacious chalets for a quiet family retreat by the beach.
Why: You get to enjoy a bunch of beach, sea and land activities, such as sailing, canoeing, trekking and go-karting, or you can just lay by the beach and take in the serenity.

SEBANA COVE MARINA RESORT
Pengerang, Johor
(Tel.: +6 07 826 6688; http://www.sebanacove.com; Pengerang; From RM280++; 4-star rating)
What: A high standard resort with one of the best marina views available. It is an architectural masterpiece amidst natural surroundings, with a wide range of facilities and amenities.Why: If you prefer a more comfortable accommodation, as well as a waterfront view to take your breath away every morning.