Of scorching eats and scoping out bazaars in Kuala Lumpur

I've heard a lot of great things about the national capital of Malaysia, and what made my trip possible was when my sister and mom booked tickets for a flight. I wasted no time joining them. 

 

See, I've always been fascinated with Asia's diverse cultures and traveling throughout the region is certainly on my bucket list. Which is how my wandering feet recently took me to Kuala Lumpur for the first time.
 

Truly Asia fits the city

 

From Manila, Kuala Lumpur is approximately just a three-hour flight, but its airport is in the outskirts of the city proper, about an hour away from the main thoroughfares. We chose a budget taxi for convenience since we didn't want to lug around our bags,  but you can also take a train or public transport to get to the city.

 

Our hotel was strategically located in the Bukit Bintang area where luxury malls are next door. That famous landmark, the Petronas Tower, is also within walking distance. After checking in, we then headed to the Pavilion Mall to look for a place to eat since I couldn't wait to get a taste of authentic Malay cuisine.

 

Curry and street food eats

 

I went for the more familiar sounding dish, Curry Laksa, which are noodles served in curry soup with chicken, fresh prawns, beansprouts, dried beancurd topped with mint leaves. 

 

This is a noodle soup that's hot in every sense of the word with its red-orange broth (the color itself is a give away!) searing my tongue and warming my belly. I could barely taste the prawns through my numbed my tongue. It pairs well with a sweet and cold beverage like milk tea or a Milo Dinosaur.
 

Other local cuisine must-tries are rice meals like Nasi Bojari (tri-colored rice with assam prawns, beef rendang, and deep-fried chicken drumstick) and noodle dishes like Char Kway Teow (stir-fried rice cake strips with vegetable and seafood toppings).

 

Whenever I travel, I make sure to try the native dishes to get a taste of the local culture. I enjoyed eating my way through Kuala Lumpur—from high-end establishments in malls to food stalls in the streets. I do like trying out street food but I make sure that it's sanitary enough—for my standards, at least.

 

We went to the Central Market and made a street food discovery I wouldn't soon forget. Just outside the structure is the Katsuri Walk that features different vendors, and there was one that sold curry meat and potato pies and the chicken and lamb were simply delicious, not to mention very affordable, too.

 

This was what energized us as we shopped at the Central Market, a place where you can find souvenir items, batik, clothing apparel and other local products. Arch is one of the lovely stores that offers unique items and I couldn't resist buying a bookmark that's actually an intricate woodcarving.
You should really practice your haggling skills while you're there, too. Who knows? You just might get a substantial discount. Central Market is also near Chinatown, where there are temples to visit and shops to check out. 

 

We then went to Petaling Street which had stores and bazaar-like stalls along the whole stretch. Shoppers will be pleased to know that there are free shuttle buses that you can take to and from Central Market. We rode on a purple bus that stopped right across our hotel. 

 

Lost? Ask the locals

 

Before discovering that, though, we took the train to get there, so it really pays to ask locals for insider tips.

 

We didn't hesitate to ask our hotel receptionist for tips on how to get to Petronas Tower, as well. It was a good move because it was apprently just walking distance from our place, a good 15-minute leisurely walk on an elevated, covered path. 

 

It's also the way to Aquaria KLCC, a detour we took before heading to the Tower. We didn't mind paying an entrance fee at the large indoor aquarium, as we discovered a lot about the underwater world. 

 

There were plenty of sea creatures, most of which I'd only seen on television. It was the first time I saw a piranha, electric eel and a monster, fish-like alligator called a garfish and an arapaima, which was the highlight of the educational tour. 

Another must-try while there is the Oceanarium where visitors step on a conveyor walkway that makes you feel like you're underwater because the ceiling is a see-through glass where you can view all kinds of sea creatures in Aquaria. There was even a diver feeding the fish!

 

The famed Petronas Towers itself is a popular landmark in Kuala Lumpur. Visitors may go up the tower for a minimal fee but we appreciated the view more from the outside. The structure was so tall that we couldn't make it fit in a photograph even if we tried. It was really an amazing architectural wonder!

 

I''m now looking forward to returning and exploring other parts of Malaysia in a future trip. – KDM, GMA News