Vegan Travel: Less than 24h in Kuala Lumpur

For our summer holiday this year, Tom and I decided to head to Malaysia. Seduced by the promise of sunshine and beautiful beaches, we quickly snapped up flights. We decided to soak up some culture in the city before heading to any islands or coastlines. Our holiday started in Kuala Lumpur with less than 24 hours to fit everything in. So expect all killer, no filler.

You can check out our video here:

Holiday Inn Express City Centre

One of the biggest appeals of the Holiday Inn Express is that it’s situated within the Golden Triangle. This is the central hub which has a huge bulk of tourist attractions within it. What makes the hotel even more appealing is its affordability, with a room rate of roughly £40 per night – I got ours even cheaper with an industry rate (as I work in travel).

We both enjoyed our stay here thanks to a nice clean room, good breakfast buffet and helpful reception staff.

Alor Street Food Market

On our hunt for an ATM we found ourselves wandering down the Alor Street Food Market. Full of hustle and bustle, this is a street swamped with stalls for food, drinks and souvenirs. Loud, manic and a great start to the holiday.

It was difficult to hunt down vegan food, so we ended up at a stall that served tofu and plain rice. The food was fine (we were so hungry) but the bill was one of the most expensive we saw in Malaysia.

My biggest regret was not buying the deep fried pineapple from one of the vendors. I hoped they’d be common place across Malaysia – I was wrong.

Heli Lounge Bar

Going to a rooftop bar or pool was a must for us on our Kuala Lumpur stay. We chose the Heli Lounge Bar once we saw how close it was to our hotel and we weren’t disappointed. At night, we could see the whole city lit up with the Petronus Towers and the Menara Tower shining bright.

The atmosphere was casually sophisticated with a buzzing (not loud) crowd and smooth RnB music. We felt rather elegant sipping our drinks and soaking up the world’s most beautiful skyline. On the top floor of the building (rather than the rooftop) is a club which was pretty dead when we arrived late on a Saturday night. I can’t say if this is the norm, but it was quite the surprise.

There was no entrance fee, instead you have to buy a bottle of wine (roughly 200rm/£40) on arrival. These weren’t labelled vegan or otherwise but there was a cocktail menu to buy from. We just wish that we had made it there in time for sunset.

Batu Caves

We had both researched Kuala Lumpur ahead of our arrival and decided that a trip to the Batu Caves was essential. Whether you’re a keen photographer or just into getting a good instagram shot, there’s plenty of photo opportunity at the Batu Caves.

Climbing up 272 steps not only takes you to the cave entrance but also gives you a breath taking view of the city. Exploring the entire temple, down to the final chamber,  you can find a beautiful natural skylight with greenery sneaking in.

Whilst easily reached through the rail network, we got a taxi as we were so short on time. This took us 30 minutes in the early morning hours (7am) and a similar time at our return (between 9 and 10am).

A few tips:

• Get there early – not only do you beat the crowds but it’s a lot cooler for going up all those steps
• Dress modestly as a sign of respect – if your knees aren’t covered there’ll be an opportunity to buy/rent sarongs
• No need to pack food – there are a handful of vegetarian restaurants on the ground
• Beware of the wild monkeys – they won’t be of any bother unless you have flowers or food on you

Until next time

Once we had arrived, we immediately regretted not booking more time to stay in Kuala Lumpur. It was an amazing, diverse city with lots to see and do.

Top of our list of things to do when we next visit are to:

• Try out some vegetarian/vegan restaurants
• Find a rooftop pool to swim in
• Head to a Speakeasy Bar or two
• Explore KL’s Chinatown
• Visit some of KL’s parks for a relaxed afternoon

Let me know below whether you’ve been to KL or have a holiday booked and what you plan to do.

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If you’ve enjoyed this post you can follow me on social networks @veganbynicole or maybe check out some of my other posts;

• Vegan Travel: Krakow
• Vegan Travel: Shoredich, London
• Vegan Protein Powder Guide
• Vegan Perfumes Guide