17 Apr 2025
We had a fantastic day visiting Kuala Lumpur with Andy! KL is a fascinating contrast to Singapore and this tour is a great way to explore another country in a limited amount of time. We learned so much from Andy about life in both Malaysia and Singapore; he was super nice, as well! The van was comfortable which is important since there is a lot of driving involved. And Andy is a safe driver, too! Don't expect too much scenery along the drive, it was mainly palm oil groves and it was mostly dark on the way back.
Our favorite stop was Batu Caves. Be sure to wear closed toe shoes and long pants despite the heat. Long pants are required for the temple and I think closed toe shoes are important for hygiene reasons due to the amount of monkeys there. The monkeys were not particularly aggressive but can be a little intimidating when you're climbing the steps and they are sitting nearby on the handrails, etc. It's such a cool photo op though and climbing the 272 steps to the top gives you quite a workout but you can go as slow as you need to and there are lots of platforms to rest. It may not be a good idea for someone scared of heights, though. I got a little nervous coming down the steps a few times and made sure to hang onto the hand rails.
Our next stop was the Petronas Twin Towers which is a must-do when you're visiting KL. Andy will send you a link to purchase tickets in advance and they work out to be about $21USD per person. The next stop was Central Market where we had a fantastic lunch and did a little shopping. I wish I would have had more time to shop as the prices were great and it was the perfect place to pick up Malaysian souvenirs, like batik scarves. If you want more than 30 minutes or so to shop, let Andy know in advance and I'm sure he would be able to accommodate it.
Our last stop was the Thean Hou Temple, which was quite beautiful. Getting home took a little longer than expected due to KL traffic so don't make dinner reservations for that evening unless you can cancel them without penalty. We didn't end up getting back to Singapore until around 11pm or so. We had a fantastic time and really enjoyed getting to know Andy. Thank you!