Notes From Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
A solid option for expatriate life in South-East Asia | Travelling notes
I have set up base in an area of Kuala Lumpur called Chow Kit, at a hotel named ‘The Chow Kit’. It is a boutique style hotel with an old world Malaysian feel.
Similar to that of the Majestic hotel about 15 minutes drive away.
I tend to enjoy boutique hotels as with their emphasis on design and experience they offer something unique and tend to have a lower price tag than the top hotel chains.
It has a similar feel to that of The Quba Hotel in Pattaya, Thailand which I enjoy staying at frequently.
The area of Chow Kit is named after a Penang born tin mining tycoon named Loke Chow Kit who established roots in the area. He became the first local owner of a department store named Chow Kit & Co, and was a municipal councillor and public official.
Cool name for a suburb isn’t it? ‘Chow Kit’.
I haven’t been to Malaysia or Kuala Lumpur in 19 years. The last time I visited I came with a band I was a part of and we played a show at a venue called ‘KL Jam Asia’. I haven’t checked, but I wonder if that place is still around.
Travelling alone to a city is much different than travelling with, family, friends or if you are part of a group with business to attend to. You get to experience a city how you would live there and you can do whatever you would like to do.
When I travel now I basically transplant the same routine that I have in my home base of Bangkok, Thailand.
Doing this lets you experience what it would be like to live in that place day to day.
My routine— I work and write in the morning at the hotel, I drink coffee, I eat lunch and then I go for a long walk and explore different areas of the city.
After I have sufficiently depleted my energy in the afternoon— every day so far I have ended up at the The Smoke House to enjoy a cigar, drink my last coffee for the day and read.
The Smoke House is a stand alone building located within the grounds of The Majestic Hotel.
The atmosphere here is completely my vibe, it is quiet and has old world elegance and charm. The layout is great, the wait staff present very well and provide good service.
The house has multiple rooms with a dining room, different seating arrangements and an appropriately placed pool table in which I have never seen in a cigar lounge before.
I have been binging on articles from a publication which is a new favourite called ‘ Renaissance Flaneur’. It is written by a man from Bangkok, Thailand named Patrick Gunn.
He writes great essays on classic culture and the sartorial life.
The vibe in Kuala Lumpur is quiet, reserved and the everyday culture seems to derive from the Islamic religion. It seems the culture is focussed around food and family. There are relatively not many entertainment services available when compared to a similar sized city.
There is a nice buzz around in the Bukit Bintang area which is considered the ‘downtown’ of KL. The area houses the most famous mall ‘Pavilion’ and has a bar street where all the expats hang out.
Chinatown is also a bustling area. It has Petalling St where you can buy fake goods and has a currently trendy creative hub called Rex KL which houses an interesting multi-level bookstore primed for Instagram photoshoots.
If you are looking to relocate from a Western country Malaysia presents a decent option. It is relatively affordable and it has good infrastructure with multiple train lines and a monorail in the city.
The Air Asia airline is based in Malaysia, the airline provides many well priced flights within South-East Asia and beyond which is great for convenience and flexibility. It is my favourite airline to use here.
There are many good and well priced hotels to stay at. If you like the boutique experience I can recommend The Chow Kit Hotel which has a great restaurant and bar and is also close to the monorail which gets you to the airport.
I personally can not see myself living here or staying for long periods of time but it may suit others, especially those that practice the Islamic religion or have a family.
I would consider returning in the future if I want to focus on a work project or to perhaps attend the annual Nomad Capitalist event that has been held recently at The Majestic Hotel.
If you are a man and enjoy dating and meeting girls, religion seems to be a factor. Unless you are muslim other countries within Asia present better opportunities in my opinion.
I am over halfway through my stay now. I just thought I would drop a report and experiment with this style of travel writing.
I hope this has provided a little insight into life in KL, Malaysia.
Until next time.
-Shernon