Day 2: KL by Simi

We had made extremely optimistic vague plans to rise early to get to the infamous Batu caves but sadly jet lag and lack of sleep on the plane meant we didn’t really get moving until 10am which was sadly a bit too late to head by then.

Millen had done a brilliant job of putting together a packed itinerary for us so was our tour guide for the day !

Jamoo was the first destination on his list which was an Instagram phenomenon.. a hole in the wall for serving matchas/ coffees etc.. served by some very creepy nails.. we all wanted food so had a quick glance and saw the long winding queue and moved on!

We walked through Chinatown towards a spot for breakfast we had selected . .. some nice cold coffees .. a big selection which took us a while to get our heads round .enjoyed our breakfast at Hock Kee Heritage.

It’s a wonderful city to just walk around and so diverse . In Chinatown around Petaling St and Central market it was deffo sensory overload time; dense, warm, loud, and layered- the kind of place where all five senses are working at once and none of them get a break.

Faded shophouse facades with peeling paint sat next to neon signs for hawker stalls. Steam rising everywhere.. Eashan had a name for it; I need to check with him… bear with ! Steam punk apparently ! From dumpling steamers, noodle woks, herbal soup pots to overworked air conditioning units .

Charcoal smoke from satay grills mixed with the sweetness of soy sauce reducing in a wok. It was also durian season with many shops especially the rather posh food malls proudly displaying their bountiful produce and the versatility of the durian apparently . I think it’s an acquired taste which none of us could sadly appreciate .

We headed to Rex KL which Millen directed us to. Once a grand cinema, this cultural icon has traded its silver screens for espresso machines, indie bookshops, and vintage treasures that deffo gave us Peckham Levels vibes .

The little shops had beautifully curated stuff but were deffo on the pricey side. The absolute highlight was the book shop BookXcess which is a seriously massive space which blends the building’s cinema history with something genuinely imaginative.

We walked in and were immediately swallowed up by a winding maze of bookshelves that weave through the old cinema’s original bones. Whoever designed the layout made brilliant use of the sloped staircases and balcony areas, turning them into a proper book maze full of tight corners and surprise finds at every turn and the five of us had a great time getting happily lost in it together.

Unsurprisingly, it’s become a magnet for Instagram photos. Anyone lucky enough to find a gap between the shelves tended to whip out their phone for a shot — and we were no exception, happily joining the queue of people waiting for their turn learning quickly the audience were not embarrassed to keep anyone else waiting and happy to have at least 20 shots before moving on!

Right by the entrance of REXKL was yet another coffee place - Stellar Coffee, perfectly placed to attract Matty who was in need of a caffeine fix. He couldn’t resist grabbing a quick takeaway coffee from here before we headed off towards the markets .

Our next stop was Central market . Housed in a beautiful old Art Deco building painted in soft blue. The shops seems to deffo be focussed on the traveller and mainly seems to sell local crafts, batik textiles, artwork, and souvenirs with a distinctly Malaysian identity…. Ooh and a lot of stationery.

We opted for a bit more shopping taking in various shops on the way and then the frenetic energy of the infamous Petaling St. All fun ! We purchased some trainers , a belt, some sunglasses, a T-shirt and a bag to carry all our purchases! All the shopping warranted a lunch stop !

After filling our bellies with yet more Malaysian yumminess we headed to Kwai Chai Hong, another Tiktok popular site according to our tour guide Millen. . Long neglected and in bad shape, a project was recently initiated to give this secret alley a big makeover to bring back the golden age of Chinatown.

Kwai Chai Hong is now quite popular for its interactive art. There is a chair to sit on in front of the mural of a barber, for example, and a real-life jumping rope in front of a mural of little girls playing on the street murals.

After taking our few snaps we then decided to head to see the historic cultural centre of the city .

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