Solo Travel to Malaysia: What I Would Do Differently

My first impressions after visiting my first Islamic country* went a lot like this: walk off the plane,  hop on the subway, realize no one else is wearing anything that resembles a grey, sleeveless, jumpsuit, feel embarrassed, disembark the subway, enter the chaotic streets of Kuala Lumpur, and state out loud to absolutely no one, “Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Thailand anymore”. Or something like that.

If I am being completely transparent, before visiting Malaysia, I didn’t even know that the most professed religion {approximately 61%} was Islam. After planning a week long adventure in Thailand, admittedly I didn’t do as much research in anticipation of 72 hours in Kuala Lumpur. Sure, I read blog posts relating to cultural norms prior to arriving, but I didn’t comprehend the full meaning of them until I got there.

Simply put, I was intimidated.

Not having much of a religious background at all, I tend to be uneducated in terms of the way people practice their own. I was certain I was going to offend someone, regardless of my general open-mindedness and willingness to learn. That being said, throughout the duration of my three days in Kuala Lumpur, I was completely mesmerized.  I loved the chaos, the vast cultural differences, and especially the food.

*as a note to my first statement in this post, I have technically visited Indonesia {another predominantly Islamic country} prior to Malaysia. That being said I only traveled to Bali and Gili Air. Both of these locations felt significantly more Westernized than Kuala Lumpur, hence the lack of culture shock.

For anyone else planning to visit Malaysia {and specifically Kuala Lumpur}, I decided to write a list of things I wish I’d done differently:

Dressed accordingly

I think this is where I bombed the most on my trip to Malaysia. I kind of assumed I could dress similarly to the way I had in Thailand and Indonesia. But it’s simply not the case. Whereas in Thailand the custom is to cover your shoulders, in Malaysia the focus is centered around covering your legs. Therefore, even with a scarf covering my shoulders, I felt very uncomfortable exposing my legs to the world.

To be honest, I never really felt comfortable at any time in what I was wearing. With better planning I could have avoided this wardrobe malfunction, however, the staring is inevitable regardless of what you are wearing. I’ve learned that from living in South Korea as a foreigner…

Spent more than three days in Malaysia

After spending only one afternoon in Kuala Lumpur, I knew I’d made the mistake of only booking accommodation for a few days. Unfortunately, I had only 13 days total in Southeast Asia, but I would have happily given up a few days on the islands in Thailand to explore more of what Malaysia had to offer. Which leads me to my next point…

Traveled outside of Kuala Lumpur

I wish I would have ventured outside of the capital city, and explored more of Malaysia. While I absolutely loved Kuala Lumpur, I knew I was only getting a small taste of what the country had to offer. Malaysia has some absolutely stunning beaches as well as some beautiful countryside getaways. I am planning to return to Southeast Asia next year {with a couple special guests thrown in the mix!}, so maybe I’ll convince one of them to rediscover Malaysia with me.

Purchased data for my phone

While in Thailand, I purchased a SIM card with data to last me over a week. Since I was only in Kuala Lumpur for a few measly days, I didn’t think it was necessary to invest in a SIM card. While I did manage to navigate the city the old fashion way, sans technology, it would have been extremely helpful to not have needed to.

Unlike France, where data cost me an arm and a leg, Malaysia is an extremely affordable country to travel to. Therefore, data would have been such a small cost, and yet would have made such a large impact on my visit. What a great segue to my next point…

Utilized taxi’s

I found myself in some pretty questionable neighborhoods {no thanks to Google maps}, and would have welcomed the opportunity to call a taxi. Again, such a small cost for such a convenient resource. Some of the locations I visited {Thean Hou Temple, for example}, were a bit off the beaten track. I never ran into any real danger, but being in an unfamiliar foreign country can always be a bit overwhelming. In my opinion it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Ventured out in the evening

Another instance in which intimidation played a large role in Kuala Lumpur: life after dark. Being a solo traveler has its disadvantages. Exploring a city after dark is one of the most prominent moments in which I find myself missing a travel companion. I’m sure I would have been perfectly fine, but I rarely explore foreign places once the sun sets when I travel alone. To be honest, it’s normally because I’m too exhausted to venture out past 8:00 PM, but I also take my safety into account. Another ‘better safe than sorry’ situation.

That being said, I was so anxious {in a good way} to explore Kuala Lumpur in the evenings. I especially wanted to see the Petronus Towers at night. My hostel did have a beautiful rooftop with spectacular views of the KL Tower. To see the buildings shine {bright like a diamond} in the evenings was a real treat. I wish I would have taken more advantage of the city in this light, however I opted against it.

Things I’m glad I did:

We all live and learn, and that’s the true beauty of travel. Luckily, there are platforms now that allow us to share our newfound knowledge in order to avoid others making similar mistakes. I must give a shout out to the bloggers before me that learned valuable lessons traveling through Malaysia. They allowed me to avoid certain mistakes, and prioritize my trip because of information they gathered abroad. Therefore, I also wanted to share some of the things I was glad I did while traveling to Malaysia:

Picked accommodation in central Kuala Lumpur

Seriously, I couldn’t have picked a better hostel. I will rant and rave about 1000 Miles Hostel until the cows come home. I am in no way sponsored by or affiliated with the hostel, but it was the best hostel experience I had in Southeast Asia. The staff were lovely, the beds were large and comfortable, and the location was perfect.

You could walk from the hostel to most of the popular landmarks {Petronus Towers, Eco Park, Chinatown, Central Market}, and the closest metro line was just a three minute walk. LOKL, a popular cafe among locals, can be found literally across the street. I mean, it doesn’t get much better. If I am ever in Kuala Lumpur again, I will most definitely stay at 1000 Miles.

Bought a scarf

Before visiting the Batu Caves, I stopped by a local street vendor and purchased a delicate scarf. It was gold, with lots of intricate details, and covered the top half of my body for the majority of the trip. I took it off for most of my Instagram photos, but otherwise that thing was glued to me.

Unfortunately, since I didn’t have a chance to wash it, a yellow residue transferred onto the clothes I was wearing. But other than having to throw out half my wardrobe, I was happy with my purchase. A scarf is an absolute must when traveling throughout Asia. It’s also one of the first ‘souvenirs’ I have from a foreign country.

Visited Thean Hou Temple

For a temple that doesn’t get nearly enough attention, Thean Hou Temple was a highlight during my time in Kuala Lumpur. Just a few minute drive from Brickfields, Thean Hou sits above the city offering great views, and even better design envy. Every inch of this temple is Instagrammable. With vibrant lanterns and mosaic dragons, it’s a perfect place to explore. This Chinese temple is rarely crowded before 10:00 AM, and I had it nearly to myself at 8:30 AM.

Utilized public transportation

While I previously mentioned my lack of utilization of taxi’s in Kuala Lumpur, I did do a great job of using public transportation. In most cities I visit, this is the only form of transportation I use. The metro system in Kuala Lumpur is not the easiest in the world to navigate, I must admit. That being said, it was extremely easy to arrive from the airport and get to central Kuala Lumpur, as well as leave from central Kuala Lumpur to grab a bus to Singapore.

One word of caution: when traveling to and from the Batu Caves via public transportation, check the train schedule. Trains run hourly, if not every 90 minutes. Personally, I ended up waiting an hour to catch a train back to central Kuala Lumpur because I had already entered the platform. As you can imagine, it was a real big pain in the ass, but of course, not the end of the world.

Didn’t prioritize the Petronus Towers

And finally, I’m glad I didn’t focus much effort into visiting the Petronus Towers. While I did mention I wish I would have seen them shine at night, during the day they were somewhat underwhelming. I’m still glad I witnessed them for myself, however it wasn’t necessary to my trip. If you are debating whether or not to add them to your itinerary, I would suggest doing so in the evening, if at all.

Over to you, have you visited Malaysia? What would you have done differently?