As some of you know, I have had my travelling wings clipped temporarily by a particularly difficult pregnancy.  Consequently I am incredibly jealous of today’s contributor who has recently visited a city at the top of my “want to go” list.  Journalist,editor and traveling mum Erika Jonsson shares her experiences visiting Malaysia’s Kuala Lumpur with her little one.  

The KL skyline

My husband and I first visited Malaysia’s vibrant capital for New Year’s Eve 2009. We spent just shy of a week wandering through the distinct neighbourhoods that make up Kuala Lumpur, and I vividly remember thinking what a great city it would be to explore with a child. We were trying for a baby and I was already seeing the world through family-friendly eyes.

Fast-forward three and a half years and my husband and I had the chance to road-test Malaysia with a boisterous, curious toddler. For the most part, I think I was right in my initial assessment. KL is a great city for families.

We arrived by train from Singapore and headed straight to our accommodation via the monorail. We had booked a two-bedroom apartment through AirBnB – it has been a great way to find reasonably priced digs since starting a family and our place in KL was no exception. KL’s trains and monorail will get you to most of the places you’re likely to have on your itinerary but be warned that the distances between stations that appear to be linked can be further than you imagine.

All kinds of deliciousness in KL

In no particular order, here’s a few of KL’s top family activities:

1. The amazing KLCC park could take up a whole day without much effort. Our son loved the expansive playgrounds, even in the sticky heat, and the free water park was the perfect place to cool off after some hard-core running around. It’s generally best for women to wear modest bathing suits in Malaysia – you can get away with bikinis in some situations but a one-piece or a T-shirt over the top is more respectful. Men seem to wear Speedoes or tight-fitted trunks rather than boardshorts but this is less of an issue. The impressive Petronas Towers had a wow factor for the toddler, but the huge bowl of shaved mango ice that capped off the day was the highlight for him. Top tip: Look for free water parks on the rooftops of many of KL’s malls.
2. Eating in KL is a big part of the adventure and fun. Night markets at Jalan Alor – KL’s “eat street” are a real eye-opener and a great way to sample lots of different dishes and satisfy even the fussiest toddler. We ordered lots of small dishes and if we were grabbing food for Joseph we just told the cook it was for the “baby” and they would hold off on the chilli. Satay skewers were a reliable fall-back option when our son got sick of noodles or fried rice. Top tip: The skewer food is usually colour-coded – different colours have different prices – so you can add up your bill pretty easily if you eat this way.
3. KL Bird Park is world-renowned and certainly provided an enjoyable morning for our family. It’s a bit of a hike to reach by public transport, but taxis are pretty cheap if you’re so inclined. You can buy food for the fish and birds from dispensers around the park.
4. Catch a train straight to the entry of the Batu Caves, a Hindu holy site with numbered steps leading into a series of limestone caves. The caves contain temples and plenty of macaque monkeys. Don’t get food or drink out of your bag while you’re in the caves or on the stairs as the monkeys will try to pinch things – they are especially bold when you’re heading down the stairs as they seem to feel they have the ascendancy.
5. If you’re over the heat, the kids are likely to love Aquaria. Entry is pretty pricey but you’ll spend a couple of magical hours finding Nemo, snakes, crocodiles, jellyfish and thousands of varieties of fish and other sea creatures. There’s a travelator through part of the aquarium – make sure you hop on and off as you’re moving through as the guards sometimes won’t let you go back through a second time.
6. Explore the city on foot. KL’s different ethnic groups – Chinese, Indian and native Malay – all bring different styles of food, architecture and spirituality into the city. The Moghul architecture of the Colonial District is particularly impressive, especially Old KL Sentral Station and the Railways Administration Building. People are very friendly, too, especially if you happen to have a blond bub in tow. Our son charmed the locals by calling the old men and women “Aunty” and “Uncle”.

A KL playground

Kuala Lumpur is certainly a good option for a family holiday with a big cultural influence without a serious language barrier. It’s probably more suited for toddlers and older children than people with small babies as it’s not always stroller-friendly, but it ticks a lot of boxes for me. It’s a low-risk holiday destination; the roads are safer than in most Asian countries; infrastructure is pretty good (though not as good as Singapore’s); food is cheap and delicious; and the city is relatively clean. Just your standard holiday vaccinations (hepatitis A and B) are recommended for most parts of Malaysia. KL has plenty of hustle and bustle without too much harassment or danger. And you get serious bang for your buck on the accommodation front: our two-bedroom apartment, with full kitchen, two bathrooms and a pool in the complex, was about $85 a night in the heart of the city. If you’ve travelled with kids before, you should definitely have KL on your list.

KL is a city of ethnic diversity

This blog provides tips and advice for parents traveling with small children including attraction and accommodation reviews.  You can join us on Facebook to receive updates to your news feed.

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