Kuala Lumpur City Walk
Introduction
I recently explored Kuala Lumpur on foot and found the Kuala Lumpur City Walk to be a worthwhile experience. While there are challenges such as limited transport connectivity, lack of pedestrian walkways, safety concerns, and the outdoor heat, I still recommend exploring the city on foot. During my recent trip to The Exchange TRX and Central Market, I spent half a day with my husband, Kydd, using public transportation to explore the city centre. Our challenge was to pay less than RM100 throughout the day. Our main goal was to visit the latest premium mall in Kuala Lumpur, which opened in November 2023. We were excited to have the chance to see it finally!
Table of Contents
The MRT system is commendable for being new, modern, and female-friendly.
We began our day by taking the LRT and transferring to the MRT yellow line towards TRX station. Fortunately, there was an LRT station near our residence, and we reached there in less than ten minutes by walking. The weather had cooled in the last few days, and we thoroughly enjoyed our ride on the MRT. The stunning view of the Kuala Lumpur skyline was a pleasant surprise. It’s also worth noting that there’s a train coach exclusively for women, a great initiative by MRT Malaysia. Kudos to them!
The Exchange TRX - The Fifth Avenue of Kuala Lumpur
If you’re planning a trip to Kuala Lumpur, do explore the Tun Razak Exchange (TRX), which opened in November 2023. Located in the heart of the City, it’s easily accessible anywhere in the city, making it a must-visit destination for any traveller.
Inside the TRX, you will find a wide range of shopping, dining, and entertainment options. The mall features high-end luxury brands, including Alexander McQueen, Chanel, Gucci, and Prada, as well as a range of mid-range and affordable options. You can also find various dining options, from quick bites to fine-dining restaurants serving international cuisines. Besides shopping and dining, TRX also hosts cultural attractions and events, such as art exhibitions and performances. The public spaces in TRX are well-designed with beautiful landscaping that provides visitors with a relaxing and enjoyable environment. Overall, TRX is an excellent destination for exploring and experiencing the vibrant city of Kuala Lumpur.
Budget(-ish) Eat @ Food Exchange
As we were on a budget, it helped us to narrow down our lunch choices. The mall had plenty of premium and budget food options, but being our first time there, we decided to head straight to the Food Exchange. The Food Exchange had a variety of food choices, ranging from local delicacies like chicken rice and kolo mee to international delights such as Thai and Western foods.
We came across a stall that sold Thai Street Food, which caught our attention. They offered dishes like basil with minced chicken rice and green curry. We ordered the Kuay Teow Gai (chicken noodle soup) and Green Curry Chicken rice, which cost less than RM20 each. The food tasted authentic and delicious.
SEIBU: The Fancy Department Store
One of the shops I’d like to highlight is SEIBU. SEIBU is a luxury department store brand from Japan that opened its first outlet in Malaysia, here in TRX. It’s a nice place to discover new luxury, international contemporary, and Japanese brands. We visited the mall on a weekday, so it’s not crowded– so spacious and comfortable. I still think that Kuala Lumpur provides the best mall shopping experience in the world – plenty of local and international options, air-conditioned, spacious, and not so crowded. In addition, there are many nice cafes inside the mall, that you can easily spend the day in!
After exploring the TRX mall, we made our way (to Pasar Seni), where Kydd wanted to purchase some new brushes for his latest art projects. It was convenient to get there from the TRX mall using the MRT green line. We only had to travel three stops, roughly 20 minutes.
Where Kuala Lumpur Begins
Kuala Lumpur is named the “muddy confluence” because it is where the Klang River and the Gombak River meet. You can witness this confluence at the Masjid Jamek Lookout Point at the River of Life.
Next to the River stands the Central Market (Malay: Pasar Seni), established in 1888 as a wet market by the Chinese Kapitan Yap Ah Loy during the colonial era. The current Art-Deco building only adopted its current style in the 1930s. During my teenage years, the market had already transformed into a marketplace for arts and handicrafts. At that time, many antique, batik, and handicraft shops were divided into sections by different cultures. However, today, apart from the original camera shop and one antique shop on the ground floor, most shops have converted to modern souvenir shops.
I remember Pasar Seni as a bustling transportation hub in Kuala Lumpur. When I was in high school, I had to commute there daily because there were no direct buses from my home to the school. I would take a bus from Jalan Silang (where Mydin is located now) to Pasar Seni, and then transfer to another bus to get to school.
KL Commercial Book & Mingle Cafe
I remember numerous bookstores thriving in the Petaling Street / Jalan Sultan area during the 1990s and early 2000s. In addition to bookstores, there were also many cafes, tea shops, manga/DVD rental stores, souvenir shops, art supply shops, and tuition centres catering to students. Unfortunately, the art shops near Pasar Seni that I used to patronise have shut down over the years. With Google Maps’ aid, we found a stationary shop nearby but didn’t find what we wanted.
We walked to Jalan Sultan, where KL Commercial Book is, to look for the brushes. KL Commercial Book used to be known as Shanghai Bookstore. Thankfully, Kydd found what he was looking for. After he got his brushes, we took a break at a nearby café where we enjoyed sipping coconut coffee and flower tea. This was my third time visiting Mingle Café, and I must say, it’s a lovely spot, especially in the afternoon when the light is perfect for taking great photos! Our day came to an end when we walked to the LRT station and went back home.
Visit KL and do a city walk with the Kuala Lumpur City Walk Map!
Kuala Lumpur may not be the top destination for every Southeast Asian traveller. However, as a local, I recommend exploring the city on foot for a day or two. It will be worth it and offer plenty of opportunities to capture beautiful photos for Instagram.
I’ve organised the Kuala Lumpur Places of Interest on Google My Map. You can use the sidebar to filter your preferred experiences. For trip planning, you can also look at the Malaysia Travel Guide or Malaysia Travel Itinerary. Enjoy!
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ABOUT ME
Hey, it’s Anne Lim! I’m a Malaysian who has had the chance to explore 15 countries and I can’t wait to visit many more.
Please join me and adventure along!