Travelersx2 saw things this way:
Overall
4
It's not quite Singapore, but it is a modern, prosperous and diverse city., May 15, 2013
Reviewer: Travelersx2
Pros: Impressive modern architecture, the central market, a city that works.
Cons: Distance from the port means insufficient time to explore the city in one day.
We were taught in school that Asia is part of the Old World. But Kuala Lumpur, Malaysias capital, is younger by a few years than our hometown of Sacramento. And like Sacramento, KL (Kuala Lumpurs nickname) got its start as a mining town, though for tin rather than gold. But as one would expect, the contrasts are more noteworthy than the parallels. With a population of around 2 million, KL certainly feels much more urban with arguably worse traffic than Sacramento. Our first majority Muslim city impressed us with its modernity and its diversity. Many high-rise buildings dominate the skyline, especially the Petronas Towers, a magnificent building that would do any city, including New York or Chicago, proud. We docked at Port Klang on the Straits of Malacca on time at 9:00 A.M. and, though it took maybe 15 minutes for local authorities to clear the vessel, those of us on excursions were able to depart as scheduled. Mrs. Ning, our tour guide for KL, proved perhaps the model of the modern Muslim woman. She was authoritative, self-assured, fluent in English and conversant in several languages, including German. She was frank and direct, telling us that her mother was on husband number six, but that she had one husband and five children. She talked about law enforcement in Malaysia, including some harsh punishments, and spoke candidly about her countrys social problems, its politics and government. She seemed proud of her country while acknowledging its imperfections. Our excursion took-in the National Monument dedicated to soldiers who sacrificed to defend the country during a Communist insurgency in the 1950s. The heroic sized bronze statue was designed by Felix de Weldon, who also did the Iwo Jima Memorial. Mrs. Ning pointed out that the faces of the soldiers in the monument didnt look Malaysian and wondered if Mr. de Weldon had ever seen a Malaysian. Brief photo stops at the modern National Mosque, the old Railway Station, and near the Petronas Towers, were followed by a visit to the Central Market where we had about 40 minutes to shop for handicrafts, clothing and souvenirs or indulge in a fish pedicure. Another photo stop at Independence Square where, Mrs. Ning said the young people used to hang-out until Petronas Towers with its air conditioned mall opened, preceded our buffet lunch at the Federal Hotels Veranda Restaurant. We sampled tasty dishes from Malaysian, Chinese and Indian cuisine. We ended the tour at the Royal Selangor Pewter Factory and Visitor Center, where we learned about the history of Tin mining in Malaysia (pewter is 97% tin) and the manufacturing and crafting process. With only a few minutes to browse in the gift shop, we were a bit disappointed not to have enough time to select one of the beautifully crafted pewter artifacts to take home. Still, the pewter factory, like Kuala Lumpur, and Mrs. Ning, will leave an indelible impression.
