Kuala Lumpur...through my eyes

Night Scene

With so many different cultures mixing together, the nightlife is anything but dull in Kuala Lumpur. Over the last few years, the buzzing Jalan Sultan Ismail - Jalan P Ramlee strip has become the place to be. Poppy Garden, located below Passion is one of the hottest nightspot in town and a house of ill repute. It became my favorite place to be; with a great crowd, good R&B music and a cozy, plush & inviting atmosphere. The decor is of a mixture of Zen and the Tropics, dimly lit but adds to a nice ambiance to the whole setting. My first time to Poppy was to celebrate Halloween at its themed party, Temptation, with Ju and Al all dressed-up in red and black! Having our very own bottle of ABSOLUT Vodka and a jug of cranberry, the alcohol consumption went on all night until closing. There, we met up with Ju's cousin & friends and with them they brought a bottle of Jack Daniels to the table. The second occasion was with Kr, Na and Ph; where I officially became a year older and drank two shots of tequila to celebrate. Other close-by spots worth checking-out include The Beach Club, Nuovo, 12 SI, Rum Jungle and Thai Club. There was another club that JU talked about but was not able to go - Luna Bar at the top of Menara PanGlobal. It's an open air pool side club with ambient music and awesome views of KL skyline. I guess that will be the spot to hit on my next vacation!

On my first night out with the gals, we met for dinner and drinks at Souled Out Cafe. It's located in Sri Desa Hartamas with a good selection of food & beverages and friendly staff. Not a really bad place to hang out with your good old buddies and have a drink! As the night lingered on, we decided to shift locations to Bangsar for some bar-hopping and non-stop drinking fest! Bangsar is known as one of Kuala Lumpur's premier nightspots, boasts a variety affordable late-night entertainment.

Telawi Street Bistro (TSB) was our first stop. It wasn't crowded so we headed upstairs and sat ourselves at the bar. I was told that their homemade vodka shots was the must to try. Hmmm! With that said...my cousin ordered my first shot for me ~ cilipadi flavor! Bare in mind, I can't eat cilipadi (the name is derived from the small chilies which diminutive nature will surprise you with the intensity of the hot chilli that burns the tongue) so it was rather a cool yet unpleasant experience. As soon as I was done with that shot, the bartender handed me a tall glass of ICE WATER to cool off! The second time around, I made sure I ordered my own flavor, and decided to give LYCHEE a try. It was damn good with the vodka! YUMMY! So as you can see, I've grown to love vodka ~ again. Then we walked down Telawi Street to another bar (I forget what it's called) and stayed there the rest of the night talking, dancing and drinking vodka-cranberry.

My next night out took me to Naili's, located in Sentul for dinner. I ordered its famous Nasi Lemak with Chicken Rendang (chicken in coconut milk) and a nice soothing Mango Flavored juice.

After dinner, Co and myself headed out to PJ and ended up at Waikiki Bar. We both were trying to call the rest to come out and join us but nobody seemed interested. In the end, Ju and Ka did finally come and join us. We sat in the back, by the pool table...drinking and listening to the live band play some cool tunes. Time never fails to speed up just a little when you're having fun!

The last club we all finally partied on was at Zouk Club along Jalan Ampang. For those of you familiar with the original Zouk in Singapore, will know what to expect at Zouk KL. It's considered as an another "not-to-be-missed" happening club in Kuala Lumpur, divided into two ~ The Mainroom and Velvet Underground.

Shopping - Shop Til You Drop

Shopping in KL is one of travel's greatest pleasures! The main shopping areas in the city are the Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman area, Jalan Petaling (Chinatown) and Jalan Bukit Bintang. What's there to buy? There's a wonderful array of handicrafts from intricate silver, brass and pewter items to pottery, rattan, batiks and wickerwork. You will find beautiful art objects and curious items from the orient with carpets and rugs of lustrous silk and fine wool in traditional designs of intricate geometric motifs or patterned in beautiful floral designs of pastel hues, which are abundant in Little India, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. Chinatown, Petaling Street is one of Kuala Lumpur's most popular tourist destinations. The area attracts many locals and visitors in search of bargain items, including inexpensive dresses, shoes, fabrics and souvenirs. It transforms itself into a bustling and lively night market when part of the road is closed to traffic at about 6:00 pm. The best part about shopping here is that prices are never really fixed, so you can haggle your way to what you feel is good. It was sweaty, hot and claustrophobic shuffling through the busy market stalls but worth the effort for the bargains to be had ~ a ROLEX watch!



A street of shopping malls, namely Bintang Walk, is known for its trendy outdoor cafes and five major shopping malls with over 3000 shops; a good place for buying designer collections, elegant footwear, exclusive watches and quality fabrics. Neighboring the Petronas Twin Towers, the Suria Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC) is the ultra-modern shopping complex offering specialty shops, departmental stores, fashion boutiques, designer fashion houses, jewelers and duty-free shops of the highest standards. Other large shopping complexes that deserves a mention include One Utama Shopping Complex, Mid-Valley Megamall and Sunway Pyramid. Last but not least: Mingle with the jostling crowd at the numerous roadside stalls or share in the heady excitement of the carnival like 'pasar malam' or night markets. This is held nightly in various places all over the city. Street cart vendors sell their wares, often competing with each other over who can shout out the prices loudest. It's a fun and lively experience for those who like to bargain and get the feel of an alternative nightlife. (note: photos to be added soon)

~~to be continued