Kuala Lumpur

A few days have passed, and I have now traveled through George Town and Kuala Lumpur!

My days in George Town were lovely, as I mentioned in the last post, I explored cafés, museums, the Indian Quarter, and the street art in the following days. There are many Indians living in Malaysia, so you can find a lot of authentic and incredibly delicious Indian food here. The Malaysian food culture is very meat and seafood-oriented, and when there is a vegetarian option, it is often lacking. But that's okay; I had Indian food every day in both George Town and Kuala Lumpur, and I couldn't have been happier with my choice!

After about 3 days in George Town, I took a flight to Kuala Lumpur. Upon arrival, I felt very comfortable very quickly. I had expected Kuala Lumpur to be very similar to Bangkok. However, if I had to describe it now, I would say it is a mix of modern Singapore with all its tall buildings and the simplicity and street food culture of Bangkok. Overall, it is much more laid-back in Kuala Lumpur, which I really enjoyed. I found two huge malls that were right near me. In the evening, I went to a rooftop bar with two girls I met at the hostel, from where you can see the Twin Towers perfectly. One of the girls had studied here for 3 months, so she was very familiar with the area!

The next morning, I had to get up early because the well-known Batu Caves (see the picture with the colorful stairs) are one of the few tourist attractions and thus, especially on a Sunday, crowded during peak times. I went there with someone from my hostel, and after climbing over 300 steps, I definitely realized that I wasn't moving much while on vacation ;) So it felt really good to exert myself physically again. I spent the rest of the day taking care of organizational matters, drinking coffee, and - as it should be - indulging in Indian food!

The next morning, I had to get up early again because my next destination is the Tioman Islands, where I will finally get my long-awaited beach vacation! There isn't much to do there except for beach, snorkeling, walking, eating, and lying in the sun reading! I'm looking forward to it because even though I've already been on vacation for a month, I haven't really relaxed yet, as there has always been so much to experience :)

Oh, and I tried durian for the first time. It's known as the stinky fruit, and in every airport and hotel, it explicitly states that it cannot be brought along. However, in the shop, I was explained that it only smells so bad in Thailand due to mass production; in Malaysia, it only had an unpleasant smell. The taste and texture are definitely an acquired taste, but apparently, there are many people who peel an entire durian and eat it completely. Depending on the variety, it can also be quite expensive; we paid 4€ for one “fruit bean” that was on the plate. But it was definitely an experience ;)