Two Nights in Kuala Lumpur

We spent two nights, but only one full day, in Kuala Lumpur after being in Cambodia for a week. It was a quick trip and I can easily imagine spending a lot longer in this city. There is a lot going on and the city is humming with activity day and night. Unfortunately we lost a bit of time due to a flight delay, but we made the most of it while we were there. I loved the mix of modern city and old traditions. It's a bit like Singapore in that way, but it's more gritty- not in a bad way, just in a real way. I also love hearing the call to prayer in this Muslim city. There is a lot to see and do here, so without further ado...

Things we did in our day in KL

Batu Caves. Rainbow stairs and brightly painted everything. This amazing limestone hill has three major caves carved into it with Hindu temples tucked inside. A giant gold Hindu God greets you and there are real live monkeys clamoring around the stairs. So if you don't like monkeys (or are scared like me) I would definitely advise moving swiftly and do not eat anything while climbing the stairs!!
Explore Merdeka Square. The buildings are beautiful here in the old colonial center of town.
Masjid Jamek. Women are given a purple robe to cover your head and body while touring the mosque. Strangely, there was an archery range set up in the middle of the complex and the kids enjoyed shooting a few arrows.
Sin Sze Si Ya. My daughter and I were fortunate enough to be born in the right months to receive a special blessing ritual at oldest Taoist temple in Kuala Lumpur.
Sri Mahamariamman. This Chinatown Hindu temple was rocking when we got there. It seems like a place of worship and much joy.
Petronas Towers. We had a beautiful view of the towers from our hotel room. The architecture is extraordinary and reminds me a bit of the Marina City buildings in Chicago. We got quite excited about the grocery store in the basement too.
Dining in the Dark. This was such a unique experience. We were led into a pitch black dark dining room and handed over to blind servers who carefully led us to our table. It was so bizarre - and slightly terrifying- to not be able to see a single thing. We were not told what we were eating throughout the courses and it wasn't until after dinner that we figured out what each thing was. Once we got comfortable with our own "blindness" we carried on with our dinner like normal with excited conversation about the food and experience. I would recommend this experience with kids. The food was good and having that brief understanding of life without sight was really worth it. If I were there with only my spouse or friend, I am not sure I would do this, though.

Things I want to do next time

Islamic Arts Museum
Butterfly Park
Bazaar Baru Chow Kit Market
Watch the sunset From The Heli Lounge Bar
Dinner at Feugo at the Troika Sky Dining. Our flight delay prohibited us from making this reservation, but I had some friends go after and they raved about the food.

Where we stayed

Grand Hyatt. The location of the hotel is great and the rooftop pool is beautiful. We really enjoyed our two nights here.