Kuala Lumpur: Best Religious Sites
Batu Caves
Starting our journey through KL’s famous religious sites is Batu Caves, a massive cave carved into ancient limestone just outside the city. It has served as a Hindu religious site for centuries, and has since grown into a vast complex with 272 brightly colored steps, and a towering 140-foot statue of Murugan, the Hindu god of war. The rainbow staircase leading into the mountain, combined with the enormous statue, creates the feeling of a temple reaching endlessly toward the sky.
Batu Caves is one of Malaysia’s most visited landmarks, drawing both worshippers and travelers from around the world, so it’s best to arrive as early as possible. We were lucky to have the place almost entirely to ourselves, with only a few temple workers and a couple of tourists nearby. Music echoed from inside the cave, filling the air with a calm and unforgettable atmosphere.
The outside alone is stunning, but the view only becomes more impressive as you climb higher. The staircase is full of macaques, a common monkey species in Southeast Asia. These animals can be aggressive if provoked, so smiling at them, touching, or offering food, is not recommended. Thankfully, the monkeys were calm while we made our way up the steep steps. The view from the top is spectacular, but the real wonder begins inside the cave. The interior is vast, with high ceilings and temple structures built within. We arrived early in the morning during a time of ritual, as priests cleaned shrines and music echoed off the stone walls. We’ve visited many temples from different faiths, but this one stands out as one of the most unique experiences we’ve ever had.
VCR Coffee
In every country we visit, we try to find a specialty coffee shop. On our first day, we struck gold with Feeka Coffee Roasters, so I didn’t have high expectations for VCR. I knew less about it, and the reviews didn’t sound as promising. How wrong I was. The moment we walked in, I fell in love with the decor. It had the usual industrial, exposed-concrete style, but with much more class and attention to detail than most cafes. Natural light poured in through the windows, and we sat on the second floor, surrounded by trees with a cozy greenhouse atmosphere.
The coffee was excellent, easily an A-tier pour-over. But it wasn’t just the coffee, we were a little hungry and decided on a whim to order chicken and waffles. That turned out to be one of the best choices of the trip, because it was the best chicken and waffles we’ve ever had. I’m not usually a big fan of Western breakfast food, so I was shocked by how good it was. The chicken was perfectly crispy and juicy, the waffle was soft and buttery, and the syrup had just the right sweetness, with pomegranate seeds adding a bright pop of flavor. It paired perfectly with my coffee, and we were so glad we decided to try the food, it ended up being a highlight of our trip.
Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan
Yemisi and I are from America, and we both grew up in Christian households around the turn of the century. As you can imagine, there was a strong cultural and religious bias against Muslims during that time. Thankfully, our parents didn’t raise us that way, but those ideas were still around us as we grew up. Malaysia was the first majority Islamic country we had ever visited, so I wasn’t sure what it would feel like to visit a mosque for the first time. Looking back, it’s funny because we’ve now visited many incredible mosques, from the largest in Asia in Kazakhstan to one covered in gold in Brunei. But at that moment, we were both a bit nervous and very curious as we walked up the marble steps and took off our shoes.
Like many mosques, Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan offers free tours. We were assigned a guide who began showing us around the building. I was surprised by how cool it felt inside. Even though it was blazing hot outside, the high ceilings and open layout let the breeze flow over the marble floors. Walking barefoot on the smooth stone was so refreshing. As we toured, our guide asked if we had been to a mosque before and if we were religious. He did a wonderful job introducing us to a culture and faith I knew very little about. It was such a calming and peaceful experience, made even better because we had the entire mosque to ourselves in the middle of the day.
There are several other major mosques in the city, including the National Mosque, but I’m really glad we chose this one. Our guide was incredibly kind and gave us a thoughtful private tour. I think it’s so important to understand religions and cultures outside your own. You quickly realize how similar people are everywhere and how much kindness there is in the world. This visit marked the beginning of my journey to better understand Islamic culture, and I’m so glad we went. Our guide also gave us plenty of time to explore on our own and take photos, which allowed us to fully enjoy the beautiful architecture. That’s when I realized that mosques are my favorite religious buildings to visit because of their beauty and the peaceful feeling they bring.
Wong Mei Kee
Continuing our multicultural journey through KL, our next stop was Wong Mei Kee. Malaysia has a large population of Chinese immigrants, and there are plenty of Chinese and fusion restaurants. Wong Mei Kee is one of those rare spots with only a few menu items and a line that stretches around the block. They are open for just a few hours each day and always sell out. They’ve held a Michelin Bib Gourmand recommendation for years. While we were in line, we met a local Malay who told us we had made the right choice. He explained that the owner is extremely picky and will throw out any meat that isn’t perfect or is cooked even slightly wrong. On top of that, the prices are incredibly low, only a few dollars for a full meal.
If you don’t arrive early, the wait can be up to an hour to order, sit, and get your food. Luckily, our wait wasn’t too long, though the place was packed and the line kept growing. We ordered the siew yok (roasted pork belly) and roasted chicken wing and breast. We’ve had roasted pork before, but this was truly on another level. The cut was perfectly fatty with the crispiest skin I’ve ever tasted. The chicken on its own was less impressive, but the chili oil on the side made it delicious. Despite the long lines, this is one place you absolutely have to try. It’s easily one of the best street food spots we’ve found in all our travels.
Thean Hou Temple
If you thought we were finished after visiting Hindu and Islamic sites, think again. Our last big stop of the day was Thean Hou Temple. This Buddhist temple sits on a hill near downtown Kuala Lumpur. It’s smaller than the mosque and Batu Caves, but still well worth visiting for an hour or so. The architecture follows classic Buddhist design, with layered roofs, intricate details, and balanced symmetry. It was opened surprisingly recently in 1987, but it still makes a strong impression.
The upper level around the courtyard is open to the public, and you can walk up to the roof for an amazing view of the city below. Lanterns hang across the courtyard, creating a beautiful sight when they’re lit at night. We made the mistake of visiting at midday when the sun was blazing, but thankfully, there’s plenty of shade and indoor space to cool off. Even though it was smaller than we expected, it was incredible to see so many different religious influences in one city in a single day. To this day, we’ve never experienced so much visible multiculturalism anywhere else in Asia.
Exploring Bukit Bintang
After the sun went down, we headed back to Bukit Bintang, the shopping district of the city. This trendy neighborhood is the life of the city at night, with hundreds of large malls, shopping streets, markets, bars, and restaurants. The monorail comes straight through the street, glowing in the neon signs, making it feel futuristic. In the center is a massive crosswalk that reminded me of Shibuya in Tokyo, with thousands of people scrambling in every direction. We didn’t have a specific reason for coming here other than to see the nightlife, but we were blown away by how much energy there was.
After spending a few hours in the malls, we came away with some clothes, ice cream, and bird nest soda. Between the bar from the night before and all of the fun we had here, I would say Bukit Bintang is one of my favorite shopping districts in all of Asia.
Final Thoughts
For me, Kuala Lumpur left a lasting impression. We visited early on in our world travels, and it was the first city that showed me the diversity of Asia. I was nervous coming to this city, I’d never been to a part of the world like this before. I’m so glad we got to visit, as it gave me a window into what traveling in South East Asia is like.
Check Out Our Travel Diary
