New Year in Kuala Lumpur

It was the beginning of December when we had to leave Sri Lanka and finding a fairly cheap flight and accommodation was a bit difficult due to incoming Christmas and New Year. The cheapest option was Malaysia again. We’ve been there a few times before and we feel comfortable in Kuala Lumpur so it was no brainer for us to go there again. We’ve found a Cosy Apartment on Airbnb that looked promising so we booked a flight and the place ahead of time. What drew my attention to this flat was a bright green wall in one of the rooms. I absolutely love the green colour and I try to surround with it whenever it’s possible. Green walls, green clothing, green suitcase and obviously trees – it’s green I love it right away!

The apartment was located in an old(ish) building in obviously Chinese district. Every shop and restaurant nearby was Chinese. We love Chinese food so for us it was a big plus of the location. When we arrived we were greeted by the brother of the owner. He didn’t speak much English but it was good enough to show us around. I admired watercolour paintings on the walls and learnt that all those were painted by him. That made those images even more interesting.

A real home

The first time we entered the flat I knew right away that this was a flat previously used by the owner unlike many other accommodations on Airbnb where you can tell that it was bought and prepared solely for renting purposes. That made this flat even more attractive. Like a home away from home. It was a two-bedroom flat with a kitchenette area. One bedroom didn’t have AC, but a large seeling fan was doing a great job there anyway. The living room featured those green walls I mentioned earlier, a stylish wooden sofa, matching armchair and a coffee table and a large TV. The living area and kitchen were divided by a piece of furniture that doubled as a cupboard as well as a table.

The kitchen was fully equipped so we were able to cook our own meals when a restaurant was not an option, although many plates and bowls were slightly chipped and we had to be very careful when cleaning it. The other tiny problem was that most pans there were badly burnt and required a lot of brushing to make them sort of usable.

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Nearby shops and restaurants

Normally when we arrive at a new location we go for a small walk to find out what is available nearby and make some small grocery shopping. About 3 minutes walk from the apartment was a large food court as well as a large local grocery shop that we visited often. It saved us at the very first week we’ve been there because both of us fall sick and we weren’t able to leave the bed for at least 5 days. We only had small homemade meals and went back to bed. Those were really tough days. I don’t remember the last time we felt so bad and weak. Luckily I always have some painkillers and anti-inflammatory pills so at least we didn’t have to look for a pharmacy.

Fireworks viewpoint on a hill

When we finally felt better we went for long walks around to seek a good place to take New Years pictures. We were located on a hill and we noticed that when you’re on top of it you can clearly see twin towers so we planned to go there. Unfortunately, we soon found out we were not the only people who had the same idea. 10 minutes to midnight we went on the heel to see the large crowd already waiting there for the fireworks display. What we found very interesting was that all private fireworks started after the main display on twin towers and died soon after unlike in Europe where people use their fireworks well before and after New Year.

Overall we enjoyed our time in this apartment and this part of Kuala Lumpur and we can highly recommend it to anyone who’s not very much into visiting all touristy stuff in KL and seek a nice and peaceful area to stay in. I was extra happy with the place because on our check out the owner gave me a small gift that turned out to be one of his watercolour painting with a dedication!

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Our expenses in Kuala Lumpur

Category	MYR	USD
Airfare		409.78
Accommodation		578.46
Groceries	627.4	143.68
Restaurant	124.2	28.44
Cigarettes	351.3	80.44
Toiletries	56.53	12.95
Clothing	30	6.87
Sim	20	4.57
Taxi	66.9	15.2
Total (20 days)	1305.11	1287.15