What to Buy in Kuala Lumpur? Here are 10 Things You Must Buy if You Want to Take Home a Piece of Malay Culture (2019)

Kuala Lumpur, commonly known as KL, is the largest city and the National Capital of Malaysia. Spread across an area of 243 sq. km. hosting a population of 1.75 million people. Since the early 90’s this city has been hosting different international sporting, political and cultural events which include the famous 1998 Commonwealth Games and the 2017 Southeast Asian Games. KL has developed rapidly in the last few decades and also boasts of the Petronas Towers, which are the tallest twin buildings in the worlds. It was the sixth most visited city in the world in 2018, with an estimated 13.79 million visitors choosing this city for their vacation or shopping. The city has three out of the ten world’s largest malls and has become an international city in true meaning with its world class infra and transportation.

Surrounded by mountains from different directions, Kuala Lumpur has a relatively low temperature as compared to other parts of Malaysia. Due to its tropical climate, KL experiences rainfall at different intensities throughout the year. May to July are dry months with least rainfall, but it’s pretty hot during these seasons. But the city has lot of public transport options available and public places to relax and get entertained as well; so the hot weather is not a major challenge until you plan to go out for some outdoor sports.

Malaysia, being an Islamic country has plethora of options for the non-vegetarians; be it chicken, lamb or seafood. Kuala Lumpur has a mixed population with people from different countries and ethnicities, so getting a particular type of food is not a problem here. There are big cafes and restaurants serving continental and then you can taste the local street food as well. Chinese, Indian, Malay, Seafood, and Nyonya food are the most popular categories of food which are readily available.

Malaysia uses Malaysian Ringgit as its official currency which is used by Bank Negara Malaysia. There are no fees or charges for converting your home currency in Malaysia, so no need to purchase Malaysian currency beforehand. You can easily convert your currency at Forex Booths which display the daily rates on an electronic board and accepts all the major currencies. Please check the latest guidelines of Malaysian Govt. regarding maximum amount of cash which is accepted to take in as your home currency or Malaysian Ringgit which can be taken out of Malaysia as they are subject to change from time to time.

Malaysia is a multicultural society with large percentage of Native Malays as well as large population of Chinese and Indians also stay here. Though Islam is the official religion, but people of all the ethnicities live in a society with somewhat common culture while practicing their religion at home. Few common etiquettes and things to keep in mind while interacting with the local people would avoid any uncomfortable situation. Malay women may not shake hands with men, but they do with women; similarly Malay men also wouldn’t shake hands with women, instead they may bow while placing their hand on their heart. Chinese women may shake hands with men, but they must extend the hand first. Indians shake hands with members of the same sex and while being introduced to member of a different sex; they may slightly nod their head and smile as a gesture to greet.

Kuala Lumpur is world famous for its wide Gastronomic and shopping variety. KL alone has around 70 malls and you can purchase almost everything under the sun from these malls. Few popular ones are Suria KLCC, Pavilion Kuala Lumpur Shopping Mall, Mid Valley Megamall, The Garden etc. Let’s check few different categories of goods which are worthy to make place in your shopping list.

Low Yat Plaza is your one stop shop for electronic items, gadgets, laptops etc. It’s a six story building and almost five floors have shops selling electronic items. It’s a Tech Heaven for the gadget lovers and almost everything can be found at reasonable prices**.

If you are looking for cheaper options in laptops / computers, then Imbi Plaza which is another shopping mall nearby Low Yat Plaza is also a good option. All the big brands like Acer, HP, Dell and Sony etc. and electronic gadgets, cameras etc. can be purchased at cheap prices. Sungei Wang Plaza is the third mall around this place and just across the street from Low Yat Plaza. Ensure to check the prices with a few shops before making the final purchase as you may get a better deal in any of the shops.

For cheap clothing, Kuala Lumpur is a shopper’s dream, as you will get fashionable and quality clothing at open market price. Sungei Wang Plaza is not just a good place for electronic items, but fashion and accessories shops are surely going to grab your attention in this mall. Most of the items, be it T shirts, Jeans, caps, shoes etc. are all stocked keeping in mind the likes of young people. You can get a set of two t shirts for $5 and a trouser for just $7.

Suria KLCC Mall is another place where you can get high end designer clothes. You can’t bargain here, but you will be surprised to see the prices they offer on designer clothes and discounts are as high as 70% during the sales.

Batik is a unique silk fabric and Malaysian Batik is famous for its vibrant colors and high quality. It’s a nice gift for craft lovers, mothers, and granny’s and apart from clothing; it can be used as a wall hanging to give an aesthetic appeal to your living room. It’s a light cloth and can be easily carried in a suitcase. Block printed Batik can be purchased at $3 per meter and hand printed is a little expensive at around $60 per meter.

Songket is another famous cloth from Malaysia which is prepared by threads of silk and gold woven together with threads of other materials and thus gives the shimmering effect. This is an expensive cloth and a small piece costs around $15. This beautiful cloth can be purchased as a souvenir and framed into a beautiful wall hanging. There is lot of fake replicas available in the open market, so better to purchase from a branded shop of Central Market or Suria KLCC Mall.

Traditional Malay spices which are pre-cooked and concentrated into a thin paste prepared from ground fresh spices are made of Natural Ingredients and are suitable for vegetarians. Same goes for the curry paste as well; just add them with boiling water and add some coconut milk and bring it to a boil again. These add great taste and flavor to different curry dishes and even the Chinese food. These are available in the malls as well as in the local markets; do purchase a handy cookbook along with the spices.

Sabah Tea (since 1973) and Boh Tea (since 1929) are the famous tea flavors in Malaysia and also exported to other countries. Do try these varieties when you visit KL, and if you like the flavor; then take them along as souvenirs so that the tea flavor reminds you of your amazing journey to KL for few weeks or months.

Ipoh White coffee is made of fine Arabica beans imported from different regions of the world, the beans are roasted with palm oil margarine and then the coffee is served with condensed milk. Instant coffee packets are also available just in case you like the flavor and want to bring some of them. Both the tea and coffee are readily available in malls and open market.

Durian is a Malaysian fruit which is also known as Malaysia’s king of fruits and your journey to KL isn’t complete without tasting it. It has a strong and pungent smell which either people love, or hate - there is no room for middle ground here. Though it is popular in South-East Asia, many places ban you from travelling with it on public transport, so strong is the aroma. The soft pulp can be sweet and soft like pudding or firm with a slightly bitter undertone, and in case you don’t like the taste of raw fruit, you should try it in the form of chocolates or sweets. You can easily get the Durian Cakes in $3 to $5 at the local markets and it’s a nice gift to bring back home for your loves ones.

Nutmeg oil is obtained by the steam distillation of Nutmeg and is used in perfumery and pharmaceutical industries. Apart from this the Nutmeg essential oil is used as natural food flavor as well. Nutmeg oil has medicinal properties and is quite useful for rheumatic pain and toothache. It is used to relieve headache, stomachache, itchiness and insect bite, and also effective in nervous and digestive problems. Purchase from a good store to get authentic Nutmeg Oil.

Pewter is a metal alloy and a whole range of Pewter decorative goods which include kitchenware and ‘Tepak Sireh’ sets (Tepak Sireh is Malaysian traditional design) are available. Original Pewter is little costlier and a small flower vase may cost you around $35, but there are cheaper options available in the local market; however, they are not pure Pewter. So, depending upon your budget and space in the suitcase you should choose wisely.

An economic gift option to bring back home for your friends (and light weight as well). You will get plethora of options made of bamboo, coconut shells, rattan, mengkuang and pandan leaves. Bags, baskets, purses or even beautiful wall hangings; you will get a lot of small things to carry along with you in $3 to $5 and it will remind you about Kuala Lumpur and the memories associated with the journey.

If you have interest in cigars, imported cigarettes and liquors or just considering as a gifting option for a friend, then do check the custom free shops for inexpensive options and also the Airport custom free shops. Don’t forget to check the official website of Kuala Lumpur for customs related set of rules here.

Best deals in Kuala Lumpur are available at places like Petaling Street, Kasturi Walk and Central Market; where you can get beautiful Pewter, Brass and Silver items, wood carvings and pottery, perfumes, branded clothes, fashion accessories and electronic items at reasonable price and if you can take out some time to check a few shops; then most probably you will get an item at throwaway price.

Few famous malls for shopping at KL are - Pavillion Kuala Lumpur Shopping Mall (spread in 1.37 lakh sq. ft. and opened in 2007, it has more than 450 top brands stores), Suria KLCC Mall (located right below the Petronas Twin Towers, this is a six story building and has three sections: Ampang Mall, Park Mall and the new Ramlee Mall and constitutes around 320 local and international brands), Mid Valley Megamall (as per the name, it’s really a Mega Structure spread in 4.5 million sq. ft. and comprises of shopping mall, offices and 3 hotels), The Garden (It has 200 stores of which mostly belong to top fashion labels, designers and international brands), 1 Utama Shopping Mall (another gigantic mall with over 650 stores on its display and spread in five million sq. ft. and has many options for food and entertainment apart from shopping stores).

Few famous markets in Kuala Lumpur where you can shop to your hearts extent and enjoy mouth watering street food are – Jalan Alor Street Food Night Market (You can shop for Food, clothes, toys, antiques, shoes, DVDs, CDs, textile etc.), Pasar Malam Taman Connaught (Pasar Malam means night market in Malay, it opens up at 5:30 in the evening and wraps up by midnight.), Happy Garden Night Market (famous for streets filled with food carts, you will get spoilt for choice seeing the varieties of street foods available in this market), Kenanga Wholesale City (more than 800 shops spread in 8 storeys and travelers are welcome as retail customers on Saturday and Sunday; this place has over 70 shops dedicated to Muslimah Wear mostly located on level 3A and 5.) and Kasturi Walk (cheap market for shopping at Kuala Lumpur, Chinatown and great place to taste Chinese as well as Malay food)