Stuck in a K-hole.

Yes we were.

No not in that sence, this is SE Asia not Ibiza. Behave you ravers. But as in stuck in Kuala Lumpur our new favourite city.

What started out as a stop over for a few days max turned into three weeks living it up in a hotel, getting gym memberships, becoming bffs with the manager in Nandos and getting free chicken. We just couldn’t leave.

It all started back in Phi Phi, the dreamy Thailand island. At the beginning of January our visas were set to run out so we descided we’d hop across to KL, stay for a day or two then return to our beloved Phi Phi waving our new 30 day visas in the air as the island way of life, was indeed the life for us. We had found an overpriced hotel gym and liked the fact you could walk everywhere on the island as no cars or motorbikes are aloud. (This novelty wears off pronto when running to catch the ferry carrying your ever increasing in weight backpack). That combined with the constant stream of Smirnoff Ices (refreshing at any time of day) and huge pizza slices for 80 Baht we found like we were in on the secret why Phi Phi island and all it’s inhabitants were so happy. So with flights and ferries booked, we were set to leave for Kuala Lumpur on the 9th Jan. However, Jack got a serving of salmonella with his delicious chicken skewer which resulted in a case of food poisoning to end all food poisonings. After spending the night and all the next day on the floor of our bathroom (thank the Lord, Jesus, Mary and Joseph and all his carpenter friends we were not in a dorm with a shared bathroom…) there was no-way-jose we were making that boat off the island. So with new flights booked for the 10th, anti bac wipes within quick easy reach and Jack swigging diluted hydration sachets we set off for KL.

We arrived late in the evening and stayed for 2 nights at our hostel before moving to a hotel close by as Jack was a bag of sick (medical term) and this is an occasion where sharing is definitely not caring.

Content in a bubble of Netflix, free hotel bottled water and dining on doughnuts and nandos. Kuala Lumpur is our kind of city.

KL (as the locals refer to it and we were practically local) is a super clean, modern city full of beautiful shiney skycrapers, with great public transport, friendly locals and where everyone speaks great English. It is also full of places to visit and free attractions. We spent time in

• China Town,
• Pentaling Street haggling down the price of fake Nike trainers to £15,
• Planetarium,
• Deer Park and Botanical Gardens,
• City Gallery,
• Central Market,
• the super high KL Tower,
• City Centre Rainforest Eco Park,
• National Mosque,
• River of Life and
• Selfie Museum.

During the evenings we hung about at the Petronas Towers and shopping malls (I counted 7). Which, by the way blow all other malls we’ve ever visited out the park. Even the food courts have got it going on.

We sunk into what can only be described as the most organically formed and perfect daily routine of:

wake, 7-11, gym, Nandos, Krispy Kreme, sight see, Nandos “extend another night”, Netflix.

Upon reflection, I’m even jelous of how well devised it was.

After 3 weeks of routine, hot showers, insect free rooms, clean beds and smashing our daily step counts we descided to break free from the safe cozy clutch of cool (though tropically hot) Kuala Lumpur and catch a flight to Indonesia.

If there is one thing you have taught us Malaysia, it’s that you’re super friendly and going forward we are more flash packers rather than backpackers now.