Kuala Lumpur on a budget 🇲🇾 First 24 hours in Malaysia!

The capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur is a vibrant city famous for incredible food, epic shopping and cool neighborhoods. And on my very first day here, I'm planning to explore all of that. Now to get to KL, I flew from Singapore and for my whole trip I am challenging myself to travel with just carry-on luggage, which I'll tell you more about later. The flight was super affordable. It cost around $120 return and it took just over an hour to get here. I didn't need a visa as an Aussie and getting through the airport was quick and easy. From there, I had two options to get into the city center, train or grab. I went with grab, which cost 76 ringgit or about 27 Aussie dollars and it took around 45 minutes to reach my hotel. I found a place for, get this, $57 per night. It's a little bit of a gamble, but I'm hoping it'll turn out to be a good one. I'll show you more later, but for now, it's time to hit the streets and start exploring KL. I have woken up absolutely starving this morning. I need to eat immediately, so I've made my way to a really trendy area. It's called Chow Kit and there's a spot here that's going to send the gluten-free among you into an absolute spiral. House of weed. I had seen photos of this place online, Instagram, TikTok, whatever. It is gorgeous in here. It is absolutely gorgeous. It's so nice and cool and calm and relaxed. What a great start to this day. I was looking through their menu and I was immediately overwhelmed because everything looks good and this is a situation where I wish I wasn't here by myself. I wish I was here with five people and then we could just order everything and try everything, but I'm just me. I went straight to their house specials menu. Two things caught my eye. Three things caught my eye. Sourdough pancake. Come on. I love sourdough and I love pancakes. Pancakes are one of my death row meal items and they have a chocolate dukkah croissant. I live for a chocolate croissant and they have an oat milk flat white and I live for an oat milk flat white. This, for me, the holy trinity. Thank you, house of wheat. There it is. Sourdough pancake. Okay. Okay. That is unlike any other pancake I've tasted before. It's got that real sourdough tang to it. It's so simple and so good. Just a classic. Nice, tangy, soft, light, buttery maple syrup goodness. Okay. And then I'm not going to lie. This is calling my name. That chocolate dukkah croissant. Oh, the base of that is beautiful. It's gone everywhere. It's all over me. No, it's only going to be on the internet for all eternity. Croissant is good. Maybe a little on the chewy side, but still good. Chocolate, good. Coffee, good. Well, this is a really relaxed neighborhood. It is absolutely beautiful around here. When I think of KL, I think of like big city vibes, hustle and bustle, lots of traffic, on the go. And hey, I'm sure it's all of those things. But as you're walking around here, super relaxing. I woke up this morning feeling a little bit jittery. Not super anxious, just jittery, I guess. I don't even know how to describe it. Maybe just a little on edge. But walking around here, I feel so relaxed. I don't know what it is. Maybe it's all the cool cafes, the cats sleeping lazily everywhere, locals just walking around calmly, all the cool streets to explore. Maybe it's the big green trees overhead, all the leafiness of the city. I don't know. Whatever it is, it's chilling me out in a way that I like. As I was leaving House of Wheat, aka a gluten-free person's worst nightmare, the lovely guy that worked there said to me, where are you going? And I said, I don't know. I'm just walking around. I don't have much of a plan for today. And he said, I used to work at a place called Silver Fox before I worked here. It's really cool. You should go check it out. There's Silver Fox. Let's go check it out and see if he was right. Well, this place is cool. It's real trendy in here. I feel like I'm inside Balenciaga. I don't know why I've never been inside of Balenciaga. I just imagine that's what it feels like. If Balenciaga was a cafe, I feel like it would be this. It's so trendy. Maybe a little too trendy. I don't want to have any more coffee right now. I've ordered something experimental. Wish me luck. I don't know what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. It said it was like a, like a beach long iced tea with pearl. And I thought that meant like maybe a bubble tea, but it's come out and it actually has a pearl in it, which I love. I didn't know a drink could be so pretty. So, so pretty. Let's hope it tastes as good as it looks. Cause it looks really, really cute. Okay. The top is like a very milky creamy foam. It almost tastes like a lemon meringue on top. And then the tea is lovely. Lovely little peach oolong. I'm assuming because it's in there, the pearl is edible. Not putting a real pearl in your food, right? You're going to choke to death on it. Let me just eat it. Let me just eat it and see what happens to me. Wait, it's not crunching. That means I should back out, right? Oh, there we go. I persisted. I overcame adversity. The pearl is delicious. It's just sugar. Now they also have quite the cake cabinet over there. It looks like they've got some crepe cakes, definitely a couple of cheesecakes. One looks like a baked cheesecake. Another looks fresh. It looks really, really yummy. And it's such a cool vibe in here. Very open, very cool, very bright, very white. The complete opposite of the cave of carbs that we're in earlier, but I'm digging it. I'm going to be really honest with you. I'm not normally one to go to a shopping mall when I travel. I just don't see the point. And yet here in Malaysia, shopping is a national sport. It is right up there with food. So it kind of feels like something I need to do. So I've come to Bukit Bintan, which is a really cool central area and also where my hotel is located. I'm going to give you a look around there a little bit later. But right now I'm inside a huge shopping mall. It's called Pavilion and it is beautiful in here. It's so many stories, so many shops, so much food. It's the middle of the day. It's super hot outside and it is delightfully cool and air conditioned in here. And I'm loving having a little bit of a wander and an explore around. But I have to be honest, it's a little fancy in here for me. There's Burberry, Saint Laurent, Balenciaga, Cartier. They have some other shops as well. But there's a place across the road called Fahrenheit 88 and I have it on good authority. That could be a good place to do some more budget friendly shopping. So let's go check that out. I really need a snack. I'm really hungry. So I've come into a spot called Friend Fries. I had seen it online. People were raving about it, saying the fries were amazing. It was a really great spot to grab something quick and easy to eat. And that's exactly what I need right now. I just got a small, I would like to have gotten a large, but I can't eat that much fries. These are so hot. It is burning my hand through the container. So the fries would be made fresh for me. You have a whole long list of toppings to choose from. I just went with BBQ. I'm a BBQ kind of gal, but they have like curry and mayo and cheese and all kinds of delicious things. Now, here's the thing. Most people were getting these to go and eating them on the street. I'm a fancy cat today. I'm dining in. Start with this crunchy one. Wait a hot dog minute. I nearly didn't come in here. I saw it from outside on the street and I was like, that doesn't look very good. It looks really dodgy, but you know what? They're real fries as in like, like real potato. And I've gone for BBQ. I love BBQ. That is lovely and smoky. I don't know if they're making it themselves or what they're doing there, but the barbecue sauce has lots of herbs in it. So it's not just like sweet and sugary. It's really well balanced. It's got a good tang to it as well. I can't believe how good those were. You know what? I ordered a small and I regret it. Those are so delicious. I easily could eat a medium. This is unexpected. I think these were nine ringgit. That's about, I'd say that's about $3.30 Australian. Great value. Great value. So in general, this whole area is reminding me of a couple of places, a little bit Times Square ish, but more than that Shibuya, straight Shibuya vibes. And you know what? I'm not completely adverse to it. The shopping is pretty good. There's lots of places to grab something to eat. It is a little bit cheesy and touristy, but it's also central. And I feel like it's a little bit of a must see. Wait till you see this guy. Hold on. Look at him shaking his thing. Oh, hi. So cute. And I feel like Malaysian people are so friendly as I've been going into shops and people are being obviously aware that I'm a tourist. They're like, Oh, are you having a great time? How are you finding Malaysia so far? People are giving me tips on things to see, do and eat, which I absolutely love. So yeah, I wouldn't have thought this kind of really central touristy shopping spot would be for me. Do you know what? It's okay. Unbelievably, something magical has appeared out of nowhere. If you have been to Japan, have you seen any of my Japan videos? You'll know I am obsessed with Don Quixote and they have Don Quixote here in Malaysia, but it's called Don Don Donki. Let's go inside and have a look. Have you ever been into Don Quixote aka Don Don Donki before? You are missing out, my friends. And you may be asking yourself, what is so good about it, Phoebe? Why would I want to come to one? You don't really come to Don Quixote with an agenda. Don Quixote tells you what you need and you just buy it. And usually what you realize you need once you're here is a lot of chocolate, sweets, snacks, random household items, some cute accessories for your phone. If you are here traveling on a budget and you want to eat some good food but you don't want to spend a lot of money on it, come to Don Quixote because they have things that you can get and take away to eat, including things like sushi and takoyaki and katsu chicken and all this kind of stuff. This is a great place to grab something to eat and then you take it somewhere and you have a little picnic. Even if that picnic's like by the pool at your hotel or something like that, this is a really good budget-friendly option. And ladies, this is where you come to get like all of your like skincare, body care, hair masks, face washes, everything and anything you didn't know you needed. You come here, you get it, it's dirt cheap and it's so so good. Like just buy a bunch of stuff and try it. It's seriously unreal. I did not see this coming for me. I am absolutely loving the shopping here and it's so out of character. It's making me so glad I didn't overpack for this trip. I am doing my whole time here in Malaysia carry-on only. So let me give you a quick tour of my hotel and show you how and what I packed for this entire trip carry-on only. And honestly, I kind of love this for me. I'm forever lugging around an obscene amount of luggage. Not this time, kids. I'm fancy free. For this trip, I'm staying at the Robertson Luxe Suites in Bukit Bintang. Now, it's a service department, not a hotel and it's right in the heart of the action. It has an infinity pool, a gym, amazing city views and honestly, the location is perfect for exploring KL's food, shopping and nightlife. And at just $57 a night, it is seriously great value. I'm not saying it's like the fanciest place on the planet, but I'm telling you for this price, what it is, it's been fantastic. I'll have some links in the video description for you so you can check it out and book your stay too. Let me show you how I packed for my entire Malaysia trip with carry-on only. Now, the guys at Bellroy reached out to me and asked me if they could send me some stuff. I don't normally go for a carry-on case like this, but this light carry-on of theirs is unreal. It is so lightweight, it's not clunky, it's nice and soft yet durable. The handle is like a dream that just makes it so easy to navigate around the airport. The wheels are really buttery smooth on this thing. Now, not just that, but it is made from recycled materials and everything is replaceable slash repairable. I love that it has the handle on the top and on the side as well and the whole thing is lightweight yet really durable. They also sent me a couple of these little pouches, so I love that it matches and it's just like helping me stay organized. I have everything that is so like easily accessible. The sizes of these are great. This one for my electronics is absolutely essential. And then the thing I am now completely obsessed with Bellroy, you have changed my life, is this tote bag. And if you've watched this channel, you know I always travel with a tote. I'm obsessed. But not only is it just a tote, it's also a backpack. I am genuinely obsessed with this whole system. Thank you, Bellroy. Check out their stuff in the links below and upgrade your travel game, guys. Maybe I'm about to become a carry-on only girly, eh? Carry-on game! All right, let me move you closer and we'll talk first impressions. I have been to KL before. I came here once maybe, I don't remember when, but let's say it was like 10 or 12 years ago. It was a really long time and I remember being a really green traveler and being completely overwhelmed by the size of the city and how busy it was and how chaotic and the street food and all of this kind of stuff. This time, nah, none of that. I just feel right at home. I think spending so much time in Asia, I just, yeah, I feel right at home here. I really like KL. It is a big city. There are a lot of people here, but I find it to be very friendly. So far, it's really easy to navigate. There are so many food options, so much shopping to explore, and I just find it to be very accessible. Like, you can just wander around and quite easily get into it and quite easily find something to look at and quite easily find something to eat. And I think I said it once already, but the locals are really lovely. I'm not able to film like every interaction, but honestly, like the people are so nice. Everyone's like smiling, saying hello, like people are checking to make sure that I've got a plan and especially a plan to eat. They want to know where I'm eating and what I'm eating, and I just, I love that about them. They're also very fashionable. And if I can say this about the girls of Malaysia, ladies, no one does a full glam makeup beat like you. I have seen some absolutely stunning makeup on some of the girls here, and it's only been my first day and I'm just blown away by it. So please tell me your makeup secrets. I'm no good at doing a full beat. The sun has set here in Kuala Lumpur, so I have made my way here to KLCC Park and you can see the Petronas Towers behind me. Where are you Petronas Towers? There you are. Can't miss them. Gigantic. Now it is absolutely gorgeous down here and I'm so glad I'm here at night. I feel like if I was down in this park in the middle of the day, it would be so incredibly hot. Now at about 7.30pm every night, they have a light water fountain show kind of thing. It's happening right now behind me. It's cute. It's nice. I wouldn't base my entire existence around it, but I'm glad I got to see it. And one way or another, it is a must see to come down here and see these towers at night. And this is a really great viewing point for that. They are spectacular and jaw-dropping. I have never seen anything quite like them before. It is time for dinner and I wanted to eat some real Malaysian food tonight and there's this really great little local spot right beneath my hotel. And I was like, you know what? It's always packed with locals. I'm just going to go down there and full send. There's one thing you need to know about me. Having been in Singapore for so many years, I'm very comfortable in a street food place, especially a Malaysian one. I've had nasi lemak, but I've never had a nasi lemak sotong bawang. Malaysia, am I saying that right? It's fried squids and onions with coconut rice. There's an egg involved, some kind of a curry gravy thing on the side just as a backup. And because I love it, I also got two plain paratha. I live for paratha. And my favorite bit, my favorite bit is I got a lychee drink. It's coming out in a bag in a flower pot. Genius. I'm really, really thirsty. It's been so hot here. Let's charge down some lychee drink. Heavens above. 10 out of 10, no notes on that. Perfection. I'm not typically a lover of a deep fried food item. It's not my favorite way to consume food. I prefer like a grilled seafood item, but I am very adventurous with food. So let's just dunk that in there and hope it's not as spicy as it looks. Delicious. I really like that. Malaysia, yes, that's really, really good. I don't really know what's going on. So there's some kind of a squid and it's in a batter for sure and it's deep fried. So are the onions. But there's a beautiful amount of spice on there. And this little gravy that it comes with, mama mia, that's good. That is really good. I love the crunch. I love the texture. I love it all. It's deep fried, but it's not like going to give me a tummy ache deep fried. Do you know what I mean? A bit chilly. What's up? Second go of the flower pot lychee drink. So great. Okay. And then we've got paratha. Yeah. Incredible. Absolutely incredible. Now, this is incredibly cheap, all this food. So let's say conservatively, it's 20 ringgit for all this food, right? That's overestimating it. That's seven dollars and it'll be less than that. I think we're looking at about five or six Australian dollars for all this food and it's really good food. And with that, you guys, that brings this week's episode to a close. I really hope you've enjoyed it. Now, if you don't already, be sure to subscribe right now so you never miss a single episode and say hello in the comments below. I hope you have a great weekend and I will see you with a second KL episode next week. Love you. I love this.