Kuala Lumpur - A kaleidoscope of cultures

The cultural diversity in the city of Kuala Lumpur is amazing. I couldn’t tell if I was in China, India or Saudi Arabia because the people who walked the streets looked like they could come from any of these countries. If I was told to describe a Malaysian it would be hard for me. In addition to that, you are spoilt for choice when it comes to cuisine and they don’t have a specific form of attire. It’s safe to say that Kuala Lumpur is a kaleidoscope of cultures.There are women dressed in Islamic attire (Hijab) while others prefer the Indian traditional attire, the sari. Casual clothes and skimpy attire are commonly worn by the youth; I imagined the hot and humid atmosphere had something to do with that. But despite the variety of cultures and people, if you are an English speaking foreigner, you won’t have trouble getting around as most of their signposts are written in English with illustrations. The city is full of modern skyscrapers like the Petronas Towers (Twin Towers) that hugs the sky. With a height of about 1,453 feet, the Petronas Towers are among the world’s tallest buildings.Along side the numerous parks and monuments and fountains around the city, are historic temples and mosques and vast shopping malls. The malls are filled with several eateries from fast food giants like McDonald’s, KFC and Nandos to cafés like Starbucks and food booths that offer a variety of spicy Asian cuisine. Based on the distance from the Corus Hotel where I stayed, Suria KLCC was the closest shopping mall and is apparently considered Kuala Lumpurs‘s premier shopping destination as a result of its strategic location beneath the Petronas Towers.Kuala Lumpur can also be called a fashion Mecca, if the number of famous designer stores like Prada, Gucci, Calvin Klein, H&M, E-Sprit, and Dorothy Perkins is anything to go by. However, there is also a high chance of buying counterfeit products especially when it comes to electronic gadgets. The city’s transportation system boasts of trains, buses and taxis, though most people prefer to walk around the city. If you choose to use a taxi without a meter it will cost you about 10 Malaysian Ringgit (10.00MYR) which is approximately Rwf 2, 059. But when using the meter, the rates differ and with the annoying traffic jam, you are better off not using the taxi meter. Using a taxi is the easiest way to actually reach your destination if you don’t have a tour guide. There are many hotels in Kuala Lumpur and most of them are four star hotels. The price of a Deluxe room at Corus, a 4 Star Business Hotel, is 400Ringgit (Rwf 82, 396). The cheapest and easiest means of transport from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) to the city centre if you are alone is the KLIA Ekspres train. The one way non-stop KLIA Ekspres fare is MYR 35 (Rwf 7, 223). However, if you are in a group, it is cheaper to use mini-buses or taxis.