Where to work in Kuala Lumpur
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KL (Kuala Lumpur) is one of those destinations that could probably do with being talked about more, especially amongst creatives. With Malay, Chinese and Indian influences, this capital city is a literal blend of cultures, religions and mindsets that flow and interconnect with each other. From food to art, and history to spaces, as ever I left this city with a longer list of things to see and do than when I arrived. Some of the best things to see in the city are tucked in corners or on the rooftop of a mall and so it’s easy to find new gems while taking a wander.
While I spent a little less time exploring places to work on this trip - my apartment was so cosy - there were plenty of places that would allow for remote working and different locations with varying vibes to suit different needs. And of course you were never stuck for different styles of tea, coffee and other fusion beverages.
Where to work in Kuala Lumpur
103 Chowkit
Confession, I actually ordered breakfast to my apartment from here a couple of times I was that in love with their coffee. It’s possible to either have just a coffee (and get some work in) or to have a full meal, and I would’ve gone back for the atmosphere alone. They have a ‘Creative Coffee’ list and I really enjoyed the Strawberry Latte (which literally contained frozen strawberries to mix with coffee and milk).
Tapestry
This restaurant find was more of a happy accident find while I was trying to locate another cafe. A lovely worker at the restaurant saw me looking confused on the street and beckoned me in. Which I’m glad she did in the end because it was a great place to get some work done while enjoying a bit of the festive spirit - and a great menu of options.
LOKL Coffee Co
I’ll be honest, the atmosphere seemed a little off the day I went, but the coffee was great and there were plenty of people on laptops that it could really just have been how I was feeling that day. It’s located relatively centrally to a few tourist sites of interest, malls and parks so you’ll never be left for things to explore during your breaks.
Piccadilly Cafe
Personally this felt like one especially for the girlies, but of course it’s open to everyone. Just around the corner from LOKL, Piccadilly Cafe had a calm vibe that felt welcoming of remote work and a fantastic choice of beverages to choose from. There are also a couple of different floors so you can potentially tuck yourself into a corner for a couple of hours with no issues. (And again, it’s close to a lot of tourist attractions like the River of Life and KL Tower as well as neighbourhoods like China Town.
Lim Kee Cafe
For me, I was drawn to the aesthetic of this cafe, but I stayed for the peaceful atmosphere in what was otherwise a super busy neighbourhood: China Town. The coffee here was delicious and they had some cute little scones and other light bites to go with a long selection of drinks. After you’re done checking out the area, I recommend ducking away from the crowd here for an hour or two.
Where to stay in Kuala Lumpur
I found that staying in the Chow Kit area was a good spring board for other parts of the city. While the general advice is to stay in Bukit Bintang, and maybe for longer stays it is, I found it relatively easy to navigate some more tourist-y activities, access cafes to work from and enjoy a cute apartment for a week. I found that staying in a fully-serviced apartment, complete with a swimming pool, gym and yoga deck as well as a main lobby with security made for a comfortable stay. Being a few floors further up than the average building was also kind of beneficial for when the social battery was getting low as you felt like you could detach from the chaos of the street. With the exception of Saturday night, getting a cab from this area was also relatively quick and straightforward as a lot of the key hotels and sites of interest were a short drive away.
What to do in Kuala Lumpur
As I mentioned before, I’m leaving with a list longer than when I arrived of things to see and do - and I had to take some more rest time than expected on this trip, so this time I’ll split this section into things I did get up to and things I had on my list that may be of interest to you as well.
A food tour: food tours have basically become routine for me at this point, and partcularly at the beginning of my trips, as they really are a fast track insight into the destination. Our 15 stop tour took us on quite the ride, from making our own rotis in local restaurants to eating satay and different deserts from street vendors, finishing off with mango smoothies for the walk home via Saloma Link, which overlooks the Petronas Twin Towers. Oh, and we also tried the infamous durian fruit - which is so potent that it’s forbidden in hotel rooms, taxis and other common areas around Asia. I really wanted to be ok with it, but I cannot even describe what it is that I couldn’t stand about it… It’s an acquired taste for sure!
Dinner at ARAS (the revolving restaurant at KL Tower): I’d heard about this concept in Berlin, but would’ve never thought to have looked into this unless it had been recommended to a friend and I. For me, it was worth the experience once, but I wouldn’t maybe go again for the simple fact that I’m not much of a buffet person and there wasn’t too much of an atmosphere. It was fun to see the city at night from that height and to enjoy different styles of dishes, but as I said, just that once.
Visit Chinatown: it was the creative scene that drew me to this area. Beginning with that espresso and scone at Lim Kee Cafe, I then went on to take a peak at Pentaling Street Market, got a bit lost in Book Xcess and the many other concept stores in the building and I wish I had had the time to see Kwai Chai Hong, a street full of restored street art, but it apparently closed when I arrived. Thoroughly recommend wandering around the blocks here.
Walked along the River of Life: the rivers of Kuala Lumpur have always played a significant part in the city’s make up and history, and now the city is restoring the area to bring people ‘back to the river’. Aside from the sites of interest, like the Independence Square and Central Market, there are different artistic installations popping up and street art and flora sprouting from buildings.
Listing these now, I think I actually covered a little more than I expected. With the exception of a couple of exhibits that had closed by the time I had the time to get to them, the Batu Caves and the KL Forest Eco Park (which I just ran out of time trying to find), there are some key sites that relatively close to each other and/or you likely pass on the way in and out of town, like the KL Train Station. A beautiful site, but I’m glad I didn’t make the extra effort to go and see it as my cab stopped at the traffic lights outside it on the cab ride back to the airport.
Overall, I think Kuala Lumpur has a lot to offer remote workers and digtal nomads - and it’s not far from some of the current hotspots, like Thailand, Bali and Vietnam. The wifi and data connection is relatively strong and there are so many types of space and cuisine to choose from, thanks to the historical and multicultural influences, that you’ll never go for choice of things to see and experience.
Have you checked out Malaysia yet?
Han x
