I thought anywhere else would be a hard act to follow, but as it turns out, in many ways KL has given the Sailor and I a better standard of living. And the stats do stack up. Fortunately on both occasions, Mercer has pulled it out of the bag for me. Most expats live in condos that have all of the extra facilities, like swimming pools and jacuzzis. This aspect of leisure time here is awesome. Another excellent way to enjoy the city is in the jungle.
Unlike Bangkok, which generally lacks any form of flora, KL is pleasantly greener. Also sprawled over town are many well-maintained parks for strolling on those lazy Sundays, which were largely formed during the colonial days. Park-life here is a bit different to back home, in an endearing way. Firstly, instead of dogs running around who are either not allowed in, or must be on a leash due to Muslim laws there are monkeys playing on the lawn.
And rather than going to feed the ducks, you go to feed the turtles, which you can find in many lakes. Another of my favourites is in the expat suburb of Desa Park below , which comes complete with cafes overlooking the lake.
They are a hub for retail and entertainment, with some hip ones keeping you in check with local designers and the arts. As a foodie, I admit to being a tad disappointed with offerings when I first arrived to Kuala Lumpur. Like the Aussies, Malaysians are big on food. Nevertheless, in moderation, pulling up a plastic chair at a casual kopitiam or mamak is an experience enjoyed by many expats in KL. For all of those other days, KL is generously filled with pretty much every world cuisine.
The rest of the time though, we were hitting the Asian eateries! If I compare that to my holiday singular in Melbourne, KL wins hands down. In Melbs all we could afford in a year was taking a budget long-weekend trip to the Great Ocean Road which was epic though btw! Travelling from KL is so convenient.
