My ‘Unexpected’ Sojourn In Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia was never on my bucket-list. But, a misadventure intrigued me to explore this vibrant country. Such is travel. So yes, I happened to visit Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia. It was barely a two hour layover at Malaysia Airport before my flight to Melbourne. I was obviously excited, and wanted to reach Australia as soon as possible.
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| At Petronas Twin Towers, Kuala Lumpur |
The horror of missing my flight
However, my two hour layover turned into a 10 hour layover. I missed my flight to Melbourne. I was petrified the moment I came to know that my flight had departed. Well, the only option that I was left with was the next flight, which was late in the night. Exasperated with the fact that I had to stay at the airport for 8-10 hours, I consoled myself with a chocolate pastry. I had no inclination to obtain the visa and exit the airport. So, I just sat in a corner nibbling on my chocolate pastry, and flipping through my passport pages. To my joy, I discovered that the customs officer had granted me a three-day transit visa to enter Malaysia. I was thrilled to bits.
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Now the next thing I did was called up a friend who lived in Kuala Lumpur. He came to the airport to pick me up. Ah! Setting foot in a new country unexpectedly was such a lovely experience.
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| My transit in Malaysia |
My first impressions of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
It’s green and refreshing
Kuala Lumpur is beautiful. I loved my train journey from the airport to the city. I passed by many scenic sights. The outskirts of KL look quite lush. And, the air is clean and refreshing. To be honest, I didn’t expect KL to have any natural beauty. I thought it would be all about skyscrapers. But, I was quite surprised to see some lushness in the landscapes.
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| Lively shops and streets |
The atmosphere is quite relaxed
Kuala Lumpur seems to be a chilled out city. Although the scintillating skyscrapers give an impression of a cutting-edge city, the locals seem to be relaxed. It looks like a liveable city with good transport, great shopping and eating options.
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| Nice restaurants and cafes |
The city looks clean and sophisticated
I was so pleased to find KL clean and sophisticated. The roads, the transport system, the shops, the eating places and the locals of KL make it a pleasant city. Also, it’s quite fun to walk the streets.
KL has the colours of India
I really liked the ‘life’ in Kuala Lumpur – the shops and restaurants have the kind of buzz that I’m used to in India. The sights and sounds are so interesting. The colours are vivid. I felt KL has the ‘colourful’ soul of Asian countries and the sophistication of European and other western countries.
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The evenings are beautiful
I particularly liked the way everything lights up towards the evenings in KL. The buildings, malls and all the public spaces glitter after sunset, which adds a touch of festivity in the air.
Well, this was a real short stay in Malaysia. But, I’m definitely eager to explore more of KL and Malaysia – the beaches, the hills and the countryside. So, I guess the misadventure of missing a flight is a great excuse to set foot in a new country.
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| Travel tip: Always make friends all across the globe. 😉 |
HAVE YOU ever missed your flight in another country? Have you ever had a transit visit unexpectedly?
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