Shopping in Kuala Lumpur
A holiday to Malaysia is not complete with out an enterprising shopping expedition. What better place to do so than in Kuala Lumpur the nation’s best known shopping destination. Kuala Lumpur is the commercial capital of Malaysia and has 66 large scale shopping malls with in its precincts. Also being the fashion and style hub of the country Kuala Lumpur and its shopping outlets are the epitome of high fashion and the very definition of chic.
Shopping in Kuala Lumpur also offers variety the air conditioned shopping malls that deal in luxury high end goods, department stores, hypermarkets, shopping arcades that are complete with Cineplex complexes and bowling alleys, specialty shops and designer fashion boutiques make up the high end, modern shopping attractions of the city. While traditional bazaars, night markets and open air flea markets offer a more traditional shopping experience.
Favourite items on the shopping lists of tourists are pewter, batik, duty-free items, electrical products, pret-a-porter attire, sportswear and handicrafts. An interesting and novel experience for visitors from western countries is the night markets or ‘pasar malam’ in Malay where the traders begin peddling their wares in the late afternoon. These open-air markets feature hawker stalls that sell a variety of local produce, foodstuff, clothing and cakes; Haggling for a good bargain is a common sight here. Street artists, musicians, soothsayers and traditional medicine vendors are also an entertaining sight in these markets.
The annual Kuala Lumpur shopping carnival that is held from October to November draws in lots of visitors a sizable proportion of which are tourists, this a good time to buy goods at discounted prices. The city Kuala Lumpur has designated shopping districts areas like Bukit Bintag offer mid range shopping with some good bargains on offer for electronics and fashion items. Other areas like Petaling Street which is known as the city’s Chinatown has an ethnically infused flavor and has Chinese knick knacks, traditional medicine and pirated DVD’s. Up market areas like KLCC and the Suria mall in the Petronas towers are pricy and deal with luxury brands and designer labels.
A Kuala Lumpur hotel that offers good access to some of the best shopping districts of the city is the Citrus Hotel, Kuala Lumpur. A number of luxury hotels in the city are located in what is known as the hotel belt in the Bukit Bintang area, this is the best place to stay if shopping is your first priority on your holiday.
