Kuala Lumpur, Cameron Highlands, & Penang, Malaysia: City Life and Hiking Life

Kuala Lumpur (KL)

Night time vs. Day Time

1) Petronas Twin Towers 

Petronas Twin Towers is a must-visit place in KL. It's better to visit at night when the towers start to glow in the night sky. It's highly recommended that you visit the Twin Towers at night as more events are going on than in the daytime.  Once you enter the Twin Towers, you will find a big shopping center that is open until late at night so it's a great place to shop/dine/spa/take photos and etc.  

Shopping district in KL

2) Bukit Bintang

I like to call Bukit Bintang a small version of Times Square in New York as this place is popular among locals and travelers for shopping. It's not a good place to buy souvenirs because you will find more clothing shops (H&M etc.) and hair/beauty stores (Sephora, etc.) that are there in the area.  

I bought two rings (one of them not pictured) from the market!

3. Central Market/Chinatown

For souvenirs and local shopping, Central Market is the way to go. Local artists sell their artworks, and crafts here! I bought some accessories at the market. Chinatown is a very short walk from the Central Market. Chinatown has food options, and vendors who sell goodies, like bags/sunglasses etc. 

Cameron Highlands

Taking the express bus from KL to Cameron Highlands was easy and hassle-free. I bought a ticket online from a website, called RedBus and purchased a ticket online. On the day of departure, I was able to exchange my online ticket for a physical one at the ticket booth at the bus terminal. ** Make sure to go early to give yourself some time to exchange your ticket. **

Malaysian Jungle 

1) Hiking Trail 10-6

This was the first trail I went hiking with two friends in Cameron Highlands. Hiking in the Malaysian Jungle was amazing! My knees were hurting a bit as the trail was steep, but I was okay on my way down with my knee protector on me. I loved the mossy forest, and seeing all the trees covered with moss looked so cool.  There seemed to be another trail or a forest that is called the Mossy Forest and is very popular among travelers, but I was satisfied with what I saw on this trail, so I didn't go there.

Hiking through the black tea plantation

2) Hiking Trail 7-3-6

This was my favorite trail in Cameron Highlands! I was introduced to this trail by my friends and I was surrounded by a black tea plantation towards the end of the trail. I would say this is an easy-moderate hike but it was hard to locate the trail as it said "Wrong Way" right in front of the trail entrance. Once I passed through the sign, the trail led to downhill and I was in the "explorer mode" until I hit the very flat part of the trail to walk around the tea plantation. 

Penang

I took another express bus from Cameron Highlands to Penang. These buses do fill up fast, so make sure to book in advance. I tried to book online one day before my departure date, but the morning tickets were sold out already so I had to walk in to the bus terminal to see if they have any last minute cancellations or extra space. Luckily, there was ONE seat left, and I was able to hop on the bus next day!

Penang Hills view!

1) Penang Hills

Best place to check out the city view. It was simply amazing to see the entire Georgetown view from the top. There is an option to hike up and come down or to take the cable car. The cable car costs RM15 (around $3.35 USD) one way. I hiked up but on my way down, I took the cable car. Hiking up was not too bad- it took me around 1.5 hours. There were many steps, but it was shady to beat the heat. I also met Hayden from Colorado on my way up, so it was nice talking about things. 

At the end of the trail, I saw this view!!

2) Penang National Park 

Penang National Park was a true hidden gem. The entrance fee is only 50K IDR (locals 10K IDR) and it's definitely worth it. There were two hiking trails, Pentai Teluk Aling, and Pantai Kerachut, but only Pantai Kerachut was open when I was there, so I hiked the second trail instead. It was a easy shady hike and it took me 3 hours round trip to hike out and back. There was an option to take the ferry from Pantai Kerachut if you pay extra 120K IDR to get to the Monkey Beach, but I wanted to hike the whole day, so I didn't take the ferry myself.