My ‘Unexpected’ Sojourn In Kuala Lumpur

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.
 
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.
 
 
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.
 
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.
 
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.
 
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. 
     
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.
 
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?
 
If you enjoyed this post, you can –
Subscribe to receive ‘new post’ updates through Email.