For many travellers to Malaysia, it is all about Kuala Lumpur. It can also be about Sabah and Sarawak, maybe Penang, Langkawi or even Malacca. There’s a lot to see in Malaysia but there’s a region with a city that is right under your nose if you’re in Kuala Lumpur that you might not have heard of before and is well worth a visit.
When you land at Kuala Lumpur International Airport you’re actually not in Kuala Lumpur, you’re in the region of Selangor which surrounds Kuala Lumpur.
This a region that gives you the opportunity to leave the bright lights of the city behind you and find an array of adventures for lovers of food, culture and nature.
A recent day trip to Klang takes around an hour from central Kuala Lumpur. The port city is officially known as the Royal City of Klang with a history that includes evidence of prehistoric settlement; it is a significant historic Malaysian community.
You may have watched the television program called, Stuff the British Stole, which details the artefacts, artworks, cultural relics and so much more that the British Empire took from countries around the world to examine and display for their own purposes.
Klang is one those communities that has been impacted by the sticky-fingered British with a bronze bell from the 2nd Century BC which was found in Klang and is now residing unhappily in the British Museum.
There is a feeling about Klang that is genuinely surprising. At first I think it’s because there’s less traffic than I’ve experienced in the hustle and bustle of Malaysian life. Then I think it might be because of the architecture which reminds me of Georgetown in Penang and Kuching in Sarawak. There are lots of colonial style two-storey shops with activity that is bustling, without any sense of urgency.
Then it hits me. I can walk down the street, walk around the corner and the next corner and find more and more that intriguing spots to captivate me. This is a community that is walkable! I need some time to enjoy a local breakfast and work out my next move so I look for a café – a kopitiam – that might have what I’m looking for. My senses tingle, my nose twitches and I know I’ve found what I’m looking for … kopi and kaya! Coffee and kaya (coconut) jam on toast.
It’s fair to say, and I’ve written stories on Malaysian Medical Tourism, that Malaysians have some of the highest blood sugar levels in the world. One of the reasons is because of their love of condensed milk in coffee. They can’t get enough of that thick, sticky sweetness. My order for a kopi c kosong is considered a bit unusual because it contains evaporated milk instead of condensed milk and has no added sugar. If you enjoy a flat white with no sugar just ask for kopi c kosong.
Added to my order is a serve of kaya jam on toast. Kaya is a sweet jam made with milk, eggs, sugar and coconut milk and often some pandan as well for a bit of that green colour and earthy, vanilla flavour.
The kopitiam I’m sitting in is the Chong Kok Kopitiam and has been serving coffee and kaya toast in bright yellow ceramic cups and plates since 1940. An open kitchen lets you watch the busy preparation of endless orders for toast and snaking towers of yellow cups to be washed and refilled with hot coffee.
This enjoyably walkable community actually has a Royal Klang Town Heritage Walk that is easy to follow and will take about two to three hours. Along the way you will pass through Little India and maybe purchase some fabric or a stainless steel tiffin for your work lunch back home.
There are old colonial clubs and palaces, the Tengku Kelana Indian Muslim Mosque, the vibrant Sri Nagara Thendayuthaopani temple, a well restored and loved fire station and so much more to explore and enjoy.
My afternoon is spent with the community who tend to the Rumah Papan Pandamaran. This is an experience that I’m putting at the top of my list for travellers who have done enough shopping and have eaten enough food for one day. This is a grassroots project to blend this community with a community garden, nostalgia for the past and passion to create a sustainable future.
It is an opportunity to slow down the pace of your travels, participate in activities and learn without feeling like you’re being taught. As I make an enzyme in a jar with fruit peel, moss, algae and charcoal I am calm and listening to the story of this vibrant place and I feel like I have made a contribution.
Sometimes when we scratch the surface we get a glimpse that there is a lot more to be found. I scratched the surface of Selangor and found a community. I hope you can explore as I have and find more little gems in this region that doesn’t have bright lights but will give you lots of high lights.
Getting There
Fly to Kuala Lumpur with Air Asia throughout the week from Perth. From Kuala Lumpur to Klang is easy by train from Sentral Station and takes less than an hour. If you’re driving, it is about an hour to an hour and a half depending on the time of day.
Look For
Day trip tours in Malaysia are very popular and offer a wide choice between private or group tours. They are affordable and adaptable to your requirements from the food you want to eat to the attractions you’re interested in. For more information on Selangor look online for Tourism Selangor where you’ll find the best advice on how to experience the region.
