This post is written by Katie about her first day in Kuala Lumpur during her second 2016 mileage run to Kuala Lumpur.

This morning I woke at 9am after sleeping very nicely in the comfortable 4-bed female dorm at Backhome KL.  Although there was a lot of street noise, ear plugs easily solved this issue.

The open-air court yard and walkways were really beautiful at KL Backhome.

The included breakfast downstairs was simple but nice – free cut mango, fresh cut pineapple, and white bread with toasters, butter, jam, and peanut butter.  I enjoyed eating breakfast in the courtyard – Backhome KL is a really beautiful property.

Merdeka Square

After breakfast I took a short walk to Merdeka Square.  There was a strange trick bike race occurring on the square, so there were plenty of people around.

A temple in Chinatown

A shopping street in Chinatown

After spending some time at Merdeka Square, I loosely followed a Lonely Planet walking tour through Chinatown.  I enjoyed the people watching, but couldn’t help but feel I was also being watched constantly.  It seems that neighborhood was not used to seeing a blonde white girl walking alone.  It never seemed unsafe, but was certainly disconcerting.

I was pretty drained after the walk, and decided to head back to Backhome KL to relax and recover a bit.  I picked up three electrolyte drinks for less than $2 on the walk back.

Free canopy walkway in the KL Forest Eco Park

Free canopy walkway in the KL Forest Eco Park

After relaxing for an hour or so, I felt ready to tackle the heat and the stares again.  This time, I made the short walk to the free KL Forest Eco Park.  I wandered the trails in the park including the canopy walkway.  I was pleased to find filtered water available at the Forest Information Centre.

I was disappointed to see how touristy the area around Menara KL – the area the trails led to – seemed.  I took a short look around before retreating back down the trails.  I rested in the air-conditioned Forest Information Centre for a short time before walking to the Petronas Towers area.  It was interesting to watch the transition from ‘Old Town’ to ‘Modern Town’ on this walk.

I decided to stop in the Suria KLCC’s food court for a late lunch.  The mall actually has two food courts – an international food court on floor 2 and a local food court on floor 4.  I walked through the local food court, but nothing looked appetizing.  I went to floor 2, and settled for a kebab and fries.  Both the kebab and fries were really disappointing.  I got a second lunch of plain dosa from an Indian place, and this was much tastier!  I particularly liked two of the four sauces served with the dosa.

Loved seeing the different trees in the KLCC Park

There were many people in the park today.

After eating, I walked around the KLCC Park.  There were many people out enjoying the park, and the children’s water pool seemed particularly popular.  After walking the park for a while, I ventured back into Suria KLCC and attempted to find a hat for the remainder of the day and tomorrow.  I eventually settled for a lightweight white Adidas hat.

After buying the hat, I walked to the KLCC LRT station and headed back to Backhome KL to plan out my day for tomorrow and generally rest.  The heat and differentness of KL certainly made for a grueling day!