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View all search resultsBrickfields: KL's Little India
(Courtesy of Kuala Lumpur)Transiting overnight in Kuala Lumpur? Your options are either staying in a nondescript airport hotel, stretching out on a patch of airport floor or doing it in style at Brickfields
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(Courtesy of Kuala Lumpur)" height="316" border="0" width="512">(Courtesy of Kuala Lumpur)Transiting overnight in Kuala Lumpur? Your options are either staying in a nondescript airport hotel, stretching out on a patch of airport floor or doing it in style at Brickfields.
Kuala Lumpur, or KL as itâs more commonly known, and its neon-lit airport hardly ever go to sleep, so staying in the airport for longer than a six-hour transit may ruin your holiday with sleep-deprivation.
KLâs multi-cultural Little India, on the other hand, is a melting pot of delectable restaurants and comfy hotels among colorful Hindu, Buddhist and Confucian temples, as well as churches, mosques and ashrams.
It is also home to residents and migrant workers hailing from the Indian subcontinent as well as Asia, Europe and beyond, making it an amazing place to sit, relax and watch the worldâs people walk by.
Named after the eponymous industry established in the area to rebuild KL after an 1881 flood, Brickfields is now the location of the KL central train and bus station.
Connections to the international airport (KLIA) as well as the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) for Air Asia are convenient: the express train to KLIA takes 30-35 minutes, while the bus to both airports takes 45-95 minutes, depending on traffic.
While it is also easy to connect to light rail or commuter trains to other parts of the city, those with limited time can rest at ease here with everything available nearby.
If budget is no issue, simply rise up above the trains and traffic into the Hilton or Le Meridien, located in the twin towers above Central Station. While enjoying a birdâs eye view of KL, great bars and restaurants of international standard are available without needing to touch the ground.
The adventurous or budget-conscious traveler can simply walk down to street level where clean, well-equipped hotel rooms with free wifi can be found for around RM 100 (US$31.36) a night.
To the northeast lies the Jl. Scott area with a Hanuman temple and iconic restaurants, while to the southwest, past the Jl. Travers intersection, a maze of shops, food stalls and hostels await.
Beyond, on Jl. Berhala (Idol Street), are temples dedicated to Ganesh, Shiva and other Indian deities.
In between the two is the main road, Jl. Tun Sambathan, also full of restaurants, city hotels and a YMCA. It is less appealing due to the ongoing building of the 1 Sentral tower. Local residents frequent the area for shopping in between commuting on the various rail and bus networks converging here.
(Courtesy of Kuala Lumpur)<)
(Courtesy of Kuala Lumpur)
Transiting overnight in Kuala Lumpur? Your options are either staying in a nondescript airport hotel, stretching out on a patch of airport floor or doing it in style at Brickfields.
Kuala Lumpur, or KL as it's more commonly known, and its neon-lit airport hardly ever go to sleep, so staying in the airport for longer than a six-hour transit may ruin your holiday with sleep-deprivation.
KL's multi-cultural Little India, on the other hand, is a melting pot of delectable restaurants and comfy hotels among colorful Hindu, Buddhist and Confucian temples, as well as churches, mosques and ashrams.
It is also home to residents and migrant workers hailing from the Indian subcontinent as well as Asia, Europe and beyond, making it an amazing place to sit, relax and watch the world's people walk by.
Named after the eponymous industry established in the area to rebuild KL after an 1881 flood, Brickfields is now the location of the KL central train and bus station.
Connections to the international airport (KLIA) as well as the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) for Air Asia are convenient: the express train to KLIA takes 30-35 minutes, while the bus to both airports takes 45-95 minutes, depending on traffic.
While it is also easy to connect to light rail or commuter trains to other parts of the city, those with limited time can rest at ease here with everything available nearby.
If budget is no issue, simply rise up above the trains and traffic into the Hilton or Le Meridien, located in the twin towers above Central Station. While enjoying a bird's eye view of KL, great bars and restaurants of international standard are available without needing to touch the ground.
The adventurous or budget-conscious traveler can simply walk down to street level where clean, well-equipped hotel rooms with free wifi can be found for around RM 100 (US$31.36) a night.
To the northeast lies the Jl. Scott area with a Hanuman temple and iconic restaurants, while to the southwest, past the Jl. Travers intersection, a maze of shops, food stalls and hostels await.
Beyond, on Jl. Berhala (Idol Street), are temples dedicated to Ganesh, Shiva and other Indian deities.
In between the two is the main road, Jl. Tun Sambathan, also full of restaurants, city hotels and a YMCA. It is less appealing due to the ongoing building of the 1 Sentral tower. Local residents frequent the area for shopping in between commuting on the various rail and bus networks converging here.
The Vivekananda Ashram, one of Little India's landmarks. (JP/Kadek Krishna Adidharma)
People-watchers observing a busy intersection may feel the wonder of being on a Star Trek set: aliens wearing various intergalactic garments speaking in exotic tongues, at ease and at home at this outpost.
Those who love Bollywood movies can pop into a henna hair salon or temporary tattoo parlor, or even get into full Indian bridal costume for a memorable photo. The clothing emporiums of the area provide an affordable treasure trove for costume parties.
The main attraction for me, though, is the food. This area is heaven for vegetarians and those who love Indian or peranakan food.
Jl. Scott offers a huge range, my favorites being Vischaal's (for breakfast or lunch, it is open early and sells out fast, closing by 5 p.m.) and Gandhi's Vegetarian Restaurant (open till late) with a full range of faux-meat dishes of Indian and peranakan leanings.
A hearty dinner or lunch for four can cost as little as RM 63. In a busy lunch hour, there are several all-you-can-eat buffets available for RM 15 per person, notably the Shri Laxmi within the Temple of Fine Arts on Jl. Berhala.
For breakfast, it's hard to spend more than RM 5 for a filling breakfast in the many stalls and restaurants offering fresh and hot Indian and Malaysian specialties.
I opted for Sri Paandi (aptly dubbed the king of Chettinad food) where a piping hot rawa thossai and steamed idli with chutneys and dal were washed down by a sweet cup of teh tarik for just RM 3.70.
Time simply flies by amid the local hustle and bustle. Suddenly it's time to head back to the airport again, sated and ready to doze on the bus, train or plane.
