Kuala Lumpur: trip overview and country facts

On June 15, I began the outbound journey of 31 hours to Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia) via Paris and Dubai.

On June 23, I began the return journey of 34 hours via Dubai and Paris.

That's a lot of travel for a 6-day stay ... but it was worth it!

I rented a super comfortable condo in the Bukit Bintang district of Kuala Lumpur (KL to locals) and spent time with my buddy Hazri and his friends.

Every day was a new adventure.

Click here to see a page with all of my trip photos (many of which are also included in subsequent Kuala Lumpur blog posts).


Did you know?

1. Malaysia has a total land mass of 329,847 square kilometers (127,350 sq mi) separated by the South China Sea into two similarly sized regions, Peninsular Malaysia and East Malaysia (Malaysian Borneo).
2. The capital city is Kuala Lumpur, while Putrajaya is the seat of the federal government. 
3. By 2015, with a population of over 30 million, Malaysia became the 43rd most populous country in the world. 
4. The Malaysian constitution declares Islam the state religion while allowing freedom of religion for non-Muslims.
5. The Malay kingdoms (which now form Malaysia) were once British protectorates. 
6. The government system is closely modeled on the Westminster parliamentary system and the legal system is based on common law.  The head of state is the king, known as the Yang di-Pertuan Agong. He is an elected monarch chosen from the hereditary rulers of the nine Malay states every five years. The head of government is the prime minister.
7. Historically the government has tried to portray Malaysia as a progressive Islamic nation while strengthening relations with other Islamic states.
8. The Strait of Malacca, lying between Sumatra and Peninsular Malaysia, is one of the most important thoroughfares in global commerce, carrying 40 per cent of the world's trade.
9. About two thirds of Malaysia is covered in forest, with some forests believed to be 130 million years old.
10. Tourism has become Malaysia's third largest source of foreign exchange.
11. Between 2013 and 2014, Malaysia has been listed as one of the best places to retire in the world too, with the country in third position on the Global Retirement Index.
12. The official language of Malaysia is Malaysian, a standardized form of the Malay language.
13. Malaysia has a multi-ethnic, multicultural, and multilingual society.  For more information on demographics, click here.