In a nutshell

What is the best way to get to know another country? Through its food! Sure enough, this excursion is designed to introduce visitors to the culinary delights of Malaysia in all its varieties and cultures by taking them on a gastronomic tour through the restaurants and outdoor markets of Kuala Lumpur, where the cuisines of Chinese, India mingle with the country’s indigenous traditions in a unique blend of colours, flavours and aromas.

Main stops

A taste of Malaysian cuisine
Masjid Negara, the National Mosque of Malaysia (photo stop)
Central Market: artisan products, fruit and vegetables and traditional local sweet and savoury treats
The Sin Sze Si Ya Chinese temple
Chinatown and Petaling Street: street-food stalls and iconic Chinese restaurants
The Sri Maha Mariamman Hindu temple
Indian food stalls

The programme

Leaving the port Klang in the comfort of our coach, we make the roughly hour-long journey to Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia and the economic, cultural and financial hub of the entire region.
It is from here that we set out on our food tour of Kuala Lumpur, making our way on foot to the restaurant where we have the chance to savour the true flavours and aromas of the East with a range of Malaysian delicacies. The restaurant serves traditional dishes in small rooms furnished in the style of a rural Malaysian home. It is particularly popular for its buffet, which features a host of appetisers, grilled fish and squid, fish curries and beef and chicken dishes, along with a selection of sweets, all from the Malaysian tradition.
Our tour continues with a quick photo stop at the Masjid Negara, the National Mosque of Malaysia. Built in 1965, the mosque’s most distinctive feature, in architectural terms, is the blue, umbrella-like roof, whose 16 points were intended to represent the original 11 states of the nation of Malaysia and the 5 pillars of Islam. The blue colour scheme is continued in the windows, which use Italian glass.
From the mosque, we make our way to the Central Market, the capital’s historic covered market, which was founded in 1888. Originally specialising in fruit and vegetables, it is now best known for as a place to find Malaysian artisan goods and souvenirs. The ground floor has artisan stalls divided into three areas (Malaysian, Chinese and Indian) featuring typical products from the country’s three major ethnic groups. The upper floor, meanwhile, is dedicated to clothes and food. Just outside the covered market is Kasturi Walk, a market street offering tropical fruits and typical Malaysian food and sweets.
Pushing on, we walk to the Sin Sze Si Ya Chinese temple. Built in 1864, it is dedicated to Sin Sze Ya and Si Sze Ya, patron deities along the lines of the household deities of Ancient Rome.
From the temple, we head to Petaling Street, the beating heart of Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown and home to some of the city’s most famous markets, which makes it a favourite with tourists. The area is brimming with stalls offering freshly-made street food including the ever-popular noodles, “apam balik” (a sort of pancake folded around a filling of crushed peanuts), “tau fu fah” (a soy bean “pudding”) and “yong tau foo” (tofu stuffed with a minced meat or fish filling). However, there are also numerous restaurants including iconic eateries like the Old China Cafe.
Leaving Chinatown behind us, we make our way to Kuala Lumpur’s Indian quarter, where we visit the Sri Maha Mariamman temple. Located just a stone’s throw from Petaling Street, it is the oldest Hindu temple in the city and is dedicated to the goddess of the rain. It is also the most elaborate and richly decorated temple in the country, with intricate carvings of Hindu deities, decorations in gold, precious stones and hand-painted motifs. Last but not least are the splendid tiles, which come all the way from Italy and Spain.
Outside the temple we find stalls serving Indian food, such as “rotis” (a type of bread) and rice wrapped in banana leaves. As we walk through the area, the air is filled with the mingled aromas of traditional herbs and fresh coffee from the nearby streets.
With our gastronomic tour through the distinctive neighbourhoods of Kuala Lumpur at an end, we climb back aboard the coach to travel back to Klang and the port.

Good to know

Minimum age: 8
This excursion involves walking over rough and uneven ground and includes some steps. It therefore requires a reasonable level of physical fitness.