When anyone says Kuala Lumpur, everyone will think of Bukit Bintang, Petronas Twin Towers, KL Tower and all the famous places…

In this blog post, let me share a few hidden gems of Kuala Lumpur… Some I also just recently discovered….

1) Matic Cultural Dance Show

What is a visit to a foreign country if not to discover and catch a glimpse of their culture…

For a FREE peek into Malaysian culture, I daresay you have to head over to MaTiC (Malaysia Tourism Centre) and watch the 3pm cultural dance show which are performed daily except for Sunday & Public Holidays…

Be there at 2.30pm for this one hour show that will highlight a few of the multi ethnic groups of Malaysia’s cultural dances in a 120 seater air conditioned theater….

It’s a spectacular display of colourful and rich traditional costumes and you can also participate at the end and have a photo session taken with them too!!!

Among the dances are the Sewang dance, Chinese Fan dance, Indian classical dance..

Then there is the traditional medley consisting of the Zapin langkah beralun,  Orang Ulu dance etc…

For more info check out http://www.matic.gov.my/en/services/facilities-at-matic

2) Hauntu

Hauntu (Interactive Haunted House) is a blend of live theatre performance, role play and storytelling that comes together to provide participants an engaging experience..

It is not a scary haunted house (like Scream Park Sunday Lagoon), but a real interactive experience with real actors, audience interaction, intricate mazes and interconnected storylines that are centred around a colonial hotel on Merdeka night filled with mystery and the paranormal…

So can you make it out alive or will you die in there??? The choice is yours!!!!!

For more info, be sure to check out https://ihauntu.com/

3) Kwai Chai Hong

Kwai Chai Hong is no longer such a secret… Located in the Chinatown area of Kuala Lumpur, it consists of about 10 restored shophouses — six fronting Jalan Petaling and another four units along Lorong Panggung, as well as a delightful lane with fascinating murals tucked between the two roads of Jalan Petaling and Lorong Panggung….

Kwai Chai Hong is fairly near the Pasar Seni MRT and LRT stations… And got its name from the Cantonese dialect which translates quite literally as “Ghost Lane” or “Little Demon Alley.”

This lane is however not supernatural in nature, so don’t worry… There are at least two theories regarding this name…

One is that migrant workers from China who settled here used the colloquial slang of “kwai chai” (ghost children or little demon) to refer to mischievous children running around Lorong Panggung… And the other theory is that Kwai Chai Hong’s past as an area filled with gamblers, drug addicts, drunkards and those engaging in vice activities led to its nickname, while another story claimed that Lorong Panggung was the hideout of the “Dragon Tiger Clan” whose boss would call his members “Little Ghosts.”

Inside the laneway are six murals depicting the daily activities of early Chinese settlers in the area during the 1960s, as well as a century-old lamp post believed to be the only one surviving from the first set of lampposts installed in Kuala Lumpur when electricity arrived in the early 1900s, as well as displays of the original wooden windows that are no longer fit for use….

While taking great pains to retain bits and pieces of history, the project also incorporated modern technology where visitors can use their smartphones to scan the QR codes on the walls for an interactive and immersive experience…

Kwai Chai Hong is open to the public for free from 9am to 6pm daily.

4) Bingka KL

About 10 years ago, I always thought Malaysia did not have enough good quality souvenirs that represent our local culture..

However it is not so the case nowadays with the popping up of interesting souvenirs…

And one of them is Bingka KL… The founders of Bingka KL took their inspiration from countries like Japan and Thailand, which have a strong cultural identity and which is well reflected in everything they do, from their food to their dressing…. mannerisms… and of course their souvenirs…

Thus Bingka KL was born, inspired to be an amazing and quirky representation of our beautiful culture….

Which are Malaysian-themed hand drawn illustrations printed on tea towels, pouches and bags… resulting in one of a kind pieces that are uniquely handmade in Malaysia..

Personally, I love their designs… And would collect them all if I could and if I had the budget..

For more information, visit www.bingka.my

5) Crazepop

Crazepop is a Malaysian shop owned by Nurliza Mohd Jonis who specialises in delicious cake pops..

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Cake pops, if you don’t know, are basically balls of cake and frosting on a lollipop stick, and normally I do not really like cakepops as they are to sweet or somehow not too palatable but Crazepop cake pops are seriously to die for!!!!

With the tag deliciously designed, Nur show us how she meticulously prepares her cakepops and they are so beautifully designed it seems like a sin to bite into them… And when you bite, I swear these are the most delicious cakepops you can ever have as like I said, I don’t like cake pops… Except these…

She uses pure chocolate to decorate her cakes.. And her cake pops are sooo famous and sought after people order them from overseas!!! And yes, before you ask, she does classes if there is a need or a request…

Website /IG – https://instagram.com/crazepop

Thank you to Gaya Travel magazine and Tourism Malaysia Sentral for having me on the Kuala Lumpur for all Familiarisation trip…