If you're thinking about travel to Southeast Asia and you have a more or less prepared route, you surely have some doubts. For example, With little time, what should be visited? Kuala Lampur or Singapore?
Today we are going to try to clear up that doubt so that you can discover the destination that best suits your tastes.
Kuala Lumpur
It is the city capital of malaysia, a city well known for its modern skyscrapers, bustling street markets and otherworldly cuisine. The gastronomy is great, although you don't have to be a modern foodie to get to know the city, luckily it offers much more.
The truth is that Kuala Lumpur is a delicious combination of modernity and tradition, a site that is also, geographically, a confluence of rivers, the Klang and the Gomnack. In fact, its name literally means "muddy confluence."
With little time to explore it, and if we talk about little time for myself we talk about 24 hours, we can still give it a good look that leaves us wanting to return.
Let's divide the day into morning, afternoon and night. In the morning You can start with the obvious, the Batu Caves. Better to get the best out of the way first. These caves are just 13 kilometers north of the city, on a limestone hill.
The caves They are temples and are among the most important and popular Hindu shrines outside India. There is a staircase of 272 steps that leads to the Temple Cave, the largest in the complex, and the views as you ascend are fabulous: you will see the golden statue of Lord Murugan, almost 43 meters high.
Of course there are many more caves, temples and houses to explore here and best of all, it is a free attraction, except for the entrance fee to enter a couple of special caves you don't pay anything.
Another temple that you can visit, not here but on the top of the hill in the Robson Heighs neighborhood, is the Thean Hou Temple, a beautiful chinese temple which was built in the '80s of the last century in honor of the protector of sailors, Mazu.
This temple has a beautiful courtyard, full of flowers and colorful lanterns, with altars and shrines because more than a single temple, it is a complex of temples.
In the afternoon, You can go spend some time at the Eco Park KL Forest. You will have returned to the city and the truth is that beyond a park or a reserve it is an interesting place because it has many trails, panoramic observation points and places to have a picnic.
The best is the high altitude trail, that is, hanging walkways that wander through the treetops. For that reason alone I recommend going, but there is also a lot of wildlife to enjoy.
The truth is that if you like heights, and I think Kuala Lampur should be admired from this perspective, the best thing is to go to the observation deck of the Kuala Lumpur Tower, KL Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the city at 421 meters and the best, but the best, views of the city.
The views during the day are fantastic, but if you follow my advice and go in the afternoon you can see the sunset, how the colors change... And if you dare and don't suffer from vertigo you can always stand on the part that has a glass floor.
In the evening Your stay in Kuala Lumpur will be almost over so you can go for a walk and do some shopping in the Central Market. It operates in a colorful colonial building and there are many stalls selling a little bit of everything.
And dinner, as it cannot be otherwise, will be in the street of gastronomic stalls most well-known and popular in Kuala Lampur: Jalan Alor. The sun goes down and this area of the city vibrates. If you are one of those who dine early, the finishing touch is the visit to the Petronas Towers, the 88-story twin towers.
The night visit is the best because the views from the observation deck on the 86th floor are from another world. And there is the bridge that connects both towers on the 41st floor. There are usually a lot of people, of course, so be sure to Buy your tickets in advance. People are allowed in until 8:30 pm.
With more time available in Kuala Lumpur, but not much more, then be sure to visit: Plaza Independencia. KLCC Park, Sri Maha Mariamman Temple and Malaysia's Times Square, Changkat Bukit Bintang.
Singapore
Singapore has a reputation for modernity, heat, greenery, noise... And it is like that, so when it comes to deciding which is better, Kuala Lumpur or Singapore, the decision is always difficult. But we already talked about what to do in Kuala Lumpur, so… What can we do and see in Singapore?
The airport itself is wonderful, one of the best in the world according to specialists. Now, the truth is that a day is a short time so although it is not usually my favorite option here, I recommend the touristic bus. The hop-on-hop-off.
And Singapore It is the only city island state that exists in this small size. We can also divide our stay into morning, afternoon and night.
In the morning and after having something to energize us for breakfast, we take the tourist bus that will take us around the best attractions in the city. After about an hour you reach the Botanical Gardens, a wonderful site and one of the only three gardens that UNESCO has given the status of World Heritage.
Here you can walk along walkways and enjoy the wonderful tropical flora. Then, when it's time for lunch, you can head to any market to try local dishes at good prices. And since you are in the center you can go shopping and walk through the bucolic Orchard Road Boulevard, the best shopping street in Singapore.
And if not, and this is much better, come and see Gardens by the Bay, this well-known and iconic site, with its Cloud Forest, the Flower Dome and the Supertree.
In the evening, moment of the last hours here in Singapore, the best thing is to walk from these gardens to the marina, Marina Bay Sands, the best resort in the country. The park is at the top of a 57-story complex and the views, the views!
Obviously you can always do more in Singapore: visit Little India, the Sri Veerama Temple, Chinatown...
Kuala Lumpur or Singapore?
We already talked briefly about the tourist attractions of each of these cities. Have you decided? What do you like more?
Some considerations: Singapore is a city state where many languages are spokenEven English since it was a British colony, so it is quite westernized. Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia, a Muslim country.
Both destinations are worth visiting. While Singapore is bigger, Kuala Lumpur is smaller, barely 243 square kilometers of surface, against 734. What is the climate like? The best time to visit Kuala Lumpur is in the dry season, from December to February and June to August, meanwhile in Singapore the dry season is from February to September.
Is there a language barrier? El Official language in Kuala Lumpur is Malay although the majority of its population manages well with English. While, In Singapore, the official language is English. so if you know this language there is no problem.
If you do not know any of these destinations and it is your first time, which one is best? For virgins, definitely Kuala Lumpur is more shocking. What destination is cheaper? Kuala Lumpur. You can manage on a daily budget of around less than 40 euros, whereas in Singapore that may only cost you accommodation.
Which destination is safer? Here it depends on whether you are woman or man, if you travel alone or in a group. For women, Singapore is a safer destination, for obvious reasons. Which destination has the best nightlife? Well, either, but alcohol is very expensive in both places.
Do you like the beach? Note that Kuala Lumpur is not a beach destination and that you will have to travel at least an hour to get to one. Singapore It is not a classic beach destination either, but there are some public beaches and has the Sentosa Island.
Now, if you have more than 24 hours you should calculate more or less 2 days for Kuala Lumpur and at least three for Singapore. If you ask me, I prefer Singapore because the place is beautiful, the perfect mix between history and modernity and cultures.
But if you can't decide, why not visit both destinations? You can easily combine on the same trip since a bus between both places only takes five hours.