Kuala Lumpur was the first stop on my SE Asia backpacking while writing trip. But not because Kuala Lumpur or Malaysia were high on my list of inspiring places where I wanted to go write.
In fact, if the flight to Kuala Lumpur wasn’t cheaper than everywhere else in Asia, I may not have found time to visit Malaysia on this trip at all.
I’m so glad I did.
And I’m surprised more people don’t put Malaysia on their list of places to visit. I traveled to a few other places in Malaysia where I also wrote. But the capital, Kuala Lumpur, is certainly the largest place, and therefore has many great places I found to write.
Here they are.
So, there are many cafés you can find throughout this city. A lot have Western influence, many Eastern influence.
But most have a mixture of both.
This makes the Kuala Lumpur cafes great places to set up your laptop and write. Here are a few I think are great for doing just that.
(150, Jalan Petaling)
A mixture of old and new, east and west, nature and urban. Merchant’s Lane has an interior that is as contrasting as it is inviting.
If I had more in time in Kuala Lumpur, I would have spent a whole day writing at Merchant’s Lane.
(Jalan Singgahsana 4A/KU5)
No one wants to write in loud and chaotic environments. Okay, maybe some people do. But this place is not for those people.
This café was designed to create harmony and Zen, and it’s the perfect place to unwind from the busy city and just write. I particularly like the little outdoor seating area!
(G5, 8, Jalan Kerinchi)
Feel like writing outside but don’t want to risk ruining your laptop?
Head inside to this beautiful restaurant, where you’ll feel like you’re sitting in the great outdoors. It’s the perfect place to set down your laptop and write while enjoying some yummy food too!
This place isn’t easy to get to, but if you’re planning on going to the Skydeck anyway, make sure to pack a notebook. It’s a very small café, but I was lucky to be the only one in there when I was up at the Skydeck.
You can only sit at the café if you order something there. So with a red velvet cake in front of me, I had a very lovely writing session as I occasionally looked out the window and down at the city I hadn’t expected to love so much.
Honestly, the best places I found to write for free in Kuala Lumpur were the two hostels where I stayed (keep reading to learn more about them).
But here are some places I came across I thought would make good writing spots, or where I stopped to scribble in my notebook.
So this place was actually quite eerie when I was there- hardly anyone else was there! I found that this was true of a couple places in Malaysia, but this one seemed a bit run down.
It looked like it may have been a beautiful, popular place to admire gorgeous flowers once upon a time, but it was evident those days were over.
While this is unfortunate for those who only like luxury or high-class experiences while traveling, the abandoned buildings and ticket booths, as well as the shabby, run-down structures had a post-apocalyptic feel to them.
Writing a post-apocalyptic book? Perfect. Get the vibe from this place down on paper.
On the contrary, KLCC Park is a bit of nature in the city where you won’t find eerie emptiness. Even in the night, runners tread the running path circling the park and tourists crowd the spots where the Petronas Towers are best visible for a picture.
If you’ve read my other Writer’s Travel Guides then you’ll know I’m a huge fan of city parks, with the contrasting sounds and sights of the city and nature. In KLCC, you can almost pretend you’re in a jungle rather than a humongous city.
I always try to get to the highest point in cities I visit.
It’s a great way to get a new perspective on them.
The city looks much different when you’re in the mazes of winding streets and when you’re looking down on them instead.
For such a big city, there’s a surprising amount of greenery in Kuala Lumpur. It’s a beautiful contrast against the clumps of sky scrapers, especially with the rolling hills in the distance.
The two most popular places to get a bird’s eye view of Kuala Lumpur are the Petronas Towers and the KL Tower Skydeck. I thought the view from the Skydeck was much better, so if you have to choose between the two, choose that one.
After buying your ticket for the Petronas Towers, you first get to walk on the bridge linking the two tallest twin towers in the world together. Then you shoot up higher in the elevator to one of the top floors of Tower 1 for higher views.
At the KL Tower Skydeck, you can choose to buy a ticket just for the observation deck, which gives you an indoor view of the city. I quite enjoyed it, but I opted to buy the ticket that also allows you to go to the highest floor where the Skydeck is.
Here you can walk around the outdoor balcony. If you’re feeling brave, take a picture on the glass box that hovers off the tower 300 meters above the ground.
It’s also at this top floor that you will find the café I recommended earlier.
If you’re looking for inspiration to write something set in a colonial city back in the day, you can visit the old colonial part of Kuala Lumpur. Many of the buildings from the colonial days still stand there.
Here you’ll find the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, Old Post Office, St. Mary’s Cathedral, Royal Selangor Club, Independence Square and Kuala Lumpur Library, among others.
You will notice the architecture is quite different from the rest of the city, and you can almost pretend you’re in Europe at times.
Find a seat on a bench somewhere in this area and get some writing done!
Hotels are usually the easiest place to write while on a writing retreat, and Kuala Lumpur has some great options for that.
(Unit 26-2, Level 26, Taragon Puteri Bintang Condo, Jalan Changkat Thambi Dollah)
This has been one of my favorite hostels. Part of the reason is because the bed is located in a box, with enough space for my bags. While a bit rustic looking, it comes with several USB sockets, a universal plug (no adapter needed) and a fan. It was more like a teeny tiny hotel room than the hostel bunk beds I was used to, and I loved the privacy for when I wanted to be alone to write.
When I didn’t mind writing in the company of others, the common room was an amazing place to write. The décor was very trendy yet comfy, and there was a lot of comfy seating out on the roof covered terrace.
Ohana is located on the 26th floor, and looking out you’ll have a view of the Petronas Towers! There’s also free tea and coffee throughout the day, and free breakfast in the morning.
Space Hotel
(No 5, Jalan Petaling)
If you’re writing a Sci-Fi book, you won’t find a better place to stay than the Space Hotel. Also with a lot of privacy, you stay inside of a space pod!
It looks like something out of a Sci-Fi movie, with buttons on a control turning on the mirror light, back light, air conditioning and of course with USB outlets and an outlet. There’s also a TV built into the pod, and a table that comes out of the wall that you can prop your laptop on as you write.
*Or for people with another job than as a writer
Malaysia is so cheap (for most Westerners) that even a luxury stay is quite affordable. So even if you aren’t a best-selling author yet, you might still be able to afford this one!
(121 Jalan Ampang)
Located just by the Petronas Towers, this hotel is in an amazing location. You’re in walking distance to a lot of the places featured in this guide, but you may not want to leave the hotel at all!
The rooms are huge, with plenty of space to get up from your desk and pace around when you hit a writing rut. If you get tired of your room, head to the trendy bar or restaurant. Want some fresh air? Head up to the rooftop where you can lounge in the sun and take a dip in the pool.
As a writer, it’s crucial to read other’s writing to improve your own. And what better way to learn more about Kuala Lumpur’s culture and history before going than by reading a book set there?
Who knows, maybe one of these will even inspire you to write your own book set in Kuala Lumpur. At the very least, these books will definitely convince you to visit the city if I haven’t already.
If you read my Writer’s Travel Guide to Singapore, you should already be familiar with Noir anthology series. These anthologies are a collections of stories and essays on the darker side of a city.
Kuala Lumpur (or KL) actually has a series of four volumes, each with a slightly different theme:
To see what darkness lies beneath the surface you’ll see on your visit to KL, read at least one of these volumes.
I know there’s a lot more great writing spots in KL. Let me know your favorite one in the comments below!
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