Founded where the rivers Klang & Gombak intersect, is the largest city and capital of Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. Commonly referred to as KL, it is home to a diverse melting pot of various cultures, backgrounds ranging from Malays, Indian immigrants, British colonials and Chinese. As you roam the streets of Kuala Lumpur you can lay witness to their influence with the historical, age-old, colonial heritage in the walls of their architecture. At every turn, you can see how this once mining village has grown into a modern metropolis. Said to be, the beating heart of Malaysia, always moving, always alive, 24 hours a day, continuously birthing unique energy. Housing multiple districts such as Bukit Bintang, KLCC, and Chinatown for shopping, cafes & the full tourist experience. You will also find Petaling street flea market, Batu Caves (which are over 400 million years old) & the Petronas Twin Towers which dominate the city skyline. As you all know, I love to travel and sight-see but, I couldn’t help to ask myself “what lies behind all those touristy attractions, what are the aspects of this city a tourist wouldn’t usually find?”

Through my travels in Asia, I realized that if a traveler really wants to learn and get to know a place they must go beyond guide books and Instagram posts. That is why I used “With Locals” and Airbnb Experiences during my travels to meet locals who have an interesting tour or skillset to share. 

I signed up for Farhan’s tour  “The Untold Narratives of Kuala Lumpur ” which was definitely off the touristy beaten path. I arrived at 8 am and there were three other men in the group. 2 of them were teachers from Standford and one used to live in Los Angeles. What are the odds of two people from La La Land so far from home and interested in a tour to the dark side of Kuala Lumpur??? Anyways, we started the tour and were guided to the whereabouts of KL’s homeless and displaced where some were sleeping underneath bridges & buildings. We walked through old markets and saw a man killing chickens for fresh meat out in the open. One highlight was seeing a cat in a cage stating that the cat was a pet and not food. Why would someone leave their cat in a little cage? I have no idea. It smelled terrible in the market with raw meat decaying in the sun. It was a germaphobes worst nightmare. We navigated the city’s red-light districts and saw for ourselves the scale of prostitution/sex workers operating in areas that are so frequented by tourists yet they would have no idea what is going on around them. 

I have to be honest and say that it was pretty filthy seeing these dirty looking guys leave these brothels and I have deep compassion for the women that have to work this kind of job to support themselves. I can’t even imagine what the inside looks like. We continued to walk and one block away we saw a group of men painting listening to classical music on the side of the road. What I find so fascinating about any city is that you have both elements of positive and negative intertwine together as this is the fabric that makes up life. We walked to a thief’s market where people steal stuff and sell it to others. One funny story that Farhan told us was that one of his friends had their BMW emblem taken off of their car and then went to the Thieve’s market and saw it being sold. So if you are ever in Kuala Lumpur and have something stolen from you chances are that it will be sold at this market. 

While I was walking through this market at no point did I feel any danger especially holding a Canon 5D Mark 3 that I am sure someone could get the big bucks for. What I did find was people doing what they have to do to survive to feed themselves and their families. Living in Los Angeles, it is really easy to get accustomed to a nice lifestyle with Amazon, Postmates, Nobu dinners, and Equinox. It is really easy to take things for granted… that’s why travel is so important. When you travel to other countries and go on tours like this, it puts it all into perspective. Always remember what people are going through around the world, pray for humanity every day and to give back whenever you can. There is always more than meets the eye in any city that you visit. Don’t be afraid to venture off the beaten path (safely, of course!)