When we were in Kuala Lumpur (KL for short), we took a day trip to the Royal City of Klang. An interesting place with a rich history, it’s an easy trip from KL, and there’s enough to do to fill a day. We met nice people, saw some sights, and had a good lunch on our Klang day trip.
Why Take a Klang Day Trip
The main reason we went to Klang was to pick up a part at a marine chandler outside of Klang. Since it was almost an hour each way from Kuala Lumpur, I researched what to do nearby and realized there was a lot! The Royal City of Klang has interesting history, great street art, and more.
Klang Day Trip from Kuala Lumpur
We took Grabs both ways from KL to Klang, and they are so efficient and inexpensive in Malaysia that it was fine for us. You take a Grab for 45 minutes and it costs less than a 10 minute trip in Toronto.
That’s not the only way to get there. After our Klang day trip, we discovered that a new train station had just opened and the train was running for free as a new promotion! The LRT makes a lot of stops so would take about 90 minutes whereas the car depending on traffic takes about an hour. Read on for what to see and do.
First Stop: Play Klang Cafe
We started our visit to the Royal City of Klang with a stop at the Play Klang Cafe, a coffee shop/art studio/community space/hostel. Yes, they do a lot, and it’s definitely a place worth visiting on a Klang day trip.
The employees at Play Klang Cafe are super friendly, and they consider themselves Klang ambassadors, spreading the love for their city to all visitors. One of the main reasons to stop here first on a Klang day trip is to get their hand drawn map of the city and its sights.
Next Stop: Royal Gallery
Klang is known as The Royal City of Klang because it is the historical seat of the Selangor Sultanate and houses the official palace. Selangor is the Malaysian state encompassing KL and Klang.
One of the sultans created the Sultan Abdul Aziz Royal Gallery to honor his ancestors. It is a quick walk around the corner from Klang Cafe.
Entry is free to this museum housed in a former government building built in 1909. You are not allowed to take any photographs inside.
Within the gallery are lots of memorabilia and exhibits related to previous sultans and the history of Selangor. One section housed a bicycle collection, while others medals and weapons. Still another featured crown jewels. It’s an extensive collection.
Klang Street Art Alleyway
The more we explore Malaysian cities, the more we enjoy the lively street art. Klang is another spot with some beautiful outdoor art.
Conveniently, Klang’s alleyway filled with art is located across the street and steps away from the museum.
The project, known as the Safari Jejak Warisan (Heritage Trail), covers a few blocks worth of walls in colorful murals of animals.
Lunch in Klang: Yap Kee Banana Leaf
Our lunch at this casual and very popular cafe on our Klang day trip became one of our most memorable meals ever. We waited a few minutes out front for a table to become available and then were seated on plastic chairs and invited to eat.
Banana leaf rice is a traditional Indian dish in Malaysia. Rice and curry is served on a clean banana leaf as a plate. It was delicious, and very inexpensive. The twist is you eat it all one-handed!
Unfortunately, I don’t have any photos of our meal because I was eating with my right hand while keeping my left hand clenched to my leg. I was fearful I would accidentally use my left hand to eat, which is considered offensive. We had chicken curry – with bones – which was quite difficult to manuever with no utensils and just one hand but we managed. After our delicious lunch we availed ourselves of the washing sink and continued exploring Klang. Two servings of the banana leaf curry and some juices set us back about $8, if that.
Klang Royal Town Mosque and riverfront
The last bit of touring we did around Klang was a walk across the river with views of the city, including the impressive Klang Royal Town Mosque.
We had a delightful Klang day trip. It was a nice break from the crowds of KL, and a bit off the beaten path. We did not see any other Westerners on our day there, the only other tourists were a couple of people at the museum. People do visit, the cafe is also a hostel, and their log book had signatures from people from all over the world.
If you’re in KL and need a break, you might like a Klang day trip. With an interesting history, nice cafés and cool street art, Selangor’s royal city is fun to visit.
Share this:
