Malaysians love shopping. I got yet another proof of that sitting in an endless traffic jam surrounding Midvalley Megamall on a Saturda afternoon. Shopping and sale are part of the brand “Malayisa” on the internaitonal arena. I am reminded of this every time a friend online or offline asks me when is the best time to visit Malaysia for the sale festival and what are the best shopping malls.
Well, for your, my darlings, I will map out some of Kuala Lumpur shopping malls with a brief intro of what each malls is all about.
Low Yat Plaza – a must visit for electronics of all sorts from mobile phones to cameras and projectors. I wouldn’t say it is much cheaper than anywhere else in KL. It is all original products after all. But there could be a marginal difference in price and you could bargain a little. Moreover, there is a convenience of having all the sales outlets and all the competitors under the same roof. Survey, compare, bargain and buy.
Pavilion KL – it is one the latest editions to KL’s shopping landscape. The place is about 3 years old. It it one of the largest shopping malls and has a wide range of mid to high end brands. I would say it has one of the best combination of size and quality of a shopping mall. It is located in one of the very few areas of KL where people actually walk. Right across the road a range of smaller malls: Fahrenheit88 (very new and quite small), BB Plaza and Sungai Wang Plaza (both are in need of a makeover and featuring mostly budget brands and a lot of teen’ish outfits), Lot 10 (nothing to shout about) and finally the above mentioned Low Yat Plaza. Knock yourselves out!
Suria KLCC – oh yeah, I know, you’ve been waiting for this one. The famous Twin Towers. I’d say it’s a must visit mall. At least by virtue of where it is located. Shopping wise it’s a smaller version of The Pavilion. But slightly on a more high end side. All the Armani lovers will find their promised land there.
Midvalley Megamall + Gardens – this lovely couple is my personal favourite when my goal is specifically shopping and not so much dining, hanging out etc (for the latter I’d go to The Pavilion). The place is HUGE. It’s like a workout for you when you galevent from one end to the other. All sorts of shops – mostly mid range in terms of price. Zara and MNG kind of shops. If Midvalley is old, Gardens has been build just a few years back as a more glamourous twin to the first mall. It’s smaller, quieter, has more expensive brands and more conducive environment for having a coffee after the day of shopping. Parking is hellish by the way coz there is no other place to park around there but the mall carpark itself.
That’s pretty much it, mi babies. Of course there are them malls in Petaling Jaya, outskirts of KL: 1Utama, Sunway Pyramid, The Curve. But frankly, I wouldn’t bother unless you are staying in that area and don’t fancy finding your way to KL.
Oh yeah, and don’t fall for that sale business. It’s ALWAYS some sort of sale in Malaysia. So don’t beat yourself up if someone tells you that you have just missed THE SALE.
