Petaling Street Market - Kuala Lumpur
Day or Night, This Market is Simply Awesome!Petaling STreet Market Snapshot
Location
The market is located in the eastern area of Kuala Lumpur, in the city center. The neighborhood that the market is located is known as the Chinatown of Kuala Lumpur.
Hours
Petaling Street Market is open 24 hours a day, although not all stores will be open if you explore in the very early mornings. Highly recommend going after dark for a more vibrant experience!
What You'll Find
This is one of those markets where you’ll find just about anything! From shoes to wallets to handbags to jerseys, you’ll find it all here. Also, there are some hidden shops in the buildings that have really nice showrooms!
Market Video
Petaling Street market Fake Market Spree!
Today, we are at Malaysia’s famous Petaling Street bargaining for all the best goods! We bargain for products such as Gucci, Fendi, NFL Jerseys, Louis Vuitton, Coach, Supreme and much more! So come along for the ride!
Everything to Know About the Petaling Street Market
How to Get to the Petaling Street Market
Being in such a central location in Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown, the Petaling Street Market is serviced by multiple transportation options that will make accessing this street market extremely easy and affordable.
There’s taxis a plenty. Otherwise the metro system is clean and efficient as well. From buses, to train lines, taxis and even a city monorail, there are many ways to get around Kuala Lumpur. And since the Petaling Street Market is quite central, it’s convenient to access with most forms of public transportation.
I feel like KL is also a very walkable city, just make sure to have some water on you because it can get HUMID!
LRT / Metro or Subway Train
The state-owned light rail transit system runs two lines, the Kelana Jaya line and the Ampang line that allow for easy transportation for the citizens of the state of Selangor. In total the two rail lines are made up of 73 stations. Note that the trains operate from 06:00 to 24:00 local time.
Monorail
There is also the city monorail system that is made up of 11 stations that connect the entire city of Kuala Lumpur from the city’s center to its outskirts suburbs.
KL Sentral Station
This is the massive hub of transportation in Kuala Lumpur. It allows travelers to get on trains from six different rail lines. These rail lines allow customers to easily travel around Kuala Lumpur, as well as accessing other parts of the country and neighboring countries. You will likely be in and through this station a few times.
Taxi
There are plenty of taxis to be found in Kuala Lumpur. Be aware that there are two types of taxis in the city, the local taxis, and the long-distance taxis. It is important to get in the right one depending on how long your journey is and also to pre-agree the price to make sure that you don’t get overcharged.
Public Bus
There are 177 bus routes in the city, it’s affordable and can be a fun experience riding around the city. In fact, if you just take the ones heading for ‘Kotaraya’ you will be able to hop off at the market easily.
Shopping at the Petaling Street Market
The market is in the shape of plus sign. The main walking way is packed to the brim with stalls galore selling all kinds of products, while the walking way that crosses it has a good mixture of products and food! And after dark, the market comes alive and is a vibrant hub of activity.
The Petaling Street Market has just about everything! It’s famous for its cheap knockoff brands that are sold by a large number of sellers, these products range from handbags, shoes, and other major international brands.
The market is also a major shopping hub for electronics at low prices. Many of those electronics are imported from nearby manufacturing hubs such as Shenzen, China, and also Vietnam. You can find all kinds of popular electronics from mobile phones, tablets, headphones, chargers, and cases to protect your devices.
Where to Stay in Kuala Lumpur
There are no shortage of great places to stay during a visit to Kuala Lumpur. It really just depends on your budget. You could go all out on a swanky spot in the heart of the nightlife districts of KL, or you could opt for a moderate hotel or budget hostel.
In Kuala Lumpur, it’s really all about location. The city is huge! And while it’s connected really well with transportation, you don’t want to spend all your time riding around. So figure out what area you think you’ll spend the most time hanging out, then find a place to stay near that area. Convnience is key here.
There are actually a number of great accommodation options near the Petaling Street Market, since the area is popular with tourists. If you happen to be on a tight budget or simply want to save your money to spend on other parts of your trip, then hostels tend to be much cheaper than the more expensive hotels in the neighborhood. Apart from that, there are Airbnb rentals that give you the opportunity of a more authentic stay by renting out homes in the area on a short-term basis.
Neighborhoods in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the fast-growing capital of an extremely diverse Asian nation, therefore there are neighborhoods to suit everyone’s tastes. If you are looking to go shopping, the cinema, or go to top restaurants then a good neighborhood to visit is Bukit Bintang.
Another fashionable neighborhood is Changkat, which is well known for its large number of quality nightclubs. However, if you are in the market for experiencing a real Malaysian neighborhood without all the tourist attractions then it is worth considering the neighborhood of Bangsar.
The area around Petaling Street market is what can be described as a Chinatown. The neighborhood prominently features traditional Chinese architecture. It is a very busy neighborhood that is lively for most of the day apart from the early mornings, with thousands of locals and tourists passing through every day and bargaining with the sellers in the hopes of getting a good deal.
The neighborhood around Petaling street is an awesome place in itself. There’s a ton of places to eat, get a massage or what-have-you.
If you’re looking for more nightlife, the neighborhood around the KL Tower is where to go! This area is known as KLCC and is hopping, especially at night!
Food in Kuala Lumpur
Because Malaysia is a melting pot, you’ll find cuisines here from all over Asia.
Popular dishes you will find include coconut chicken, which is often served inside a coconut shell, a pork rib stew with vegetables called Bak Kut Teh, and a clam soup called Lala Mee.
One of the major all-day attractions of The Petaling Street Market is the tasty fresh food that can be bought from a wide variety of food stands and shops in this market. You can choose from traditional Malaysian food, as well as Chinese and Indian foods. A lot of the dishes can be takeaway or snacks that can be eaten on the go while you are exploring the market. There are also food outlets where you can sit down and enjoy your food in peace.
To be honest, I forgot what I had to eat while I was there but I just remember it was delicious! And the beer is great too (Tiger beer, I remember that at least!)
About the Petaling Street Market
The Petaling Street Market is also known as the Chee Cheong Kai, due to the Chinese tapioca mill that was located on Petaling Street. Back in the day, there were many Chinese laborers that would come to the area to work in the lines. The mill was originally built as an attempt by an influential Chinese figure called Yap Ah Loy to try and get the Chinese community to stay. Today, the Chinese influences of the market can be seen throughout.
In fact, many Petaling Street is sometimes referred to as ‘Chee Cheong Kai’ which is Cantonese for ‘Starch Factory Street.’
The market is one of the most popular in the city and was recently upgraded, including adding some shading to make it more comfortable year-round for visitors.
Introduction to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Malaysia is a very interesting and unique country as it is one of the few countries in the world to be virtually split in half with one half of the country being part of mainland Asia while the rest of Malaysia is located on the island of Borneo. It is a very diverse country that is home to Malays, people of ethnic Indian and Chinese ancestry, Indonesians, and other indigenous ethnic groups. The most popular religion in the country is Islam with over 60% of the population being Muslims, the other popular religions are Christianity, Buddhism, and Hinduism.
Kuala Lumpur is the gem of Malaysia. located in the state of Selangor in the center of Peninsular Malaysia, it is the most populous city currently in all of Malaysia as well as being the capital of the country.
The city originally grew as a mining town but since Malaysia gained its independence in 1963 it has seen astronomical growth. It is a diverse city that is quickly becoming one of the most important places in Southeast Asia thanks to its rich history, culture, and a booming economy. Today is a modern fashionable city that is home to the Petronas Towers which is currently the tallest twin building in the world.
Trade & Producing Goods in Kuala Lumpur
The city of Kuala Lumpur is a city of entrepreneurs, which is why it is has managed to secure a major place to do business in this part of the world. It is a major location for Malaysian and international businesses involved in construction, banking, and other financial services, media, and entertainment industries such as the music and film business sectors.
Apart from that, Kuala Lumpur is home to tens of thousands of small business owners that make their living by producing handcrafted goods. All across the city you will see different shops and outside stalls selling anything that you may need, want, and be tempted to buy – even if you weren’t looking for it in the first place.