Resources

This is a list of links to various resources that I've found personally helpful or simply interesting. It's a work in progress, and I'll continue expanding and amending the list as time goes on. 

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What's here:

Food

  • Eatigo - this platform allows you to get up to 50% off meals simply by dining at specific times. This doesn't necessarily mean eating at unsociable hours - for example you might get 30% off if you eat at 7 pm or 40% off if you eat at 8 pm. Simply make your booking on Eatigo (there's also an app) and show it to the restaurant. You don't have to provide payment details and you can cancel up to one minute beforehand (after which you'll be marked as a no-show). As of June 2024, Eatigo Kuala Lumpur is partnered with 259 restaurants, which you can search for by brand, location, theme, cuisine, popularity, and newness to the platform. There are a few restaurants outside KL as well - five in Melaka and one in Genting Highlands. Eatigo also operates in Singapore, Hong Kong, Philippines and Thailand.

  • The Yum List - I came across this blog on one of the expat forums. It reviews "the best places to stay, eat and spa around Malaysia and the world". Posts are detailed and informative, and tend to focus on socially responsible venues. Check them out on Instagram and Facebook too.

Shared-interest groups

Meetup - this was a godsend for my social life when I arrived in KL. Search the website/app for activities that interest you, find a group and voilà, your Saturday is sorted (and all the other days of the week, if you want!). Personally, I use Meetup more for pursuing my interests than for purely social events, and that's been a great way to make like-minded friends. Malaysians use Meetup a lot so you'll get to know plenty of locals, as well as expats. Some groups you might like to check out:
  • KL Language Exchange - a lot of groups on Meetup or Facebook call themselves language exchange groups even though their purpose is socialising. This one actually is about language exchange - focusing on Malay, Mandarin, Japanese and Korean - and attracts a lot of people, whether beginners or experts. The group meets at LaLaport mall in Bukit Bintang every other Sunday for a couple of hours, and many participants go for dinner afterwards, so it's a great chance to socialise as well. Keep in mind that this is a venue for language exchange, not language lessons, so what you get out of it depends very much on who shows up. You could spend the whole time speaking English - or do a deep dive into the grammar and vocabulary of your target language.
  • Language Exchange & Party & Social in Kuala Lumpur - this is one of those 'language exchange' groups that's actually a social group. Everyone seems to know about it, usually through word of mouth. It meets every Saturday at 7 pm at Merinero, a restaurant in LaLaport mall, Bukit Bintang. 
  • Write Together KL - I never thought I'd find such a supportive community of writers in KL until I stumbled upon this group. It meets every Tuesday (Taman Hati Studio & Cafe in Petaling Jaya), Thursday (Plump cafe in Bangsar) and, most recently, Sunday (Yap Ah Shak House in Chow Kit). For two hours, in lovely surroundings and companionable silence, you can work on anything you like - novel, blog, play, poetry, even emails! On Thursdays - which is when I usually go - many of the writers head to a nearby pub to socialise afterwards. After-writing plans seem more ad hoc at the other venues, but I've only been to them once, so I'm not sure. Check out the reels on Instagram too.
  • The Inkwell, Kuala Lumpur - this is a nice complement to Write Together, as it focuses on developing writing skills through critique, workshops and talks. There are also specific meetups for fiction, non-fiction and poetry, as well as open writing sessions on alternate Sundays, all held at the YMCA LoveCity Cafe in Brickfields.
Facebook - there are quite a few expat and common-interest groups here, where you can meet both locals and expats. It can be confusing figuring out what's what - for the expat and hiking groups at least - because there are so many, with similar-sounding names. Groups I've joined:
  • EXPATS MALAYSIA - it took me two years to discover that this umbrella organisation, run by British expat Joshua and his Malaysian partner, manages most of the Malaysian expat groups on Facebook. They include Kuala Lumpur Expats, KL EXPATS, Expats in Malaysia, Expats Malaysia and KL Expat Malaysia! I don't know what the difference is between them, so I joined them all. They're a good place to get advice and recommendations, and find out about social events, language courses and so on. There's also a WhatsApp community, The Expats Club (Malaysia), where you can join groups more tailored to specific interests like golf, pickleball, curry nights or retirement planning. I joined the hiking group (The KL Hiking Club), which I would never have found otherwise, as it isn't on social media. They're a super-friendly bunch and we usually end up having a great lunch afterwards as well.  
  • Expats in Kuala Lumpur - besides offering a forum for expats to exchange information, there are also organised events and a very busy WhatsApp group called Solo (or not) Malaysia, with 20 subgroups (at last count) catering to different interests. I joined a popular one called Munch Bunch that organises brunch at different restaurants every Saturday, as well as a hiking club. Other groups include those for travel, running/fitness, culinary pursuits, racquet sports, salsa & bachata, movies, music, and business ideas. 
  • KL Meet-Ups - this is a group where anyone can organise events. It was "created after realising there is a significant interest for expats and locals in KL to have random social gatherings to meet new people and generally keep in touch with the community". As such, you can also find cross-posted events from other groups here. The WhatsApp community has many more events, as well as numerous subgroups for different interests, such as sports & hiking; road trips, travel & camping; career & job discussions; food & cooking; music, parties & karaoke; games & hobbies; arts, books & photography; movies & TV series; and social dancing.  
  • Amazing Hiking - Malaysia - this is run by Katerina, a Russian woman who has lived in Malaysia for years and is married to a local. Hikes are billed as child-friendly and suitable for beginners, but I think they can definitely offer a good workout (for example Bukit Kembara). Lunch afterwards is always top-notch. There are trips further afield too, for example to Penang, as well as cultural walks in traditional Malay villages and fun celebrations of Russian holidays and festivals. It's a warm, friendly group that I really enjoy spending time with. Join on Telegram to get notified about upcoming events.
  • Swing Dance Malaysia - I never imagined I would find groups in KL for swing dancing, a style of dance that originated in Harlem in the 1920s. I had hated dancing my whole life but a few years ago, in London, I started listening to electro swing, which led to hours of entertainment watching funky solo jazz dance routines (a.k.a. swing dancing without a partner) set to electro swing on YouTube. Swing Dance Malaysia is a collaboration between Blues Dancing KL, KL Swing and LindyKL (all these groups have various channels, which you can find on their Facebook pages). They offer joint social dance events, as well as their own events. KL Swing is the only one that offers solo jazz lessons, which I took - so much fun, as well as an awesome workout! 
  • Sailing (crewing) in Southeast Asia - Malaysia is surrounded by water, so I was certain I would find many groups for weekend sailing in KL, like I did in London. But there are none; local boat owners prefer to sail with friends and family, and there aren't any platforms for non-boat owners to organise charters. (I'm talking specifically about crewing; if you want to sail as a passenger there are many such holidays you can take.) Your best bet is to join a boat passing through Malaysia - or fly out to meet one elsewhere in the region - and be prepared for a longer passage, of at least a couple weeks. To find such opportunities, I joined a few groups on Facebook, including:
    • World Sailing Hitchhikers & Crew Connection - this is a global group, but I ran a search for 'Malaysia' and sorted out a lovely sail from Ko Samui in Thailand to Terengganu on Malaysia's east coast (post to come). There are other similar global groups on Facebook that I also joined but haven't yet used, including Sailing Crew Finders, Find Crew Be Crew, Sailboat Crewfinder Worldwide and Yacht Cabin.
    • Asia / Pacific Sailing Crew - this is the only group I found for crewing opportunities specific to Asia. It was set up "to enhance the sharing economy, connect and inform each other about sailing and crewing in the Asia/Pacific region". I've not used them before, but do keep an eye out for opportunities. There's another group for sailing in Asia called AsianYachting Group, but I've only seen content relating to regattas and boat-buying. 

Buying & selling

  • Jalan Jalan Japan - this is a dangerously fabulous chain of pre-loved goods imported from Japan. I first heard about it when I was looking to buy a tennis racquet - which I did find, for RM40 (£6.78). There are also racks of good-quality clothing at rock-bottom prices - like an amazing dress I found for RM15 (£2.54) - as well as designer handbags, kitchenware, collectibles, musical instruments, stationery, baby gear and a variety of sporting goods. They have lots of stores around KL, but a friend of mine (who buys 70% of her clothes here) says the One City Sky Park location is the biggest and best.
  • Amcorp Mall - convinced I would never find vintage western goods in KL, I trawled flea markets in London buying more things before I left. Happily, a friend introduced me to the Amcorp Mall Flea Market, which runs every weekend from 10 am to 4 pm (post to come). You can find western and Asian antiques, handmade arts and crafts, second-hand clothes, collectible toys, used books and records, vintage kitchenware, home decor and more. Check out the mall on Instagram and Facebook.
  • Luxury Vintage - I sold an old pair of Chanel sunglasses at the Bangsar branch, after unsuccessful attempts on Caroussel and elsewhere, and got a decent cut too. Staff were also super warm and friendly. There's another branch at Great Eastern Mall on Jalan Ampang.

Sustainability

  • Freegans of Malaysia: Give, Take & Barter Free Stuff - "A group for Malaysians to give, take and barter free stuff as well as sharing ideas on where to get free stuff. Freegans are people who employ alternative strategies for living based on limited participation in the conventional economy and minimal consumption of resources. We encourage giving or recycling of consumer goods in preference to conventional commerce." Brilliant.
  • 1Recycling Centre - located at 1 Utama Shopping Centre (Bandar Utama MRT), this is a one-stop recycling hub that takes clothes/fabric, bags, toys, lanyards, e-waste and the usual paper, aluminium and plastic.
  • LAVE Republic - founded by four friends, LAVE makes eco-friendly toiletries that look and smell great. It's the most reasonably priced of the sustainable brands I've found. For example, body soaps sell for around RM 12.50 (£2.12) and shampoo and conditioner bars for around RM15 (£2.54). LAVE is online-only - shipping is free if you spend at least RM35 (£5.93), otherwise it's RM7 (£1.19). 
  • THE HIVE - located in Bangsar Baru, this was the first zero-waste store in KL. It sells toiletries - including ingredients for making your own creams and lotions - as well as a selection of bulk whole foods and cleaning products, from many different brands. While not quite as inexpensive as LAVE - unless there's a sale - it's certainly a sight cheaper than international brands like Lush.  You can also get delivery, which is free of charge for purchases of RM100+ (£16.95+).  
  • Null Zero Waste Factory - luckily there's a concession at KLSMC Pharmacy in Semantan, which is convenient for me and is permanently serviced by pharmacy staff. It sells a selection of reasonably priced, eco-friendly toiletries and household products like bulk dishwashing liquid, which are completely packaging-free. Products/prices aren't listed on the website but you can find some information on Facebook and Instagram. It's very hard, however, to find Null products elsewhere. I visited Mid Valley Megamall only to find the Null concessions gone or permanently unmanned. I also visited the concession at 1 Utama Shopping Centre only to discover it was closing a few days afterwards. There are other locations listed on the website which I haven't tried to find.
  • 10 Zero Waste Stores In Klang Valley - not having a car, the only stores I've managed to visit from this article are THE HIVE and Null Zero Waste Factory. But the other retailers mentioned here sell a wide variety of products, including packaging-free fruits and veg, bulk goods and pet products.


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