Places to go street shopping in Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur's street markets are arguably the best places for first-time visitors looking to experience authentic Malaysian culture. Offering a dizzying array of fresh produce, apparel, handicrafts, accessories and jewelry all at excellent prices, these lively roads are great for those who've grown weary of the city's sleek and commercialized malls. Open from sunrise until past midnight, these outdoor bazaars can get pretty hot and humid so we highly recommend wearing comfortable clothes and shoes as well as drinking lots of water.

Traveling in Malaysia is quite convenient since it has some major bus terminals and express buses are the preferred mode of transport here. Tickets for which can be booked online from redbus.my.

Petaling Street

Known as the most popular street market in Kuala Lumpur, Petaling Street is a lively and vibrant shopping district in Chinatown KL that houses hundreds of stalls selling all kinds of stuff at dirt-cheap prices. A massive green awning covers the entire street, shielding vendors and visitors from the scorching heat and pouring rain as they shop for counterfeit handbags, watches, trainers, and clothing. Best of all, prices can be brought lower still as haggling is the way of life here. Petaling Street is also filled with a delightful array of local cuisine - Chinese and seafood restaurants as well as hawker stalls can be found along its many alleyways, resulting in an interesting mixture of aroma filling the air that's almost impossible to resist. The best things about these restaurants is that they are open till late in the night with some of them open even till 4:00 or 5:00 am. One thing that you need to know the moment you step into Petaling Street that you need to do some smart bargaining unless you dont want to get ripped off. Prices are generally quoted 15 to 35 percent higher than what they are truly worth. Any one who has been to this street will not refrain from telling you that it is a shoppers heaven and is completely in a different league when compared to most of its glamorous counter parts. It is a completely different scene in the night when the market is completely lit up with vibrant and colourful bright lights. It is in recent times that the street has got a major make over.

Kasturi Walk

Situated beside Central Market, visitors flock to Kasturi Walk for fake-label handbags, watches, tee-shirts, and flip-flops while samplinga number of local fruits and snacks – minus Petaling Street's hectic crowds and (often) unsanitary alleyways. Accessible within a five-minute walk from the Pasar Seni LRT station, the entrance of this covered street market features an intricate pewter wau bulan, a traditional Malay kite that resembles a butterfly. While Kasturi Walk does not have the same extensive range of traders as Petaling Street or Central Market, the goods are reasonably priced and you can get even better bargains here. Kasturi Walk also hosts live cultural performances in conjunction with the city's many festivities.