Central Market in KL

Shopping opportunities abound in Kuala Lumpur, with everything ranging from high end boutique items to brand-name knock-offs that keep international lawyers busy. 

Jalan Petaling: Same Old, Same Old, Day and Night 

By day, on two blocks of one of Chinatown’s main streets, you can visit Chinese shops selling everything from incense to dresses, but by night, when mid-street stalls are brought in, it turns into a wall-to-wall mass of humanity that only the most confirmed shopaholics will enjoy. Here, you’ll find that Che Guevara t-shirt you’ve always wanted, that knock-off Louis Vuitton handbag for Cousin Boo, and as many fake Rolexes as you can carry home. Reminiscent of Bangkok’s Patpong Night Market, with just as many people in a confined space, but without the spiciness of the sex touts.  

To get here:  Chinatown, Jalan Petaling, between Jalan Sultan on the south, and Jalan Gheng Lock on the north.  

 Central Market: Tourist Brik-a-Brak in an Art Deco Setting 

A few years ago, local preservationists saved the wonderful old Art Deco Central Market from going under the wrecking ball.  Today, it’s been resurrected, ostensibly as a center for the sale of arts and crafts, but someone’s been asleep at the switch.  You’ll find nothing out of the ordinary here, but optometrists, flower vendors, and sellers of baskets ply their trades, amidst one of the nicer Art Deco buildings in Malaysia. 

To get here: Its southeast corner is at Jalan Gheng Lock and Jalan Hang Kasturi in Chinatown.  Its southern entrance is at GPS N03°08.698’  E101°41.719’

We love exceptional market shopping experiences, but couldn’t find any in KL. If you know of one, please blog about it.