We Malaysians..born and bred here DO NOT like the heat as well. That's why you don't see us walking outside or go to the beach during the day. If we parked our cars for several hours under hot Sun, it's an Oven. Leather seated Cars are worst. When we see Foreign Tourists walking in the heat of the Sun..with NO UMBRELLA, we're amazed!! I love the rain. Umbrellas sell very well here 😊
I lived 26 years in Phoenix. Arizona, where the temperature gets to be 110°-115°in the summertime of course there is very little humidity but still hot is hot. When it gets to 115° or hotter it is like 95° in a more humidity state. About 20° difference. It rains about 8.5 inches in a YEARS time frame. DO you think I would like KL?
I’ve lived from N.H. to Houston to L.A., and now 30 yrs in SE Asia - the past 13 in outskirts of KL - on an MM2H visa. The weather is no worse than Houston / New Orleans in the summer. I’ve just gotten used to being damp most of the daytime, taking 3 showers & changing 2-3 shirts per day. I agree with all your assessments, including JP’s walking comment. The time factor is not an issue for me. A kidney removal here cost USD 5,000, including 6 days in a private room where my wife stayed with me! 2 comments: KL is all you say, but it isnt representative of 90% of Malaysia. The “real” Malaysia is even more fascinating & enjoyable, particularly if you take the trouble to learn some Malay (the easiest language ever). Also, there are numerous volunteering opportunitues to occupy your time, integrate into the culture, and use your skills. I go back once a year (21 hrs to Chi. ) , but have no intention to move back. PS: Would love to have a cuppa with you 🍷
I spent a year in M'sia in the 70's, and absolutely fell in love. The people are the sweetest, kindest, happiest and peaceful folks that I've ever been around. I would go back to live there in a heartbeat if my family issues allowed. Yes the heat can be very hard to take but you DO get used to it and they have many ways to beat it - Ice Kachang anyone? The food is wonderful, the most diverse menus on earth. The shopping is incredible, Batik fabric was my favorite. Thank you for the great reviews, the fact its far from home (US) can actually be a bonus if you dont like visitors from home, ha!
I lived there 3 months and loved it, but I stayed in Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia. Loved their Light Rail/train System. And it felt Safe and I loved how AFFORDABLE IT IS.
As an Australian, KL has so much appeal, I am used to subtropical weather, however KL and broader SE Asia is so hot and humid. That's my biggest concern. That said, I've taken 2025 off work and will slow travel looking for a new home. 4 months in SE Asia to start, then off to Central Europe. The cost of living vs quality of life equation makes no sense in Australia anymore. Thank you sooooooo much for your excellent content.
@@FlamerzZz I wish Phuket was the same. I’m over, over saturated tourism. Keep Ipoh, Ipoh. I ride my motorcycle there from Phuket, it’s boring town but nice. Penang a little more lively, both have very nice people.
@@FlamerzZz well true we say don't come here, but if they do we don't chase them away but we try to make them feel welcomed and experience a memorable stay
@@kathyhirsch379 for years, I used to cross the street to get to the Pavilion Mall, which was always crowded, until I discovered an escalator that led you thru an underground shop that connects to the mall. I wondered if any of the other numerous passage ways lead to some place else. I walked from the Pavilion Mall to Suria KLCC, which is at least a mile, all underground.
@EGO0808 No, I'm not. I spent a month in KL. You can walk from the Pavillion Mall to KLCC completely underground. You can also cross over streets by using the subway entrances in Bukit Pitang. I know what I'm talking about.
@ I live at KLCC. No worries. But it’s not an underground between Pavilion and KLCC. As you know it’s a combined ‘overground’ (Pavilion to KL Convention Centre) and from there an underground to Suria KLCC. And that’s it. There’s an extension from Pavilion to Fahrenheit mall, but that’s about it. Singapore though has a complete underground infrastructure with underground malls througout the downtown area, hence my thought of you being confused.
Good assessment of my country. But just a small correction. Malaysia does not hv typhoons unlike vietnam , china, japan, taiwan, philippines, hong kong. We just hv monsoon which brings rain. Yes flooding occurs but even europe has floodings. Recently i was surprised thailand and myanmar were hit by a weak thyphoon. We are protected by all the countries nearby. So blessed. And no volcanoes and earthquakes too.
correct. Malaysia doesnt have natural disasters. I think they confused with english hahaha...being a native english speakers, heat and humidity are not natural disaster, They are just natural weather.
Malaysia 🇲🇾 was under the Brits for generations hence the wide amount of English fluency ! It’s a great country but the humidity is hard to cope with ! Glad you enjoyed your time there
@blueybarnes9442 we used to be very good in English but the school system has changed and younger generations may have issue communicating in simple English in small towns or rural areas. This is why sometimes there are exchange students from usa teaching English in rural schools. We called them fullbright scholars.
With health care don’t forget to mention dental. Dental care is super affordable in Malaysia. So much better than prices in USA. Very modern facilities and you can get appointments same day as well. I am from US and live/work in Singapore and pop over to Malaysia for all my dental when needed. Love it!
My father is a retired Malaysian army officer. He used to conduct training with the US Navy, British and Scottish army. Even his Scottish friend retired here in Malaysia. He loves the hot weather, the food and people here. Not a bad choice afterall he said. 😅
Hi guys..Malaysian here..walkability in KL has improved so much compared to 5 yrs ago..give it another 2-3 yrs with the local government drive to make KL walkable & padestrian friendly city…BUT i dont think u will see many local using them in mid day…its too hot😅
Great video! KL is one of my favorite cities and is my main healthcare location outside the US. I go to Prince Court every year for my comprehensive health screening. US physicals are worthless in comparison. The only negative for me is the weather, as you mentioned. But after being there for a while you learn ways to make it more manageable. And it sure beats 2 feet of snow and subfreezing temperatures! I can tell your apartment is in the Robertson Residences, a place I have stayed at many times. The walkability around the Robertson is not very good. If you're closer to the area around Pavilion Mall, it's much more walkable. Grab is a great inexpensive way to get around. Jaya Grocer is my favorite grocery store in KL. As you might guess, KL is one of my possible longer-term home bases when I get to that point in my life. Thanks for your honest assessment!
Yes, Malaysia has been on our list for several years and we are happy to be here now. Also, we are very happy to see you two around town. We agree with the list. The heat seems to be affecting my wife more than me. The people we have met here have been super kind and we are actively exploring the food scene. I don't think Malaysia would be a retirement home for us from the distance stand point. However, since we want to come to Asia frequently, it makes good sense that we come stay here when we are in this part of the world. For slow travelers I think Malaysia is the perfect place to rest and regroup.
Yup once a while you need to get out of KL and go for our beautiful beaches/islands (tioman island, pangkor island, perhentian island, redang island - all in peninsular malaysia, or tunku abdul rahman marine park islands and semporna island - all in the state of sabah in borneo), our majestic highlands (cameron highland, genting highland - both in peninsular malaysia, or mount kinabalu - in the state of sabah in borneo), our rainforests (taman negara in peninsular malaysia, or mulu national park in the state of sarawak in borneo), our wildlife conservation sanctuaries (turtle sanctuary in the state of terengganu, elephant sanctuary in the state of pahang, tapir sanctuary in the state of selangor, birds sanctuary in the state of perak, and orangutan sanctuary in the state of sabah)... Have fun and enjoy your stay
You won't regret it when you've chosen our country for a place to retire. As most foreigners said... Malaysia has been made underrated by those who do not know well about this country. Love & proud to be Malaysian ❤❤❤
Hi JP & Amelia. Never been on my list until this video. My Thai wife and I have been going to Vietnam for my visa run from Thailand, we've been talking about going somewhere else when I get back to Thailand in 2025. I'm going to start researching travel costs and Airbnb/Hotels in Kuala Lumpur thanks to you guys. Travel safe and Be well. BTW Love the color of that outfit Amelia, it looks great on you.
Public hospitals here are mostly for locals and refugees. We pay ringgit 1 to visit. About 25 cents usd. Other good private hospitals (other than prince court) for foreigners are: 1. Gleneagles 2. Island hospital ,penang 3. Adventist, penang 3. Lam Wah Ee, penang 4. Locals go to KPJ, Colombia, Assunta, Pantai, sunway medical centre, subang medical centre, 5. IJN HEART hospital KL(public) 6. EYE hospital (Tun Hussein Onn)(public)
I appreciate your candid assessment of my country. Depending on your lifestyle and what you're searching for in a place, the majority of the opinions may be quite subjective. However, Malaysia can be the spot for you if you wish to escape the busy lifestyle. Even a capital city like Kuala Lumpur may provide you with many peaceful areas if you know where to reside, even if you would rather live in the centre of the city. Many may not be aware of Malaysia's public healthcare system because most foreigners can afford to attend private hospitals, which are quite hospitable to international patients. The most cost-effective choice for us is our public healthcare, which is almost free for all Malaysians if we can wait in queue, but the quality is always maintained and never compromised. Despite being born and raised in this climate, I also find it sometimes difficult to cope with the humid weather here and would much rather remain in a home with air conditioning. The fact that many of us feel better at ease doing things other than shopping in malls may be the reason we have large shopping malls everywhere. Apart from the occasional flood and landslide, Malaysia is relatively secure from severe calamities like typhoons, earthquakes, and volcanoes. You might get used to it more the longer you stay, I'm sure.
I lived in Thailand for 5 years and got used to the heat and humidity BUT I did often frequent the shopping malls midday even though I'm not a mall shopper. They are cool, usually with a good grocery store, theaters and tasty food courts for lunch with good coffee bars. I quite liked the rainy season with the big thunder storms and cooler temps.
My compliments on the review format. Clear, concise and well laid out. I agree with your final summary, however for me, the weather was a dealbreaker. Several years ago, I spent a year in the region and the weather was just too much - for me, excess and constant humidity just makes everything less enjoyable. There is so much to love about the region and Malaysia that if one can tolerate the weather, it should be on your short list of places to live. At the very least, visit! Really well done review. Cheers
Looking forward to visit KL in the very near future ( 2025 ), we still miss you in Ecuador, but take your time coming back because Ecuador is having an energy crisis ( no electricity for 14 hours a day) nationwide. Please safe travels, take care and thank you for sharing videos.
Another interesting and informative episode! Thank you so much! KL looks like a very unique city, large and luxurious but also affordable and welcoming to expats from all over the world!
Had not really considered Malaysia primarily due to the heat, but everything else you mentioned has put it on my radar. Imagine being in a country full of friendly people 🤔
I'm considering several places to retire to in 3 years, and Malaysia is definitely high on my list. I am leaning more towards Penang than KL, to be honest. But that country has so many positives, if I just have to get acclimated to the heat and humidity, then I'm willing to give that a shot for all the benefits that you guys so perfectly outlined!
Hola from Quito - great place to live when the electricity is flowing. Been to KL and to Sing. But honestly, my favorite place is Tioman Island just off the eastern coast of Malaysia. Some of the best diving and snorkeling. The visibility is outstanding. Would never want to live in KL but it was nice to visit.
I Spent 3 months there in The Spring time of 2023, I think the Best Month to travel to Malaysia is JUNE because at that point the weather balances out and there is NO Rain, it's pleasant.
You’re absolutely right about the heat here in South TX being much like the climate in KL. Your pros would definitely outweigh the cons for me. Thanks!
Y’all are gorgeous!!! Beautiful sharp outfits and that glow!!! So happy Malaysia fit well with you both. Other than the humidity I just love that region in general!
I wish there was a place with a good mix of Malaysia and Albania. I don't want the big city in a high rise building lifestyle with a major rainy season. But otherwise, it is great but anyone from Malaysia should be proud of what they created as well as Albania.
Another great video. As someone who has been to some of the countries you guys have reviewed, I appreciate your candor.Great luck in your future, excited to see where you go next!
Malaysia does not experience any major natural disasters, such as earthquakes, hurricanes, typhoons, wildfires, or volcanoes. On rare occasions, there may be landslides due to heavy rainfall, although this is uncommon. Some areas may experience flooding at times. The climate in Malaysia is hot and humid, and since Kuala Lumpur (KL) is situated in a valley, you might consider visiting the highlands for a change in weather. The Genting Highlands, located not far from KL, offer a milder, more temperate climate and is known as the "Las Vegas of Malaysia."
@@AmeliaAndJPyou can also try Cameron Highlands. It's around 4 hrs by bus from KL. It's more "country" than Genting but still has those mild temperatures.
Can't do anything about the distance, but I would say head to Penang (Island) which is where I am going. It has pretty much all that KL has and being near the water/coast helps with the heat I feel. Public transportation might be less but Grab is good there too.
Was there last October for the healthcare and found it exceptional. Have been following NC and you both for quite some time and have checked out many places to live. Will be coming back to Penang to check that out again next year. Thank you so much for all your great videos. I too am in search of a home/homes around the globe.
Just watched the latest of your amazing videos. It was SO informative and appreciated. The walking does seem a little difficult but I saw a viewer mention an underground system. It looks great but just can’t take that heat/distance. I can’t stand oppressive humidity. Yuck. Western Europe is still the region I’m leaning toward. Thank you for ALL YOU DO!
Malaysian here. We also got love and hate with our weather. The reason why most of us are like living vampires. Will go out after the sunsets. So respect with the foreigner could walking around under the sun in Kuala Lumpur without umbrella.
What a lovely video. Thank you for sharing your experience living in KL, Malaysia. Hope that you guys are having a good time and a pleasant stay. Enjoy your exploration.
As many places I have traveled and lived, never been to Asia or that region. I have glossed over KL but you well put together video has helped me consider it for a stop over. Good good and content! Great looking dress on Amelia! ☮ Dingus
I live in Thailand - now about the HEAT 🔥 It is definitely a personal preference. I am fine with the heat. For me and my old bones (age 68) I absolutely love escaping the damp and chill of the San Francisco Bay Area. I also don’t do snow. It was great as a child in Connecticut but I’m not doing it as an adult. The key, as you observed, is to embrace the evening and nights and stand down during mid-day (go to your condo pool 🏊♀️). I would not want to live in this climate as a working person but as a retiree it is just fine. Wear the appropriate clothes. Schedule your activities. Slow down! - walk slowly. Remember the AC in the malls. It’s OK to take a couple of showers each day. If I sweat then I sweat.
We spend a month or two in KL during the winter. Usually, right after the holidays with family. Happy Thanksgiving, Merry Christmas, Happy New Year, we're off. See ya in a couple of months.😂 So love the people, warm weather, and the food.
The way to acclimate to the heat/humidity of SE Asia is avoid starchy foods, and sugar. Then it’s still hot but not as bad. I’ve heard lots of good about K.L. I’d love to visit.
Great video! KL is not on our list for moving, as we're pretty set on France. However, your video shared SO many positives about the city, we most certainly will want to visit!
We toured England ten weeks w/o a car July -Sept 15th only two days of rain. Loved the parks, cost of living, botanical Gardens, the rivers, the sheep, the casualness, trains, buses, Holiday Inns, safety, pubs & pies. Vegas > Gatwick,>York>Liverpool>Chester>Conwy>Hereford>Bath>Stonehenge>Banbury>Stratford-Upon-Avon>Coventry by accident (Stroke UHCW Unit)>Winchester>Oxford>Portsmouth. Cruise to La Coruna. > London >Las Vegas Loved all of it so much!
HOT VISA TIP: The companion visa allows two parents to stay for as long as a child is in a private school (pre-school, grade school, college) and it's very cheap & easy for the visa. You can stretch it out for almost 20 years for one kid. Also there's a student visa while you attend any university fulltime.
Hi JP & Amelia, We have been here for about 5 days now on our way to Bangkok. We really like KL and have done some exploring. Based upon our experience here we agree with what you say in your video. Our biggest issue is the heat and humidity!!! We're both in our early 70's and I' mot sure we could get used to the heat. We currently live on the coast of Washington and so our weather is much cooler, without snow! Who knows? Take care and keep enjoying your life!
Hi JP, Hi Amelia. Just a word of caution….pls dont take safety for granted. There are occasions of snatch thief, which might result to injury and trauma. Hope you will enjoy your stay and have a good time… ❤
Do not take personal safety for granted - This should apply to anywhere and everywhere in the world. But tbh I'm glad and very pleased that KL and the rest of malaysia is nothing like what I've seen in italy or rome in particular
@baharm65 petty crimes and occasional goldsmith robberies do occur. Also crimes by migrant workers too. Crime is not zero in malaysia. We are ranked top 10 country relative to other countries like usa where gun laws are not strict.
The weather here takes time to get adapted. Like putting me into cold country. I'll start complaining about the temperature until I get proper clothing and waiting for the body to get adjusted. Anyway, once you are adapted. You'll enjoy outside more. At least there is no earthquakes, volcanoes and typhoons here. Also, try Genting Highlands, Cameron Highlands and Fraser's Hill. These towns are cooler places.
The time difference and the long journey home to your family I can relate to. I live in US and go to Malaysia to visit my family, it takes me longer to adjust to the weather, and time difference as I get older now. And don't even get me started with the long plane ride! That's why I have decided to move back and will miss US a lot, especially the four seasons!
I’m glad to hear of your honest reviews of M’sia, my homeland though I’m living in Sg for years now. KL is definitely a cosmopolitan city, a melting pot of cultures, food and a lot going on. I’d move to live in KL hopefully in the next few years. KL is however not representative of other parts of M’sia, there are smaller cities and towns in other states which are worth exploring, all with its own uniqueness but you’ll find similar warmth and friendliness of locals. English is widely spoken though it’s a single subject taught in school but it’s widely used as the lingua Franca in private sectors. Even locals find the hot humid weather challenging, but we live with it and stay indoors during the day to avoid the heat. Brolleys, wide brimmed hats, air conditioning and iced cold drinks are my BFF to counter the heat!! 😂
I’ve traveled widely and the US is a great country, I personally love California with its 4 season and friendly people. Only thing is I feel somewhat unsafe due mainly to guns being more widely owned, I also witnessed cops caught and hand cuffed some dudes along the Strip in Vegas. But the locals were superbly friendly and helpful, I greatly appreciate their gestures till today! That’s many years before COVID and really hope things are still similar today. I agree with you that walkability in M’sia can certainly be improved. KL and other larger cities eg Penang and Melaka will be more walkable with proper side walks. As shared earlier, this may not apply across the entire country, got to watch out for uncovered man holes on sidewalks and the occasional pot holes 😅
I'm not looking to live permanently abroad, but would like to for about half the time. You've definitely opened my eyes to KL. One thing I'd love to see you include is whether you pay by credit card or in cash. Thanks.
Malaysia is very advanced in payment systems. We use cards all the time and for Malaysians we use QR code to make payments. However you are welcome to use cash as well. I suggest a small amount cash only for bargains or street food. The rest all by card. 😊
Thanks for the analysis. For me, the air pollution/burn season in the region was a deal breaker. Be aware of the southern Asian farmers that start burning fields in late February through spring preventing outdoor activities.
Thank you for your honest review. KL is walkable, you just need to know the whereabouts. We even have elevated AC walkway for pedesterians from one mall to another mall/s. Can’t get any better than that, for sure. Thank you anyway. Enjoy your stat and stay safe.
We just missed you guy as we were in Malaysia and Japan the month of September. My husband and I live in Florida, and our son is stationed in S. Korea with the Army. Since my husband is retired AF, we flew space available to Korea then all of us flew very affordably to KL. I have to say, we preferred Penang to KL. We enjoyed a slightly smaller city with all the amenities of KL. We found it to be a bit more walkable too. Thank you for sharing your experience with us.
Hot weather beats freezing temperatures anytine. Diff time zones.. I worked for a multi national company years ago.. my boss was based in CA, and we hv our conf call at 8am Msian time, 5pm his time, suits us well. And it doesnt take 30hrs to fly fr KL to LAX (west coast) or JFK in the east. There's an 18hrs direct flight fr Spore to JFK. Even if u have a layover it will abt 24 hrs😅😊. We don't have natural disasters like volcano eruptions, typhoons, earthquake here😊
10:18 we used to be car-centric, but bear with us for our slow transition. Yes, we made some developments in metro systems but theres still much to to when it comes to last mile connection and walkability. Amelia made a good point though, sometimes we need to explore and really know the way around some places
There are trade-offs when living somewhere for the far cheaper expense. We're in the U.S. but we have employees in an office in India so we're regularly on calls late at night. Same thing when we go to India, we're on the phone late at night there so talk with our customers in the U.S. It's not ideal but if it's important enough you adjust your awake/sleeping schedule.
You can emigrate to the other island, Sarawak, with much easier requirements than the western island where KL is located. You only need purchase a property in Sarawak to get residency.
