Petaling Street

Visit this bustling and vibrant street where fake designer goods sit comfortably alongside steaming noodle stalls.

If architecture and culture have been ticked off, and bargain-hunting is next on your list, make your way to the iconic Petaling Street, the city’s popular pedestrian area. This bargain shopping mecca is a stone’s throw from Merdeka Square and is easily accessible on foot.

Petaling Street is a veritable explosion of colour and noise where tourists and shrewd locals collide. The stalls that flank the main thoroughfare are bulging with counterfeit merchandise, from bootleg DVDs and fake designer goods to imitation jewellery and more. It’s always a good idea to poke your nose behind the main stalls to see what other hidden gems lurk in the walkways and back alleys – you never know what treasures you might discover! Haggling is the order of the day here and any bargain hunter worth their salt has the perfect opportunity to put their skills into practice. In fact, it’s expected, so don’t be shy.

Once you’ve had your fill of verbal wrestling, take a moment to sit back and observe the chaos of the crowds as they jostle and sway in a human wave.

If there is one thing Petaling Street has in spades, it's dozens of restaurants and stalls selling delectable cuisine. Noodle lovers will be spoilt for choice with the range of tasty dishes on offer here. Head over to any of the hawkers to sample some of the local favourites which include laksa, a spicy noodle soup, and the flavoursome and tender hokkien mee.

Traditional Chinese food and Cantonese style chee cheong fun always get a thumbs up but, if you really want to treat yourself, wriggle through the crowd to Sze Ngan Chye, right in the middle of the street. This stall has been trading here for over fifty years and the succulent roasted duck is the best you're ever likely to taste.

The energy here is electric, infectious and somewhat exhausting so, if it all becomes too much, it’s good to know that Petaling Street is within easy reach of far calmer tourist attractions such as the Moorish Jamek Mosque and Sri Mahamariamman Temple.