Things to Do at Central Market

The pale blue Art Deco facade stops you on the pavement - it looks more like a 1930s cinema than a market. Inside, the ceiling soars and the air smells of sandalwood and batik wax. This building started life in 1888 as KL's wet market, the place where tin miners and traders bought fish and vegetables. The meat and produce left decades ago; what moved in was Malaysia's three cultures arranged in lanes. Lorong Melayu sells songket weaving and wooden keris daggers. Lorong Cina has calligraphy brushes, jade, and porcelain. Lorong India has silk, brass, and henna artists working on customers in real time. The difference between Central Market and a tourist trap is the people working inside. The batik painter on the second floor has been doing wax-resist dyeing for 30 years. The pewter craftsman near the entrance shapes Royal Selangor seconds at half the retail price. You will buy fridge magnets here too - it is still a market - but you can also leave with a hand-painted silk scarf for RM 80-150 that you watched someone make.

Pasar Seni LRT station is a 1-minute walk from the front door - exit toward Jalan Hang Kasturi and the blue building is right there. From KL Sentral: Kelana Jaya Line, 2 stops (RM 1.60). From KLCC: same line, 4 stops (RM 2.10). Grab from Bukit Bintang costs RM 6-10 but walking takes only 15 minutes through Chinatown, which is half the fun. No point driving - street parking in old KL is miserable.