It is only 3 Monorail stops from the busy and touristy Bukit Bintang area… But when you arrive in Chow Kit it will feel you are miles away from the modern city. Only the view of the Twin towers will remind you of still being in Kuala Lumpur.
Chow Kit is the biggest wet market of Kuala Lumpur. That means that most of the vendors sell fresh fish, meat, vegetables, fruits and herbs. As the name already tells, you will definitely get wet feet by walking around on the market (if you don’t want your feet be soaked in fishy water, were old sneakers!). For the local people is this the place where they can get the cheapest fresh products for their household. You will be amazed by the variety of fresh ingredients sold here!
Even though it is not as well known as all the other markets in Kuala Lumpur, Chow Kit Market is definitely exciting. The market here begins as early at 6am and you can expect to experience lively and culture rich scenes here. If you are a fan of photographing emotions of people and it culture, the Chow Kit market is a great place.
The market is divided by 4 areas. The first area you will pass is the “dry” market. Here you will find the most tropical fresh fruits, vegetables, herbs and dried fish. The second area is the wet fish market. Here they sale a big scale of fresh, dead or even alive. Don’t walk to close to the stands when you don’t want to have some fish blood on you (some vendors’ chops of the head of the fishes right away). The third area is the wet meat market. Here they sell all pieces of the cow, chickens and sheep’s. If you can stand the smell of dead animals, then it is interesting to have a look. The 4th and last are is where they sell second hand clothes and Chinatown-like goods.
They don’t see a lot of tourists (I only saw 2 other couples, rest was all local) so be in mind that they will all pay attention at you if you look like a foreigner/tourist. Besides that, they are all super friendly and interested. They let us try everything we wanted just to show us their local products.
This market is definitely a good Sunday trip as it is easy to reach and very interesting!
How to get there?
Take the monorail and get out at Chow Kit, you will see the market immediately.
Opening hours?
Every day from 6 am – 5 pm
/// Written by Janieke Nieboer, Malaysia
