Joanna James
If you are visiting Kuala Lumpur, the brilliant capital of Malaysia, then its only natural that you are going to come across so many beautiful authentic items you'll want to purchase. Therefore, you'll need to hold your horses on the cash you have in case you spend unnecessarily.
This is the traditional lady's wear in Malaysia. It consists of a tight, long top with a long skirt and comes in all sorts of light and dark colours. The material should hug the body well and accentuate the curves. It's best you fit-on the outfit first before buying it. If the size needs to be adjusted, you may get a tailor to do some minor alterations before you take it home. The Baju Kebaya can be worn for functions and parties with either a long skirt or even pants would be fine. The whole suit will cost you about RM100. If you are buying just one piece, it may cost about RM50 or US$17. Roam the streets near PARKROYAL Kuala Lumpur and you are sure to find a shop selling quality items.
Malaysia is well known for pure pewter goods. But then again, not all products sold in the form of a pewter item contains the pure element. These are often quite cheap. There are goods made of pewter with elaborate designs that are quite beautiful and expensive just the same. A small pure pewter vase will be a good option if you need to go easy on your budget. This will cost about RM100 or US$34. These are durable and will serve as a lovely memory of your trip to Malaysia.
The locals are quite gifted in handcrafts and therefore, there are a plethora of shops selling items made from bamboo, mengkuang, rattan, pandan leaves and even coconut shells. There are small lovely bags, purses and a whole host of other items that are available in all colours, shapes and sizes. The cost of these souvenirs varies from RM5 – RM15. It's perfect for gifts for those back at home as well.
These are tiny Malaysian sweets that are much like toffees and found pretty much everywhere in shops near any hotel in Kuala Lumpur mostly in durian and pandan leaf flavours. A large pack will cost you about RM25 which is US$8.50 and small packets will cost about RM15 which is US$5.
This is a beautiful fabric that came to be in Malaysia as a result of trading with China in the early days. Silk and golden threads are woven together into elaborate designs that are eye-catching. You can buy a small piece for use as a wall hanging or even a tablecloth. However, these can be very expensive, costing about RM40 or US$13. You will find jewellery boxes also covered in this material but might be a bit more expensive.
This is a cloth that is yet again handwoven with a desired coloured thread and golden thread. This may look like just a piece of cloth used as a blanket, but it is, in fact, a cloth with supernatural meaning. You can even inquire with the artist themselves about what meaning their work holds.
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