Kuala Lumpur is Malaysia’s federal capital with about 1.8 million inhabitants. It is also the largest city in the country with an area of 243.65 km² (94.07 sq. m) and an average elevation of 21.95 m (72 ft). From being a small tin mining outpost, Kuala Lumpur has grown into a bustling metropolis and a popular tourist destination. It boasts iconic attractions such as the Petronas Twin Towers, Batu Caves, the National Mosque (Masjid Negara), the National Monument in the Lake Garden, and a whole lot more.
Apart from its must-see attractions, the city also offers affordable 5-star hotels, a variety of shopping centers, restaurants, nightlife, including stunning nature wonders. Museums, theme parks, theatres and performance halls, as well as pampering and spas are also easy to find in the capital city.
Kuala Lumpur has a number of red light districts visited by locals, expats, tourists, and anyone looking for fun adult entertainment. Visitors of the city can find low-end sex workers in the area as well high-end escort services. There are also massage parlors, clubs, and hotels doubling as brothels.
Here are the three main red light districts in the city.
Lower class brothels and sex workers in the city are usually located in Bukit Bintang area, including Jalan Hicks, Jalan Alor, and Jalan Bukit Bintang. Among the few infamous red light hotspots for prostitutes plying their trade also include Petaling Street, Jalan Sultan Ismail, and Jalan Imbi.
Some disco bars, pubs, and private houses are also used for commercial sex activities. There are also low-class sex shows that operate out of Bukit Bintang and Jalan Haji Taib areas.
How to Reach the RLD
There are two ways to get from Kuala Lumpur Sentral to Chow Kit. Visitors can take the monorail and get off at the Chow Kit Station, which is 10 stops away. They can also grab a taxi, which uses a coupon system. Passengers need to pay a fixed fare at the counter before boarding the vehicle. The estimated fare for the taxi is relatively higher than the monorail and there is 50% surcharge at night.
Bukit Bintang is also to reach, which is just 60 minutes away from the main airport. This place is known as the Orchard Road of Malaysia, and the government has placed a great deal of attention on the transport network in the area. Tourists can easily get to the place by riding a bus, taxi, or MRT.
The Streets in the RLD
There is a variety of market and shopping stalls in the area that sell clothes, shoes, and even fresh vegetables. During the day, the Chow Kit is a lively place where tourist can immerse with the locals and do some shopping. The establishment is local, so visitors cannot expect a western style shopping center. The area, however, transforms at night, catering to visitors looking some nightlife and adult entertainment.
A commercial area called Imbi is also a popular tourist spot near the Bukit Bintang. It is usually crowded during holidays and peak area. There is also the Berjaya Times shopping complex and a hotel located in Imbi.
Safety Information
It is important for tourists not to walk alone, particularly at late nights. A late night stroll is best when the place is brightly lit and when many people are walking around the area. It is also a safe option to take the elevated pedestrian walkway when walking from one place to another, like from the business district to the shopping district. This is because the said walkway is brightly lit and is equipped with CCTVs.
There are plenty of adult locations in the city offering a variety of services at different prices. Cheap sex workers are available in the city, as well as middle options such as line escort services and erotic massage parlors. Clients who are willing to spend more usually go for luxury and expensive escort services, delivered to their hotel room.
Local prostitutes once dominated the sex industry in the city, but this has changed over the past few years. The women offering services in the red light district are usually of different nationalities. Indonesians once dominated the scene, but there are also sex workers from countries such as Thailand, China, Cambodia, Laos, and Vietnam. Due to the ethnic mix in the city, English is widely understood in the area. The red light district is a great place to meet independent and well-educated women who work in the area legitimately. There are also Filipina, African, and Indian women who work in pubs, bars, parlors, and other adult entertainment venues.
Street Prostitution
Streetwalker prostitutes are found in Jalan Bukit Bintang, offering sex sessions for about $7 to $25. Most will offer customers to have fast sex in short time hotels and accommodations nearby. Street hookers and ladyboys also work in the said area. Customers can take the hooker to a motel or rent a room for an hour or two.
People looking for higher-prostitutes and escort services usually trade in nightspots or in hotels that double as massage parlors or masseuse, or health centers in Kuala Lumpur. Escorts services are widely available in the Klang Valley, and a mix of Chinese, Thais, Indians, and Indonesians work in this area. Many of those who offer escort services also advertise on the Internet and local newspapers. Sex workers usually get customers by leaving their contact numbers online, along with the type of services offered, body measurements, and price.
High-class sex workers usually demand more money and earn extra through tip. Street workers in Chow Kit and Lorong Haji usually offer cheap services. Some also earn additional income through tips in karaoke lounges called papaya farms. Most of the prostitutes offer services not just in nightspots and hotels, but also in other establishments such as spas, massage parlors, and health centers in the capital city.
Other Information Pick-up Areas
Kuala Lumpur has a wide ‘pick-ups’, which can be made in different bars around the area or even in the business district. The places are not just the areas for sex workers to solicit, but many working professionals also visit the establishments, seeking affairs or casual relationships. The ‘pick-up’ scene caters for those who look for short-term affairs or even long-term relationships.
Massage Parlors
The Brothels in the city are very much different from those in Europe. In fact, small hotels, guesthouses, and erotic massage parlors are also considered brothels. Cheap and affordable brothels are found in the Jalan Alor, Jalan Hicks, Jalan Bukit (Bukit Bintang area), and in Jalan Thambipillay (Brickfields area).
Strip Clubs
Girls known as Guest Relations Officers (GRO) usually work in karaoke and Japanese bars in the Klang Valley. The girls here, however, are choosy and want customers to spend some time and money in the bar before they agree to go somewhere else for a negotiated price. Chinese, Thais, Vietnamese, and Cambodians mainly dominate these venues. Indonesians, on the other hand, work in Dangdut Pubs, with raunchy dancing around the Klang Valley, as well.
A nightclub that features strippers with adult entertainment is popular among Singaporean visitors. It is believed that Thai and Filipino women in their 20s perform energetic song and dance acts in front of the crowd. These involve stripping clothes until they are topless with women striking suggestive poses.
Swinger Clubs
Swinging clubs in Kuala Lumpur are discreet, and only allow membership and invitation. Those who are looking casual adult affairs usually go online to talk about their preferences and arrange meetings. Many of the swinging meetings are usually held privately in Klang Valley.
Swingers are usually young professionals, entrepreneurs, managers, and business owners looking for sexual excitement with other partners. Some also want to have a different kind of sexual experience with their own partners. Swinging relationships can also go beyond physical, with some couples going out or taking vacations together.
While prostitution is not legal in the country, the laws banning it remained unenforced. Sexual services are widely available and people can find different kinds of adult services in the city. The little enforcement in Kuala Lumpur has made it easier for local, tourists, and expats to find prostitutes and a wide variety of adult entertainment.
Over the last 200 years, the adult entertainment in Malaysia had served seamen, loggers, and tin miners. It was also limited to the capital and certain areas like Georgetown and Johor Bahru, but the areas have now expanded, with the growth of massage parlors all over the country. This even includes areas where the Islamic party PAS is part of the government.
News reports say Kuala Lumpur could be the next sex capital of Asia, mainly because of the booming industry. The ‘fleshtrade’ is thriving, with locals, tourists, and expats serving as customers. It remains an off-limits subject, but sex services are still widely available. This is in spite of the efforts to crack down on the prostitution.
Some media people called for the legalization of prostitution in the country for health and control reasons. The issue is usually ignored, as the topic is taboo in the Malaysian society. There is, however, an NGO known as the PT Foundation, which provides support programs and sexual health education for sex workers. The organization also provides assistance for housing loan application and legal advice, mainly because sex workers are prone to discrimination and stigmatization in the society.
Kuala Lumpur is a vibrant area, boasting a number of bars, pubs, and clubs on the streets, including rooftop establishments located in luxury hotels. There is no shortage of exciting places to go at night in the city and visitors like local youth, expats, and international tourists can party around these venues in the city.
At 10 p.m., the nightlife scene in the city completely transforms. There are clubs that offer lively yet friendly atmosphere, with an extensive list of alcoholic beverages. DJs also play and spin lively tunes, with guests partying until the wee hours of the morning.
There is a fairly active gay scene in Kuala Lumpur. In fact, a growing number of bars, restaurants, and other mainstream venues cater for the ‘pink segment.’ These are somewhat discreet bars and clubs host entertainment services that attract the gay crowd. Chow Kit also serves as a gathering place for transwomen, offering a more affordable service than the T-Girls in Bukit Bintang.
The lesbian scene, on the other hand, is discreet but is available for those who are willing to find for it. Websites like fridae.com and utopia-asia.com offer information about gay and lesbian events and activities across Asia.
General Attitude Towards Gays
Malaysia is a Muslim country and the tolerance for homosexuality is different from its neighboring nations. Gays and lesbian travelers need to avoid behaviors and acts that attract unwanted attention. Many Malaysians are conservative about public displays of affection and overtly gay and lesbian couples may attract unwanted attention. The risk of vocal or aggressive homophobia is very little, though.
The gay life in the city is still underground due colonial and Islamic laws. Those who operate gay businesses double as aerobisaunas, yogatorium, spaversities, massageaurants, and others. The Internet is also a medium for those looking for gay and lesbian nightclubs, especially discreet and closeted establishments.
Sex and Dance Clubs for Gays
Saunas for Gays
Transsexual Prostitutes
Transsexual escort services offered by ladyboys are advertised on the Internet. The Chow Kit area also offers the same kind of services, but the safe option is to use the in-call TS escort services. Women looking for sexual services, on the other hand, can go to local bars or find men in the city areas offering the services for some extra cash. The Taman Tasik Park in Titiwangsa and the Central markets offer sexual services for women.
Transsexual live shows in Kuala Lumpur are available to those with an Internet connection. Tourists who do not want to hire transsexual street workers in Jalan Bukit Bintang usually find ladyboy escort services online.