As a budget flight hub, Kuala Lumpur attracts a large number of shoestring travellers who use it as a transit point for destinations in South-East Asia and beyond.
Many come from Europe or the Americas, escaping the rat race at home for months on the road, soaking in the foreign cultures and exotic climes.
While many backpackers zip around the region to cover as much ground as possible, others like Boris Panov spend months in a country - working odd jobs and volunteering alongside locals in the bid to see beyond the touristy veneer.
This is Panov’s story, in his own words:
I worked for five years in Canada. Things eventually started to feel very routine and depressing, working as a visual technician in the biggest law firm.
It was a very stressful job. I always went back home too tired to do anything else. I then started to get depressed and eventually decided to quit.
I first went travelling to Colombia for nine months, and later elsewhere in South America, and then to Japan for three months - finally here, Malaysia, for six months.
It's not impossible to travel without a lot of money.
When I left for Japan, I only had US$200 in my pocket and I just made do with that by taking odd jobs here and there. I found a place to do volunteer work in exchange for a place to stay and three meals a day.
(I chose Malaysia next because) I had been to Malaysia twice before, so I knew it's cheap. I knew I like the food, I knew I like the people, so yeah, that was it.
The biggest thing I've learned is to feel happy, and my inspiration for travelling was for happiness - it keeps you happy.
You don't need to do whatever society wants you to do to “make it big”. You can feel fulfilled doing anything - that's what I learned.
I am now doing different jobs, doing different things. I am happy doing anything as long as I get the basic necessities to live.
A lot of people are pressured by their families to be successful and you might not like that, you might not feel fulfilled doing it, so don't force yourself.
This story was first published on the HUMANS OF KUALA LUMPUR Facebook page. In this photography project, Mushamir Mustafa takes pictures of random people in Kuala Lumpur, who share with him a story from their lives. It features on Malaysiakini every weekend.
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