Kuala Lumpur

Petronas Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur

 
Malaysia is the often over-looked neighbor of Singapore. Occupying the Malaysian peninsula between Singapore and Thailand, as well as the Northern part of the island of Borneo, Malaysia is a federation of 13 states, plus the federal territory of Kuala Lumpur.

For the tourist, Malaysia offers everything from colonial buildings to ultra modern skyscrapers, and this is especially true of the nation's capital of Kuala Lumpur.

"KL", as most in the region call it, makes a great base for exploring Malaysia. You can book any of a number of day trips from the city to nearby destinations. Tours can be booked in advance through our affiliate Viator.

Kuala Lumpur Sights

Kuala Lumpur is full of sights. There's a whole range of things to see and do, depending on your own personal interests. Here's a short list of sights that shouldn't be missed.

Bintang Walk

Kuala Lumpur's premier shopping, dining and people watching street, in the heart of the city's "Golden Triangle" area, the center of modern Kuala Lumpur. The street is lined with sidewalk cafes where one can sit for a cup of coffee and watch the rest of the world go by. Or duck into one of the many shopping malls for air-conditioned bargain shopping.

Central Market

View of the Central Market

 
Once, this vast building was the city's biggest fresh product market, but now its full of shops and stalls selling arts and crafts to tourists. Prices are generally good for what's on offer.

Nearby is the city's chinatown district, which can be interesting to walk around in the daytime, but at night its even better, with a night market taking up the length of Petaling Street.

Menara KL

The Kuala Lumpur tower is the tallest in Southeast Asia and the fourth tallest in the world. Because it stands on a hill, the tower appears to be taller that the Petronas towers, even though they are nearly 100 feet taller. At the top of the tower is a revolving restaurant and observation platform.

Petronas Towers

The tallest buildings in the world, the Petronas Towers are the pride of Malaysia. The towers sit in a large park, and the entire complex features a five-star hotel, shopping center and performing arts center. The "sky bridge" joining the two towers is open to the public. Tickets are available for free, but are given out on a first-come-first-served basis. The ticket counter opens at 8:30 am. Tours start at 10 am.

Around Kuala Lumpur

Batu Caves

Located about 20 minutes from downtown, the Batu Caves are large openings in limestone cliffs. You climb 272 stairs to reach the Temple Cave, which houses the Hindu shrine where devotees gather during the festival of Thaipusam.