Kuala Lumpur is a large city in Malaysia with several distinct neighbours. For tourists planning on exploring the city independently, there are several options available to get from one place to another. These methods are outlined below:The Metro:This transportation option proved to be invaluable during…Read More

Kuala Lumpur is a large city in Malaysia with several distinct neighbours. For tourists planning on exploring the city independently, there are several options available to get from one place to another. These methods are outlined below:

The Metro:
This transportation option proved to be invaluable during my time in Kuala Lumpur. The metro runs throughout the entire city, with convenient stops nearby to most of the attractions. For visitors like myself without a pass, the best option is to pay as you go. To do this, you must buy your tickets from the booth rather than using a machine. The metro was very affordable, and most of my tickets were purchased for less than 2 Malaysian Ringgit which isn't even a dollar in USD. Most of the metros run over the city, so in addition to being transported, you actually get great views too.

Taxis:
Taxis are not the best way to get around in Kuala Lumpur, but if it's late at night or you did a considerable amount of shopping, it might be your safest bet. Taxis can be flagged down at just about any point in the city, but keep in mind that there are several different charges that may be applied to your base fare. Fees are charged for baggage and if the taxi gets stuck in traffic. There is no set fare, and taxis have been known to rip off unsuspecting visitors.

Bus:
The bus system in Kuala Lumpur is quite extensive and affordable. It's not as easy to get around with the bus as with the metro, but asking locals for advice will set you on the right path. Bus stops are located all over the city, and I never had to wait long for a bus to arrive.

On Foot:
I would say that Kuala Lumpur is favourable for pedestrians. There are sidewalks on most of the streets, and it's safer to cross the streets there than in other countries in SE Asia such as Vietnam. Crossing highways was trickier, and one must move very fast as lulls in traffic don't occur frequently. I did quite a bit of walking during my trip and I didn't have any problems. If I couldn't find my way, the locals were more than willing to point me in the right direction. Tip: Bring an umbrella with you if you're going to be walking. Kuala Lumpur seemed to rain everyday and I was unfortunate enough to get drenched!

Getting To/From the Airport
The airport was located about an hour's drive away from downtown Kuala Lumpur. I was travelling alone, so it made sense for me to use public transportation to make the journey. After leaving the departures hall, I followed the signs to the bus stop and caught a large shuttle to Kuala Lumpur for 35 Malaysian Ringgit.

With a bit of advance planning, Kuala Lumpur doesn't have to be an expensive destination to get around in. If you can't figure out the public transportation, a local will be willing to help you.   Close

The Golden Triangle area of Kuala Lumpur lies adjacent to the office district of the city centre and is home to the major shopping centres. There is little here for the sight seer, but it is an absolute must for shoppers everywhere.The newest shopping centre…Read More

The Golden Triangle area of Kuala Lumpur lies adjacent to the office district of the city centre and is home to the major shopping centres. There is little here for the sight seer, but it is an absolute must for shoppers everywhere.

The newest shopping centre is right at the top of the triangle and is called Time Square. It is an absolutely massive building that features two huge towers spanning fourteen storeys. There is every kind of shop you can imagine in this complex as well as expansive food halls, an IMAX cinema, a bowling alley and even an indoor theme park. The theme park is worth the visit alone and includes a series of white knuckle rides as well as some suitable for younger visitors.

My favourite area of the golden triangle was the main street which was lined with lots of familiar and less familiar shops. I loved how busy this area was and it really gives the feeling that you are in a thriving capital city.

This area is a great place to stay as well as there are many hotels here including lots of the big name chains including Crown Plaza, Marriott and Melia. We visited the Federal hotel as well which has a revolving restaurant at the top. It is only open in the evening though and reservations are strongly recommended.

Food wise, you are once again spoilt for choice. Whether you are looking for a quick bite to eat or a more extravagant sit down affair, you'll find it here. One of the most amusing things we found about Kuala Lumpur was the number of KFC restaurants they have - they are literally everywhere. They have though adapted the menu to suit local tastes and alongside the chicken you will find lots of deep fried fish and even mashed potato!

If you want a nice evening meal, your best bet is to look in the restaurants within the hotels, between them they offer almost every kind of food you can think of, but at the price you would expect too.

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The Colonial core is located on the Western side of kuala Lumpur and offers an alternative to the high rise modern buildings and the hustle and bustle of the rest of the city.The area centres around Merdeka Square and is very much reminiscent of olde…Read More

The Colonial core is located on the Western side of kuala Lumpur and offers an alternative to the high rise modern buildings and the hustle and bustle of the rest of the city.

The area centres around Merdeka Square and is very much reminiscent of olde worlde England, with its mock tudor style buildings and large grassy areas. It is the oldest part of the city and we very much enjoyed the completely different experience it offered us.

The area is very much at a slower and quieter pace than the rest of the city and it is a lovely place to while away a very hot afternoon in Kuala Lumpur. There are plenty of areas to sit and admire the views and enjoy the relaxation, especially by the beautiful waterfalls and fountains which give you a very welcome spraying of cold water!

There are a couple of things to see here too, the most notable being the huge one hundred metre high flag pole, which is the tallest in the world and is adorned by a massive Malaysian flag. It really is quite pretty fluttering over the square.

The surrounding buildings were built in the 1890s and formed the old cricket club. It really does feel like you've taken a step back in time and you can easily imagine what it might have been like there back in the day.

There are also a number of small museums in the area, namely the Bank Negara Money Museum and the Museum of National History, both of which are free to enter, although they do only house very small collections. At the side of the square opposite the flag pole is a cute little church called St Mary's. It is the oldest Anglican church in Malaysia and was built in 1894. It is a very pretty building and worth a look.

Down the road from Merdeka Square in the Colonial Core is the old railway building. It is still used as a station, but maintains much of its old charm. Many of the features are original including the waiting room, the signs and the station clocks.

This area in general is a must visit for something completely different to everything else in Kuala Lumpur and it really is a very pretty place to go.   Close

Kuala Lumpur Internatial Airport (KLIA) is obviously the main entry point into the city and it is located around 70 kilometres from the centre. There are various ways of getting into the centre. You can take a coach which departs every half an hour for…Read More

Kuala Lumpur Internatial Airport (KLIA) is obviously the main entry point into the city and it is located around 70 kilometres from the centre. There are various ways of getting into the centre. You can take a coach which departs every half an hour for about £5 each way or you can use the train which goes to the Chinatown area for about £7 each way. The bus takes around an hour and the train about half of that and both run from 5am until around midnight. The bus goes to the main hub in the city centre, from which you can get on another bus for about £1 that goes around all of the city centre's major hotels.

After a fourteen hour flight, we were in no fit state to be working out bus or train timetables, so we decided to take a taxi which we picked up outside the arrivals hall and took us directly to our hotel in about thirty minutes and cost us around about £25. Be warned though: the taxis in Kuala Lumpur are all pretty old and air conditioning consists of opening the window and driving fast. Suspension is pretty much non-existent too, so expect a bumpy ride!

Getting around Kuala Lumpur is a strange thing. The city isn't really designed with pedestrians in mind as it is quite a sprawling city and the main attractions are spread out far and wide. That said, we did quite a lot of walking and found that, as long as you look both ways twice when you are crossing the road, it is a fairly safe way of getting around. The only problems that we encountered were the muggy temperatures that made being outside for long periods of time uncomfortable - so make sure you take plenty of water with you wherever you go.

We enjoyed walking around because the Malaysian people are so very nice and friendly. The street sweepers so hello as you walk past and even the busiest of locals will stop and offer you assistance if you are puzzling over a map - it really was a lovely change from the usual way of life we have come to accept over here in England.

Having said all that though, we did make good use of the Kuala Lumpur Monorail system, which we thought was fantastic. The monorail circles the city above street level and has stops near to most of the major tourist points of interest. It is only 20 pence per ticket and that will take you as far as you want along the system. The monorail carriages are all air conditioned, are relatively quiet most of the time and run every few minutes throughout the day and night. The best thing about them though are the views you get over the city as you travel around - it's great fun spotting the major buildings from the floor to ceiling windows.   Close

We arrived in Kuala Lumpur in early December, which meant that the heat and humidity was only unbearable for part of the day. Our arrival at the low-cost carrier terminal of the Kuala Lumpur airport was a bit of a shock. You certainly…Read More

We arrived in Kuala Lumpur in early December, which meant that the heat and humidity was only unbearable for part of the day. Our arrival at the low-cost carrier terminal of the Kuala Lumpur airport was a bit of a shock. You certainly get what you pay for and for our discount ticket we got a large and unairconditioned terminal with malfunctioning ATMs and no easy way out. We also learned, too late, that the tickets for busses and taxis are located within the secure area so we had to talk our way back through security in order to get on a bus into town. Not the best airport experience. For what we paid, though, we really should have been on a cargo plane, so I can’t complain too much.

The bus dropped us off downtown where we had to negotiate with scoundrel cab drivers to get a ride to the hotel. Almost all cab drivers in Malaysia seem to be scoundrels. We found none who would use the meter. We made sure to negotiate fares ahead of time and refused to go with some drivers who were downright unreasonable in their rate (sometime 3x what the meter would say). A hassle to be sure, but Malaysia on the whole is such a bargain that it more than made up for this inconvenience.

Our hotel was within easy walking proximity to the Petronas towers. This means that it was also next to about a dozen overpriced western restaurants, all advertising Carlsberg beer, oddly enough. We asked the concierge about a good place to eat dinner but we seemed to confuse him by requesting a good Malaysian restaurant. I mean, I can get a cheeseburger anywhere and I didn’t fly halfway around the world to eat at KFC. Left pretty much on our own, we found a small hut that seemed to be doing a bustling local business. We ate curried goat over jasmine rice, washed down with lukewarm Pepsi. It was a very good meal.

After dinner, we set out to get a glimpse of the Petronas towers. I thought that I had seen skyscrapers before but these buildings are incredible. They’re architecturally beautiful and they seem to reach up into the sky forever. They are especially impressive at night, all aglow against the dark city sky. This area around the Petronas towers is very well maintained and we enjoyed walking around here, getting acquainted with Malaysia a little bit our first night. After taking in the surrounds and getting some good pictures, it was time to retire to our hotel so we could rest up for our last day in Kuala Lumpur.

We got an early start the next morning, starting with the Petronas towers again. We found some breakfast down below the towers in a food court. Nasi lemak, food court style. It was still good and filling. After eating, we headed over to see if it would still be possible to get some free tickets to the sky bridge. The situation looked grim. The basement area where you wait to get to the ticket window was packed with tourists trying to get a ticket before they were gone. We decided against waiting, as we only had one day and the chances that the tickets would disappear before we even got to the window seemed too great to chance spending a whole morning in a crowded basement.

Next on our list of things to do was the Batu Caves, which are located a little ways out of the city. We couldn’t find the bus that supposedly existed so we were left haggling with another cab driver. He got us there, and it was definitely worth the trouble. The Batu caves are impressive geologically but also an incredible religious site. They are adorned with all manner of Hindu statues and the temple inside is supposedly one of the holiest sites in Hinduism outside of India. The only way to get inside is a very large staircase that is helpfully numbered so you can note your progress or lack thereof. We were glad that we went when we were still fresh and energetic. We were also glad that we remembered to bring bottled water.

Leaving the Batu caves meant yet more haggling with cab drivers but we were dropped off at Merdeka Square, in the middle of Kuala Lumpur, celebrating Malaysian independence. It’s a pleasant place, though without any shade it can get quite hot. It’s also a great spot to get a picture of the Malaysian flag as one of the world’s largest flag poles presides over the square. It’s an impressive arrangement, conveying Malaysian pride in independence quite well.

We walked the distance from Merdeka to the national museum. Had we known how far it was we probably would have gotten a cab. It was a very hot walk. The museum (air-conditioned!) was worth it though. It gave us a great sense of Malaysian history that we had neglected to study up on before the trip. All the way from pre-historic times to the rise of Islam on the peninsula and though the colonial period and independence, this museum is a great stop to get an idea of what you’re looking at when you visit the sights.

As a final stop before dinner, we headed to Petaling Street, where there is always a street market, along with a good selection of restaurants. Most of the merchants seemed to be catering to tourists with lots of knockoff sunglasses and watches. If you’re looking for some cheap fashion of dubious provenance, this is the place for you. It is a good place to eat some fresh Malaysian fruit and take a stroll on an afternoon though. Which is exactly what we did.

Our final dinner in Kuala Lumpur was delicious Thai food, sweet and spicy and simply amazing. It seems that there are unexpected culinary wonders all through the city. This Thai restaurant was empty except for us, situated in the back of an office building. It also offered the best Thai food I’ve ever eaten. The best Kuala Lumpur advice I can give is to think outside of the box a bit when it comes to food. On our way out of town we ate breakfast at the bus station and it was also simply amazing. Nasi lemak with a perfectly cooked egg. In the most humble of surroundings, we found the best food. Stay out of KFC! There is so much great food to experience in this wonderful, lively city.

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Batu Cave is a major site for people wanting to visit Kuala Lumpur. It is a series of limestone caves about 10 miles from Kuala Lumpur. The caves house an old and beautiful Hindu temple that is still in use. Even though it is a…Read More

Batu Cave is a major site for people wanting to visit Kuala Lumpur. It is a series of limestone caves about 10 miles from Kuala Lumpur. The caves house an old and beautiful Hindu temple that is still in use. Even though it is a temple, they still allow visitors.

The trek up to the cave takes you up a massive staircase, or 272 steps. This is not a trek for people who can’t handle physical exertion. There are numerous monkeys around, and they have gotten used to and sadly rely on the tourists for food. I have seen people hand-feed them, and locals there sell peanuts for the monkeys, although I’m not sure I would recommend this.

Once you make the trek to the cave itself, you will find that it consists of three main caverns. One of the caverns has a large hole to the sky in the ceiling and contains a small temple. You are able to walk completely around the temple, but if you were to enter it, I think it would be proper to take off your shoes.

The caverns themselves are all quite large and feel nice and cool after the walk up the stairs. There are some interesting Hindu sculptures at the entrance and at various points around the caves.

It’s a neat little trek and close to KL. I would recommend it for families and people who are fit enough for slight physical activity.

To get there, you can either rent a car, take a taxi, or catch a bus at the Pudu Raya Bus Terminal in KL. There is no entrance fee.

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Chances are, if you have talked with someone about shopping in KL, the words "Pasar Malam" have come up. Pasar Malam simply means "night market", and at these markets, you will find some of the best deals on your trip. A night market, for those who…Read More

Chances are, if you have talked with someone about shopping in KL, the words "Pasar Malam" have come up. Pasar Malam simply means "night market", and at these markets, you will find some of the best deals on your trip.

A night market, for those who have never seen one, are huge temporary shopping bazaars. In KL, they will close down a series of streets or parking lots, and people will set up tables, chairs, generators, displays, food stalls, and awnings, all hawking wares. People will be selling things like fake Rolexes, fake Oakley sunglasses, CDs, DVDs, household goods, groceries, clothes, food, drinks, and produce. If you want something, chances are that you can find it at a night market.

There are eight or ten large night markets and several smaller ones in KL, and they operate on certain days. One of the ones with better deals is at PETALING STREET in Chinatown. This one starts every day at about 7pm or so and goes until at least 10pm. This place can get crowded, and it is very popular with locals and tourists alike.

Another great market is at BANGSAR BARU, or just Bangsar, as the locals call it. Bangsar is a popular expat area in KL and has many different pubs and clubs also. The night market here is also every night, starting at about 7pm. This one isn’t so closely packed, so it might be a bit better for the claustrophobic.

A HUGE market that happens only on Saturdays is located at LORONG TUANKA ABDUL RAHMAN. It’s a great market, but only on Saturdays. This is my favorite overall, but I often seem to miss it because it’s only one day a week.

There are also several others, like Central Market and others around Petaling and Chow Kit. Many communities have their own markets that are a bit more informal. In KL at night, if there is an open spot, someone will move a stall in and start selling things.

It’s a fun, lively environment full of good deals. Just be sure to leave your purse at the hotel and keep your valuables in your front pocket. It is a safe area because there are so many people, but there are pickpockets around who won’t miss an opportunity. The areas can also get quite packed and hot. Some of the elderly or people with special needs might find it a bit hard to get around with so many people. It would also be fairly easy to get separated from small children, so take that into consideration.

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Singapore: " You only stay one day in Singapore? ", queried the immigration officer. Most travellers spend at least a few days in this prosperous, ultra-modern, clinically-clean but relatively expensive Chinese city with its strict laws and harsh punishments. However the 'Lion City ' holds…Read More

Singapore:

" You only stay one day in Singapore? ", queried the immigration officer. Most travellers spend at least a few days in this prosperous, ultra-modern, clinically-clean but relatively expensive Chinese city with its strict laws and harsh punishments. However the 'Lion City ' holds little attraction for me compared to the greater delights and lower costs of peninsular Malaysia. From Changi International Airport only two short rides by local bus are needed to cross the island and the 1000metre causeway to reach Johore Bahru on the southern tip of the mainland.

Peninsular Malaysia: 1. Johore Bahru to Kuala Lumpur

Johore Bahru:

The congested, claustrophobic, cosmopolitan streets of downtown Johore Bahru typify the rich diversity of multi-cultural, multi-racial Malaysian society with its potentially explosive cocktail of Moslem Malays ( the Bumiputra - ' the sons of the soil ', forming approx 50% of the population ), Buddhist Chinese ( approx. 35% ) and Hindu Indians ( approx 15% ) - a microcosm of Asia and a minefield of different protocols for western visitors.

Despite the multiplicity of languages and alphabets there is however little problem with communication as English is widely used and remains the lingua franca although Bahasa Malaysia has been imposed as the national language to try to foster a sense of national identity.

Escaping from the vibrant hustle and bustle I wandered around the spacious, tranquil gardens of the nearby Istana Besar ( royal palace ) with views back across the Straits of Johore to the skyscrapers of Singapore.

Melaka ( Malacca ):

Insulated from the searing tropical heat in an air-conditioned coach it is only a few hours northwards along the landscaped motorway through extensive plantations of pineapples, oil palms and rubber trees to the sea-front town of Melaka.

From the bus terminal one of the dwindling band of elderly bicycle-rickshaw drivers drove me the short distance into the historical town ' where it all began ' with the first invasion of Europeans.

Starting at the eye-catching, bright-red Christ Church I climbed above the Stadthuys, a cluster of massive, square, pink-painted buildings, ( a legacy of the Dutch ), to the ruins of St.Paul's Church, ( a legacy of the Portuguese ), on top of a small hill to gain a splendid outlook over the Straits of Malacca. The original landing site of the Portuguese is now well inland being part of the reclaimed mangrove swamps occupied by a huge, modern shopping and leisure complex. Moored at the waterfront near the Stadthuys I could see the hydrofoils for the ferry service to Dumai across the Straits in Sumatra.

In the cool of the evening I joined the keep-fit enthusiasts on top of Bukit China - a vast Chinese graveyard with over 12,000 graves some dating back to the Ming dynasty. Chinese graveyards are commonly built on hillsides to shield the graves from evil winds and to provide the spirits with a good view of what their descendants are up to down below.

On another day I strolled round the old part of Melaka searching for treasures of the East in the numerous antique shops and exploring the many mosques, temples and clan houses squeeezed into the compact area.

Kuala Lumpur:

A short journey up the motorway soon brought into view the high-rise sky-line of the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur ( or, more usually just KL, similarly JB for Johore Bahru - there is a predilection for abbreviations in Malaysia ).

There is also a penchant for tall buildings. From the observation platform on the 421metre Telekom Tower, the world's fourth highest, I had a superb, bird's-eye view over the sprawling city.

Clearly visible was the foundation site of the city where the early tin prospectors landed at the confluence of the sluggish, brown waters ( kuala - estuary, lumpur - muddy ) of the Klang and Gombak rivers. However the beautiful Masjid Jame ( the 'Friday Mosque' ) with its onion domes perched on elegant, red-and-white striped minarets, in a grove of palm trees at the junction of the rivers, is almost totally obscured by one of the stations for the recently constructed overhead railway snaking through the city centre.

Also prominent was the vivid, green rectangle of the Padang, a legacy of colonial days but where cricket still takes place, and the adjoining Merdeka ( Independence ) Square with its huge flag on a 95metre high flagpole. Only slightly further afield is the wide green belt containing the extensive Lake Gardens - an oasis of peace and tranquility amidst the noise and bedlam of the traffic-jammed expressways.

Immediately adjacent, dwarfing the other high-rise buildings, like some gigantic rocketship awaiting take-off, were the twin Petronas Towers - temporarily the highest building in the world and a symbol of Vision 2020 - Malaysia's long term plan to become a fully developed nation by the year 2020.

A half day walk took me round most of the places of interest. Directly opposite Merdeka Square the historic, Moorish-style, buildings are spectacularly illuminated in the evenings. Not far off is the fantastic, Railway Station with its amazing array of spires, minarets, towers, cupolas and arches. In Chinatown the air-conditioned Central Market provided welcome relief from the torrid, teeming street markets to browse through the handicrafts and artwork.

At least once on every visit I dine at the renowned Coliseum Hotel - a nostalgic reminder of the tea-planter days and a favourite haunt of ex-pats.

Late in the evenings the 'lady-boys', unbelievably effeminate, emerge to promenade in search of their clients.

Reference: "High Adventure around the World"

Part II: Peninsular Malaysia: 2. From Kuala Lumpu via the East Coast to Penang and the Thai border.

Part III: Southern Thailand: From the Malaysian border via the SW Coast to Bangkok.

Part IV: Northern Thailand: From Bangkok to the Golden Triangle. ( To be posted )

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DAY 2 Morning: Petronas Towers If your hotel is in the Golden Triangle, it is a short walk to the Petronas Towers. It’s the world’s second tallest building: 452m, 1,483 feet from street level, 88 floors, 58 elevators, and 32,000 windows. You can go up to the…Read More

DAY 2
Morning: Petronas Towers

If your hotel is in the Golden Triangle, it is a short walk to the Petronas Towers. It’s the world’s second tallest building: 452m, 1,483 feet from street level, 88 floors, 58 elevators, and 32,000 windows. You can go up to the sky bridge, where you’ll have a spectacular view of Kuala Lumpur. This visit is free, and this is how to get your entrance ticket. Join the queue--the earlier you are there, the shorter it is. You are issued a ticket that states your time slot. To while away the time, take pictures of the towers from all conceivable angles. Walk in the park at the foot of the towers. Shop at the luxurious, six-level Suria shopping complex. When it is your turn, you are whizzed up 44 floors by speed elevator. From the sky bridge, you can take interesting close-up pictures of the towers ’architecture.

Time to have lunch. Take a taxi to Jalan TAR No 100, The Coliseum Café. Have a pre-lunch drink at the bar, where Somerset Maugham was a regular. Enjoy sizzling steaks or traditional Malay food in colonial-era ambience.

Afternoon: China Town and Sri Mariamman Temple

This is the buzzing centre of KL’s Chinese community. Wander through the narrow streets and look up at the beautifully decorated fronts of the Chinese shop houses. On Jalan Tun HS Lee, you will see Sri Mariamman Hindu Temple. Its pyramid-shaped entrance gate is decorated with thousands of multi-coloured deities. Entrance is free, and don’t forget to leave your shoes at the entrance. This Indian temple in a Chinese street is not incongruous but shows the ethnic composition of Kuala Lumpur’s inhabitants.

Early evening: Central Market: Hawkers Stalls

The Central Market, or Pasar Seni, was once the city’s wet market, which means that it was a fruit, vegetable, and fish market. This Art Deco building has been transformed into an arts-and-crafts market. Downstairs, you can find good-quality souvenirs from all over Malaysia, but also from Indonesia and Thailand. There are the usual t-shirts, but also traditional handicrafts: hand-painted shadow puppets, batik sarongs, porcelain statuettes of Chinese and Hindu deities, and orang asli wooden sculptures.

On the second level, there is a good selection of hawker’s food, and this is how it works:

• Look for a table and sit down. If it is crowded, sit with other people. This has the advantage that you can ask them for recommendations.

• Put a box of tissues or anything else on your table to indicate that it is taken.

• All tables are numbered. Remember your table number.

• Look around you, and you’ll see food stalls. Stall 1 sells satay; Stall 2, nasi lemak; Stall 3, mee soup. All stalls have one specialty.

• Walk around and decide what meal you will have. Tell the stall-holder your table number and give your order. The cook will now start preparing your meal.

• Go back to your table and wait. Your ordered dishes will appear one by one. You pay for each dish when it is brought to your table.

• Order drinks from the drinks stall.

When you have ordered from several stalls, you will notice that the plates are marked or have different colours. This way, the stall owners can easily retrieve their plates when your meal is over.

Late Evening: Pasar Malam or Night Market

If you are in KL on a Saturday night, go to Lorong Tuanka Abdul Rachman, just off Jalan TAR. This night market, or Pasar Malam, is open from 5pm to 10pm every Saturday and hums with activity. Stroll along the stalls and enjoy the variety of goods on sale, the busy crowd, and smell of local delicacies. And if you decide to buy something, bargain--bargain hard.

Very Late Evening: Bangsar

Bangsar is 10 minutes by taxi from KL Golden Triangle. It is the place where chic, young Malays want to be seen. It is an interesting mix of restaurants, bars, pubs, cafés, fast-food outlets, coffee bars and ice cream parlours.

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Two days are not enough to see all Kuala Lumpur can offer. Come back another time and stay longer.

Chow Kit Market
Little India
The Lake Gardens with the butterfly and bird park
KL telecommunication tower

And there is more, much more.

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Your first day in Kuala LumpurIt is most likely that you will arrive at Kuala Lumpur’s ultra-modern international airport, known as KLIA. It is 75km south of the city. The fastest way to the city centre is by the KLIA-Express Train, which takes you in…Read More

Your first day in Kuala Lumpur

It is most likely that you will arrive at Kuala Lumpur’s ultra-modern international airport, known as KLIA. It is 75km south of the city. The fastest way to the city centre is by the KLIA-Express Train, which takes you in 30 minutes to KL Sentral. From here, you can change trains or take a taxi to your hotel. Trains run from 5am to 1pm, leaving every 15 minutes. A single trip is RM$35 (=8.75E).

The Golden Triangle is central and a good place to stay. There are many hotels, from very simple backpackers’ places to luxurious 4-star-plus hotels and everything in between.

Unpack, take a bath, and relax in your comfortable, air-conditioned room. The temperature in Kuala Lumpur may be a bit of a shock to you. It is a year-round 30 degrees C (80F), and humidity hovers around 90%. Therefore, it is best to move about by air-conditioned taxi.

DAY 1
Morning: Colonial District

Your first port of call is the old Railway Station. It was built in 1911. It looks like an Oriental palace with its spires, towers, minarets, and copulas. Only a few trains leave from here, as KL Sentral is the city’s main transport hub.

Have a coffee in the Heritage Station Hotel. High ceilings, old-fashioned furniture, and slowly revolving fans evoke a colonial atmosphere.

Across the road, you will see Masjid Negara, set in landscaped gardens and one of the largest mosques in Southeast Asia. Its roof is an 18-pointed star, which symbolizes the 13 states and the five pillars of Islam:

1. Faith in one God and Muhammad is his prophet
2. Ritual prayers five times a day
3. Abstaining each day of Ramadan
4. Giving alms to the poor
5. Pilgrimage to Mecca

Remember to remove your shoes and dress appropriately.

Open 9am - 6pm, Saturday - Thursday
2:45 - 6pm Friday.

Time to cool down in your air-conditioned taxi. Ask the driver to go to Merdeka Square. This was once the heart of colonial KL and known as Padang, which means ‘field’ in Malay. This was the place where cricket was once played, but also the place where in 1957 Malaysia’s independence was proclaimed.

Across the street, you see Sultan Abdul Samad Building. It is a typical colonial-style building--a mixture of Victorian and Moorish architecture. Behind it you see KL’s skyline: tall, modern skyscrapers and the Petronas Towers.

Time to have a bite go to at Jalan TAR. Numbers 1 – 19 is a block of buildings with neo-classical features. Giant pillars support the façade, enhanced with embossed emblems and scrolls. Restoran Abdul Maidony at No. 11 specializes in vegetarian Indian banana leaf meals. Rice and several vegetable curries are served on a banana leaf. Traditionally, this is eaten with your right hand, but spoons are available.

Afternoon: Golden Triangle, Shopping

Time to go back to your hotel to refresh and then explore Jalan Bukit Bintang. This is a busy street with shops and numerous shopping malls: Lot 10, Low Yat Plaza, Sungai Wang Plaza, and if you want to do some serious computer and digital camera shopping, Imbi Plaza is your place.

Evening: Jalan Alor, Ethnic Food

Jalan Alor comes into action when the sun is down and it is cool enough to sit outside. This street is completely dedicated to food, mostly Chinese. Order a cool, refreshing Tiger Beer and enjoy the seafood.

End the day with a stroll through Petaling Street in Chinatown, a short taxi ride away. Mix with the crowd and walk past market stalls laden with fake Rolex watches and Gucci handbags. Of CDs and DVDs, only the real ones are sold, since copyright laws have put a stop to pirating.

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