What are the best things to see and do in Kuala Lumpur?
- Sophie Friedman
- Correspondent
You could spend your entire visit to Kuala Lumpur eating your way across town and not get bored. But there is more to the city than just its food, so Forbes Travel Guide’s editors suggest exploring this short list of the best things to see and do in Kuala Lumpur.
1. Go to the top of the Petronas Towers. These instantly recognizable twins of KL’s skyline are wildly popular; tickets to the sky bridge and observation deck sell out early. Get in line first thing in the morning or ask your hotel to book ahead for you.
2. Visit Kuala Lumpur Bird Park. This enormous bird park houses the world’s largest free-flight, walk-in aviary and is home to more than 3,000 birds. It’s a short cab ride from the city center and is a great afternoon activity for kids and adults alike.
3. Visit the aquarium. Like the Bird Park, Aquaria KLCC is a haven for kids and since it’s indoor and air-conditioned, is a nice break for parents too. Don’t miss the moving walkway, through which you can see sharks and an enormous stingray swimming overhead.
4. Eat at Hutong Lot 10. On the basement level of Lot 10 Shopping Mall sits this hawker-style food court, where you can try all manner of traditional Malay dishes, like tender five spices beef brisket, in cool, air-conditioned comfort. It’s a great way to try the local dishes while people watching.
5. Go to the butterfly park. You can see more than six thousand butterflies from more than 120 species; it’s a beautiful sight to behold.
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2 days agoEmma Johnston answered the question:
What is Kuala Lumpur’s dining scene like?
Though we may not boast the same number of Michelin stars as our southerly neighbour Singapore, in many ways Malaysia’s dining scene simply cannot be equalled. As the capital city, Kuala Lumpur brings together many different threads of the country’s food culture, so it’s the perfect place to try a little bit of everything.
You can’t stay in KL and not try the local street food – even hotel and restaurant approximations of the classic hawker staples are better than nothing. So many different cuisines are represented on the streets of KL – Malay, Indian and Chinese, as well as Thai influences, Portuguese spices, and the myriad flavours from Sabah and Sarawak. The best place to start would be a local night market (pasar malam, in Malay) where you’ll find a huge variety of local dishes and snacks.
KL is also the location of a burgeoning café culture, with independent coffee shops and bakeries opening all over the city. And fine dining is surprisingly vibrant here, with all the major hotels represented and a growing number of independent restaurants taking on the degustation challenge. -
2 days agoEmma Johnston answered the question:
What is nightlife like in Kuala Lumpur?
Nightlife in KL is pretty vibrant, with a wide spectrum of choices from neighbourhood pubs to full on, tripped out clubs. If you club for the music, you may find it a little hard-going in this city – at the moment, it’s either R&B all the way, or pretty hardcore dubstep, but there’s always a fun night out to be had in one of KL’s many rooftop bars or bopping with the masses in the clubs.
For a dependable night out, you can’t go wrong with Zouk. The original superclub, it originated from Singapore and is one of KL’s longest standing clubbing institutions. There are three rooms, each playing a different variety of music, and there’s also a relaxed alfresco bar where you can drink from 5pm to 5am. Zouk plays host to an ever-changing roster of international DJ acts, so you may even find your favourite DJ here.
If you’re after something a little more hip, check out The Establishment down in famed nightlife district, Changkat Bukit Bintang. Modelled after a more Australian way of nightlife, The Establishment has a slightly more deconstructed feel, a more edited guestlist and more interesting music policy.
And if all you want is a good old-fashioned bar crawl, Changkat Bukit Bintang is the best place to be. A tangle of streets just off the main CBD, Changkat is lined with bars both of the fashionable and trashy varieties, with a great mix of international food joints mixed in. Twentyone is always dependable for a good cocktail and a tiny, but vibrant, dancefloor, while newbie Pisco brings a Spanish flavour to proceedings. -
On April 29Emma Johnston answered the question:
What are the best seafood restaurants in Kuala Lumpur?
Lala Chong
You’ll find some of KL’s best seafood in either of Lala Chong’s branches – try the clams steamed in ginger and rice wine on a rainy day, or tuck into crabs fried with salted egg and curry leaves.
Fisherman’s Cove
For high end seafood, it doesn’t get better than Fisherman’s Cove. Housed deep in the belly of KL’s most expensive mall, Starhill Gallery, the restaurant uses both local and imported seafood to create stunning dishes. You can choose from the fish on display (in tanks) and then the cooking method – poached, grilled, steamed, fried, even sashimi-style.
www.starhillgallery.com
Nong & Jimmy Thai Seafood Barbeque
Seems counter-intuitive to come to Malaysia and order Thai food, but if you don’t have time to nip over the north border, Nong & Jimmy is a good substitute. Their barbequed crab is sensational – the sweet flesh holds a subtle, smoky flavour. Pair it with some eye-popping tom yam soup and be prepared to sweat buckets. -
On April 29Emma Johnston answered the question:
What are the best hotels in Kuala Lumpur?
The Majestic Hotel Kuala Lumpur
For a long time The Majestic lay empty, a leftover from Malaysia’s colonial history. It’s recently been revamped and extended – the original building has been restored to pristine condition and a very large extension added round the back and to the sides. It’s all been done very tastefully, and consequently The Majestic is now one of KL’s loveliest hotels, combining that old colonial charm with modern luxury. They do one of the best afternoon teas in town, and will even serve it in a special conservatory filled with orchids.
www.majestickl.com
Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral
While we’re waiting for an actual W Hotel to open up (the hoarding’s gone up, now it’s just a waiting game), the newly opened Aloft is doing a lot to calm our nerves. It’s located in the public transport hub KL Sentral, making it perfect for business travellers or tourists who don’t want to stay right in the city centre. Low key and quirky, the hotel houses two excellent bars and modern, well-appointed rooms.
www.starwoodhotels.com
Sekeping Tenggiri
Sekeping Tengirri (meaning ‘a piece of mackerel’) is one in a series of boutique hotels conceptualised by local architect Ng Seksan. Each location is a different, unique property, and brings Seksan’s modern, industrialist aesthetic to bear with distinctive results. Sekeping Tenggiri is located in one of KL’s most fashionable inner city suburbs, Bangsar, and has taken over a standard terrace house and turned it into something very cool. Seksan houses his personal art collection here, so you’ll get a great primer on local and regional artists, and his architecture references and amplifies local culture and history without being clichéd.
www.tenggiri.com
Grand Hyatt Kuala Lumpur
Right in the middle of the city, Grand Hyatt is one of KL’s newest openings. The hotel boasts 39 floors and therefore incredible views of the city, as well as some top notch restaurants and bars. Head up to the lobby on the top floor to get a 360 degrees view of KL,
kualalumpur.grand.hyatt.com -
On April 26Emma Johnston answered the question:
What are some things to know before visiting Kuala Lumpur?
It gets very humid
Over here by the equator, the temperature rarely drops below 30 Celsius and even when it’s not hot, it’s always humid. As common sense would dictate, the hottest hours are between 11am and 3pm, so try not to conduct any strenuous activity outdoors at those times. If you are intent on embracing the weather, make sure you sunscreen up and keep lots of fluids to hand – in this country, you dehydrate fast.
Malaysia is more conservative than you think
On a similar note, if you’re thinking of enjoying the sun with beach-worthy outfits, exercise a little caution. Malaysia is in general still quite a conservative place, though exceptions are made for tourists. Shorts are fine, but bikini tops in the city may be taking things a bit too far. Modesty is a key Islamic value, and Islam is the official religion of state.
Remember to bargain when you can
Like many tourist-heavy cities, KL has its fair share of traders out to get the most from travellers. This includes market stall holders, taxi drivers and sometimes even restaurant staff. Feel free to bargain, especially if you’re in a market, and try never to accept a set fee from a taxi – insist on using the meter. -
On April 26Emma Johnston answered the question:
What are the best local dishes in Kuala Lumpur?
Malaysian cuisine is an intriguing (and sometime confusing) mix of many influences – there’s a heavy Chinese presence, as well as Malay, Indian, and Portuguese. KL food is often on the receiving end of some gentle ribbing from our neighbours in Penang, who claim that KL food is watered down and inauthentic. Whatever the case, you can sample a huge variety of cuisines in the city, and the best place to do so is in the local coffee shops and hawker stalls.
Nasi lemak
Widely claimed to be Malaysia’s national dish, nasi lemak (literally ‘fatty rice’ in English) is composed of rice cooked in coconut milk and flavoured with pandan (screwpine) leaves, accompanied by crispy fried anchovies, crunchy peanuts, half a boiled egg, a few slices of cucumber and a generous helping of sambal, a sweet and spicy sauce. These components alone make an excellent breakfast, but can be supplemented by a variety of dishes – the most common is chicken curry, but also stir-fried green vegetables, eggs sunny side up, squid braised in curry, fried fish… the possibilities are near endless.
Char kuey teow
Char kuey teow is a hotly debated dish – Penang people claim the noodle dish for their island, and they’re probably right. Flat rice noodles (kuey teow) are fried in a searingly hot wok with prawns, bean sprouts, chives, sliced Chinese sausage, egg and plenty of garlic. It’s an incredibly aromatic, incredibly unhealthy dish that is absolutely delicious.
Roti canai
No one knows where roti canai came from – some claim that ‘canai’ is a reference to Chennai, others claim that is a wholly Malaysian invention. The roti canai, or just roti to regulars, is a flaky flatbread found in mamak restaurants across the country. It starts as a simple lump of dough before being kneaded and then flung expertly in the air to create paper thin layers that are folded back on themselves. The result is like a multi-layered pancake, best enjoyed with copious amounts of dahl (lentil curry) and piquant fish curry. -
On April 26Emma Johnston answered the question:
What is the one must-do activity in Kuala Lumpur?
If you must do one thing in KL, it would have to be experiencing the Petronas Twin Towers up close and personal. The towers are an iconic part of our cityscape – admire them from the ground, from a rooftop bar in a nearby hotel, on the skybridge connecting the two towers, or from the observation deck on the highest floor. It’s simply not to be missed – you’ll be able to see, from the vantage point of 88 floors in the air, just how much KL has grown and developed. Office and apartment blocks sit side by side with Art Deco buildings from the ’20s, diminishing patches of virgin rainforest, the two rivers, and villages scattered amongst the commercial areas. Plus, the towers themselves are an incredible feat of architecture and design.
www.petronastwintowers.com.my -
On April 23Emma Johnston answered the question:
Should visitors rent a car in Kuala Lumpur?
Renting a car is not necessary in KL – it’s not even advisable, as the city traffic is notorious, and the road systems always changing. The public transport system is not extensive but is adequate for the main tourist sightseeing spots, and for everything else, there’s taxis. You can get a taxi to even the outskirts of the city, or book one for a day to take you around all the major hotspots. Hotel taxis are generally the most reliable, although expensive – KL has a bit of a problem with taxi drivers ripping off unsuspecting travellers. Insist on using the meter, rather than accepting the fixed price they’ll try to offer you. -
On April 23Emma Johnston answered the question:
What language is spoken in Kuala Lumpur?
It’s easy to lose track of all the languages spoken in Kuala Lumpur – the official language of the country is Malay, the lingua franca of the many races that reside here. You’ll also hear Cantonese and Mandarin, Hindi and Tamil, even a smattering of European languages in the expat areas. However you can easily get around KL on just English. After all, Malaysia was once a British colonial outpost – though there’s been a concerted effort since that time to rename old English road names and buildings, KL is cosmopolitan enough that English is many residents’ mothertongue.
All of the major tourist hotspots will be well signposted in English, and apart from a few streetside stalls and suburban coffee shops, all the restaurants will have English menus. -
On April 23Emma Johnston answered the question:
What are the best bars in Kuala Lumpur?
Skybar
It’s indisputable that Skybar is the leader of the pack when it comes to drinking in KL. Perched on the 33rd floor of the Traders Hotel right in the city centre, the bar is dominated by the hotel’s swimming pool, though the number of swimmers lessens somewhat as the hours progress. But the pool, though pretty, is not the focal point – that would be the magnificent view of KL’s Petronas Twin Towers from the floor-to-ceiling windows. Settle down with a Selangor Sling (the bar’s cheeky take on the classic) in a windowside cabana and contemplate the city’s skyline.
www.shangri-la.com/kualalumpur/traders
Tate
Modelled after a 1920s speakeasy, Tate is entered by a cunningly disguised door (just ask the staff if you can’t see it) and decked out in leather, wood and a suit of armour, for no particular reason. Cocktails are both classic and inventive – the lemon meringue martini is especially impressive, served with a blow-torched meringue perching on top of the glass. The atmosphere is sophisticated but laidback, and the truffle fries are excellent.
www.thebiggroup.co
Marini’s on 57
Marini’s on 57 is located on the 57th floor of the newly erected third tower abutting the famous Petronas Twin Towers. As you’d expect, it has a spectacular view of the city (though not great for viewing their next door neighbours) and a luxurious set up in which red velvet plays a big role. It’s not a huge venue, and prices can get a little steep, but for the view of sunset over KL, it’s worth it.
www.marinis57.com
The Social
KL isn’t all about cocktails and rooftop bars. For a more relaxed evening, try any one of the many The Social outlets scattered across town. One of the oldest is the Bangsar branch, which houses flatscreen TVs in every corner, a clutch of pool tables and a very commendable wine list. They also have a great menu, including lots of local favourites (noodle and rice dishes feature heavily), a bar snack version of Peking duck rolls, and plenty of substantial beer accompaniments.
www.thesocial.com.my -
On April 21Emma Johnston answered the question:
What are the best restaurants in Kuala Lumpur?
Bistro A Table
Run by the controversial (and sometimes cantankerous) chef Isadora Chai, Bistro A Table is a restaurant that specialises in experimental French cuisine. It’s out in a quiet suburb, and in her kitchen Chai rolls out a different degustation menu every Monday, and clever, delicious dishes the rest of the week. Some of her triumphs have included a mangosteen pavlova and a dessert involving warm ginger ale, cinnamon ice cream and a ginger soufflé.
www.bistroatable.com
Yut Kee
Yut Kee is an institution in KL – on weekday mornings you’ll find old men chatting over cups of black coffee and toast, and on the weekends you’ll have to share tables with strangers or risk being turned away. The coffee shop is unpretentious and serves a quintessentially Malaysian mix of food and drink – the aforementioned black coffee (with a slurry of brown sugar lurking at the bottom of the cup), crisp toast slathered with margarine and coconut jam (kaya in the local tongue), chicken and pork chops, soup noodles, marble cake, even an excellent roast pork on the weekends, if you’re lucky.
Hutong at Lot 10 Shopping Centre
Not a restaurant per se, Hutong is a literal collection of the best things to eat in KL. It’s an upscale food court designed to look like a down scale market, and features some of the most famous hawker stalls in KL’s food scene. You’ll find renditions of favourites like char kuey teow (wok-fried wide rice noodles), wantan mee (noodles with dumplings), chicken rice (self-explanatory) and even, bizarrely, German pork knuckles. Prices are slightly inflated of course, due to city-centre rental rates, but the food is almost as authentic as at the original stalls, and arranged for the utmost convenience. Try as many stalls as you can.
PRIME at Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur
If you have a lot of money to drop on a steak dinner, you won’t find a better, or more expensive, steak in the country. PRIME’s menu is a compendium of steak, with Kobe, Black Angus and a lot of wagyu featuring very heavily. Choose your meat, select your cooking preference, choose from a bewildering range of sauces and sides and then loosen your belt in anticipation. And prepare your wallet.
www.lemeridienkualalumpur.com -
On April 21Emma Johnston answered the question:
What are the best restaurants in Kuala Lumpur?
Bistro A Table
Run by the controversial (and sometimes cantankerous) chef Isadora Chai, Bistro A Table is a restaurant that specialises in experimental French cuisine. It’s out in a quiet suburb, and in her kitchen Chai rolls out a different degustation menu every Monday, and celver, delicious dishes the rest of the week. Some of her triumphs have included a mangosteen pavlova and a dessert involving warm ginger ale, cinnamon ice cream and a ginger soufflé.
www.bistroatable.com
Yut Kee
Yut Kee is an institution in KL – on weekday mornings you’ll find old men chatting over cups of black coffee and toast, and on the weekends you’ll have to share tables with strangers or risk being turned away. The coffee shop is unpretentious and serves a quintessentially Malaysian mix of food and drink – the aforementioned black coffee (with a slurry of brown sugar lurking at the bottom of the cup), crisp toast slathered with margarine and coconut jam (kaya in the local tongue), chicken and pork chops, soup noodles, marble cake, even an excellent roast pork on the weekends, if you’re lucky.
Hutong at Lot 10 Shopping Centre
Not a restaurant per se, Hutong is a literal collection of the best things to eat in KL. It’s an upscale food court designed to look like a down scale market, and features some of the most famous hawker stalls in KL’s food scene. You’ll find renditions of favourites like char kuey teow (wok-fried wide rice noodles), wantan mee (noodles with dumplings), chicken rice (self-explanatory) and even, bizarrely, German pork knuckles. Prices are slightly inflated of course, due to city-centre rental rates, but the food is almost as authentic as at the original stalls, and arranged for the utmost convenience. Try as many stalls as you can.
PRIME at Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur
If you have a lot of money to drop on a steak dinner, you won’t find a better, or more expensive, steak in the country. PRIME’s menu is a compendium of steak, with Kobe, Black Angus and a lot of wagyu featuring very heavily. Choose your meat, select your cooking preference, choose from a bewildering range of sauces and sides and then loosen your belt in anticipation. And prepare your wallet.
www.lemeridienkualalumpur.com -
On April 21Emma Johnston answered the question:
Where is the best shopping in Kuala Lumpur?
1. Pavilion KL
If there’s one thing KL excels at, it’s shopping malls. And of those shopping malls, Pavilion is the best – the shiniest, the most comprehensive, and the most customer-friendly. Perched in prime real estate on Jalan Bukit Bintang, the Oxford Circus of KL, the mall management faced considerable controversy when it bought and demolished a very old and prestigious school to build today’s mall on its grounds. But all is forgiven by Malaysian and tourist shoppers – where else can you find Prada alongside Padini (one of Malaysia’s super retail chains)? International designers sit cheek by jowl with Malaysian boutiques, the best of the high street chains (Zara and Topshop have quite a presence here) and, of course, plenty of good restaurants. When you tire of shopping, have an alfresco coffee by the boulevard, or sit yourself and your shopping bags at Pavilion’s recreation of the Spanish steps.
www.pavilion-kl.com
2. Publika
Publika is one of the newest malls in Kuala Lumpur, and definitely the most different. Its opening was a revelation in Malaysian retail – a space designed not to fit the maximum capacity of shops, but to be a beautiful art and retail space. Galleries, installations and random pieces of graffiti are scattered among the shops, of which most are independent boutiques and local labels. There’s an outdoors stage where open air concerts and plays are held, several commendable cafes and resturants facing the square, and an avant garde playground for the children. While you’re there, check out thirtyfour, a local leather label that specialises in hand-crafted bags and shoes, and Outdated, a vintage furniture shop that stocks a surprising quantity of restored Eames chairs.
www.publika.com.my
3. Bangsar Baru
Bangsar is the young, urban capital of this capital city. An inner city suburb jam packed with cafes, bars and boutiques, it accommodates hundreds of expats, hipsters and those with plenty of disposable income on the weekends. Shopping-wise, the excellent Bangsar Village malls (there’s part one and part two, right next to each other) house a mixture of family-friendly stores, including some great eco-friendly baby stores, high street labels, jewellery places and high-end makeup. On the streets outside the malls, you’ll find pretty, quirky boutiques catered to teenage girls and fans of Korean fashion – that is, flirty, frilly and floral.
www.bangsarvillage.com
4. Lebuh Ampang
For those looking for more buys of a more local slant, newly gazette Little India street Lebuh Ampang is the place to go. You’ll find a huge variety of Indian fashion, jewellery and sundry goods – calendars emblazoned with the faces of Bollywood stars, colourful printed silks, old-fashioned tins of Yardley talcum powder, curry spices and facial ointments.
5. Chinatown
Eschew the stalls selling tourist tat, and look behind them – in the main thoroughfare of Chinatown, Petaling Street, and the surrounding roads and alleyways, vendors who have been there for years will be selling far more unusual things. Venus Art Shop on Petaling Street is a time-honoured institution selling everything to do with art, including delicate rice paper and traditional Chinese calligraphy brushes. Wander a little further to Jalan Tun HS Lee and you’ll find Peter Hoe Beyond, possibly one of the best shops in KL. Peter sources beautiful homeware and fabrics from all across the region, and his shop is a riot of colour, pattern and lovely things. (There’s also a little café in one corner of the shop that serves impeccable cake.) Explore the small shops selling dried fruits, traditional Chinese medicines, hand-carved wooden fans – you won’t be disappointed. -
On April 16Emma Johnston answered the question:
What are the best things to do in Kuala Lumpur?
1. Heritage walk through the old city
Kuala Lumpur is home to some beautiful architecture that is slowly falling apart due to lack of government interest in restoration. But you can still see some incredible examples of Art Deco, Moorish inspired facades and colonial vestiges from the British occupation. Join a walking tour like Rakan KL that will take you through the old business district of KL, and point out historical landmarks and heritage sites.
www.rakankl.com
2. Hike through the quartz ridge at Bukit Tabur
Bukit Tabur is a long stretch of mountain that features possibly the world’s longest outcrop of quartz. From a distance, it’s absolutely beautiful – you can see it shimmering in the sunlight. Up close, it’s even more spectacular, though also slightly hazardous. If you’re a seasoned hiker, the trail across the quartz ridge is a challenging, but enjoyable, route. If you’re more of a walker, there are gentler paths to follow, that will still afford an excellent view of the surrounding forest and the city in the distance.
3. Visit the city’s night markets
The pasar malam, or night market, is an idiosyncratically Malaysian institution. Each suburb has their weekly night market on a different day of the week, at which time fruit and vegetable sellers set up camp on a certain road, together with butchers and fishmongers, sellers of local snacks, cakes, drinks and desserts. Sometimes you can even find replica football jerseys, or universal TV remotes. It’s a bit like a farmer’s market, but a whole lot noisier. Try the market at Bangsar, one of KL’s most stylish suburbs. It’s on every Sunday, from 4pm ’til very late.
4. Shape some pewter at the Royal Selangor School of Hard Knocks
Royal Selangor pewter is a fairly ubiquitous Malaysian souvenir – chances are you’ll pick up at least one thing from one of their stores scattered generously across KL’s malls. If you fancy a more unusual day out (and this is great for those traveling with kids), you can easily catch a bus to their workshop and visitor centre out in Setapak. Here you’ll find an even wider array of pewter goods, and you’ll be able to peer through glass windows at craftsmen moulding, shaping and carving pewter. The more interesting part of this exercise is the chance to make your own pewter bowl – in a sound-proofed room, you’ll be coached through the whole process which, essentially, involves hammering a sheet of pewter with a mallet. Good for those with stress issues.
www.royalselangor.com
5. Eat your way through Chinatown
Petaling Street, or Chinatown, on first sight is not so different from any Chinatown you could find across the world. There’s plenty of shouting, wet pavements, counterfeit goods and a whole lot of roast duck. But if you can ignore the trays of ‘Rolex’ watches and racks of ‘LV’ bags, you’ll find hidden behind them food stalls that have been operating for decades. Try the famous frog leg porridge at Hon Kee, or dim sum at Yook Woo Hin. If you’re early enough you’ll be able to buy some of the city’s best roast duck by the parcel at Sze Ngan Chye and eat it as you walk down the street. -
On April 16Emma Johnston answered the question:
What are the best attractions in Kuala Lumpur?
1. Petronas Twin Towers
At the time of their construction, the Petronas Twin Towers (known locally as just the Twin Towers) were the tallest in the world, though these days they’ve been relegated to sixth and seventh place. They’re still an awe-inspiring sight though – 88 floors of glittering steel and glass, visible from nearly anywhere in Kuala Lumpur, despite the increasingly congested skyline. The architecture has been variously claimed to symbolize a giant ‘M’ for Malaysia, motifs of basket-weaving, a traditional local craft, and even an upward-pointing arrow to depict the country’s progress and aspirations.
You can visit the Skybridge that links the two towers on the 41st floor (get there early in the morning, as passes are free, but limited) or go right up to the observation deck on the 88th floor. When you tire of the view, there’s Suria KLCC, one of the city’s best malls, right at the foot of the tower.
www.petronastwintowers.com.my
2. Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia
Unfortunately the National Museum (or Muzium Negara) in KL is a somewhat dusty institution – skip that and make straight for the Islamic Arts Museum. It’s a beautifully designed piece of architecture, referencing traditional and modern Islamic structures. Inside is an exceptionally well-curated collection of artefacts, artworks and replicas. Each year the museum brings in an acclaimed traveling exhibition as well.
www.iamm.org.my
3. Masjid Jamek
Masjid Jamek, or Jamek Mosque, is a beautiful example of Moorish architecture in Kuala Lumpur. The mosque occupies prime real estate in the centre of the city, and can be a restful escape from the noise and traffic of the CBD. It sits at the intersection of the Klang and Gombak rivers – the ‘muddy confluence’ that gave Kuala Lumpur its name. Visiting hours are changeable and visitors required to cover up, but if you’re turned away wander along the river banks where you’ll find the old law courts, and slightly further on, some of the best graffiti on show in KL.
4. Dataran Merdeka and the Sultan Abdul Samad building
Dataran Merdeka, or Independence Square, is the historic location where Malaysia’s first prime minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman, declared independence for Malaysia in 1957. Back then it was a cricket grounds, but today the square is a well-kept lawn, backed by the mock-Tudor Royal Selangor Club, and fronted by the iconic Sultan Abdul Samad building. Another lovely example of Moorish architecture, the building used to house the Federal Court and the Court of Appeals, as well as various other administrative departments.
5. Menara Kuala Lumpur and the Bukit Nanas forest reserve
Before the Petronas Twin Towers came along, Menara Kuala Lumpur (KL Tower) was the city’s biggest claim to fame. The communications tower is looking a little dated today, but still commands an excellent view of KL. Make your way to the observation deck for a 360 degrees view of the city, or to the revolving restaurant for a gently spinning meal. Just behind the tower is the Bukit Nanas forest reserve, one of KL’s few remaining green lungs. Take a walk and you may be lucky enough to spot a slow-moving monitor lizard – the rest of the fauna have long left the city. The virgin rainforest is a spectacular sight though, especially contrasted against the highway right next to it.