Kuala Lumpur Mini Guide
A Rapidly Growing City
Kuala Lumpur or "KL" as it is more commonly known is a city which has rapidly expanded from a small town to a city of around 6.5 million people. It is the capital of Malaysia and one of the major cities in the Far East, being a business and financial centre and a tourist destination it is popular with all kinds of travellers. Many people also visit for a very short time as it is one of the major stopover points between the
UK and Europe and
Australia and
New Zealand, so one or two nights in KL provides a welcome break from travelling and helps with the jet lag.
Must Sees
Petronas Towers:
Even if you are only in KL for a short time there are several “must see” attractions, the major one being the Petronas Towers which is the worlds tallest twin towered building. At 88 storeys tall the towers are joined by a sky bridge at the 41st and 42nd floors, this gives a fantastic view of the city and best of all it's free!! However visitors do need to have a pass, a limited number of these are issued daily, so to make sure you get one it's best to arrive early – 7.00am is not unusual for people to start queuing.
Central Market:
This one time “wet market” is now the centre in KL for the sale of local crafts and other merchandise. Whilst there are lots of modern shopping malls in the city, if you are looking for something different to remind you of your time in KL, you're sure to find what you're looking for there.
Chinatown and Little India:
Much of Malaysia's population is made up of Chinese and Indian people, as you might expect they have congregated in their own areas of the city inspiring it with their own cultures. Haggling is a way of life shopping in both of these areas and just walking around the streets is an experience in itself.
Eating in KL
KL is a food lovers paradise, due to the high number of immigrants over the years you can find almost every sort of food imaginable, from street stalls and hawker centres selling local snacks, to fast food chains from the United States, with everything in between, including gourmet restaurants if you want to treat yourself – rest assured whatever you choose you won't be disappointed.
Getting Around KL
Hiring a car in KL gives you the opportunity to visit some of the “real Malaysia” outside of the cosmopolitan city, why not try a trip to the Genting Highlands, about an hours drive away this hill station offers a slightly cooler climate than the city and also a total change of scenery.