Date travelled: 22-25 April 2009
The city of Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, is extremely proud to be cosmopolitan and forward thinking. From its impeccably clean streets, to its charming people, Kuala Lumpur has something for everyone.
Citizens holding United Kingdom passports do not need a visa to visit Malaysia, for visits up to 90 days, but do not think about smuggling illegal drugs into the country, as the maximum penalty if caught is death.
There are many ways of getting into the centre of Kuala Lumpur from its award winning airport. If arriving into the main terminal building, you can take the KLIA Ekspres fast service (price 35 Malaysian Ringgit – about £6 for a 30 minute one way journey). If arriving into the Low Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT), you can take one of the many bus services into the centre of the city (prices from 8 Malaysian Ringgit - about £1.50 for a 90 minute one way trip). I took the SkyBus service, which terminates at KL Sentral station in the centre of Kuala Lumpur, with easy connections onto subway and monorail services. I stayed at the TuneHotels.com – Downtown KL, which is situated near Medan Tuanku monorail station, right in the centre of the city.
A good way to set your bearings in Kuala Lumpur is by using the Hop-On-Hop-Off bus service, which visits all the major landmarks in the city. You can get a 24 hour unlimited journey ticket for 38 Malaysian Ringgit (about £6.50). This is a wise investment considering the high levels of humidity that can be felt in Kuala Lumpur at any time of the year, and will save you having to walk long distances.
The first stop on the tourist trail of Kuala Lumpur is the KL tower, currently the 4th tallest free standing tower in the World, standing at a height of 421 metres.
KL Tower
Built in 1996, the tower features an observation deck (entrance price 38 Malaysian Ringgit – £6.50), which offers views of the city and beyond.
View from KL Tower
South of the KL Tower is an area known as the Bintang Walk, which features streets lined with restaurants, small boutique shops, ice cream parlours and quaint cafés.
Bintang Walk
Just to the West of the Bingtang Walk is the Central Market, an undercover shopping complex with the feel of a Middle Eastern bazaar, but thankfully without the hassle. Try to spend a few hours here soaking up the atmosphere. If you fancy buying something here, try a friendly game of bartering with the shopkeepers.
Central Market
Situated towards the South of the city is the National Palace, built in 1928, and serves as the official residence of the Malaysian King. The Palace is closed to the public, but you can still watch the changing of the guard from the Palace gates.
National Palace
Heading West, the next major landmark is the National Museum (entrance price 2 Malaysian Ringgit – about 40 pence). The museum features a comprehensive set of exhibitions detailing Malaysia and its colonial past.
National Museum
The Western outskirts of Kuala Lumpur feature the Lake Gardens, a place of relaxation and shelter away from the Afternoon heat. Also situated here is Malaysia's parliament building, and the National Monument. The monument was built to commemorate those who lost their lives fighting against the Communist insurgency in Malaysia between 1948 and 1960. It was built to model the Iwo Jima monument situated in Washington D.C. in America.
National Monument
Down the hill from the National Monument is Malaysia's National Mosque (known locally as Masjid Negara). Built in 1965, the mosque has a capacity of 15,000 people.
Malaysia's National Mosque (Masjid Negara)
Perhaps the real centre of Kuala Lumpur is Independence Square, as it was here on August 31st 1957 where Malaya (soon to be renamed Malaysia) gained its independence from Britain. Also situated here is one of the World's tallest free standing flagpoles, along with the impressive Sultan Abdul Samad Building. Built in 1897, the building now serves as Malaysia's high court.
Independence Square
Finally, we leave the best to last. An icon of not only Kuala Lumpur, but the whole of Malaysia, is the Petronas Towers, the tallest twin-towers in the World. The towers, standing at a height of 452 metres, were built in 1998 in time for the Commonwealth Games that were held in Kuala Lumpur the same year. The towers themselves serve as headquarters for the Petronas Group, the Malaysian-owned oil and gas company.
Petronas Towers
The Petronas Towers feature a SkyBridge (admission free, but you must get one early in the day, as they are limited handing out 1700 tickets per day). The SkyBridge is situated between the 41st and 42nd floors of the towers, and serves not only as a tourist attraction but also an important safety device, just in case an evacuation is required. Whilst you wait to use the Bridge, you can visit the small interactive exhibition next to the gift shop, which explains in detail about the Petronas Group and its stunning head office.
KLCC Park from the Petronas Towers SkyBridge
Directly underneath the towers is the KLCC shopping centre, a four storey complex featuring all major retail chains, and some great restaurants, featuring all varieties of international cuisine. This is a great spot to visit in the evening for dinner, as the choices are endless. As you are in Malaysia, try to visit the authentic Malaysian restaurant here, and sample dishes such as satay, which is beef of chicken smothered in a spicy peanut sauce, or the national dish of nasi lemak, rice cooked in coconut milk, served with chicken, hardboiled egg, mixed vegetables and anchovies. You could then finish your meal with an ice campur, a dessert of ice blended with sweet syrup, served with a various condiments. To drink, you could always try the local Anchor beer (4.5% strength for a standard beer, or 8.8% for the stronger beer), or teh tarik, a local sweet frothy tea equally refreshing hot or cold. The Malaysian's do love their coffee, so there's plenty of choice here too. A three course meal in Kuala Lumpur will cost about 80 Malaysian Ringgit (roughly £14).
After dining, have a walk around the KLCC Park, where you will witness a night time fountain show, and also get to see the Petronas Towers lit up in all their glory. It truly is a spectacular sight.
Petronas Towers at Night
If you have a spare afternoon during your trip to Kuala Lumpur, you may like to visit the Batu caves, which are situated 30 minutes away from the city centre. I booked my tour through Worldwide tour specialists Viator. The price is about 85 Malaysian Ringgit (about £14.75) for a three hour tour.
The Batu caves are home to a Hindi temple, along with a small population of monkeys. The caves play a role in the Hindu festival of Thaipusam, a festival of repentance held during January-February time. The festival attracts potentially over a million Hindus from all over the World. You will need to take the 272 steps up the hill to see inside the caves, which may be tricky in the soaring humidity. However, the caves themselves are nice and cool, and a welcome relief.
Batu Caves
Outside the caves is a gilded statue to the Hindu God Murugan, and is the largest of its kind in the World.
Gilded Statue of Murugan
So if you fancy sampling the culture of South East Asia, without paying through the roof to experience it, consider Kuala Lumpur your perfect destination.
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