Golf Malaysia has an abundance of golf courses, many of which are high-standard courses that were designed by pros. You can hire a car from any tour operator (try Red Fury Tours; Ste. 2.18, Wisma Central, Jalan Ampang; tel. 03/2162-2693) for about RM90 each way to either of the…
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Kuala Lumpur Attractions
Most of Kuala Lumpur's historic sights are located in and around the Merdeka Square/Jalan Hishamuddin area, while many of the gardens, parks, and museums are out at Lake Gardens. Taxi fare between the two locations should run you about RM8. For general inquiries, the Malaysia Tourist Centre (MTC; 109 Jalan Amp ...
Most of Kuala Lumpur's historic sights are located in and around the Merdeka Square/Jalan Hishamuddin area, while many of the gardens, parks, and museums are out at Lake Gardens. Taxi fare between the two locations should run you about RM8.
For general inquiries, the Malaysia Tourist Centre (MTC; 109 Jalan Ampang. tel. 03/9235-4900) has tourist information services for Kuala Lumpur and the rest of Malaysia and is open daily from 7am to 10pm. Some tour agencies are also located there, plus a police station and Transnasional bus ticketing counter. In the evenings, there are cultural dances and performances.
KL Hop-On Hop-Off City Tours (tel. 1800/885-546; www.myhoponhopoff.com) is a recommended way to sightsee. Double-decker buses circle the city daily, passing most major attractions and hotels, and operating from 8:30am to 8:30pm at 30-minute intervals. Buy your ticket from the nearest Hop-On Hop-Off bus stop, from your hotel's front desk, or from the bus driver directly. A 24-hour ticket costs RM38 adults and RM17 children; once you purchase your ticket, you can hop on and off the bus as many times as you like within this period.
Red Fury Tours, Ste. 2.18, Wisma Central, Jalan Ampang (tel. 03/2162-2693), offers a half-day tour of KL's major attractions, including the Petronas Twin Towers, National Museum, Lake Garden and National Mosque, and a few handicrafts factories; the tours costs RM80 for adults and RM60 for children. They also offer full-day excursions to Port Dickson, Putrajaya, Melaka, the Genting Highlands, and elsewhere.
It may be more convenient to hire a private car and driver by the hour or for the whole day, which can be arranged through your hotel's tour desk. Costs run about RM60 per hour within KL or about RM500 per day.
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Historic Site
Badan Warisan and Rumah Penghulu
Tour an early-20th-century traditional Malay wooden house that was found in the overgrown jungles of Perak, painstakingly disassembled and removed, and lovingly rebuilt and restored in KL. Badan Warisan is the nonprofit organization behind the project, and they accept donations in… -
Theme Park
Berjaya Times Square Theme Park
This place rocks! Formerly called Cosmo's World Themepark, it's an indoor amusement park that is literally built into the walls of Berjaya Times Square, a 900-outlet shopping mall. You don't even need to ride the looping roller coaster to feel that thrill in the pit of your stomach.… -
Historic Site
Chan She Shu Yuen Clan Association
Completed in 1906, this building served as a community base for Chinese with a shared Chan ancestry. The elaborate roof sculptures are made from glimmering shards of pottery, typical of many Chinese temples and shrines. -
Religious Site
Jamek Mosque (Masjid Jamek)
The first settlers landed in Kuala Lumpur at the spot where the Gombak and Klang rivers meet, and in 1909 a mosque was built here. Styled after an Indian Muslim design, it is one of the oldest mosques in the city. Interestingly, the mosque was designed by an Englishman, A. B.… -
Park/Garden
Kuala Lumpur Lake Gardens (Taman Tasik Perdana)
Built around an artificial lake, the 92-hectare (227-acre) park is popular with joggers and families. Inside the Lake Gardens, a number of attractions are within walking distance of each other -- bring a parasol and insect repellent to protect yourself from the elements. The Kuala… -
Train Station
Kuala Lumpur Railway Station
Built in 1911, the KL Railway Station exemplifies the Moorish architecture that was popular with British colonials at the time. Nearby KL Sentral is now the main rail hub. -
Landmark
Menara Kuala Lumpur
Standing 421m (1,381 ft.) tall, this concrete structure is the 7th-tallest tower in the world, and the views from the top reach to the far corners of the city and beyond. The tower rises up from a tropical forest in the center of the city, where visitors can sign up for guided tours… -
Neighborhood
Merdeka Square
Surrounded by colonial architecture with exotic Moorish flair, the square was once the site of British social and sporting events. These days, Malaysia holds its spectacular Independence Day celebrations on the field, which is home to the world's tallest flagpole, standing at 100m… -
Religious Site
National Mosque (Masjid Negara)
This mosque was built in 1965 -- the year that Malaysia and Singapore split -- and its architectural style reflects that era. The most distinguishing features of the mosque are its 73m (239-ft.) minaret and the umbrella-shaped roof, which is said to symbolize a newly independent… -
Neighborhood
Petaling Street
This is the center of KL's Chinatown district. By day, stroll past hawker stalls, dim sum restaurants, wet markets, and all sorts of shops, from pawn shops to coffin makers. At night, a crazy bazaar (which is terribly crowded) pops up -- look for designer knockoffs, fake watches, and… -
Landmark
Petronas Twin Towers
Standing at an awesome 452m (1,483 ft.) above street level, with 88 stories, the towers were the tallest buildings in the world from 1998 to 2004 (when Taipei 101 snatched the title). From the outside, the structures are designed with the kind of geometric patterns common to Islamic… -
Historic Site
Sin Sze Si Ya Temple
Squeezed between buildings in a way that created favorable feng shui, this temple was founded in 1864 by Kapitan Yap Ah Loy to honor two prophets, Sin Sze Ya and Si Sze Ya, who guided him during the Selangor Civil War of 1870 to 1873. -
Religious Site
Sri Mahamariaman Temple
This bright temple, tucked along a lively street in Chinatown, was built in 1873 by Thambusamy Pillai, a pillar of old KL's Indian community. It was originally a private temple to Hindu deities, who are depicted in colorful dioramas inside and up the tall gopuram at the main… -
Landmark
Sultan Abdul Samad Building
In 1897, this exotic building was designed by two colonial architects, A. C. Norman and A. B. Hubbock, in a style called Muhammadan or neo-Saracenic, which combines Indian Muslim architecture with Gothic and other Western elements. Built to house government administrative offices,… -
Religious Site
Wei Zhen Gong Guan Yin Temple
This small Hokkien temple is believe to date back to 1898. Inside the main hall, there are three altars with gold-plated statues devoted to the Buddha, bodhisattva Guan Yin, and the deity Huat Chu Kong.
Kuala Lumpur Shopping
Kuala Lumpur is a great place to shop. In recent years, mall after mall has risen from city lots, filled with hundreds of retail outlets selling everything from haute couture to cheap chic clothing, electronic goods, jewelry, and arts and crafts. Markets The huge Central Market, on Jalan Benteng (tel. 03/2274 ...
Kuala Lumpur is a great place to shop. In recent years, mall after mall has risen from city lots, filled with hundreds of retail outlets selling everything from haute couture to cheap chic clothing, electronic goods, jewelry, and arts and crafts.
Markets
The huge Central Market, on Jalan Benteng (tel. 03/2274-6542), offers a wide array of Malaysian handicrafts, but the market has become more gentrified in recent years and, as a result, now offers fewer bargains.
Pasar malam (night markets) are very popular evening activities in KL. Whole blocks are taken up with these brightly lit and bustling markets packed with stalls selling almost everything you can dream of. Two good bets for catching one: On Saturday nights, head for Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, while the Bangsar Night Market starts at dusk and is popular with trendy residents.
Another shopping haunt in KL is Chinatown, along Petaling Street, but for me, this place is more circus than anything else. Day or night, it's an interesting wander past stalls of knockoff designer clothing and accessories, sunglasses, T-shirts, souvenirs, fake watches, and pirated CDs and DVDs. Hawkers can be quite forward.
Shopping Malls
Most of the major shopping malls are located in the area around Jalan Bukit Bintang.
Suria KLCC (tel. 03/2333-1888; www.suriaklcc.com.my), just beneath the Petronas Twin Towers, has a number of shops worthy of individual mention: Aseana Fashion (tel. 03/2382-9988), located on the ground level, has gorgeous Asian-inspired haute couture; on Level 1, Royal Selangor (tel. 03/2382-0240) sells an array of pewter gift items; on Level 2, you'll find iKartini (tel. 03/2382-2833), which sells locally inspired high-quality batik clothing; and on Level 3, Pucuk Rebung (tel. 03/382-0769) offers a small but interesting collection of Peranakan antiques and clothing.
Pavilion KL (tel. 03/2188-8833; www.pavilion-kl.com), at the corner of Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Raja Chulan, is without a doubt the city's most upmarket mall, with stores including Burberry, Furla, and Gucci. Berjaya Times Square (tel. 03/2117-3111; www.timesquarekl.com), in Jalan Imbi, wins the prize for excess, with 900 shops and food and entertainment outlets, plus one of the world's largest indoor amusement parks.
Traditional Crafts
For Malaysian handicrafts, visit Kompleks Kraf Kuala Lumpur, Section 63, Jalan Conlay (tel. 03/2162-7533), with its warehouse selection of assorted goods from around the country, all of it very good quality. Make time for the artists' village located behind the complex. This cluster of bungalows houses painters, batik artists, woodcarvers, potters, and other artisans who create their works and display them for sale.
You can also try the Central Market on Jalan Benteng, where you'll find local artists and craftspeople selling their wares.
Kuala Lumpur Nightlife
There's nightlife to spare in KL, from fashionable lounges to cavernous discos, to casual pubs. There are several hot areas for nightlife in the city. Along Jalan P. Ramlee, near the corner of Jalan Sultan Ismail, you'll find mostly tiki bars with Polynesian thatched roofs and live music. Changkat Bukit Bintang ...
There's nightlife to spare in KL, from fashionable lounges to cavernous discos, to casual pubs. There are several hot areas for nightlife in the city. Along Jalan P. Ramlee, near the corner of Jalan Sultan Ismail, you'll find mostly tiki bars with Polynesian thatched roofs and live music. Changkat Bukit Bintang has a good selection of restaurants and bars for almost any taste and budget. In recent years, Jalan Bukit Bintang has become a trendy spot for clubs, bars, and late-night cafes -- it's also a great people-watching spot. Bangsar, just outside the city limits, is 2 or 3 blocks of bars, cafes, and restaurants that cater to a variety of tastes (in fact, so many expatriates hang out there that they call it Kweiloh Lumpur, "Foreigner Lumpur" in Mandarin). Every taxi driver knows where it is. Get in and ask to go to Jalan Telawi Tiga in Bangsar -- fare should be in the neighborhood of RM10. Once there, it's very easy to catch a cab back to town.
Bars, Pubs & Clubs
Expect to pay about RM10 to RM25 for a pint of beer, depending on what and where you order. Although quite a few pubs are open for lunch, most clubs won't open until about 6 or 7pm. Bars and pubs close around 1 or 2am, while bigger discos will stay open till 3am. Nearly all have a happy hour, usually between 5 and 7pm, when drink discounts apply on draft beers and "house-pour" (lower-shelf) mixed drinks. Dance clubs charge covers most nights of the week, which typically run from anywhere between RM25 and RM45, depending on the entertainment, and include a drink.
Stop for a sunset cocktail at SkyBar (tel. 03/2332-9888), the alfresco rooftop lounge at Traders Hotel, which by day serves as the hotel's pool and spa facility. The sleek lounge offers the best view of the Petronas Twin Towers in town. Make an advance reservation for a table with a view.
What city doesn't have a Hard Rock Cafe? KL's is on Jalan Sultan Ismail next to Concorde Hotel (tel. 03/2715-5555), where you can see local bands playing evergreen rock and blues.
Delaney's (The Federal Kuala Lumpur, 35 Jalan Bukit Bintang; tel. 03/2141-5195) is a reliable pub with decent pub fare. No Black Tie (17 Jalan Mesui, off Jalan Nagasari; tel. 03/2142-3737) is a cool jazz club that offers live jazz music, a laid-back atmosphere, and a decent Japanese menu.
By far the biggest dance club in town is Zouk (113 Jalan Ampang; tel. 03/2171-1997), which is fashioned after the ultrasuccessful Zouk in Singapore. At press time, Pulse Ultra Club (Grand Millennium KL, 106 Jalan Bukit Bintang; tel. 03/2117-4186) was the hot club for hearing live music and seeing DJs spin.
The Performing Arts
The Malaysian Tourist Centre (109 Jalan Ampang; tel. 03/9235-4900) has an auditorium where Malaysian traditional dance shows are staged every Tuesday to Thursday at 3pm and every Saturday at 8:30pm. Cultural performances like traditional Malay dance and martial arts demonstrations are held on Friday and Saturday nights at the Central Market, but it's best to call ahead to make sure there's a show (tel. 03/2031-0399; www.centralmarket.com.my).
More To Do in Kuala Lumpur
Side Trips in Kuala Lumpur
Batu Caves Located 13 km (8 miles) north of Kuala Lumpur, Batu Caves have become one of the most significant Hindu religious sites outside of India. Built within a series of caves inside a limestone hill, three main caves make up a temple complex devoted to the Lord Murugan. During…
