Kuala Lumpur, dubbed as ‘Garden City of Lights’ is the capital city of Malaysia and is centrally located on the West Coast of Peninsular Malaysia.  The city began as a mining settlement in the late 1800 s with the discovery of tin at the confluence of the Klang & Gombak rivers.  Today with a population of over 25 million, Kuala Lumpur has progressed to a bustling, cosmopolitan city and leads the country’s fast development in trade & commerce, banking & finance, manufacturing, transportation, information technology & tourism.

However, progress has not demolished Kuala Lumpur’s intrinsic charms and it still retains much of its heritage.  In short, Kuala Lumpur projects an eclectic fusion of the old & the new.

How To Get To Kuala Lumpur

Getting to Kuala Lumpur is easy with over 40 airlines including Malaysia Airlines.  Domestic routes are served by AirAsia, Singapore Airlines and Royal Brunei Airlines in addition to Malaysia Airlines.

Attractions In Kuala Lumpur

Dataran Merdeka

The Dataran Merdeka (Merdeka Square) is a field fronting the Royal Selangor Club, where Malaysians converge each year to celebrate independence.  Formerly known as the Selangor Club Field, now the area comes with an underground parking lot and a shopping cum restaurant complex.

Sultan Abdul Samad Building

Designed by British architect A.C. Norman, which was built between 1894 and 1897, this is a beautiful blend of Victorian and Moorish architecture and is now the venue of the Supreme Court and the High Court.

Masjid Jamek

Located just behind Sultan Abdul Samad building, the mosque is a stunning example of Indian Muslim architecture.  It was designed by British architect A.B. Hubbocks in 1909 and has an onion-shaped domes, arched colonnades and shiny, cooling marble floors and is set back in a grove of palm trees.

Bintang Walk

The Bintang Walk, located at Jalan Bukit Bintang and in the city’s Golden Triangle is the premier spot in Kuala Lumpur for shopping, dining and entertainment.  This area contains several shopping malls such as The Pavillion, Lot 10 and Sungei Wang Plaza which offers many attractive items to shop apart from hotels, restaurants and coffee houses that offer al fresco dining.  There are also s string of discotheques, karaokes and pubs along the stretch.

Taman Tasik Perdana

Taman Tasik Perdana (KL Lake Gardens) is Kuala Lumpur’s most popular park, covering an area of  91.6 hectares. It has a children’s playground, jogging tracks, exercise stations and a lake with rowing boats.  Within the area, there are also the Orchid Gardens which has over 800 species of exotic Malaysian orchids, and the Hibiscus Garden with more than 500 varieties with assorted shades and colors.

KL Bird Park

Located across the road from the Orchid Garden, one can find many species of birds from around the world in an environment that has been created to resemble their natural habitat.  Among the birds are the Sarawak Hornbill and some rare jungle birds.  Opening hours is from 9 am to 5 pm daily and there is admission fee charged.

Butterfly Park

Only a walking distance from the Orchid Garden and the Bird Park, this park features 6,000 butterflies from about 120 species.  Opening hours are from 9 am to 6 pm daily.

Kuala Lumpur Tower (Menara Kuala Lumpur)

Officially opened in August 1996, this 421m concrete telecommunications tower is reputed to be the highest in Asia and the fourth highest in the world.  Here, visitors can enjoy a bird’s eye view of the Federal Territory and the Klang Valley from the observation deck or the revolving restaurant.

Petronas Twin Towers

Standing at a height of  452m above the city skyline, this gleaming 88 storey  architectural delight is the centerpiece of the ultra-modern Kuala Lumpur City Centre. Situated within the towers is the Dewan Philharmonik Petronas (Petronas Philharmonic Hall) and the Petronas Performing Arts Group.

National Museum (Muzium Negara)

Designed along classical Malay architecture and the principal museum in the country, it opens into an impressive collection of exhibits on local history, culture and customs, art and handicraft, weapons and currencies.  There are also exhibitions on economic activities such as rubber planting and tin mining.  Outside the museum, there are outdoor static displays which include vintage cars, old locomotives and replicas of ancient Malay Palaces.