Overview to Kuala Lumpur: Travel Guide and Tourist Information

  The Futuristic Cityscape

Kuala Lumpur, the capital city of Malaysia, is a truly fascinating place. As well as its rich history and striking religious and civic buildings, ’KL’ is a young, ambitious place that courses with unceasing activity.

Kuala Lumpur is a shining ultramodern vision of Asia’s economic prosperity, a fact that’s perfectly illustrated by the city’s two iconic skyscrapers. The Petronas Twin Towers (88 stories of glass and steel joined by a ‘sky bridge’) and the Menara Kuala Lumpur are the very model of futuristic architecture. Both, naturally, boast spectacular views of the city far below.

In amongst all this modernity sit the scruffy neighborhoods of Chinatown and Little India. The night markets, hawker stalls and cluttered shops of Chinatown’s Jl Petaling and Little India’s Jl Masjid are alive with all manner of noisy life.

The heart of the city is the bustling Merdeka Square. It stands as both a symbol of Malaysia’s independence and, having once been the site of the British cricket pitch, its colonial past. To the west are the Lake Gardens featuring 92-acres of flower gardens, a planetarium, an aviary and a butterfly park.

Culturally, Kuala Lumpur has a great deal to recommend it. In addition to Masjid Jamek – arguably the city's most beautiful Mosque – there’s also an array of fine Hindu temples, one of which (Sri Mahamariamman Temple) is the gloriously colorful main meeting point for the city's Hindu population.

The Taoist/Buddhist Thean Hou Temple, which lies some way to the south of the center, is widely regarded as one of the city's most stunning buildings. A statue of the Heavenly Mother, Thean Hou, catches the eye in the main hall and there are many ornate Buddhas throughout.

Kuala Lumpur also has a number of good museums. One of the leading lights is the National Museum, which houses exhibits detailing the arts and crafts of past generations. The National Art Gallery, with its permanent collection of work by contemporary Malaysian artists, meanwhile, is also well worth investigating.

Malaysia is hot and oppressively humid with heavy downpours tending to be the norm during much of the year. As the driest months, June and July are held to be the best time to visit. Frankly, though, there’s rarely a bad time to go with so much to see and do in Kuala Lumpur.

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