Kuala Lumpur Tourism Information
The capital of Malaysia, also known simply as KL, is truly a very interesting and impressive city to visit with many highlights to offer. By day you are better to enjoy covered shopping malls, indoor attractions or sightseeing in the official tour busses as the heat can be very intense to stay out too long. But by the evening and night the city transforms into a vibrant and colourful metropolis where to be out, stroll for a walk, dine and discover by night. Even some of the city's top attractions are better to visit by dusk. The colours of the city by night are amazing, it feels early going to bed at midnight when there is still so much life going on outside!
The city is most visited for shopping, leisure and culture. But it's also a key financial and business city where major companies are based. You can expect to see top brand and quality to the most basic and cheap markets, every pocket is catered for in KL!
Kuala Lumpur is the climate, with consistently warm daytime temperatures of 30-34°C all year round. Mornings are typically dry, but afternoons are frequently punctuated by brief thunderstorms and torrential rain, usually passing quickly to leave the evenings fresh and rain-free after the humidity of the day.
The wettest months are February to May and September to December, so take an umbrella just in case!
The best to visit for cooler days are generally from December to February.
From the airport there are several options to get into the city. The cheapest is to go by Bus to the main city centre terminal. Where you can link with other trains and metro.
The are several companies operating from the airport to the city centre, KL Sentral, for 10RM one way. The best one is the Rapid Airport Shuttle Service which departs from the Putra Heights station to KLIA and KLIA2. With daily departures every 30 minutes
Once in the city, KL is very well prepared with air conditioned underground, monorail and busses. The transportation system uses an integrated prepaid card called myrapid.
For more info visit Myrapid or download the map below.
✔️Tip: KL is trying to incentive the use of public transport in recent years, therefore you will find some lines which offer free transportation within the city. These busses are "GOKL", 6 routes designated by colours, offering reliable free transport in modern busses and fully air conditioned. They go nearby key points of the city to visit so you can save on public transport within the city even! To view the routes and timetables please view the map below, available to download.
- Pink (Pink) Route - University LRT Hub - PPR Seri Pantai
- Orange Route - Orange Hub - MINDEF
- Blue Route - Titiwangsa Hub - Bukit Bintang
- Red Route - Titiwangsa Hub - KL Central
- Green Route - KLCC - Bukit Bintang
- Purple Route - Art Market - Bukit Bintang
The city is a mecca for those shopping-lovers, mega arcades and Shopping Malls that spread for miles where you can find everything you can think of. During the day it's perhaps a good idea to stay inside places, but you can also explore by the official tourist bus the sights of the city. The city is home to British colonial-era landmarks such as the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building.
It's a modern metropolis where you will see many sky-crappers, including the landmark of the city The Petrona Towers.
The highlights of the city are:
- Petrona Twin Towers, Soaring to a height of 451.9 metres, the 88-storey twin structure is Kuala Lumpur's crown jewel, completed in 1996. Was the tallest building untill 2004. Majestic by day and dazzling at night. You can go up to the Sky-bridge, a connecting structure between the towers. The towers are located at KLCC Station. (Free bus, green line). Prices are 85RM per adult (approx £15).
- KL Tower, another popular tower to visit, at 420m. Was completed on 1 March 1995. Price is RM 52 for the observation deck or an open view deck for 105 RM per adult. (Free bus, Purple line, KL Tower stop)
- Batu Caves, is a limestone hill that has a series of caves and cave temples in Gombak. It takes its name from the Sungai Batu, which flows past the hill and also it is the tenth limestone hill from Ampang. To access the temple you need to climb the 272 steps.
- Central Market, Revamped and revived as a huge gifts emporium, you will find souvenirs, gifts, hand crafts and artistic objects made from wood, cane, plastic or metal. Good prices and a nice environment to also discover some of the history that took place here as the original market during the colonial days. Near by you will also find the China town.
- The Sultan Abdul Samad Building, a late nineteenth century building located along Jalan Raja in front of the Dataran Merdeka and the Royal Selangor Club in Kuala Lumpur. Also here is the Merdeka Square, where you can walk around and visit other buildings as the City Art gallery. You can there by taking the Free bus (Red line) and get of at Dataran Merdeka.
- Bukit Bintang is the name of the shopping and entertainment district of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It encompasses Jalan Bukit Bintang and its immediate surrounding areas. You can there by Monorail or by Free-bus. (Blue, green or purple lines).
KL's lively night scene can cater to any taste or fancy, be it a classical concert or all-night DJ set. While Malaysia may be a Muslim country, alcohol is freely available and many places offer happy hours. City slickers congregate in the glamorous addresses of KLCC, where some of nicest bars are located. Enjoy elevated positions atop skyscrapers that provide incredible views, but at a price!
The area around Changkat Bukit Bintang heaves with Western-style bars and pubs that attract a young, party-hard crowd, and the up-and-coming suburb of Bangsar, just south of the centre, promises a more relaxed vibe with cocktail bars and late-night speakeasies. The website for Vision KL Magazine visionkl.com and Timeoutkl.com are both packed useful to check for up-to-date nightlife listings.
Kuala Lumpur is paradise for shopaholics, with markets overflowing with crafts, futuristic shopping centres and department stores packed with international brand-name and the latest consumer electronics. Prices are low by international standards, and bargains abound, particular if you reclaim the duty-free on departure. Haggling is the norm in the street markets;
The most important shopping district is the so-called Golden Triangle - the area bound by Jalan Pudu, Jalan Ampang, Jalan Imbi and Jalan Tun Razak. Tucked between the skyscrapers, are aircraft-hangar-sized shopping centres and air-conditioned department stores carrying all the top international brands.
For interesting cultural souvenirs, try Chinatown (for lanterns and other Chinese bric-a-brac) and Little India (for colourful fabrics and depictions of Hindu deities).
Alternatively, drop into Central Market on Jalan Hang Kasturi for an impressive selection of handicrafts from around the country.
The KLCC Suria mall and the truly extravagant Starhill Gallery offer perhaps the most sophisticated retail therapy in the city.
KL is very affordable for the budget traveller. As mentioned earlier, the city offers all range of quality establishments from top 5 star Hotels to budget Hotels and Hostels. It's worth staying a little further from the centre to take advantage of cheaper prices, but still good quality Hotels and in walking distance to transport. You can find these Hotels for €25 a night. (Some places only 30 min walk from the Petrona Towers).
Accommodation is safe and reliable in the city. However if you are staying in shared hostels don't expose valuables and lock your luggage when leaving.
💭Suggestion! One recommended Hotel is Tune Hotel, an affordable, comfortable and very clean Hotel, offering Free WiFi, elegant rooms, tours from the Hotel and very friendly staff. It's located next to the Monorail and the GOKL Free bus line. You can reach the Petrona towers, walking within 30min.
KL offers a lot for the visitor to see and do, it can be a busy city to keep active but also relaxing if you just wanna chill and go out at night. To see the most important points of the city, enjoy some night scene and relax you can do all this within 4 nights comfortably.
Kuala Lumpur Photo Slide 📷
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