Kuala Lumpur Travel Guide

Kuala Lumpur, the capital of Malaysia, is a charming, multifaceted city where Chinese, Malay and Indian ethnic groups live together in solidarity. This ethnic makeup makes Kuala Lumpur so unique as there are a number of culturally enriching experiences on offer from all three backgrounds. You can indulge your taste buds at some of the local food markets and restaurants offering a vast selection of delicacies from Chinese, Indian and Malay cuisine, explore the incense-charged Hindu, Buddhist and Taoist temples in Chinatown and check out one of the eloquently decorated Islamic mosques dotted around the city. Meanwhile, there are countless museums showcasing Kuala Lumpur’s broad history from when it was fought over by the British, Dutch and Portuguese. The colonial period has led to signs and labels being in English all over the city, reflecting its status as the second language and it's this, along with its ever-expanding public transport network that makes it an extremely easy city to navigate.

It comes as no surprise that Kuala Lumpur is known as the 'Garden City of Lights' - there are a number of recreational parks that house wildlife in the form of birds, butterflies and deer, as well as thousands of species of tropical plants. The parks provide a green lung to a bustling city that comes to life even more after dark - it’s vividly lit high rise skyscrapers provide the perfect backdrop to its vibrant night-life. And it is at night where you can really see the tallest twin towers in the world, the Petronas Towers, standing in all their glory dominating the skyline like two rockets of glass and steel. Along with its ever prominent neighbour, the KL Tower, they proudly overlook the business district - a representation of the dazzling economic success of Malaysia. Inspired by the architecture of traditional Asian Islam, skyscrapers like these are commonplace in Kuala Lumpur.  

Beyond this district of prosperity lies the immense agglomeration of Kuala Lumpur, nourished by the idea of development where skyscrapers grow like mushrooms. Year on year, entire neighbourhoods rise from the ground, paths turn into avenues and avenues into highways. Kuala Lumpur or KL (as it is known) is a constantly expanding capital. Despite this, it still retains its vast history; there are still grandiloquent monuments of the colonial era, magnified by a Mughal or Moorish touch.