Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur facts:

• Locally known as KL
• Capital city of Malaysia
• Area: 95 sq mile
• Population: 1.7 million (2016) city proper, 7.3 million (2017) greater KL area known as Klang Valley - including Shah Alam.

Attractions

• PETRONAS Twin Tower - Meet the towers that overtook Sears Towers as the tallest building in the world. There is a tour to go to the tower bridge and there is a kids/science museum.
• KLCC - KL City Center is the shopping at the base of Petronas Twin Tower
• Petaling Street (Chinatown) - street food and knock offs. if you want AAA+ knockoffs, ask someone who knows someone there. DO NOT pay advertised price. Fair value is like 30-40% "asking price".
• the Merdeka Square (Independence Square) - colonial architecture from British era, declaration of independence here in 1957
• National Palace (Istana Negara)
• the National Museum
• Islamic Arts Museum - treasures from around the world, highly recommended.
• Central Market - arts and crafts, souvenirs, knick knacks and trinkets. Don't miss: Fish spa!
• KL Bird Park - popular outdoor bird sanctuary
• Sultan Abdul Samad Jamek Mosque. - Shah Alam mosque is prettier, not biased or whatever...
• Batu Caves - Hindu temple in a 400 million years old limestone cave. Bat/cave tour is available on the side (not affiliated with the temple). Wear long or 3/4 length pants and cover your shoulders. No sleeveless or shorts.

Kuala Lumpur Districts:

The city can be divided into the following areas, each of which offers a particular attraction or activity.

• Old City Centre/Old Town (Chinatown) [not to be confused with Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC)] – This is the traditional core of KL where you’ll find the former colonial administrative centre-the Merdeka Square, Sultan Abdul Samad Building and Selangor Club. It also includes Kuala Lumpur’s old Chinese commercial centre which everyone refers to now as Chinatown and wet market turned handicraft centre - Central Market Kuala Lumpur.
• Golden Triangle – KL's Central Business District (CBD), to the north-east of the old city centre/old town. This is where you will find Bukit Bintang- KL's premier shopping district, five-star hotels, offices, nightlife, and the iconic Petronas Twin Towers.
• Tuanku Abdul Rahman / Chow Kit – This extension of the old city centre/old town is fast regaining its old fame after a decade of slow growth. Located 500 m north of Chinatown and 500 m west to the Petronas Twin Towers, this is the traditional colorful shopping district of Kuala Lumpur north of the city centre that moves into high gear when the festivals of Hari Raya Puasa (Eid ul-Fitr) and Deepavali approach. Located just beside the Golden Triangle (northern neighbour) with many popular budget accommodations. The gigantic Putra World Trade Centre & the traditional Kampung Baru food haven are among the most important landmarks.
• Brickfields – This area, located south of the city centre, is Kuala Lumpur’s Little India, filled with saree shops and banana leaf rice restaurants. Kuala Lumpur’s new main railway station, KL Sentral, is located here.
• Bangsar and Midvalley – Located south of the city, Bangsar is a popular upmarket dining & nightlife district while Midvalley is one of the city’s most popular shopping malls.
• Damansara and Hartamas – Largely suburban, these two districts to the west of the city house some interesting pockets of restaurants and drinking areas. This district also merges into the northern part of Petaling Jaya.
• Ampang – Located east of the city, Ampang is home to Kuala Lumpur’s Little Korea and most foreign embassies.
• Northern suburbs – This huge area to the north of the city is home to several natural wonders attractions, such as the Batu Caves, the National Zoo and the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia.

Transportation

Getting In

• Main airport is Kuala Lumpur International Airport, KLIA (IATA:KUL)
• Secondary airport is Subang Airport (IATA: SZB)
• Main train terminal is KL Sentral

Around KL and Suburbs

• LRT/MRT Light Rail or Mono Rail run by RapidKL
• Bus
  • GoKL - FREE bus service, PURPLE buses within KL
  • Hop On Hop Off - Double decker bus tour
• Hail taxi
  • Red and white normal taxis
  • Blue "executive" taxis - premium charge
• Grabcar rideshare

Nightlife

TBD