Officially the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur (map) and colloquially referred to as KL. Kuala Lumpur is a cultural melting pot with some of the world’s cheapest 5-star hotels, impressive shopping districts, food from all parts of the world, and natural wonders within day-trip distance.
Founded in 1857 under British rule as a tin mining outpost, Kuala Lumpur is fairly new as far as Malaysian cities go and lacks the rich history of Georgetown or Malacca.
KL Sightseeing Walk (+gpsmycity.com). This 12 km (7.5 mi) walk across central Kuala Lumpur covers some of the main sights in the city centre.
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The major tourist destinations in Kuala Lumpur include the Petronas Towers (map), which is in the *Golden Triangle, Bukit Bintang (map) shopping district, the Kuala Lumpur Tower (map), *Petaling Street (Chinatown, map), the Merdeka Square (map), the National Palace (Istana Negara, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Halim, map), the National Museum (map), Islamic Arts Museum (map).
Central Market (map), Perdana Botanical Garden (map), Aquaria KLCC (map) and religious sites such as the Sultan Abdul Samad Jamek Mosque (map), Thean Hou Temple (map) and Buddhist Maha Vihara (map) in Brickfield.
Kuala Lumpur plays host to many cultural festivals such as the Thaipusam (worldtravelfamily.com) procession at the Sri Mahamariamman Temple (map).
Suria KLCC (map) is one of Malaysia’s premier upscale shopping destination due to its location beneath the Petronas Twin Towers. Apart from Suria KLCC, Bukit Bintang district has the highest concentration of shopping malls in Kuala Lumpur. It includes: Pavilion (map), Fahrenheit 88 (map), Plaza Low Yat (map), Berjaya Times Square (map), Lot 10 (map), Sungei Wang Plaza (map) and Quill City Mall (map).
Chinatown (especially Jalan Sultan, Jalan Hang Lekir and Jalan Petaling, map) in the city centre and Jalan Alor in the Golden Triangle have some of the greatest concentrations of coffee shops and stalls. They mostly open only at night.
Rapid KL – All public transport
+ Journey Planner (itis.com.my) / EasyBook.com | Bus • Train • Ferry • Flight • Car
On 18 June 2020, Rapid Bus released new features on real time locations of bus in Google Maps, via collaboration with Google Transit.
BUS > Go KL Bus – free service. RapidKL Bus. Pudu Sentral (Hentian Puduraya, map) The most central bus station in Kuala Lumpur, serving northbound buses. Terminal Bersepadu Selatan (TBS, map) This gigantic and ultra-modern terminal serves southbound destinations, including *Malacca, Johor Bahru and *Singapore.
busonlineticket.com • catchthatbus.com. The cheapest way to travel in Malaysia is by bus. All towns of any size have a bus terminal offering connections to other parts of the country. There are many companies of varying degrees of dependability, but two of the largest and more reliable are Transnasional and NICE/Plusliner. >> Bus Online Ticket
RAIL > KL Sentral (map). Keretapi Tanah Melayu • KTM Berhad • KliaEkspres.com. Long-distance trains in Malaysia can rarely match road transport in terms of speed, but state operator Keretapi Tanah Melayu Berhad (KTMB) provides relatively inexpensive and generally reliable services around Peninsular Malaysia (but not Sabah/Sarawak in Borneo).
AIRPORTS > Most international flights land at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. Largely thanks to budget carrier AirAsia, Malaysia is crisscrossed by a web of affordable flights with advertised “promotional” prices. > KLIA Ekspres.
WATERWAYS > PENANG PORT • Malaysia Ferry Booking • Feri Tioman • LangkawiFerryLine.com • LimbonganMaju.com