For most people, a visit to Kuala Lumpur becomes love at first sight. This Asian metropol offers anything you need for a successful holiday – from historical temples, exotic markets and cultural sights to modern shopping malls, effecient transportation and great connections to other Malaysian and South East Asian destinations.
Kuala Lumpur, or just KL, is the capital of Malaysia and has grown rapidly over the last 150 years from a small village to a busy Asian metropol with a population of 6.9 million people. One of the most famous landmarks is the Petronas Twin Towers, absolutely worth a visit.
The shimmering towers are majestically located in the middle of the city, and by night they're lit up and look even more amazing. Take the elevator halfway up where's you'll get outstanding views over the city, and visit the huge multileveled shopping mall with lots of nice shops – in case you have a few extra bucks you want to get rid of.
Kuala Lumpur is divided into different areas, where the most interesting for tourists are the following:
- City centre – This is where you find Merdeka Square, Sultan Abdul Samad Building and Selangor Club as well as the old Chinatown where you'll find some good food and markets.
- Golden Triangle – A flashy area where you'll find most of the city's luxury hotels, sparkling shopping malls, party spots - and the Petronas Twin Towers.
- Tuanku Abdul Rahman – Golden Triangle's neighbouring suburb and a cheaper area with lots of budget accommodation options as well as a colourful shopping district.
Kuala Lumpur shopping
Girls – grab your shimmering creditcards and head out! KL's shopping is absolutely fantastic, and it doesnt matter if you hit the local markets or the flashy shopping malls. The malls will offer anything you'd possibly look for when it comes to expensive brands of shoes, handbags, clothing and jewelries – although the prices still won't kill you. At the markets you'll still get Gucci and Dior, and at real bargain prices too (of course no one will ever discover they're totally fake...!), as well as nice handycrafts, artworks, DVD's, watches and other bling blings. The only thing stopping you from going crazy with shopping is the airlines' baggage restrictions. Be careful so your great bargains don't even out with high airline excess bagage fees.
Kuala Lumpur nightlife
KL's nightlife is great, and you'll feel pretty safe even if you're travelling as a single girl. The drinks are tasty and cheap, and the DJ's will be more than happy to play your favourite songs – so everything should be in place for a real partynight! For those with a few extra bucks in their pockets, head to the Shangri-La lobby and enjoy a juicy strawberry daiquiry, they're awesome here! In general, the price level is bottom low while the mood is high!
Getting to KL and around
Kuala Lumpur has an international airport with connecting flights to all over the world, so the city is easy to include as part of your journey. For many backpackers and round the world-travellers, it is a common stopover anyway, so you might as well spend a few days here. Some of the local Asian airlines offer cheap airfares to nearby destinations like Langkawi, Borneo, Thailand, Singapore and The Phillippines. Local transport options to get around in KL is good. Choose from buses, taxis and subways/fast trains, all at affordable prices.
