Merdeka Square
The Merdeka Square (Independence Square or Dataran Merdeka) is situated in the centre of the city. It's close to the Gombak river, the Masjid Jamek, Central Market and China Town. It's the core of KL's history. Here you find buildings like the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, the Royal Selangor Club, and the National History museum. Some of them peppered with Moorish flavour. A 100 metre-high flagpole marks the spot where the Malayan Flag was hoisted on August 31, 1957 signifying the independence of the country from British rule.
Chinatown
Petaling Street is the center of Kuala Lumpur's original Chinatown. It's the place that never sleeps. Adventurous visitors should not miss a walk on Petaling Street.
Even in daytime you have great bargains. Petaling Street is not open for the traffic. It is a great place for locals to get some goods at bargain prices and certainly an eye-opening experience for tourists. Chinatown has a bustling market serving as a bargain hunter's paradise and one of the premier shopping areas in the city with its distinctly oriental atmosphere. If you're looking for cheap clothes, fabrics, souvenirs, electronic items, watches, DVDs, CDs and more? Then Petaling Street is the place for you. It is easy getting to Petaling Street. Take a taxi, but also numerous bus companies service the area.
Transport: Putra LRT to the Pasar Seni stop and walk across to Petaling Street, or a short walk from the central bus station
Petronas Towers
Petronas Towers, twin skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, that are the world's tallest twin towers. Standing 1,483 ft (452 m) high, they were designed by the Argentinean-American architect Cesar Pelli. Completed in 1997, they surpassed Chicago's Sears Tower as the record-holding tallest structure; they themselves were surpassed by Taipei 101 in 2003. The twin towers house Petronas, Malaysia's government-owned oil company, as well as associated Malaysian firms and multinational companies. Part of a large burst of construction that marked the country's 1990s economic boom, the buildings stand at the northern end of a projected high-tech business zone, the Malaysia Multimedia Supercorridor. Built of steel-reinforced concrete columns clad in stainless steel and glass, with a design based on geometric patterns originating in ancient Islam, the 88-story buildings are connected at levels 41 and 42 by a double-decker pedestrian skybridge, and each tower is surmounted by a 242-ft-high (74-m) pinnacle. At the lower level, the Petronas Towers also include a concert hall that is home to the Malaysian Philharmonic and a business reference library.
Address: City centre. Ticket Booth: Tower 2, Concourse Level; Telephone: (0)3 2331 1769 (Skybridge); Transport: Train from Kuala Lumpur Central Station or PUTRA light rail transit to KLCC; bus 176,178,183 or 185 from Jalan Hang Lekiu bus stop; Opening time: The Skybridge is open to the public Tuesday to Sunday 8.30am to 5pm; Admission: Free for 1,300 visitors per day
Kuala Lumpur Railway Station
Kuala Lumpur Railway Station is a train station located in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Completed in 1910 to replace an older station on the same site, the station was Kuala Lumpur's railway hub in the city for the Federated Malay States Railway and Malayan Railway, before Kuala Lumpur Sentral assumed much of its role in 2001. The station is notable for it architecture, adopting a mixture of Eastern and Western designs.
The station is located along a road named Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, previously known as Victory Avenue, which in turn was part of Damansara Road. The station is located closely to the similarly designed Railway Administration Building, as well as the National Mosque and Dayabumi Complex. The Pasar Seni LRT station is located 400 metres away, across the Klang River.
Address: Jalan Hishamuddin; Telephone: (0)3 227 6063
Friday Mosque (Masjid Jamek)
Masjid Jamek is one of the oldest mosques in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. It is located at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak River and was designed by Arthur Benison Hubback.
Address: Jalan Tun Perak; Telephone: (0)3 274 6063; Transport: Masjid Jamek LRT station; Opening time: Saturday to Thursday 8.30am to 12.30pm and 2.30pm to 4pm. Friday 8.30am to 11am and 2.30pm to 4pm; Admission: Free
Lake Gardens
Located at Jalan Perdana, Kuala Lumpur Lake Gardens (Taman Tasik Perdana) dates to the 1880s and is the city's most popular park.
The brainchild of Alfred Venning, the British State Treasurer in the 1880s, this botanical garden, set amid lakes in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, is the city dweller's favourite rendezvous.
Here, you may see a sprawling 91.6 hectares of close-cropped lawns, undulating hills and carefully cultivated gardens. It provides a showcase of harmony, beauty and tranquility created by both man and nature.
Built around two lakes, the tropical garden is a pleasant oasis within the city providing a cool and soothing ambience as one walks through a vista of exotic blooms, luxuriant foliage, imposing sculptures, creative theme parks and majestic-looking raintrees.
Transport: Bus 30 from Jalan Sultan Mohamed, or 22 or 38 from Lebuh Pasar Besar; Opening time: Butterfly House: daily 9am to 6pm; Bird Park: daily 9am to 6.30pm; Orchid and Hibiscus Gardens: daily 9am to 6pm; Admission: Butterfly House: RM5; Bird Park: RM1; Orchid and Hibiscus Gardens: RM1, free on weekdays
National Mosque (Masjid Negara)
The Masjid Negara is the national mosque of Malaysia, located in Kuala Lumpur. It has a capacity of 15,000 people and is situated among 13 acres of beautiful gardens. The original structure was designed by a three-person team from the Public Works Department - UK architect Howard Ashley, and Malaysians Hisham Albakri and Baharuddin Kassim. Originally built in 1965, it is a bold and modern approach in reinforced concrete, symbolic of the aspirations of a then newly-independent Malaysia.
Its key features are a 73-metre-high minaret and an 18-pointed star concrete main roof. The umbrella, synonymous with the tropics, is featured conspicuously - the main roof is reminiscent of an open umbrella, the minaret's cap a folded one. The folded plates of the concrete main roof is a creative solution to achieving the larger spans required in the main gathering hall. Reflecting pools and fountains spread throughout the compound.
Address: Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin; Telephone: (0)3 2693 7784; Transport: LRT to Pasar Seni LRT station; Opening time: Daily 9am to 6pm, except Friday during prayers 2.45pm to 6pm; Admission: Free
National Museum (Muzium Negara)
The National Museum is located outside Perdana Lake Gardens in Kuala Lumpur.
It is a palatial structure built in the style of Minangkabau architecture. Located atop a hill on Jalan Travers, it provides an interesting introduction to the history and culture of Malaysia. Set amongst its neighbourhood of historical buildings and romantic parkland, it was built in the style of a Rumah Gadang. Muzium Negara’s architecture is a fine blend of the traditional Malay style and modern lines.
The museum building presents a panoramic view of the development of Malaysia, as depicted by the two large murals of Italian glass mosaic which extend across the Museum’s facade. Muzium Negara opened on 31 August 1963, is a repository of Malaysia’s rich cultural and historical heritage.
Address: Jalan Damansara; Telephone: (0)3 2282 6255; E-mail:
info@museum.gov.my; Website:
www.museum.gov.my; Transport: Bangsar LRT station or bus to Jalan Travers; Opening time: Daily 9am to 6pm; Admission: RM2; free for children under 12 and children wearing school uniform
The National Park (Taman Negara)
Taman Negara (National Park) is the first and the oldest official Protected Area in the country, originally named King George V National Park. Declared in 1938 by the Sultans of Kelantan, Pahang and Terengganu (during King George's Silver Jubilee), it was gazetted to preserve the land's indigenous nature in perpetuity. The park was renamed Taman Negara after the nation gained independence in 1957.
The most popular activities at Taman Negara are river cruises and jungle trekking. The canopy walk is also a must-see, offering a fantastic close up view of activity in the rainforest canopy. Observation hides are another great way to observe wildlife. Simple huts built high above the ground allow guests to stay overnight to catch opportunities to observe animals in their natural habitat. Cave exploration is also available, either by boat or by foot.
Taman Negara is actually one of the oldest rainforests in the world, estimated at 130 million years old. The abundance and diversity of nature here is phenomenal, making it one of the world's most complex and rich ecosystems.
Telephone: (0)3 905 2872; Admission: RM1 (park permit), RM5 (camera licence)