Kuala Lumpur Hotels

Visiting Kuala Lumpur – A City Guide
A city of skyscrapers and side streets, minarets and markets, Kuala Lumpur is a modern city that holds on to its cultural heart. Steamy and bustling, with traditional hawker stands and modern malls standing side-by-side, this city hums with enticing energy.

Kuala Lumpur: city layout and top attractions
Situated in the western peninsula’s Klang Valley and intersected by the Klang River and its tributaries, Kuala Lumpur is the thoroughly modern capital city of Malaysia. This metropolis is the heart of Malaysia’s wide variety of cultures. The gleaming metal skyscrapers of the Golden Triangle and Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC) give way to the busy streets and markets of Chinatown, the bustling nightlife of Bukit Bintang and the spice-scented Indian enclave at Brickfields.

Rising majestically out of the heart of the Golden Triangle, the twin Petronas Towers have sweeping views of Kuala Lumpur. Situated in their shade is KLCC Park, a calm green stretch that serves as a gathering point in the middle of the busy city. Merdeka Square is the centre of Kuala Lumpur’s colonial core, a haven of classic Malaysian architecture. Nearby you’ll find the neo-Mughal-style Sultan Abdul Samad Building and the historic KL Railway Station.

The concierge recommends…

• Explore Kuala Lumpur’s Islamic Art Museum, with its expansive collection of Islamic artefacts and exhibits about architecture, calligraphy and the cultures of Malaysia.
• Grab a drink at the Heli Lounge, a rooftop bar that doubles as a helicopter landing pad and has a 360° view of Kuala Lumpur, including the KL Tower.
• Visit the ornate Chinese Thean Hou Temple at night, when the temple lanterns are lit and the city sparkles below.

Eating Out in Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia’s mix of Malay, Chinese, and Indian cuisines come together in Kuala Lumpur’s energetic and colourful food markets. The lively Petaling Street sells Chinese street food at hawker stands tucked between displays of handbags and sunglasses. Nearby Madras Lane continues the feast with a plethora of food stands, including Chinese and Malay delicacies. Chow Kit Market is the place to go for fresh meat and seafood, with the raucous vendors of live fish and raw meat giving way to a wide array of fresh-made street food. Jalan Alor, near the Bukit Bintang neighbourhood, turns into a street-wide open-air restaurant in the evening, with every sidewalk sprouting chairs and tables. Little India in the Brickfields neighbourhood is the best place to find crisp roti, an Indian flatbread, or spicy curries. If you prefer the cool comfort of air conditioning, Kuala Lumpur’s Suria KLCC Mall offers a wide variety of cuisines, from the typical Chinese-Malay-Indian to the more exotic Japanese, Thai and Italian.

The chef recommends...

• Asam Laksa, a spicy fish- and tamarind-based noodle soup.
• Nasi lemak, rice cooked with coconut, covered with anchovies and spicy sambal.
• Roti canai, a type of Indian flatbread with a variety of fillings.
• Satay, spicy skewered chunks of grilled meat served with peanut sauce.

Shopping in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur brings together the traditional market culture of Malaysia with the trendiest of malls and shopping centres. From the highest-end luxury shops to the cheapest souvenirs, Kuala Lumpur’s shopping scene has something for everyone.

Suria KLCC is a sophisticated shopping mall near the Petronas Towers. It features top-of-the-line luxury goods, from technology to fashion to housewares. Kuala Lumpur’s Central Market focuses on local artisans and crafts, with booths selling colourful batik cloth, handmade wood carvings and other traditional handicrafts. The Central Market has street-shopping-style stalls, together with modern leisure activities and restaurants. The Pavilion KL shopping mall, in Bukit Bintang, has a variety of international brands and an entire section of Japanese goods. In its hundreds of retail stores you can find everything from this season’s hottest trainers to designer purses.

Top Souvenirs from Kuala Lumpur’s Central Market

• Batik, traditional colourful dyed textiles, in all sizes and colours.
• Hand-carved traditional wood statues.
• Original paintings by local artisans.

Culture & Nightlife in Kuala Lumpur
When the sun goes down and the day’s steamy heat settles, the city knows how to party. Nightclubs and cocktail bars buzz, rooftops brim with revellers, and night markets pulse with people seeking spicy midnight meals. If you’re a fan of live performance, you won’t want to miss the Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur’s state-of-the-art theatre and opera house.

The Bukit Bintang district is Kuala Lumpur’s main shopping and entertainment hub, with cinemas, malls, lively night markets, and high-energy nightclubs. Changkat Bukit Bintang Avenue and the surrounding streets are known for Latin American dance floors, intimate live music venues and swanky rooftop bars. If you’re looking for something more low-key, try the pubs and high-quality steakhouses in the Bangsar and Mid Valley neighbourhoods. Petaling Jaya offers something different: a giant indoor trampoline park, open late into the night.

Live Music Venues in Kuala Lumpur

• Istana Budaya, Kuala Lumpur’s preeminent opera house and concert hall, is the best place to catch the National Symphony Orchestra or the National Choir.
• No Black Tie is a tucked-away venue that features local jazz bands, jam sessions, and open mic nights.
• Located in the Petronas Twin Towers, the Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra (MPO), at the Petronas Philharmonic Hall, offers a wide range of music, from modern pieces to more classical and traditional ones.

Leisure in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur combines the thrill of a giant city with the traditions of the jungle town that it once was. With its many malls and skyscrapers, KL is the picture of modernity. But there are many small escapes from modern bustle throughout the city.

The Perdana Botanical Gardens, with over 800 varieties of orchids, offer a lush and quiet respite in the centre of the city. Just outside the city are the Batu Caves, a Hindu pilgrimage destination with a giant gold statue of Lord Murugan standing at the entrance. The Batu Caves are the site of the annual Thaipusam festival. This is also a popular place for rock climbing.

Highlights on the Outskirts of Kuala Lumpur

• Bukit Tinggi, a hill station where you can escape Kuala Lumpur’s heat.
• In Kuala Gandah Elephant Sanctuary you can get up close with Malaysian elephants.