Lonely Planet Pocket Kuala Lumpur , livre ebook

Contents

QuickStart Guide

Welcome to Kuala Lumpur
Top Sights
Local Life
Day Planner
Need to Know
Kuala Lumpur Neighbourhoods

Explore

Bukit Bintang & KLCC
Pudu
Chinatown & Merdeka Square
Masjid India & Kampung Baru
Batu Caves
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
Lake Gardens & Brickfields
Thean Hou Temple
Boutique-Hopping in Bangsar Baru

Best

The Best of Kuala Lumpur
Chinatown Architecture
A Stroll Through Kampung Baru
Street Food & Food Courts
Bars & Cafes
Shopping
With Kids
For Free
Clubs & Entertainment
Religious & Heritage Buildings
Green Spaces
Museums & Galleries
Spas & Wellness

Survival Guide

Survival Guide
Before You Go
Arriving in Kuala Lumpur
Getting Around
Essential Information
Language
Behind the Scenes
Our Writers
Welcome to Kuala Lumpur
Glitzy malls rub shoulders with street markets, gleaming skyscrapers loom over colonial buildings, and world-class restaurants vie for patronage with bustling open-air satay stands: Kuala Lumpur may be racing toward the future, but its rich cultural heritage refuses to be left behind. From steaming bowls of asam laksa to sinfully sweet morsels of kueh, the very best part is its legendary food.

KLCC Park | TOOYKRUB / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
1
Kuala Lumpur Top Sights

Petronas Towers
It's impossible to resist the magnetic allure of these 452m-high structures, the embodiment of Malaysia's transformation into a modern nation. The views both from and of the towers are equally riveting.

PK.INSPIRATION_06 / SHUTTERSTOCK ©


Kuala Lumpur Top Sights
Tun Abdul Razak Heritage Park
Better known as the Lake Gardens, this is KL's major recreational park, with a day's worth of sights including botanical gardens, a bird park, and a number of worthwhile museums surrounding the greenery.

ALIZADA STUDIOS / SHUTTERSTOCK ©


Kuala Lumpur Top Sights
Islamic Arts Museum
This terrific museum highlights the diversity of art – from miniature paintings to interior design – and the richness of regional variation in the Islamic world: from the Middle East, through China, India and Southeast Asia.

DAICHI IIZUKA / SHUTTERSTOCK ©


Kuala Lumpur Top Sights
Merdeka Square
There is nowhere better in KL to soak up its British colonial past, including its Mughal-inspired architecture, than around this former cricket green where in 1957 independence was declared and the Malaysian flag raised for the first time.

TOM BONAVENTURE / GETTY IMAGES ©


Kuala Lumpur Top Sights
Batu Caves
In these soaring limestone caves – the country's top Hindu pilgrimage site – intricate geological formations compete for your attention with colourful shrines and psychedelic dioramas.

JAREL REMICK / 500PX ©


Kuala Lumpur Top Sights
Thean Hou Temple
The glorious sunsets over the city, and the devotional atmosphere during Chinese festival times, draw visitors to this massive, fantastically gaudy Chinese temple atop Robson Hill.

WEKWEK / GETTY IMAGES ©


Kuala Lumpur Top Sights
Menara KL
Rival to the Petronas Towers for glorious city views, this 421m-high telecommunications tower is best approached via the canopy walkway of the KL Forest Eco Park.

VICTOR MASCHEK / SHUTTERSTOCK ©


Kuala Lumpur Top Sights
Sri Mahamariamman Temple
The entrance to this venerable Hindu shrine – the oldest in Malaysia – is crowned by a five-tiered gopuram (temple tower), covered in riotously colourful statues of Hindu deities.

VINCENT_ST_THOMAS / GETTY IMAGES ©


Kuala Lumpur Top Sights
Forest Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM)
A natural escape from KL's urban grind, this 600-hectare forest reserve has hiking trails and quiet lanes for biking. The highlight is a fabulous canopy walkway.

HANAFI LATIF / SHUTTERSTOCK ©
l
Kuala Lumpur Local Life

Insider tips to help you find the real Kuala Lumpur In KL, the traditional greeting is 'Sudah makan?' (Have you eaten yet?); hawker stalls and kopitiam (coffee shops) are where locals catch up on gossip. Everyone can find their tribe in KL's diverse neighbourhoods, from mall-goers to foodies, street photographers and coffee aficionados.

Brickfields Temples & Treats
y Indian eateries
y Colourful temples
From bright lights and colourful shrines to blaring Tamil pop tunes and the scents of frying spices and jasmine garlands, KL's official Little India is sensory overloaded. Experience this multicultural neighbourhood like the locals who live here by eating at their favourite food stalls and visiting their places of worship.

Lighting incense at Buddhist Maha Vihara | UDEYISMAIL / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

Pudu
y Street food
y Urban exploration
Hankering for the flavours of Chinatown without the crowds? Visit this laid-back Chinese neighbourhood, with some of KL's most charming pockets of shophouses and lip-smackingly good street eats. The sprawling Pudu wet market is one of the city's biggest and most lively.

Cooking steamed buns in Chinatown | ELENA ERMAKOVA / SHUTTERSTOCK ©

A Taste of Bukit Bintang
y Street food
y Bars
More than anything else, the search for the next great meal is what makes this city tick. Street food is an obsession, but in Bukit Bintang you can see how the experience has been moved indoors without compromising on atmosphere (much).

Boutique-Hopping in Bangsar Baru
y Shopping
y Restaurants
Come for the shopping, stay for the food. Or do the reverse in this buzzing suburban enclave brimming with fashionable cafes, a diverse selection of restaurants and cutting-edge boutiques run by up-and-coming local designers.

Other great places to experience the city like a local:
Bazaar Baru Chow Kit
Chin Woo Stadium
Brickfields street food
Jalan Alor street eats
Breakfast in Chinatown
Jalan Petaling hangouts
Tugu Drum Circle
Titiwangsa Lake Gardens
Bunn Choon
RGB at the Bean Hive
R
Kuala Lumpur Day Planner

Short on time? We've arranged Kuala Lumpur's must-sees into these day-by-day itineraries to make sure you see the very best of the city in the time you have available.

Day One
M Head to the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), where you've prebooked tickets up the Petronas Towers . Afterwards, browse the shops in Suria KLCC and see a free art exhibition at the excellent Galeri Petronas . Join local office workers for a vegetarian lunch at the Dharma Realm Guan Yin Sagely Monastery , or eat at one of the restaurants at Suria KLCC.
R Take a post-lunch stroll around KLCC Park , admiring the view of the towers, then take a look at contemporary Malaysian art at the ILHAM in the Foster + Partners–designed tower. Join the 3pm tour of the Malay-style wooden house Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman next to Badan Warisan Malaysia, or learn about sea life at Aquaria KLCC .
N Go mall-hopping to Pavilion KL , Starhill Gallery and Lot 10 along Jln Bukit Bintang until 10pm. If you need it, indulge in a massage at Donna Spa . Then head to Changkat Bukit Bintang and Jln Mesui for the bars; Pisco Bar is a good choice. Also check out No Black Tie for its jazz and classical concerts.


Day Two
M Admire the historic buildings of Merdeka Square – if you can, sign up for one of Visit KL's free tours – then either cycle on a hired bike or take a taxi to the Tun Abdul Razak Heritage Park . Start at the National Monument , then walk through the Perdana Botanical Garden to the National Museum ; if you're there by 10am you can take the free guided tour.
R Continue to enjoy the leafy surrounds of the park at the KL Bird Park or Butterfly Park . Save a couple of hours for the splendid Islamic Arts Museum , then admire the architecture of Masjid Negara and old KL train station .
N Go souvenir shopping at the Central Market , then push your way through the crowds at Chinatown's Petaling Street Market . Finish up with a cocktail at speakeasy-style bars PS150 or Omakase + Appreciate .


Day Three
M Have breakfast at Bazaar Baru Chow Kit , one of KL's most atmospheric wet markets, then amble through the Malay area of Kampung Baru admiring the traditional wooden houses and flower gardens.
R Walk from Masjid India to Bukit Nanas, where you can traverse the canopy walkway of the KL Forest Eco Park and then go much higher up the Menara KL , to get your bearings in the city from the observation deck, and, weather permitting, the new outdoor deck.
N For another panoramic perspective of KL, stand on the upper terraces of the gloriously decorative Thean Hou Temple . Walk around the many religious sites of Brickfields in the cool of evening and enjoy a cocktail at the rooftop Mai Bar overlooking KL Sentral.


Day Four
M Climb the 272 steps at Batu Caves to pay your respects at the Hindu Temple Cave and learn about bats and other cave dwellers in the Dark Cave .
R View the city skyline from Titiwangsa Lake Gardens , where you can hire a bike, take a boat out on the lake or even go for a spin in a helicopter. Nearby is the National Visual Arts Gallery .
N Sink a sunset cocktail at Heli Lounge Bar , then splash out on dinner at Antara Restaurant at Old Malaya or Cantaloupe at Troika. If your budget doesn't stretch to fine dining, a meal on Jalan Alor will be equally memorable and delicious. End the night at the new entertainment complex TREC by seeing some stand-up comedy or live music at Live House or clubbing until the early hours at Zouk .
Need to Know


Currency
Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Languages
Bahasa Malaysia, English

Visas
Generally not required for stays of up to 60 days.

Money
ATMs widely available; credit cards accepted in most hotels and restaurants.

Mobile Phones
Local SIM cards can be used in most phones; if not, set your phone to roaming.

Time
MYT (Malaysia Time; UTC/GMT plus eight hours)

Tipping
Not generally expected, but leaving small change in a cafe or restaurant is appreciated. Many restaurants in KL add a service charge of around 10% o