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Kuala Lumpur
The Heart of Malaysia
The city of Kuala Lumpur is the heart of Malaysia, being the federal capital of the country and the principal center of commerce, politics, entertainment and international activities; Kuala Lumpur has lots to offer visitors from all over the globe. This vibrant city is centrally located on the west coast of Peninsula Malaysia in the state of Selangor. Here, visitors will find it all in this lively city which is buzzing with vitality, and is a gateway to a world of action, excitement and discoveries. The ever-expanding city of Kuala Lumpur has the most to offer visitors with its great number of shopping spots, places of interest and entertainment. Kuala Lumpur is also the commercial hub of Malaysia, thriving with a vibrant blend of shopping, dining and entertainment opportunities for visitors. Modern transportation that includes the Light Rail Transits system and a Rapid Transit Monorail system are available to everyone, meaning getting around the city will be a breeze.
History
Kuala Lumpur, or 'Muddy Confluence', is so named because it is the meeting point of the river Klang and Gombak.
Inhabited by 1.8 million people, KL is a modern cosmopolis throbbing with vitality. The city boasts numerous skyscrapers in the Golden Triangle district and the Petronas Twin Towers, the World's tallest buildings, erupt from the skyline, overlooking majestic mosques and temples scattered all over the city.
Shopping in Kuala Lumpur
Shopping in the city of Kuala Lumpur promises variety, value and convenience for visitors with its bewildering range of shopping establishments that cater for every taste and budget. Visitors will be able to find modern air-conditioned shopping malls, departmental stores, duty free shops, hypermarkets and night markets all over the city. Visit Jalan Bukit Bintang, indisputably the foremost shopping district in the region that offers visitors a multitude of merchandises. The city's major shopping outlets namely Sungai Wang Plaza, Bukit Bintang Plaza, Lot 10, Starhill Plaza and Kuala Lumpur Plaza are all located in this area. Another area for shoppers to visit in Kuala Lumpur is Jalan Tunku Abdul Rahman where this stretch of road is flanked by modern retailing business buildings. Major shopping centers such as the Sogo Departmental Store, Globe Silk Store and the Pertama Complex are located in this area. Shoppers will find that Jalan Ampang/Jalan Tun Razak also has much to offer visitors with its prestigious shopping complexes that boast international names as well as local products. Located here is the Suria KLCC in the ultra-modern Kuala Lumpur City Center (KLCC), which tops the list as the newest and classiest shopping complex in Malaysia. Neighbouring the Petronas Twin Towers, this shopping complex offers visitors specialty shops, departmental stores, fashion boutiques, designer fashion houses, jewelers and duty-free shops of the highest standards.
Entertainment in Kuala Lumpur
The city of Kuala Lumpur also has the most entertainment establishments in the whole country and offers the best in entertainment for visitors. The city offers visitors many exciting places to go and have lots of fun. Sunway Lagoon, located just outside the city, is a huge theme park with many stomach-churning thrills. Within the park are water-based attractions such as giant water slides, wave pools, and much more. The park also offers visitors with dry adventure activities from roller coaster to flying carpet rides. The Wet World in the vicinity of the Shah Alam Lake Gardens is also another place to visit if one is looking for fun in the water. This park offers recreational rides like the Monsoon Buster; an uphill water coaster that rises and dips for 222 metres. The city is also a haven for visitors who love the nightlife. Available in the city of Kuala Lumpur are discotheques, pubs and bistros, cafes, theaters, orchestras and cultural shows that offers visitors a guaranteed exciting night.
Accomodation
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Places of interest
Dataran Merdeka and Sultan Abdul Samad Building
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The Dataran Merdeka is a significant historical site as it was here that the British Union Jack was lowered for the last time when Malaysia gained its Independence on 31st August 1957. A 100 metre-high flagpole, one of the tallest in the world, marks this historic spot. Situated on one corner of the square is the Selangor Club, a Tudor-style building, built in 1910. Close by is St Mary's Cathedral, a Gothic style building which is more than a hundred years old. A short walk away is the Memorial Library, a building dating back to 1909. Situated beneath the Dataran Merdeka is the Plaza Putra, an underground food, leisure and entertainment complex.
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Overlooking the Dataran Merdeka, Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad was built in 1897 to house the various administrative departments of the British Government at that time. Its Moorish features have attracted the interest of visiting historians and students of architecture. Today, the building houses the Supreme and High Courts and Infokraf, a centre for Malaysian handicrafts.
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National Museum of History
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The National Museum of History is a former commercial bank dating back to 1910. The National Museum of History enables visitors to discover the wealth of Malaysia's historical heritage through its permanent exhibition of artifacts and materials.
The Museum carries out museological activities such as research, collection, recording and publication in regard to the nation's treasures.
Exhibits include a 520 million year-old metamorphic sandstone, a 40,000 year old homo sapien skull and an eight-sided gold coin dating back to the 15th century.
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Kuala Lumpur Railway Station
The Kuala Lumpur Railway Station is another Moorish-influenced feature in the city. Built in 1910, it was refurbished in 1986 when its old-world grandeur was restored. The building houses the Heritage Hotel which offers a specially created ambience reflecting the preindependence era of old Malaya.
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Masjid Jamek
Begin your tour of the city centre at the Masjid Jamek, situated on the nib of land at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak Rivers. The oldest mosque in KL, it was designed by the British architect A.B. Hubbock in the Indian Muslim architectural style of northern India, featuring arched colonnades, onion-shaped domes and minarets, as well as gleaming marble floors. Surrounded by breeze-swept palm trees, the mosque provides a peaceful sight amid the urban high-rise landscape.
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National Museum
The National Museum is located at the fringe of Perdana Lake Garden along Jalan Travel, close to the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. Designed to resemble a Malay palace, its impressive facade of two large murals each depicting scenes of Malaysian history and crafts, reflects the colourful heritage of the country. The museum houses several galleries containing an impressive collection of artifacts on local history, culture and customs, arts and handicraft, economic activities, flora and fauna, weapons and currencies. Outdoor static displays include old locomotives, vintage cars and replicas of ancient Malay palaces.
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National Mosque
This beautiful mosque sits on a 5.2 hectare plot close to the Kuala Lumpur Railway Station. Green lawns, water fountains, pools and a minaret surrounds it. Its unique, modern design embodies a contemporary expression of traditional Islamc art, calligraphy and ornamentation. Its most striking feature is the multi-fold umbrella-like roof and a 245-foot minaret.
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Sri Mahamariaman Temple
Located along Jalan Tun HS Lee, this temple is one of the most elaborate Hindu temples in the country. The temple has hundreds of intricate carvings of Hindu deities. Italian and Spanish tiles cover the walls of the interior. Built in 1873, it also houses one giant chariot that is used to transport a Hindu deity during the annual festival of Thaipusam. Visitors to the temple may have a chance to witness a fascinating traditional Hindu wedding or pooja (prayer ritual).
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Titiwangsa Lake Garden
Titiwangsa Lake Garden, another green lung, is located in the northeastern fringe of the city. It is a placid lakeside garden and has facilities for jogging, workout stations and a restaurant by the lake. There are also facitities for canoeing and aqua biking.
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Bird Park
The Kuala Lumpur Bird Park is the largest bird park in South East Asia. Many species of birds from around the world co-exist in an environment that has been carefully created to resemble their natural habitats.
Butterfly Park
The Kuala Lumpur Butterfly Park is located next to the Bird Park. It is home to 6,000 butterflies of over 120 species. The park's environment is designed to resemble the natural habitat of the butterflies. More than 15,000 plants from 100 species have been used to recreate a Malaysian rainforest atmosphere. There is a nursery and breeding area for the butterflies.
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Kuala Lumpur Textile Museum
The Kuala Lumpur Textile Museum showcases the rich heritage of Malaysia's arts and crafts, in particular, the local textile industry. It is located at the junction of Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin and Lebuh Pasar Besar, a short distance from the Dataran Merdeka. Among the interesting exhibits on display are the art of batik making, the weaving of various indigenous materials such as songket, telepuk, kain gerus, pua and a diorama that portrays batik painting using the canting and pua weaving methods. Fashionable clothes, the latest products and design collections including textiles of historical value are also on display.
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KL Tower
The KL Tower at a height of 421 metres is the tallest in Asia and is the fouth tallest in the world. Visitors can enjoy a bird's eye view of the Klang Valley from the dizzying height of its observation deck or the revolving restaurant. The tower also serves as a transmission station for telecommunications, radio and television.
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Petronas Twin Towers
The Twin Towers holds its own as a destination to spend a whole day in. The World's tallest buildings, the towers stand at 452 metres. The iridescent architectural pride of KL bears Islamic influences, manifest in its five tiers representing the five pillars of Islam, its floor plan's eight-sided star recalling Islamic art patterns, and its minaret-like twin spires. Each tower has 88 storeys, symbolising good fortune for the Chinese. Head to the skybridge for a superb view of the city, or admire the landmark from peaceful Kuala Lumpur City Centre Park below. Next to the Towers is KLCC Suria Shopping Complex, where you'll find a plenthora of the classiest and trend-setting stores. Drop by the Galeri Petronas on level three for a tranguil ecperience of line art exhibitions. Family fun is in store at the Petrosains, an interactive discovery centre on level four focusing on the petroleum industry. Here kids and kids-at-heart can experience rides through rainforests and over mountains, travel back in time to understand prehistoric animals and plants, or go on a simulated oilrig.
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Central Market
Spend a morning wandering through what was once a busy 'wet market'! The many shops housed in this heritage building will enchant tourists with their offerings such as antique clocks, jewelry, gems, woodcarving, batik and pewterware. Those with an eye for the unusual will enjoy buying or browsing through the market's extensive range of novelty items such as jade trees and blown glass souvenirs.
The visitors will be able to see portrait artists, glass blowers in action, batik painters transforming white materials into vivid colours. Or simply relax at one of the many restaurants here and sample local or western food.
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Petaling Street
Petaling Street (known as KL's Chinatown) is endowed with a distinct character of its own. This colourful street of shops, restaurants and hawker stalls bustles with vitality. Walk, linger or browse as the sights and sounds capture one's imagination. Flanking both sides of this street are shops selling anything from textiles to Chinese herbal medicines. There are also a number of restaurants serving authentic regional Chinese cuisine.
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See also KL Accomodation.
How to get there?
Buses
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Fares for city buses vary depending on the destination and whether the bus is air-conditioned.
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LRT
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The Light Rail Transit (LRT) covers a distance of 12km and consists of 13 station. Daily
operating hours are between 6.00am - 12.00 midnight. Season tickets can be purchased at any
LRT station.
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Taxi
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All taxis in KL are fitted with meters and can be hailed at designated taxi stands or booked by phone. The flag fare is RM2 for the first 2km and 10 sen for every 200 meters thereon.
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Limousine
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Limousines can be hired at major hotels.
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Car Rental
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Rental cars can be hired from car rental agencies. Drivers must be in possession of a valid international driving license. Driver's must always drive on the left side of the road.
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Commuter Trains
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KTM Komuter operates speedy electric train services from the KL railway station to designated points within the city as well as to Port Klang, Seremban, Kajang and Rawang.
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City Buses
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Four major bus lines service the city and suburban areas. They are Intrakota, Park May, Metro and City Liner.
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