Destination Guide to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur is the biggest city and capital of Malaysia. It is a relatively new city and was founded in the 1850’s as a mining and frontier town for the blossoming tin mining industry. Despites its relative youth, Kuala Lumpur is a kaleidoscope of religions, cultures, languages and people and architectural influences from the Moors, Chinese, British, Japanese and, of course the Malay, are plentiful in and around the city. However, its not all historical buildings and monuments, some of the modern architectural masterpieces will have you gasping.

Kuala Lumpur is the 5th most visited city in the world and is a shopping Mecca for many people throughout the world. In fact, the city is so shopping mad that there is even a Shopping Carnival held every October. Shops throw open their doors to everyone and there are a great many fantastic specials to be found. Shopping tourists will find a spiritual home in the Bangsar and Midvalley city districts.

Conference tourism is also a growing phenomenon in Kuala Lumpur and, fortunately for visitors travelling on a budget, there are many cheap hotels in Kuala Lumpur for those not wishing to splurge on the 5 star venues throughout the city.

One of the most marvellous buildings in the world can be found in Kuala Lumpur. There are the Petronas Twin Towers. Up until 2004, these were the tallest buildings in the world and they are still the tallest twin towers in the world. Regardless of their ranking, the Petronas Towers are a marvellous site to behold and a walk on the sky deck is an experience not to be missed. The Petronas Towers are found in the area known as the Golden Triangle, a hub of business, shopping and commercialism.

Other tourist attractions include the Istana Budaya, the Kuala Lumpur Tower, the Central Market, the House of Parliament and many more. The Islamic faith is very strong in the city and this can be seen by some of the impressive mosques that can be found throughout the city. These include the National Mosque and the Jamek Mosque. Both well worth a visit for people of all religions.

Visitors to Kuala Lumpur should definitely try to arrange to see one of the many Malay or Chinese festivals during their stay. The Chinese New Year is a fantastic celebration and will astound the senses.

Other events in the city include the Malaysian F1 Grand Prix for the motor heads, the Malaysian National Day (try get to Independence Square to truly reap the benefits of this day) and the Floral Festival in July when the whole city is beautifully decorated and it feels like you are walking through a giant park.

The food in Kuala Lumpur is as diverse as the people. The city is very cosmopolitan and you can find food from all around the world. Food lovers can get lost in the districts of Damansara, Hartamas and Brickfields which are dedicated to feeding the hungry traveller.