A skyline punctuated by minarets, Mughal-style domes and skyscrapers; colourful, food-stall-lined streets shaded by a leafy canopy of banyan trees – this is Kuala Lumpur.

When to Go

Street Feast

Despite the heat, this is a city best explored on foot. Walk and you can catch all the action and save yourself the frustration of becoming entangled in one of KL’s all-too-frequent traffic jams. Walking, you’ll discover parts of KL retain the laid-back ambience and jungle lushness of the kampung (village) it once was. What’s more, you’ll be sure to come across some of the city’s best dining spots: the hawker stalls and traditional neighbourhood kopitiam (coffee shops) that beckon you over with the aroma of freshly cooked food and the promise of refreshment with tropical juices and cooling drinks.

Shopping

To fully connect with locals, join them in two of their favourite pastimes: shopping and eating. Malaysian consumer culture achieves its zenith in KL, where you could spend all day browsing glitzy air-conditioned malls such as Pavilion KL, Suria KLCC and Mid Valley Megamall in search of designer fashion and bargains. Bangsar and Publika are the places to go for local labels and the work of offbeat independent designers. Alternatively, explore Central Market for locally made souvenirs and handicrafts; and hunt out the few remaining artisans and antiques dealers still keeping shop in and around Chinatown.

Kuala Lumpur’s best green escape

With soaring towers, condo complexes and mammoth malls crowding the streets and skyline of Kuala Lumpur (KL), it’s reassuring to know that Mother Nature continues to have a significant stake in and around the Malaysian capital. What other city, for example, has a pocket of primary rainforest at its heart that’s home to a troupe of silvered leaf monkeys?

You must visit the spa village

A beautifully landscaped pool with waterfalls and greenery creates a tranquil setting for this first-rate spa. Signature treatments include the traditional Royal Malay couples spa experience (including a massage, scrub, scented body steaming and shared herbal bath in a private garden area) and a Chinese Peranakan treatment involving a rattan tapping massage, and pearl and rice facial.

Another superb place to visit is myBatik

Founded by friendly artist Emilia Tan, this is the best place in KL to learn the skill of batik – using wax to paint with coloured dyes on fabric. On offer are demonstration sessions and DIY batik classes for adults and children (weekends are popular with families). There’s also a shop selling unique products made from their own batik fabrics.

Flavours

The story of Kuala Lumpur is best experienced through food, something, of course, no one will reject..

From sizzling satays to spicy rice dishes to fresh everything, all the mangos, all the coconuts, if you only come to Kuala Lumpur, let it be for the food.

An absolute mecca for foodies, the mishmash of cultures and stories here really play into building KL into a city of feasts. Famous for street food, which of course you will thoroughly enjoy.

Fusion

Kuala Lumpur is the textbook definition of a modern-day melting pot.

Cosmopolitan and fresh, its three main ethnicities are Malay, Chinese, and Indian, all of which coexist and bring their own languages, cultures, religions, histories, traditions, and of course, foods to mix together and form a modern-day Malaysia.

Colour

A veritable rainbow in real life, I’m always drawn to the more colourful places of the world, and Kuala Lumpur is no exception.

From the incredible street art to the street food markets to the temples, mosques and other noteworthy spots, KL embodies the philosophy of why paint in beige when you can have a rainbow?

I love the Colors of Kuala Lumpur and hope you do too 🙂

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