Things to do
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Batu Caves
A limestone outcrop north of the city holds a Hindu shrine at the top of a painted staircase, guarded by a gold statue of Murugan. Macaques work the steps and snatch food and loose bags. Thaipusam in January or February brings vast crowds and an overnight procession from the centre, while ordinary mornings are quiet and a good deal cooler.
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Central Market
Behind an art deco facade, a 1930s wet market has been converted into an air conditioned hall of batik, pewter, woodcarving and souvenir stalls. Goods are marked and haggling gets little traction, which suits a short browse. Upstairs holds a food court, and the lane alongside, Kasturi Walk, runs to street snacks and trinkets.
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Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia
Southeast Asia's largest collection of Islamic art fills a domed building beside the Lake Gardens: Qurans, Ottoman weaponry, Chinese ceramics and scale models of mosques from Cordoba to Samarkand. Galleries are cool, quiet and generously labelled. Two hours is realistic, and the restaurant and museum shop earn the extra time on a wet afternoon.
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Jalan Alor
Hawker stalls take over this Bukit Bintang side street each evening, grilling satay and chicken wings under plastic awnings and strings of red lanterns. Trade runs from late afternoon until the small hours. Touts wave laminated menus at the entrance, and the stalls further down, where Malay and Chinese kitchens sit side by side, tend to cook better.
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KL Tower
Set on a forested hill, this concrete communications tower lifts its viewing deck above the Petronas skybridge and looks straight across at the twin towers. A glass skybox projects over the edge and is ticketed separately. Surrounding it is genuine old rainforest, the KL Forest Eco Park, with a canopy walk reached from the road below.
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KLCC Park
Laid out by Roberto Burle Marx at the base of the Petronas Towers, this landscaped ground gives the skyscrapers their breathing room and the classic photograph. A wading pool, playground and jogging loop keep it busy after work. Fountains in the lake run to a light and music show at set times each evening.
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Merdeka Square
Independence was declared on this cricket ground in 1957, and the flagpole at its southern end ranks among the tallest anywhere. Moorish arcades of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building face the green across the road and are floodlit after dark. Half an hour covers it, easily folded into a walk along the river to Masjid Jamek.
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Perdana Botanical Gardens
Colonial Kuala Lumpur laid out these gardens around a lake in 1888, and they remain the green heart of the old city, with an orchid house, a hibiscus garden and a walk through bird park alongside. Paths are shaded and hilly. Mornings are cool, and by midday the humidity makes the hill sections hard work.
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Petronas Towers
Twin steel and glass spires built for the national oil company held the title of tallest building on earth until 2004, and their double decker skybridge still draws queues. Tickets for the bridge and the observation deck are timed and sell out days ahead in holiday season. Late afternoon slots catch both daylight and the lit towers from the park below.
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Thean Hou Temple
Six tiers of red columns and dragon eaves rise on a hill in Seputeh, built by the Hainanese community and dedicated to the sea goddess Mazu. Views run over the city from the upper terrace. Weddings fill the hall at weekends, and the temple blazes with lanterns for Chinese New Year and the Mid Autumn Festival.