Kuala Lumpur is a fascinating city to visit. This bustling city caters well for tourists, and has some amazing attractions within easy reach of the city centre. Kuala Lumpur is right near the equator and makes for an outstanding tropical holiday destination. Before you travel to KL check out this Quick Travel Guide to Kuala Lumpur.

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Places to Visit in Kuala Lumpur

You have undoubtedly seen pictures of the Petronas Towers, two of the most iconic buildings on earth. These are right in the centre of Kuala Lumpur, and are surrounded by giant shopping districts and malls. Here are our recommendations for what to do in Kuala Lumpur.

Climb Petronas Towers: Taking selfies from outside Petronas Towers is a mandatory activity when visiting KL. But taking the tour to the top is 10X more fun. The best time to go is sunset, and you should book ahead to reserve your spot.

Climb Kuala Lumpur Tower: Another of the best places to visit in KL is the iconic KL Tower. Standing at 335m high, climbing to the viewing platform at the top will give you amazing views of the Petronas Towers and KL city centre.

Shopping in KLCC: KLCC is the name for Kuala Lumpur City Centre. There is also sorts of shopping available here from high end designer brand shopping, to bargain shopping. Because it’s so cheap, shopping is one of the main attractions at Kuala Lumpur.

Visit China Town: Like most China Towns across the globe, this is a sprawling mess of commerce and food. This makes it a bargain hunter’s paradise, and and interesting day out.

Berjaya Times Square Theme Park: Ok so this is a novelty. Think of a giant shopping mall with a theme park in the middle. And the theme park has a thrilling roller coaster running through it, complete with loops and cork screws. Definitely one of the most fun things to do in KL.

When you’re finished with the theme park, the gigantic Berjaya Times Square mall is bargain hunters paradise, and the mall of choice for many bargain hunting locals.

 

Day Trips from Kuala Lumpur

Here are some of our favourite day trips from Kuala Lumpur:

Sunway Lagoon Theme Park: Because Kuala Lumpur is near the equator, you can go to this giant water park all year round. It has a wave pool, loads of thrilling water slides, and even a mini zoo. And it’s close enough that you can simply catch a taxi to get there.

There are loads of resorts and a giant shopping mall surrounding Sunway Lagoon, one of the most popular tourist attractions at Kuala Lumpur.

Batu Caves: These are gigantic caves holding deep religious significance, which are located just outside of Kuala Lumpur. Batu Caves are easy to get to via the metro train system, with a train station just 10 minutes walk from the caves.

There is a long steep walk up a giant stairway to the caves, where you will meet hundreds of cheeky monkeys. And some of the best instagram shots imaginable.

Where to Stay in Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is quite inexpensive, so you can pick and choose where to stay. Here’s a guide to the best areas to stay in KL depending on what type of traveller you are:

  • KLCC (Kuala Lumpur City Centre): Tourists & Families
  • Bukit Bintang: Nightlife & Partying
  • Chinatown: Budget
  • Bangsar: Trendy

Cheap Accommodation

We recommend Berjaya Times Square for your accomodation. This is a giant hotel above a giant (and cheap) shopping mall, with a monorail train station at the front door. This shopping mall even has an indoor amusement park complete with roller coaster!

And the hotel swimming pool is sensational, with great views of the city centre for the nightly light show.

Mid Range

There is a wonderful place just 2 minutes walk from the Petronis Twin Towers in KLCC, and that is Max Style @ Kirana Residences. An absolute bargain, and close to Suria Mall also.

Affordable Luxury

When it comes to 5 star hotels in Kuala Lumpur we recommend you head straight for the City Centre Here you will find the Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur in a perfect location. This hotel is pure class and has magnificent close up views of Petronas Twin Towers.

Find a Great Deal

Although KL is not an expensive city to find accommodation, you should always shop around for a great big discount, and this Booking.com deals finder is a great place to start.

Booking.com

Quick Travel Guide to Kuala Lumpur

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Your Southeast Asia Itinerary

If you’d like some more help planning your Southeast Asia holiday itinerary then check out this blog post, with several different itineraries to choose from.

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