The Attractions of Kuala Lumpur – Malaysia

Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia, and a major financial and cultural hub for Southeast Asia. The city began as a small tin mining settlement in the 1850s, and has grown over the years into a major metropolis of 6.5 million people.

Today, with a lot of flights to Kuala Lumpur it is the 6th most-visited city on earth and hosts up to 8.9 million tourists every year.

Tourism in Kuala Lumpur is driven in large part by the city’s cultural diversity, low costs, world-class and wide-ranging cuisine, great retail shopping variety and the many entertainment options offered.

The Golden Triangle district is the center of nightlife in the city, with dozens of crowded and neon-lit nightclubs vying for attention. There are also many auxiliary epicenters for clubbing and deafening music, most notably around Bangsar and Jalan Telawi to the south of Kuala Lumpur’s city centre.

Heritage Row in the district of Tuanku Abdul Rahman is quickly becoming a rival for the title of hottest nightlife area of the city, with many trendy nightclubs and bars opening in refurbished colonial-era shop houses that cater to well-heeled visitors and locals.

Food is a major draw for visiting Kuala Lumpur as well. Malaysians are famous the world over for their obsessions with food, and this is reflected in the great diversity of cuisine offered in the many restaurants across the city, from the entire range of Malayan cuisine, to Chinese, Korean, Indian, Middle Eastern, Arab and even Western fast food.

Eating in Kuala Lumpur can be very budget friendly, and one can eat quite well for relatively little. All across the city are roadside stalls that local Malaysians call kedai kopi, or coffee shops, which offer a variety of foods and beverages right from the roadside and are generally open well into the night. There are also many food outlets run by Indian Muslims called “Mamak Shops” that offer popular halal foods.

Kuala Lumpur is arguably one of the premier retail shopping destinations in the world. There are 66 full service shopping malls just within the city limits, making Kuala Lumpur the fashion and retail hub of Malaysia. Goods are available in every price bracket imaginable, and there are even tour packages designed specifically to cater to the needs and desires of dedicated shoppers. The premier shopping area is called the Bukit Bintang in the Golden Triangle district.

Bukit Bintang boasts one of the highest concentrations of retail outlets in the world, including the ultra modern Pavilion Kuala Lumpur. Outside of these sleek new malls, Kuala Lumpur also still retains many traditional shopping streets and markets, particularly in the Chinatown section of the City Centre, and the Little India area near Jalan Masjid.

It should also be noted that Kuala Lumpur is becoming increasingly recognized internationally for its many examples of inspiring and iconic architecture. As a newer city in comparison to most in the region, the buildings of Kuala Lumpur are an eclectic blend of influences, ranging from old colonial styles, to traditional Asian and Islamic influences, all the way to ultra-modern skyscrapers like the famous Petronas Towers.

Do you love Kuala Lumpur? Prepare your luggage and experience the great things in this wonderful city! Have a great trip!