Today, Kuala Lumpur has emerged as a city with world-class facilities. Its larger-than-life Kuala Lumpur International Airport or better known as KLIA is oh so glam. Meanwhile, the 'sweet corn' inspired Petronas twin towers are still standing there elegantly to glorify its status as the tallest buildings on earth.
Like other capital cities in the region, Kuala Lumpur has the typical characters of a capital city, which means that it is populated and congested. The traffic jams often turn the roads into temporary parking lots that make the road users feeling miserable. So, Kuala Lumpur is best to be explored on foot or by the LRT.
As a matter of fact, Kuala Lumpur is very much studded with the-bigger-the-better shopping malls and the-taller-the-better sky scrappers.
Fortunately, the rapid developments in recent years haven’t completely sucked away the old charm of Kuala Lumpur. Among the artless sky scrappers and shopping malls, there are still century-old colorful Chinese pre-war townhouses, the elegant colonial buildings and the staggeringly beautiful Moorish-styled buildings.
Apart from that, there are also numerous street markets and roadside food stalls that promise you authentic mouthwatering food.
The main shopping hub is in the Bukit Bintang area or better known as 'Golden Triangle'. The people in Kuala Lumpur are vibrant, sophisticated and constantly on the move. You will surely feel exhausted just by watching them.
Attractions
National Museum at Jalan Damansara houses an array of fine collection of historical documents, old photographs, Malaysian traditional costumes and traditional artifacts that give insight into Malaysia’s history.
Chinatown is nestled at Jalan Petaling, which is a lively street market at night. Around this area, you will find Chinese medicine shops filled with exotic items such as ginseng roots, snake bile and various seeds and herbs. There are also many Chinese Kopitiams (coffee shops), which have been in business for generations.
Batu Cave is 30 minutes north of Kuala Lumpur. It is a series of three caves but only one of the caves is open to public. It also houses a Hindu shrine. You have to trudge the 272 steps of stairway in order to reach the caves. During Thaipusam, the cave is jam-packed with devotees and visitors who are there to witness the Thaipusam celebration.
Getting around
Taxis from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) operate on coupon system, which is to avoid fare cheating. There is also scheduled airport bus that takes you to the city. Apart from that, there is express transit train from the airport to K.L Sentral, the main transit train station near to the city.
However, the practical way of getting around the city is by LRT (light rail transit train) and Mono Rail Or else, taxis are easily hailed and operating on meter system. Pudu Raya bus terminal in the city center is the meeting place for express buses. There is no bus terminal for city buses but you can catch a bus at the bus stands around the city.
