Kuala Lumpur: An Introductory Guide to the Capital of Malaysia

If you are planning a trip to Southeast Asia, you definitely don’t want to miss out on the vibrant city of Kuala Lumpur. This bustling metropolis has everything you could want in a travel destination from stunning architecture to delicious food and plenty of cultural experiences.

Being roughly 94 square miles in size, and 1.8 million in population, it means that it is overwhelmingly large. You can barely scratch the surface even after multiple days on multiple visits.  There is a lot to see and do in this city! Kuala Lumpur is very tourist friendly and fairly easy to get to (although the airport is pretty far out of the city). In fact, Kuala Lumpur was the 6th most visited city in the world in 2019.

I have had three overnight experiences in Kuala Lumpur (KL). However, I’m not counting number three as I was sick and didn’t leave the hotel (PS, Sofitel KL was fantastic! Highly recommend this place, the service and rooms were impeccable).

My first trip was in 2020 (see our Penang blog about my getting kicked out). I fell in love with the city in the brief 36 hours I was there. A side note as to how I ended up in Malaysia: in 2019 we were on a manta ray snorkeling boat in Nusa Penida, Indonesia with a lady from Malaysia who said it was one of the most underrated places on the planet, she said it was beautiful scenically and culturally. I was immediately sold and added it on to my 2020 Southeast Asia, post-Bali retreat, itinerary.

First on the MUST DO for Kuala Lumpur:  The Batu Caves

The Batu Caves are just a short distance from KL, a train ride (or Grab) will take you to this amazing Instagram worthy destination just outside of the city. These stunning limestone caves are home to a number of Hindu temples. And climbing the stairs up to the main cave is an experience you won’t forget any time soon.

Greeted by Murugan (a gold statue of a deity 140 feet tall), you walk up 272 brightly colored steps (ok, not so bright when you are standing on top of them), and into a large Temple cave.

Sister Side Note (ssn) – I was absolutely awe-struck. Murugan is incredible!! Not to mention, the caves themselves are beautiful – the limestone is 400 million years old!! Unfathomable.

I know 272 steps sounds exhausting, but in reality, you just break it up into colored sections. Take it in bite-size amounts and you will be at the top before you know it.  Do not let a lack of endurance stop you from doing this climb.

There are several temples on site you can visit. Dark Cave is on the way up to the Temple Cave, additionally there is the Cave Villa, and Ramayana Cave (with a gold statue of Hanuman, the monkey in Hindu Mythology).

Entrance is free, but we suggest you get there early to avoid crowds, and wear pants that cover your knees or be prepared to buy a sarong.  I absolutely loved getting to experience this with my sister, loved the sarong I had to buy, and the cave temple is flat out amazing, absolutely beautiful.

And Because My Sister is the Spawn of Satan

Afer a morning at the Batu Caves, we had to hit up the Menara Kuala Lumpur Tower (or KL Tower).  A 421-meter-tall tower in the city center, the seventh tallest tower in the world, you just can’t miss it.

And naturally it has an observation deck with amazing views of the city.  At the top is a revolving restaurant providing 360 degree views of the city.  And of course. . ..

It has a Sky Deck.

ssn – first of all, I’m telling mom. Second, it is a must do and I think you secretly enjoyed it.

The KL Tower Sky Deck

There are two sky decks, by the way, because apparently having just one is letting us off easy. 

The two sky decks are extended platforms on the observation deck that have glass bottom floors 300 meters above the ground. Hardly terrifying at all.  Technically it’s a fully enclosed glass box in the sky, hanging off the edge of the seventh tallest structure in the world.

And the bonus, you pay extra money for this death-defying experience.

Luckily, once you’ve faced death and have an appropriate adrenaline rush, it’s only a 52-second elevator ride to the bottom.  Nice safe earth space, where you can also explore the Upside-down house, and the World Peace Gong.

Kuala Lumpur Temples and Mosques

With a large Muslim population in KL, the National Mosque is in KL and open for tours.  You have to wear the appropriate garments and they have them available for you to borrow (and yes, they are cleaned between uses). 

Also in Kuala Lumpur are many Hindu and Chinese temples.

One of the biggest, and most elaborate is the Thean Hou Temple, it’s a large temple on a hill, where you can tour the grounds and experience the beautiful décor of the Chinese temple tradition.  They have beautiful sculptures of dragons and mystical animals imbedded into the décor, as well as a garden area with statues of the animals of Chinese Astrology.

If you love the Hindu culture, Sri Maha Mariamman is near the central market and has the same amazing carvings that you will find on the buildings surrounding the Batu Caves. This is the oldest Hindu Temple in KL, founded in 1873 and is right on the edge of Chinatown.

Kuala Lumpur Street Art

While preparing for our visit to Penang and the fantastic street art in Georgetown, we decided to kill some time exploring the city street art scene. 

We recommend starting on Alor Backspace Street Art and walking your way down Jalan Rembia to Frog Street.  Full building murals lining the entire street, with little pieces thrown in here and there on side streets.  Many beautiful art exhibits yours to wander for free in this amazing city center.

Luckily this area will also keep you near Chinatown, Jalan Petaling Street Market, AND Jalan Alor. Don’t miss these for amazing food experiences.

Selangor Pewter Factory

As part of our cultural tour of Malaysia we toured the Selangor Pewter factory.  Interesting tour about the history of pewter in Malaysia and the trade business.  You also get to watch the pouring, molding, and polishing of the pewter pieces.  At one point you can try your hand at imprinting patterns on a mug and realize how talented these workers are.  The tour ends at the gift shop (naturally), and there are some interesting and cool pieces you can purchase, both whimsical, touristy, and practical pieces are all available.

Kuala Lumpur City Center Water Show

Before you Grab to Jalan Alor (and you should, see below) for dinner, the KLCC has an evening water show.  Well, light show? No, music show?  Maybe. . . My Grab driver had an earful for me about what to see and do, and he said to go to this show, and I said “the light show” he said “no, the water show” . . .turns out it’s the same dang thing.

Walkable from our hotel (Ibis KL City Center is affordable and has an infinity pool!), the KLCC Park water show backs up to the Suria KLCC, an exquisite shopping mall with high end boutique stores and some traditional American chains.  Everyone just finds a seat on the grassy hill or on the cement steps outside the mall, and at 8 pm the water/light/music show begins.  American pop hits set to a fountain water show (think Bellagio in Vegas), and yes, it lights up too.

ssn – just keeping it real…the water/light show was just ok. It was no Bellagio. Looking back, I would have rather taken the time to go to Jalon Alor Hawker Stands.

Petronas Towers

This is also at the base of the Petronas Twin Towers, iconic twin skyscrapers 88 floors in height.  They are the tallest twin towers in the world! You can opt to buy tickets to explore the towers and the walkway between.  They are beautifully lit up at night, and are great for a photo op.  However, once you’ve done the Menara KL, the towers are just more views of the city.  But they are pretty to look at.

Let’s Talk a Few Food and Drink Suggestions

Jalon Alor Street Food

If you’re a foodie, KL won’t disappoint. The city is famous for its street food, and there’s no better place to sample it than at Jalan Alor. This bustling street is packed with food stalls serving up everything from satay to seafood to tasty desserts, and it’s a great place to experience the local culture.

It is where I had grilled stingray for the first (and only) time, and had this amazing butter prawn dish, where the butter was spun into a nest for the grilled prawns to sit on. AMAZING.

You can get something for every palette on Jalan Alor, but only in the evenings. Hawker stands provide a great glimpse of real Malaysian food from quick bites to dessert, and everything in between.  Jalan Alor is definitely on my “must-do” list if you are in KL.

Gravy Baby

KL has a Gravy Baby!  And if you loved our Penang post, you heard all about our love of Gravy Baby.

Old Shanghai and The Opium Bar

We were fortunate enough to stumble upon Old Shanghai at the end of our Street Art excursion.  A fantastic restaurant just outside of Chinatown on Changkat Bukit Bintang.  We naturally were drawn to the bar, and experienced an amazing cocktail list that wowed us and kept us wanting to stay longer. 

This street is also home to a number of bars and worth your time to wander and bar hop for an evening.

ssn – I loved this area of KL (Bukit Bintang) – The Opium Bar is on my list of best bars of the year. If Patti would have been feeling better on our last night here, this is where we would have spent our time. The bars looked fun and inventive and the streets had lots of character (and without being night-clubby)

Bonus point for the foot massage palaces at the end of the street! And KL has late night foot massages as a norm.

The area is very late-night activity friendly, and not in a sordid way.  The night we got kicked out of Malaysia, we were getting foot massages at 10 pm, the place was packed, and there were several families with children all getting foot massages. 

The downside of this is there are few early morning activities, as mornings tend to start later (and don’t expect to find a cocktail before 2 pm).

The Sai Hills Corner

We had breakfast a couple of blocks away from the KL Tower at a little restaurant with great reviews.  It was a hole in the wall, life changing kind of find that we lucked out to stumble upon. We were greeted at the door by two Indian men, one of whom exclaimed that Peggy looked like Princess Diana! (I can’t believe the Princess didn’t SSN this) They brought us to our table, showering us with compliments and assured us we would get the best food from them.  As we were there during Ramadan, we believe they were happy to have people eating after sunrise in their establishment. Sai Hills Corner was amazing.  They recommended we try the Roti Cenai, as it is a Malaysian staple, and they would bring us their best, one with egg, one with just butter and sugar.

I got up to look around, and there was grandpa on the flat top thinning out the dough before slapping it down, adding a huge hunk of butter and then sprinkling it with sugar.  This was not the day for me to worry about my cholesterol or blood sugar levels.  This was heaven!  It was truly magical.  They brought us three different sauces to try with it, with different levels of spices.  And then brought us a little bit of their chicken tikka masala from their buffet, which was equally delicious.  It makes me sad that we didn’t go back for a second round.

The Famous Fish Head Curry

Another Malaysian specialty can be found at House of Fish Head Curry by Ratha’s Kitchen.  This was right across the street from our hotel:  Ibis Kuala Lumpur City Center, which in case you missed it above, reasonably priced AND a rooftop infinity pool. . .We gotta add a picture for you).  And I know for some of you the thought of fish head makes you shiver in disgust, but this curry is fantastic.  You should really be brave enough to try this local delicacy.

Kuala Lumpur Wrap Up

Kuala Lumpur is a great place to visit, especially if big cities are your thing.  There is plenty to do, amazing food scene to explore, and a never-ending supply of Malaysian cultural stops to add to your tour.  It is definitely a place you should be eye-balling for your next exploration of SE Asia.

Other Malaysia Destinations

• Penang
• Ipoh
• Langkawi