Malaysia has been touted as the ultimate Southeast Asian country offering the truly Asian experience. And it’s true. Malaysia has a little bit of everything Asian – multiple cultures, fabulous cuisine influenced by local cultural preferences, and an incredible range of temples and monasteries. Kuala Lumpur, as Malaysia’s lovely capital, embodies Malaysia’s truly Asian spirit to the hilt. KL is vibrant, cosmopolitan, exciting and very Asian. Check out our experience of KL’s offerings and our list of sights and experiences that you simply shouldn’t miss when you’re in Kuala Lumpur!
Explore KL on your two feet and you’ll get the best out of the city. Explore Little India; check out the beautiful Sri Kandaswamy Temple, the many churches, street shops and so on. Try some cool Indian food and pick up a saree or Indian outfit. Then walk through Kampung Baru, a traditional Malay village. Visit Chow Kit, a colorful street market area, and explore all the locally-made goodies. If you’re not confident of exploring all these areas by yourself, sign up for walking tours.
The Lake Gardens is KL’s green lung. Here you’ll be able to enjoy a number of parks such as the KL Bird Park, the Kuala Lumpur Butterfly Park and the Orchid & Hibiscus Gardens. Be sure to check out the fascinating Royal Malaysian Police Museum and the Islamic Arts Museum while you’re at the Lake Gardens.
Petaling Street is well-known for the vibrant Central Market, restaurants and herbal medicine shops. Central Market is a heritage building where you can buy Malaysian handicrafts such as batik, pewter items, wood carvings and art works. Do check out the Art House Gallery Museum of Ethnic Arts which houses exquisite tribal arts from Borneo.
Malaysia’s shopping scene is well-known among tourists. You can buy everything from the latest designer fashion to alcohol to electronics here, at fairly easy pricing. The shopping here is so good; it’s well worth obtaining a Malaysia Visa just for the purpose of shopping!
This museum was once the residence of the royal family. Now you can tour the royal family’s private apartments, their clothing, furniture and the luxuriously appointed rooms with their gold accents.
Batu is a massive cave temple; you’ll have to climb a number of steps to get to the top. It is the most famous Hindu temple in the country, dedicated to the Hindu Lord Murugan, whose enormous statue guards the entrance. The temple has three main shrines, one for each prime god in Hinduism – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. The Temple Cave is located on top of the mountain; its walls are covered with carved Hindu legends. There are several monkeys in the area which are more than happy to grab your belongings, so be careful.
The best way to get to know Kuala Lumpur and Malaysia is to visit the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre. You can sign up for complimentary guided tours to the tin factory to learn the history of tin-making in Malaysia, which is a 129-year old family business. You can learn about pewter craftsmanship and about batik making and much more.
Conclusion
Here’s a tasty tidbit for the shopper in you. Look up stores in Malaysia displaying the IRIS Global Blue Tax Free Shopping sign in the window. All you do is spend MYR 300 (inclusive of GST) and request a GST Refund Form. If you’re staying for a few months in Malaysia, just combine receipts from a single Approved Outlet and claim the tax paid on all of them before you leave the country. Be sure to keep your passport ready for shop staff verification.
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