Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur - Jan 19 - Jan 30, 2025
After we landed, we exchanged some money at the airport in order to have local currency Ringgit cash for the bus tickets.
How to get from Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA)
to Downtown
The fastest way to get from
the Airport to the city centre is by taking the train. There are two trains
servicing the route. KLIA Express is a non-stop service to KL Sentral Station
and it takes 28 minutes. The other train is KLIA Transit with 3 stops and takes
35 minutes. A ticket costs 55 RM (Ringgit). The cheapest way to get to downtown
is by taking the Express Coach Bus from Level 1, Bloc C, Short Term Car Park
and Level 1 Main Terminal Building. The cost of the ticket is only 15 RM. The
journey will take one hour and the bus departs every hour. The tickets must be
purchased with cash. Finding the bus ticket counter can be a little tricky and
we were a bit confused as directions were not so well marked but after asking
around people and also at the Information Desk we finally found it. The tickets
showed seat numbers but when we got on the bus, those numbers did not exist and
we were told to just sit anywhere we please. At least the seats were very
big and comfortable. The trip took longer than an hour by 45 minutes because of
all the traffic going to Kuala Lumpur.
After we arrived at KL Sentral by bus, being morning and having enough time until check in, we walked 3.7 km to our hotel. Our room was on level 18, so we had a nice city view and the hotel had, among the 3 elevators, a unique glass elevator, with views of all the floors and the breakfast area as we got up to our floor.
The breakfast was
very nice, lots of cooked Malaysian dishes but also classic, western ones.
Top places to visit in Kuala Lumpur
Our hotel was in close proximity to KL Tower so we visited it on our first day, while waiting to check in to the hotel. KL Tower is the highest viewpoint in Kuala Lumpur open to the public. Construction of the tower finished in 1996 and the tower’s antenna makes its height 421 meters. While visiting we also watched a documentary about the history of the tower and learnt that the architectural design is based on Islamic architecture reflecting Malaysia Islamic heritage, with Arabic calligraphy, geometric-patterned tiles and Islamic abstract patterns.
Situated opposite to the Independence Square, it is one of the
most prominent and treasured heritage buildings and a major historical landmark
dating back to the late 19th century. The building has three towers
and tall white arches, curved columns, two domes and its high clock tower was
designed to replicate Big Ben. Today this government office building is a major
tourist attraction.
The Independence Square or
Merdeka Square is the place where the Malaysian Independence was declared in
1957, when the UK Union Flag was lowered and the Malaysia Flag was raised. The
95 meters flagpole is one of the world’s tallest. Close to the flagpole is
Victoria Fountain, which was shipped from Britain to commemorate Queen Victoria
diamond jubilee in 1897 but was assembled on site only in 1904. The monument is
a symbol of Kuala Lumpur’s colonial history.
Old Kuala Lumpur Railway Station
Still in use, KTM Komuter
trains stop here, it is one of Kuala Lumpur most characteristic colonial
buildings and the most unique among South Asia’s railway stations. The station
is situated across the street from another historical building, the Railway
Administration Building, with equally beautiful architecture.
Also called Masjid Negara,
this mosque’s design features a 73-metre-high minaret and a roof shaped like a
pointed star, similar to an open umbrella. Surrounded by
reflecting pools and fountains. it is one of the largest in Malaysia
and can accommodate 15,000 worshippers. To visit the mosque is free. It was our
first ever visit to a mosque, a unique experience. Visiting the mosque requires
proper attire, men are expected to wear long trousers and women are required to
cover their bodies. At the entrance, after taking your shoes off, you are
provided with a free robe, if necessary, and after that you can roam freely to
take pictures and enjoy the mosque architecture.
This was one of the most
unique and interesting museums we ever visited. The museum’s collection is
truly representative of the Islamic world with works from Persia, Middle East,
China and Southeast Asia organised in twelve permanent galleries. The building is
modern but with some Islamic details. Inside the building the architecture
features five round domes, each unique, while on the roof the domes are turquoise-coloured,
making the museum a landmark in Kuala Lumpur.
Also called Menara Warisan
Merdeka, it is 678.9 m tall, which makes it the second-tallest building and
structure in the world, behind Burj Khalifa at 829.8 m tall. The building was
officially opened by the King of Malaysia in January 2024, but construction
work is still going inside, so at the time of our visit, it was not open to
public. But we still admired it and took plenty of pictures, from different
spots in Kuala Lumpur, at day and at night.
Petaling Street is the
Chinatown of Kuala Lumpur and one of the most famous and visited places in the
city. The area is always bustling with locals or tourists, coming here for the
famous street foods or to bargain for clothes, souvenirs, fabrics, shoes found
at the many little stalls spread along on Petaling Street and the neighbouring
side streets. Here we also found a charming alley with nice murals drawn by
local artists, Kwai Chai Hong, a hidden gem, located on a side street along Lorong
Panggung Street. The entrance to the alley is over a little red bridge and the
whole place is filled with colourful lanterns hanging above.
Chan See Shu Yuen Temple Ancestral Hall
While in the Jalan Petaling
Street area, we passed by this building located at its southern end. The
building is rather an association building with a family temple inside but the
architectural design was amazing, featuring pottery figurines of ancient
Chinese personalities and mythological characters. Because of the well
preserved unique architecture, the building was declared a heritage building by
the Malaysian government.
Located close to Chinatown,
this is the oldest Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur. Similar to the one we visited
in Thailand, the temple has a 5-tiered, pyramid shaped tower, colourfully
decorated with depictions of Hindu gods. Mariamman is the Hindu goddess of
weather, venerated by people from South India.
Very popular with tourists,
this is an open-air market, a covered pedestrian walkway, with stalls selling
clothes, accessories or local food.
Central Market is a tourist
attraction situated in the heart of Kuala Lumpur, near Kasturi Walk, and a few
minutes from Petaling Street. It is another place where you could shop for
souvenirs, handicrafts, clothes, at affordable prices. The upper level of
Central Market has a nice food court with food stalls and restaurants where you
could try either local or western cuisine.
Sultan Abdul Samad Jamek Mosque
Centrally located, Jamek
Mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Kuala Lumpur. The mosque is made with
white marble, detailed carvings and mosaics and was designed with a dome and
four tall minarets. The entrance to the mosque is free and free robes are
provided if necessary.
Outside the Jamek Mosque,
you can stroll along the beautiful river bordering the mosque, the River of Life,
one of the most iconic place in Kuala Lumpur. Found at the convergence point of
Klang and Gombak rivers, the River of Life is a government urban river
restoration project trying to transform the polluted river into a lively
waterfront. Best time to visit River of Life is at night when the river is
glowing from the blue lights and the mist released through the water jets.
Day trip to Batu Caves
To get to Batu Caves we got
on KTM Seremban Line train (currently Batu Caves-Pulau Sebang Line). We
purchased tickets from the ticket vending machine inside the station and we
paid only RM 4.60 for a return ticket per person. The train stops at the Batu
Caves Station and from there is only a short walk to the attraction.
Batu Caves is a well known attraction that everybody visits or should visit while in Kuala Lumpur. Batu Caves has three main limestone caves featuring temples and Hindu shrines. The main attractions are the big golden statue of the Lord Muragan, the Hindu God at the entrance, the steep 272 colourful steps that take you up to the Temple Cave but also the macaque monkeys roaming around, harassing tourists for food or trying to steal anything they can from the visitors. Once we climbed all the stairs we stared at the Temple Cave's high vaulted ceiling and were amazed to notice how much bigger it was compared to what we imagined a cave will be.
Batu Caves – Cave Villa
We also visited Cave Villa, which had plenty of colourful statues and paintings from Hindu mythology. The complex had also an outdoor mini zoo, a cave with live reptiles displays and even live dancing shows at specific hours.
Bank Negara Malaysia Museum and Art Gallery
After coming back from Batu
Caves we visited this museum as it was closed to Bank Negara train station. The
museum has six permanent interesting galleries: Children, Bank Negara,
Economics, Numismatics, Islamic Finance and Art Galleries.
With a height of 451.9 meters and a unique design, Petronas Twin Towers is Kuala Lumpur most famous attraction and a major landmark. The 88-floor towers are made of reinforced concrete with a steel and glass façade and a design inspired from Islamic Art. Visiting the towers requires advance planning as the tickets are sold out many days in advance. A regular adult ticket for Non-Malaysian, for the Sky Bridge and Observation Deck is RM 98 but we took advantage of the Seniors tickets (over 60 years old) which were only RM 50. The visit is somehow timed just to control the flow of visitors. While waiting in line we were given colored stickers, a different colour for each scheduled time so that the staff tries to shorten the visit of people that linger around for too long. The towers are beautiful during the day but even more in the evening when they change colours.
Saloma Bridge
Another beautiful
attraction in Kuala Lumpur, about 600 meters walk from Petronas Towers, is the
Saloma Bridge, also called Saloma Link. The bridge’s unique design was inspired
by Sirih Junjung, an ornamental leaf offered in Malay weddings. The bridge
comes alive in the evening when the 69-metre-long structure is lit up with
changing colours. From the bridge you can also have a great view of Petronas
Towers.
The iconic 6-storey mall is
located beneath the Petronas Towers. Beside the over 320 high end stores, the
mall features a large cinema, an orchestra hall, an aquarium, a convention
center, an art gallery and a beautiful park. We visited days before the Chinese
New Year so the mall was beautifully decorated for the occasion. Because of its
location inside Petronas Towers, the mall is always crowded with people
shopping or just passing through to get to the Symphony Lake for the Water
Show.
This is the park
located directly in front of KLCC Mall and Petronas Towers and also includes
also the man-made Symphony Lake where the Water and Light show is held. It is
also a perfect picture spot for Petronas Towers.
Located in front of
Pavilion Mall in Bukit Bintang famous neighbourhood, the fountain features the
Bloom of Hibiscus, the national flower of Malaysia and was designed to
symbolize the multi-racial and culturally diverse society of Malaysia
The store can be found in
the heart of Bukit Bintang area, two blocks away from the Pavilion Mall
and it is a place where you can buy discounted authentic Japanese items from
food, snacks to homeware or beauty products.
This shopping centre has
over 1,000 retails shops selling fashion, foods, tech, beauty, souvenirs at
very good prices.
This vast park is like a
forest in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. After visiting the Tugu Negara War
Memorial and the Asean Sculpture Garden we hiked the many trails crisscrossing
the park. It was a nice place to spend time in nature while visiting Kuala
Lumpur.
Perdana Botanical Gardens are a large recreational park located behind the National Museum, in the city centre. You can easily spend a day here visiting the park’s many attractions: Sunken Garden, Orchid Garden, Hibiscus Garden, the Herbarium, a Deer Park, a Bird Park and a Butterfly Park or just stroll around its lake, admire Perdana Canopy, a unique free-form shelter and have a snack or an ice-cream at the Botani Cafe near the water fountain.
National Museum of Malaysia
This museum is dedicated to
Malaysian culture, art and history and has four galleries starting from Early
History to Malaysia Today as well as an outdoor exhibition. The entry to the museum
was only 5 RM for a non Malaysian visitor.
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KLCC Symphony Lake Light and Water and Show
Just outside the Suria KLCC
Mall is the Symphony Lake with Light and Water show times at 8 pm, 9 pm and 10
pm daily. Visiting just before the Chinese New Year we were lucky to see also a
Drone show.
Hindu Temples in Kuala Lumpur
Aside from Sri
Mahamariamman Temple, we visited
four other Hindu temples, 20 minutes walk from KL Sentral:
Sree Veera Hanuman Temple, Kuil Sri Krishna Temple, Sri Maha Muneswarar and Sri Kandaswamy Temple, all equally beautiful and designed with colourful crafted
ornamentation and details.
Little India in Brickfields
is a neighbourhood in Kuala Lumpur with a majority of Indian businesses and
residents. The main street is lined up with decorative arches and everything
from the street to the buildings is painted in beautiful vibrant colours. The
shops sell various Indian products and the restaurants sell mainly Indian food
and delicacies.
This Chinese temple must be the most beautiful temple we visited in Kuala Lumpur. Dedicated to the Chinese sea goddess Mazu, the six-tiered temple is designed with a classical Chinese architecture. The wooden roof is nicely decorated with fishes, dragons, phoenixes, dragons, lions and elephants. The beams are painted in vibrant colours and sharp contrasts. At the time of our visit the whole place was decorated with red and orange lanterns hanging everywhere in preparation for the Chinese New Year. The entrance to the temple is free and there are also few shops at the main level that sell souvenirs and snacks.
Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan (The Federal Territory Mosque)
This is a Sunni mosque
located about 10 minutes’ drive from Kuala Lumpur’ centre. After wasting some
time waiting in a questionable location, for Bus 851 that goes directly at the
mosque, as per Google, we decided to take a Grab Taxi and we were there in no
time. We only paid about 17 RM one way. The rules of visiting a mosque are the
same, all visitors of all religions and beliefs are required to cover up
(including wearing a headscarf) as a sign of respect. After we entered and of
course received my robe, we were assigned a personal mosque guide, who took us
around to visit the place and gave us a lot of information about the mosque, its
architecture, their religion and also answered all our questions. The mosque
design was inspired from the Otoman Empire design but also combined with some Malay
elements. On the roof there are 22 domes nicely decorated with blue tiles. The
main arch and the mihrab (the niche in the wall of a mosque that indicates the
qibla, the direction of Mecca, towards which Muslims should face when praying)
were decorated with marble sourced from India and carved by master carvers from
India. Even if it is a bit farther away from the city, the mosque is so
beautiful, is worthy visiting.
Day trip to Putrajaya
To get to Putrajaya, we
took the KLIA Transit ERL Train from KL Sentral to Putrajaya Sentral. The trip
by train was about 20 minutes and a return ticket was 28 RM per person, which
can be purchased either at a Ticket Vending Machine or from a Ticket Office.
Putrajaya serves as the administrative capital of Malaysia and is a beautiful
city with a lot of things to do and see. We spent a full day here, walking
everywhere. The city’s layout is a big contrast compared to Kuala Lumpur. As
soon as you enter the city, you see scenic bridges, large boulevards, flawless
government buildings and plenty of green areas.
Walking from the railway
station to the city will take you first to Seri Wawasan Bridge, famous for its
futuristic design and then to Putra Bridge, the main bridge in Putrajaya,
spanning 435 metres. Its design features four pillars which house observation platforms
that are perfect spots to see the Putra Mosque.
Visiting this mosque was
the same like visiting the other mosques, I received a hooded robe and we were
taken on a free tour by a volunteer guide, who gave us information about the
mosque, their religion and answered our questions. Among the things we learned
from our guide was that this is a modern mosque, built of 6,000 tones of
reinforced stainless steel. The mosque relies on natural ventilation and an air
cooling technology rather than fans or air conditioners that we have seen in
other mosques. It also has an ultrasonic technology to repel birds. Its German
and Chinese architecture differs from the design of the traditional mosques,
lacking some classic features such as minarets. While conservative in
worshipping and day to day life, the mosque’s modern look is in line with the modern
design of the whole city.
Putra Mosque, also called
the Pink Mosque, is the main mosque in Putrajaya and it is visually striking
because of its pink colour that comes from the rose tinted granite used for its
construction. The mosque has a 116-metre tall minaret, a dome with blue-tinted windows
and carved wooden doors, its main entrance being inspired from the gates of
Persia. Its beauty attracts a lot of visitors. We had to stay in line to get my
robe but after that we were able to wander around freely to take pictures.
Very close and visible from
the Putra Mosque, situated on the main hill is the Prime Minister’s Office.
While you cannot visit, the imposing building is worth a peek.
Tangga Putrajaya Steps and Taman Putra Perdana Park
The iconic 250 steps lead to
Taman Putra Perdana Park and were inspired from other world famous steps such
as the Spanish Steps in Italy. The park covers a large area, about 158 acres
and offers panoramic views of the city. In the middle of the park and at the
top of the stairs is a pyramid-shaped monument, symbol of Putrajaya and also lots of
fountains.
Spread over 92 hectares, it
is one of the largest botanical gardens in Malaysia. Divided in three main
areas, Decorative Garden, Etnobotany Park and Research and Rehabilitation, the
garden features hundreds of species of plants from different continents. You
could spend a day just visiting this place.
Located on the grounds of
the Botanical Gardens, the Moroccan Pavilion has a striking architecture. Its
columns, arches, the mosaic walls were crafted in Moroccan style with detailed
carvings and geometrical patterns, using materials imported from Moroccan.
Visiting the Pavilion you feel like you are on a different continent.
While visiting the Iron
Mosque and the Putrajaya Square you cannot help by notice the imposing Palace
of Justice building that houses the Federal Court of Malaysia. Situated along
the main boulevard and facing the Grand Mosque, the building’s design is a
blend of Islamic influence, like India’s Taj Majal and European architectural
style.
Putrajaya Square and the Kiblat Walk
The Kiblat Walk is a skyway
between Putrajaya Square, Putrajaya Complex and the Iron Mosque that passes
underneath a huge arch gateway made of a grid of steel blades. Putrajaya Square
is where people come to celebrate major events, like National Day parade, Ramadan festival or just to relax.
More than just a mall where
you can shop at high end stores, eat or drink, this huge shopping place
features also a rooftop park, a major green space, with playgrounds for kids,
little fountains and pathways designed for total relaxations and leisure.
Some random pictures from Kuala Lumpur
