Tourist Attractions to Visit in Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is one of the nicest cities in Southeast Asia. It has plenty of tourist attractions, heritage sites and shopping centres that tourists will truly enjoy. The city is also a good place for local food experience. Try to taste Nasi Lemak and Nasi Goreng.
Staying for a day might not be enough to experience everything in Kuala Lumpur. But with its efficient transport system, getting around can be easy. You can tour around without a guide, if you are feeling a little adventurous. But again you can also join sightseeing tour for convenience.
I’ve been to Kuala Lumpur several times already and I have to tell that I haven’t explored the city completely yet. That is because my top priority always from those previous visits was to see Petronas Towers. So when I got the chance to go to Kuala Lumpur again, I decided to spend longer. I had three whole days wherein I allotted two days for the city and one day for a side trip to Melaka. So in two days, here are the places that I was able to check out.
Batu Caves
Thirteen kilometres north of the capital city Kuala Lumpur is where Batu Caves is, a sacred place for the Hindus. It is an iconic site with series of caves featuring temples and Hindu shrines that attracts thousands of worshippers and tourists. The main attraction is the large statue of the Hindu God at the entrance. Located beside it is a steep 272 climb up to the sacred Batu Caves, where you can also see a spectacular view of the city.
The easiest way to get here is to take KTM Komuter train service from KL Sentral to Batu Caves.
Merdeka Square
The best place to learn history and culture of Malaysia is the Merdeka Square. It is one of the cities best-known landmarks. It is also called as Dataran Merdeka, and is located in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building (the former State Secretariat). Surrounding the square are many buildings of historical interest. This is where the tallest flagpole in the world can also be found proudly displaying the Jalur Gemilang (Malaysian flag). The best time to go here is during evening when all the buildings are illuminated.
Alight to these nearby train stations, Masjid Jamek, Pasar Seni or Bank Negara, to easily reach this place.
Kuala Lumpur City Gallery
Another place to visit for history is the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery, which is located in a historical building at Merdeka Square. This is an interesting tourist information centre with paintings and photos of the city’s history on display. It also has miniature mock ups of famous city landmarks, which is a remarkable part of the gallery to see. This place also has a gift store for locally made handicrafts and good souvenirs.
Accessible train stations to get here are Masjid Jamek, Pasar Seni or Bank Negara.
Menara Kuala Lumpur Tower
This landmark tower offers the best and scenic city views. It also has a revolving restaurant providing diners with a panoramic view of the city. Observation deck ticket starts from RM 53 ($13) per person for adults.
Nearby train station is Bukit Nanas.
Petronas Twin Towers
The Petronas Twin Towers is the most famous landmark in Malaysia. The towers were once the tallest buildings in the world but still holding the title of the world’s tallest twin structures. Standing 452 metres tall, it is an iconic and stunning piece of architecture to see in Kuala Lumpur. It looks magnificent and even more at night with its metallic feature. It might sound cliché but this site is a must visit when in the city.
Located at the base of the towers is Suria KLCC, which is an upscale shopping mall. While surrounding the towers is a spacious and beautifully landscaped KLCC Park that has walking paths, jogging track, water fountain and wading pool for children.
Getting to the sky bridge and all the way to the level 86 of the towers is also a nice thing to experience. Observation deck ticket starts from RM 85 ($20) per person for adults.
The easiest way to get here is to take the train to KLCC.
Aside from these tourist attractions, I was also able to go to some shopping centres like Central Market, China Town and Bukit Bintang. In my two days in Kuala Lumpur, it was hard to believe that I wasn’t able to maximise my time to fully explore the city. But I guess it’s a reason for me to go to this place again. I still have many places that I missed, which of course I will see the next time that I’ll be in Kuala Lumpur again.
