KUALA LUMPUR

 Tours from Kuala Lumpur | Kuala Lumpur at a glance | Kuala Lumpur History | Kuala Lumpur Location | Getting around Kuala Lumpur | Kuala Lumpur Attractions

Kuala Lumpur Hotels - up to 75% discount over published rates

KUALA LUMPUR AT A GLANCE:

Kuala Lumpur meaning, in Malay, a "muddy confluence", had its origins as a shanty mining outpost for the tin trade in the 1800's at the confluence of the Gombak and the Klang Rivers.  Today, KL as it is popularly known, is a bustling metropolis, the federal capital of Malaysia and is the principle canter of commerce, politics, entertainment and international activities.  The site of the original settlement draws a steady stream of tourists, largely to the adjacent Sultan Abdul Samad Building and the Merdeka Square where the British Flag was lowered for the last time on August 31, 1957 and replaced by the new Malaysian flag.  The city's skyline is rapidly changing and presently boasts of the world's tallest building, magnificent Petronas Twin Towers standing at 452m as well as the Menara Kuala Lumpur the world's fourth tallest.  In 130 years, Kuala Lumpur has grown from nothing to a modern, bustling city of well over a million people.  Superficially, KL (as it's almost universally known) may appear to be just another modern Asian city of gleaming skyscrapers, but it retains much of the character and local color that has been so effectively wiped out in other Asian-boom cities such as Singapore.  It has plenty of colonial buildings in its centre, a vibrant Chinatown with street vendors and night markets, and a bustling Little India.   Despite the economic crisis, Kuala Lumpur is currently the site of large-scale development, with work underway on a new US$8 billion city on the southern fringe of the capital as well as an adjoining 'ultra-high-tech multimedia super corridor'.  Before the Asian economic crisis hit in 1997, there were also plans to build the world's longest building, too.  Budget hotels and hostels can be found in Chinatown and Jalan Pudu Lama.  Mid-range hotels are concentrated in Chinatown and on Jalan Bukit Bintang.  The night market in Chinatown is the most interesting place to eat in the evening.  More than any other spot in the country, Kuala Lumpur, is the focal point of new Malaysia.  While the city's past is still present in the evocative British colonial buildings of the Dataran Merdeka and the midnight lamps of the Petaling Street night market, that past is everywhere met with insistent reminders of KL's present and future.  The city's bustling streets, it's shining, modern office towers, and its cosmopolitan air project an unbounded spirit of progress and symbolize Malaysia's unhesitating leap into the future.  To some, this spirit seems to have been gained at the loss of ancient cultural traditions, but in many ways, KL marks the continuation rather than the loss of Malaysia's rich past.  Like Malacca five hundred years before, KL's commercial centre is a grand meeting place for merchants and travelers from all over the world.  In the same way, the city brings together Malaysia's past and present, its many constituent cultures, and even its remarkable natural treasures, allowing first-time visitors an invaluable opportunity to see Malaysia as a whole before setting off to explore its parts.  As the entry point for most visitors and the meeting point of the country's many attractions, Kuala Lumpur is a grand gateway to a fascinating destination.  With a height of 1,453 feet, the world's tallest buildings now rise above the skyline of Kuala Lumpur.  They are called the Petronas Towers, and, inevitably, they have become the symbols for the astounding growth that has taken place in Malaysia over the last two decades.  From its centralized position, which spans 243.6 sq.km, the ultra-modern nerve center of Malaysia expands outwards to embrace the world.  Discovering KL is like traveling through a time tunnel.  Here, vivid traces of history continue to influence and inspire a country set on becoming a fully industrialized nation by the year 2020.  Ultra-modern skyscrapers stand magnificently next to rows and rows of quaint old shop houses while haute cuisine are located beside simple hawker stalls.  The city is well connected with excellent roads, rails, and air networks such as the newly completed and functional Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) in Sepang.  The capital has also recently hosted the 16th Commonwealth Games 1998 with much success and grandeur! On narrow city streets and six-lane super highways, expensive European cars and more modest Japanese models rub hubcaps daily with the ever growing rash of Protons and Peroduas (results of Malaysia's very own automobile industry).  Meanwhile, steel and glass skyscrapers of every conceivable design sprout almost indiscriminately amongst the older, more sedate buildings of the colonial past.

HISTORY:

In the beginning there was nothing but a lot of mud.  Hence begins an accurate but unappealing chronicle of KL's origins. Returning to its roots may seem a waste of effort as this capital, lying in the heart of the Peninsula has never really left its past.  Kuala Lumpur (Muddy Estuary), started off as a little village at the confluence of Klang and Gombak rivers and was chronicled to have been established by a group of enterprising miners led by one "Yap Ah Loy" or better known these days as Kapitan China.  As time flew, Kuala Lumpur grew.  Today, the city is one of Asia's most vibrant and aspiring cites.  It is the focal point for business ventures and is enjoying an enormous amount of wealth from foreign investment. 
 

LOCATION:
KL is situated midway along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers.  It is approximately 35km from the coast and sits at the centre of the Peninsula's extensive and modern transportation network.  KL is easily the largest city in the nation, possessing a population of over one and a half million people drawn from all of Malaysia's many ethnic groups.
 

GETTING AROUND:
KL has an efficient transportation network that gives the independent visitor the freedom to move around without much hindrance.  Buses and taxi services are available at just about every nook and corner of the city.  Furthermore, you may want to opt for the Light Rail Transit (LRT) if you wish to avoid traffic jams during peak hours.  The KTM Commuter train also connects the city to nearby towns.  Traffic congestion has improved tremendously with the operation of the LRT and various new highways such as the New Klang Valley Expressway (NKVE).

ATTRACTIONS:

Deer and Butterfly Parks, is just one of KL's many delights.  In the National Museum, the dizzying multiplicity of Malaysia's cultural history comes into focus.  For a sojourn in antiquity, the National Museum is a must but there are other museums with specific themes as well.  The city is also an excellent hunting ground for shopping buffs, well-known establishments located along Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman and Jalan Ampang as well as The Mall, Central Market and KL's Chinatown tantalize visitors with their sheer variety of products and the lure of attractive prices.  These areas also throb with the excitement of nightlife and evening entertainment.  Visit the National Theater of the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas for an evening of local and western music or cultural performances.  Explore the numerous food courts, fine restaurants and other eateries to discover the gastronomic delights of the city.  When KL does something, it likes to do it big.  The twin Petronas Towers skyscrapers - the tallest building in the world - dominate the skyline, while in Merdeka Square stands a 95m (312ft) flagpole.  In the Botanical and Bird Parks of the Lake Gardens one is treated to a first glimpse of the unsurpassed beauty and variety of Malaysia's plants and animals.  In the vibrant Central Market, music, crafts, and cultural practices from Kelantan to Sarawak can be explored and experienced. 

 TOURS FROM KUALA LUMPUR: