Posted 05 July 2022 in Travel wanderlust

Explore why Kuala Lumpur is the ultimate travel destination

Kuala Lumpur is the capital city of Malaysia and its largest city. Kuala Lumpur is usually recognised for its contemporary skyline, flashy shopping malls, historic mosques and high-end hotels.

Known for housing some of the significant landmarks such as Batu Caves, the Petronas Twin Towers, visitors can witness its multicultural diversity. While the Petronas Twin Towers showcases the contemporary architecture of the city, Batu Caves will indicate the cultural diversity of the city.

Tourists can also see the British colonial-era architecture in the city as the Sultan Abdul Samad Building and Kuala Lumpur Railway Station are both British colonial-era landmarks.

Places to visit in Kuala Lumpur

Petronas Twin Towers: The 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers holds the position of being the tallest twin towers across the world. The twin towers are a significant landmark of not just Kuala Lumpur but of Malaysia too. With a height of 451 m, currently, it stands at number seven on the list of tallest buildings in the world. Petronas Twin Towers offers a skybridge for the general public, which is 58-metre long and has an observation deck. Tourists can buy tickets for visiting the landmark. It will be a 45-minute tour.

Kuala Lumpur Tower: Kuala Lumpur Tower is another major landmark of the city with an astounding height of 421 m. Tourists can witness the stunning view of the city from its deck, which is open to visitors. Other than offering a spectacular view of Kuala Lumpur, the tower also houses a revolving restaurant, an amphitheatre, beautiful pools and souvenir shops.

Batu Caves: To witness Kuala Lumpur’s cultural diversity, visit Batu Caves. It is believed to be a 400 million years old limestone hill housing cave temples and a sequence of limestone caves. ‘Batu’, in Malay, means rock. The cave is dedicated to Lord Murugan and is one of the famous Hindu shrines outside India. Visitors need to climb a total of 272 steps to explore the beauty of Batu Caves.

Islamic Arts Museum: The museum can easily be listed as one of the important and most beautiful Islamic Arts Museums, in not just Malaysia but Southeast Asia. If you want to know about Islamic art, designs, patterns, handicrafts and architecture, Islamic Arts Museum would be the right choice for you as the museum is home to over 7000 limited Islamic artefacts from all over the world.

Aquaria KLCC: If you are travelling with your kids in Kuala Lumpur, this place will be the perfect choice for you to take your kids for an outing. Aquaria KLCC is an ultra-modern aquarium located below the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre. It also has some special programs for children. The aquarium boasts housing around 5000 aquatic and land-bound creatures. Visitors will need to take out around 2 hours of their time to visit the place.

Sultan Abdul Samad Building: Built in the 19th century, the Sultan Abdul Samad Building is located in front of the Royal Selangor Club in Kuala Lumpur. The important feature of this building is its design. The building was built completely of brick. One can witness influences of western, gothic and Moorish-style in its arches, porch, curved colonnades and a 41-metre high clock tower.

Indulge in Kuala Lumpur’s dreamy culinary affair

Malaysian cuisine is a perfect blend of Thai, Chinese and Indian cuisine because of its multicultural diversity.

Some of the traditional and authentic Malay dishes to try out in Kuala Lumpur are:

Pulut kuning: In simple language, the traditional Malay dish is known as turmeric glutinous rice. Pulut Kuning is often prepared on special occasions, weddings or during festivals. It is served with chicken. The dish plays a significant role in Malay culture.
Nasi lemak:It is a very common dish in Kuala Lumpur mainly served for breakfast. The main ingredient of the dish is coconut milk. Rice is soaked in coconut milk in the dish. It is a regular dish of Malay people. The dish is served with seafood, vegetables and meat.
Masak lemak: This Malay dish is a sauce with a base ingredient as coconut cream and milk. It is garnished with ginger, shallots, garlic and turmeric to perk up the flavour. It is served with steaming hot rice and cooked chicken with lemongrass for a citrus flavour.
Nasi kandar: This Malay dish is inspired by Indian cuisine. It is a common dish in Kuala Lumpur and can be easily found in any food stall. The dish includes a rice combo with fried vegetables, fried squid, fried chicken or fish in red gravy.
Laksa: Laksa is a staple dish of Malaysian cuisine. Laksa is not just famous in Malaysia but is a popular dish in other southeast Asian countries too. There are several variations of this dish. It is a spicy noodle soup with fish or prawns in it.

Cultural festivals in Kuala Lumpur

Festivals in Malaysia are a melting pot of various religious groups, including Hindus, Muslims, Buddhists, Christians and Sikhs. There are several cultural activities in Kuala Lumpur that natives celebrate with enthusiasm and zeal. Tourists can get themselves involved in those for a perfect stay in the city.

Chinese New Year: Chinese New Year is celebrated in the month of February and is the biggest Chinese Festival in Malaysia. Tourists can see people dressed as dragons and lions dancing in the city. The dance is to ward off bad luck and evil spirits.Chinese Malaysians celebrate the festival by a dance performed at their homes and shops. Streets and malls are decorated with red lanterns during the festival. In Chinese culture, the red colour symbolises good luck.

Thaipusam: Thaipusam is one of the important and annual festivals celebrated in the month of January by Hindu Tamilians. Thai is a Tamil month and Pushya star is called Poosam in Tamil. The festival falls on the full moon day in the Tamil month of Thai concurring with Pushya star. The festival commemorates the occasion when Goddess Parvati gave Murugan, also known as Kartikeya in Hindi mythology, a Vel. ‘Vel’ is the divine javelin that Kartikeya carries with himself. The festival is of great significance among Tamilians in Kuala Lumpur.

Gawai Harvest Festival: Gawai Harvest Festival is one of the popular festivals of the country particularly celebrated in the Sarawak state of Malaysia. Native ethnic groups like the Murut, Iban, Kayan and Bidayuh take part in the festival. The Gawai Harvest Festival was once celebrated by pagans. However, it has evolved over time and has become a public party type festival. To make it more entertaining, a beauty pageant is being organised during the festival where men and women can participate. The Gawai Harvest Festival ends with crowning the King and Queen of the festival.

The Dragon Boat Festival:The International Dragon Boat Festival is celebrated mainly in Penang, around 4 hours drive from Kuala Lumpur, in the month of December. The festival attracts tourists in large numbers. Competitors are not just from Malaysia but from other nations like China, Hong Kong and Singapore. The festival gives a unique experience to the tourists and visitors. If you are in Kuala Lumpur in December, head to Penang for this lifetime memory.

Kuala Lumpur Climate

Kuala Lumpur is near the equator and thus the climate in the city is even all year. It receives a lot of rainfall in the months of March and April. Days during the winter months are pleasant, however, nights are chilly.

Best time to visit Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur can be visited all months of the year. However, the ideal months are May, June and July or winter months like December, January and February. December to

February is also the peak season for tourists. One should avoid planning trips in the months of March and April, as the place witnesses heavy rainfall.

How to reach Kuala Lumpur?

By Air: IndiGo airline offers seamless flights to Kuala Lumpur. The IndiGo flight route also offers connecting flights between Kuala Lumpur and other major cities of India. The Kuala Lumpur International Airport serves the city. Located at a distance of 50 km from the city centre, this international airport caters to national and international airlines.

By Rail: Kuala Lumpur Sentral station houses the main railway station of the city. The hub offers seamless connectivity to all the major destinations within the area. The station is linked to major highways in Kuala Lumpur, which offers remarkable connectivity.

By Road: Kuala Lumpur is well equipped with all the major modes of transportations. From buses to taxis and commuter trains, the city has it all. Getting around is convenient and easy in Kuala Lumpur with these vast networks of modes of transportations. Local and tourists also use the metro and rapid transit trains for connectivity.

Tips for travelling to Kuala Lumpur

It is better to book tickets beforehand to plan your trip wisely and avoid any last-minute hassle.
You must also follow COVID-19 protocols, and maintain a safe distance, and wear a mask at all times.
Since Kuala Lumpur has a tropical climate throughout the year, take your most durable summer clothes to accommodate external temperatures.
One should not miss out on having fun at night markets. You can be a little adventurous and indulge in roadside dining as international Asian street food mingles with the local cultural delicacies.
Most of the must-see designated areas in Kuala Lumpur are found in the same vicinity. Hence to reduce the walking, one can take the LRT/Monorail, the Bukit Bintang-KLCC walkway, or hop on the purple free MyRapid buses to get around the place.

Conclusion

With these exciting tourist destinations in the city, Kuala Lumpur has so much to offer to its visitors and tourists. Its modern beauty, rich culture and legacy will leave you amazed.