Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia and a very cool place to spend a few days if you have a stop over or just want to have some fun. A lot of tourists go there on its own merit so don’t write off this vibrant little city.
Vital Stats
Population: 1.6 Million
Size: 244 km2
Climate: Between 22 and 32 celsius year round. (Farenheit 65 – 90)
Language: Practically everybody speaks perfect English.
Phone Numbers:
- Police: 999
- Tourist Police: +603-2149-6590 (Hotline) / +603-2149-6593 (Enquiries)
- Ambulance: 999
- Fire: 994
Hospitals:
- General Hospital Kuala Lumpur / Tel:6(03)-7722-2692
- HeartScan Malaysia / Tel:6(03)-2287-0988
- Island Hospital / Tel:6(04)-2288-222
Alcohol: Plentiful but a litle expensive for Asia. Expect to pay US$3 for a 375ml Tiger Beer at a minimum and $10 in trendy pubs or clubs.
Summary: Getting around KL is cheap and fast outside rush hour. Accommodation is cheap and plentiful and there are plenty of things to do if you’re in a touristy mood. They have 66 shopping malls, plenty of pubs, thousands of restaurants and a heap of nature parks etc. If you wan to get out of the city for a day or two, KL is within easy striking distance of Malaka to the south, the Cameron Highlands to the north and even Taman Negara a little further afield.
Transport: Kuala Lumpur has a well developed train system, two light rails and a monrail, none of which you will ever pay more than $US1 for a fare within the central city. Taxi’s are plentiful and usually charge about 10 Ringits (US$3) for rides under about 15 minutes. There are also plenty of busses, but they are generally old and dirty and while they are cheap, you should probably spill the $1 for a train.
Accommodation: There are plenty of cheap hotels in Kuala Lumpur, but don’t undercut yourself if you don’t have to. It isn’t that difficult to find a 5 star hotel from as little as $80 a night if you look on the hotel aggregation sites.
Food / Drink: Kuala Lumpur has a huge array of restaurants. The street food of China town is great and safe and will set you back about US$3-5 for a meal. More expensive restaurants go up from about US$35 per head up to well over $100 per head. The thing that tends to blow out the cost of eating is the cost of drinking. Kuala Lumpur has all of the alcohol you could want, but it is a lot more expensive than other places in Asia. Read our full section on Kuala Lumpur bars and restaurants for more options.
Entertainment / Things to Do: KL has no shortage of amusements for the short term tourists. In addition to its 66 shopping malls, you can get a quick cab ride out to see the largest enclosed bird park in the world, which just happens to be next to the Butterfly Park and the Orchid Park. There are also plenty of other things to do in Kuala Lumpur.
Photography: There are a ton of photographic opportunities in Kuala Lumpur. The above-mentioned Bird and Butterfly park are great and you can get a good shot of the Petronus Towers from the Sky Bar in Trader’s Hotel. Don’t forget to visit the Sky Tower for a view of the whole city.
