As one of the major hubs in Southeast Asia, Kuala Lumpur is often overlooked by some travelers as a mere pit stop just to have a sumptuous meal of Nasi Lemak before catching a connecting flight to their final destination. Bad travel take.
Kuala Lumpur Travel Guide: Uncovering the Diverse Culture, Cuisine, and History of KL
Kuala Lumpur, as it turns out, and as my more than half-dozen visits to the city have proven, hides a wealth of intrigue in the shape of the city's diverse culture, cuisine, and history. Recently, I joined a Cebu Pacific Familiarization trip to explore new areas as well as revisit old favorites in and around Kuala Lumpur. As a result, there are many more reasons to return and, perhaps, explore other regions of Malaysia as well.
Here are some places and top things to do in Kuala Lumpur:
Explore KL’s Rich Heritage Trail
Kuala Lumpur is relatively walkable, and with its various Metro train lines, it is much easier to tour the city's rich historical path. One can begin in Chinatown or the Central Market and work their way through several streets filled with architecturally gifted structures.
Situated near each other are outstanding heritage buildings such as the nineteenth-century Mughal structure of Bangunan Sultan Abdul Samad, the visually imposing Masjid Jamek Mosque, and all the way to heritage buildings of all sizes seen at Medan Pasar, Petaling Street, Bukit Nanas, Little India, and Merdeka Square, just to state a few.
One actually needs a whole day or two to fully immerse and marvel at the beautiful hodgepodge of Kuala Lumpur’s impressive architecture and interesting historical past.
Climb the Stairway to Batu Caves
Thanks to a myriad of colors, the repainted 272 steps leading to Batu Caves appear more appealing to the eyes. Setting visuals aside, it was met with controversy as some heritage advocates suggested the lifting of its heritage status because of that major facelift. But for many people, including both Hindu pilgrims and tourists alike, the colorful stairway blends perfectly with the traditional vibrant look of Hindu temples.
A popular Hindu pilgrimage site, Batu Caves is home to the tallest Lord Murugan statue in the world, towering at 42.7 meters. Correspondingly, it is also known as the second-highest Hindu deity statue in the world.
Learn the Handicraft Culture
Kuala Lumpur boasts a handicraft culture dating back to centuries-old artisan traditions that are still practiced today. Among them is the art of making ‘pewter’—also known as “the other fine jewelry metal”—which is a handcrafted material made up of a steely alloy of tin with antimony and copper.
The best place to learn about that handicraft is at the Royal Selangor mother factory at Setapak in Kuala Lumpur. That is the first-ever Malaysian Pewter factory, founded in 1885 by Yong Koon.
Today, the factory has become a popular tourist destination where visitors are guided through the manufacturing line and tutored on the intricate process of handcrafting a pewter product from filing, scotching, hammering, machine polishing, buffing, soldering, hand polishing, and engraving.
One will be amazed at the diverse set of pewter products on display at their mini-museum, such as champagne flutes, coffee sets, candle stands, plaques, and sporting trophies like the Formula 1 tournament held in Kuala Lumpur, trinket boxes, cufflinks, and even figurines of Star Wars and superhero characters.
One can learn more about the textile art of Malaysia called Batik by visiting one of the city’s most prominent Batik factories: the Jadi Batik Gallery in Jalan Imbi. That is the only place in the city where one can watch proficient batik artisans come up with their batik creations from design planning to the eventual finishing touches. One will be amazed at how they turn plain fabrics into vibrant-looking cloths and draperies using only their skillful hands. Various batik works are also on display for sale.
See the City from the KL Tower
After seeing Kuala Lumpur on foot, it is high time to view it from above. Thanks to the 276-meter-high observation deck located at the KL Tower, one can amaze themselves with a magnificent 360-degree view of the city.
Checking out the towering Petronas Twin Towers as it lords over a spectacular skyline that stretches as far as the eye can see is breathtaking. One can even plot where they want to go next just by looking at the maze of routes below leading to other popular landmarks.
Shop at Chinatown and Various Markets
Just like other Southeast Asian cities of Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh, Manila, Hanoi, and Jakarta—Kuala Lumpur also boasts many fascinating shopping districts that sell interesting souvenir items, trinkets, and other artworks of cultural significance.
The vibrant Chinatown located on Petaling Street serves as the best starting point for every tourist wanting to go shopping. There, one can find many intriguing stalls selling local crafts and paintings, as well as appetizing food stalls serving curry and dish-up noodles.
Fusing together shopping and exploration on foot leads one to a handful of places of worship that beam with architectural delight, such as the nineteenth-century Sri Mahamariamman Temple.
The shopping haven extends from Petaling Street toward the Central Market—which is housed in a nice Art Deco building—and to Kasturi Walking Street. Along the way, one will also pass by a couple of nineteenth-century temples: Chan See Shu Yuen Temple and Guan Di Temple.
If one gets tired from their walk, they can always rest and enjoy a finely brewed local coffee at one of the many quaint cafes found in the area.
Discover Hidden Food Havens
Surprisingly, Kuala Lumpur holds its own compared to the more popular foodie cities of Bangkok and Ho Chi Minh. Located around the city are numerous well-known restaurants and hidden gastronomic gems where one can discover and sample some of the best-tasting cuisine in Asia. Here are some lesser-known but must-try food havens in the city.
Restoran Kin Kin in the Chow Kit area is a simple joint that serves a very satisfying bowl of goodness. That is where the popular noodle dish 'Chili Pan Mee' originated back in 1985. Chili Pan Mee is served with wheat noodles, lots of garlic, fried anchovies (dilis), spring onions, and a soft-boiled egg. A small bowl of sayur manis soup comes with it. Eating it is not complete without mixing the noodles with a scoop of chili.
Come nighttime, the sidewalks in Chinatown start to get filled with night food stalls. On the corner of Jalan Sultan Street, in particular, one such pop-up food stand called Hon Kee ClayPot Chicken Rice serves a hot and savory dish of Chicken Rice Clay Pot. They cook the rice stored in a clay pot over a charcoal-heated grill and then top it off with chicken, vegetables, and a flavorful sauce.
Coliseum Café, located in the city center at Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, is an institution among local foodies in Kuala Lumpur. For travelers visiting the city, it remains a hidden gem. Well, not anymore! A popular hidey-hole of the British during the colonial years, Coliseum Café was built in 1921 and to this day retains that heritage and charming vibe. Famous for their Hainanese Chicken, that almost century-old food joint also serves a collection of sumptuous dishes, including their signature snack inche kabin (fried chicken deep-fried in Nyonya style).
Located near the Old Imbi Market in Bukit Bintang, which comprises probably one of the finest foodie destinations in Kuala Lumpur, one noodle stand elevates itself above the rest. Win Heng Seng dishes a delicious set of dry noodles and noodle soup topped with a variety of ingredients ranging from stewed pork, chicken, beef, and many types of seafood. Plated in mouth-watering visuals, the taste of each dish does not disappoint, and when eaten in the open-air sidewalk setting, one's dining experience becomes even more satisfying.
Old China Café is one of the oldest restaurants in Kuala Lumpur. Located right in the middle of bustling Petaling Street, that old-world, charming nook is the perfect place to relax and satisfy one’s food cravings. Still retaining the ambiance and the many architectural details of its 1920s origins, Old China Café is one of the few remaining heritage shops that preserves an impression of old Chinese community social life. Coupled with tasteful Chinese and Southeast Asian cuisine, it is a place where one can easily enjoy a visual and epicurean feast.
Snap an IG Picture at City Landmarks
Hidden amidst the towering skyscrapers of Kuala Lumpur is an assortment of landmarks representing various architectural styles ranging from the colonial to post-war to the modern and post-modern eras. By interchanging your exploration methods between walking and riding the city’s vast Metro Train lines, one will encounter many fascinating landmarks worthy of an Instagram snap.
From the scenic River of Life which crosses the Klang River, one is immediately enamored by the magnificent Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad mosque, and within walking distance from it are numerous photogenic buildings and other structures like the National Palace (Istana Negara), National Mosque of Malaysia, Tugu Negara (National Monument), and more—all of which represent a significant portion of Malaysia’s history and culture.
From temples, museums, mosques, old government buildings, and even modern ones such as the Petronas Towers, one will never run out of remarkable architecture to marvel at.
If one has already done the heritage walking tour, then they can also explore the other parts of Kuala Lumpur, where snapping an Instagrammable image and learning more about the city provides more than enough motivation to do so.
Visit and Feast at Little India
Kuala Lumpur, as the capital city of a nation known as a melting pot of many cultures, possesses an allure made up of different characteristics. One of the major cultural presences in the city is comprised of Indian descendants. As a former British colony—similar to India—the cross-over migration between the two nations happened for many years, with countless Indian nationals going to Malaysia to work for the British. In the process, they formed a huge presence, thus giving birth to a very vibrant Indian sub-culture in the country.
What better way to get a feel for authentic Indian culture than visiting Little India—a vibrant neighborhood in the Brickfields area of Kuala Lumpur? Spoil yourself at the colorful maze of jewelry and fabric shops while getting a taste of Indian cuisine through the many restaurants serving banana-leaf curries, dosa pancakes, chapatti and dhal, thali meals, and more.
One can also pay homage to the Hindu faithful by passing by a number of Hindu temples in the area, such as the Sri Kandaswamy Kovil and the Buddhist Maha Vihara temple that features a domed pagoda and a bodhi tree.
Those are just some of the many places worthy of a visit in Kuala Lumpur.
And Lastly, Make New Friends
Because Kuala Lumpur is fast becoming a major traveler hub in Southeast Asia, it is easy to meet like-minded wanderers from all over the world. So, being friendly and open to hanging out with new people is key, because who knows—they might become your close friends in the future.
Where to Party in Kuala Lumpur
While this writer is not a party animal, the merrymaking scene along Changkat Street in Bukit Bintang provided a wonderful nightcap for our group composed of travel bloggers and Cebu Pacific staff to further bond while enjoying a fun night.
More than a dozen hip and trendy bars and clubs line up both sides of Changkat Street. There is the famed Havana Bar and Grill—whose second floor becomes a rocking dance floor at night—and other favorites such as Pisco Bar, No Black Tie, Twenty One Kitchen, Opium Kuala Lumpur, The Rabbit Hole, La Boca Latin Bar, and more.
Where to Stay in Kuala Lumpur
Our Cebu Pacific Air media group stayed at Dorsett Kuala Lumpur—which was located very near the Bukit Bintang Golden Triangle area that was filled with shopping malls, walking streets, party places, and sumptuous dining places.
On my three-day extended stay by myself, I stayed at that hip hotel housed in an early twentieth-century heritage building said to be originally built in 1915; therefore, it was called the 1915 Hotel.
How to Get to Kuala Lumpur
Cebu Pacific Air flies from Manila to Kuala Lumpur daily. Offering low base fares starting at PHP 2,088, it is an accessible option to fly to Malaysia’s capital city. Enjoy "low fare, great value" with Cebu Pacific's pricing strategies as it manages to offer low year-round fares across its network.
Direct flights from Manila to Kuala Lumpur take roughly four hours. Enjoy a more comfortable flight by pre-ordering your meals and saving on your booking!
Visit https://www.cebupacificair.com to book your flight to Kuala Lumpur!
