Last Updated on January 21, 2026 by Home in the World
The first time I visited Kuala Lumpur as a young child from Australia, having only heard the city’s name aurally, I was mystified as to why it it had been (in my thinking) named after a furry, grey, tree-dwelling marsupial native to my homeland.
In somewhat of an anticlimax, it turns out ‘Kuala Lumpur’ is actually Tamil for ‘muddy confluence’, presumably in reference to the settlement initially established in 1857 at the point where the Klang and Gombak rivers meet. And while this may not be the most glamorous of labels, Malaysia’s capital is today a thriving, bustling metropolis of nearly 2 million people. Certainly no koalas here.
Read on to find out some of the things to see in Kuala Lumpur based on my travel experience.
This article is also featured on GPSmyCity. To download this article for offline reading or create a self-guided walking tour to visit the attractions highlighted in this article, go to Walking Tours and Articles in Kuala Lumpur. You can also read more about the GPSmyCity concept in this blog post.
Petronas Towers
Perhaps the most iconic landmark of modern-day KL are the Petronas Towers. The world’s tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004, they still hold the record as the tallest twin towers on the planet. And at 452 m (1483 ft), you can see why.
Built as the headquarters for Malaysia’s national petroleum company, they also give visitors the chance to get a bird’s eye view of the city, either from the Skybridge linking the two edifices, or further up on lofty level 86. Way at the other end, in the basement underground, is (as is so common across Asia) a shopping mall.
I personally was happy to admire them from street level – and they look particularly spectacular at night, the glinting glass and stainless-steel columns soaring upwards like space-age needles.
Bukit Bintang shopping street
Kuala Lumpur is also a great place for shopping – and that’s coming from someone who generally finds shopping quite tedious. But I really did enjoy the experience in KL. One of the main streets for this – Bukit Bintang Street – was just a short taxi ride from my hotel. Lined with eateries, hotels and malls that sit amidst lush palm trees and criss-crossing overpasses, it’s a busy part of town.
But if you think it’s manic outside, wait until you step inside the pulsating Sungei Wang Plaza. One of the most prominent shopping malls in the city (I remember it from my childhood visit in the early ’90s), it is seven stories of consumerism on steroids.
Given my propensity to ‘streamline’ any shopping, not to mention my dislike of surging crowds and flashing lights, I was pretty confident of being able to get through the place in 2 hours, tops. I figured it would be mostly cheap junk. Turns out I didn’t even end up making it through the first level of the clothing section – such were the distractions, in the form of bargains and variety, on offer.
Deeper and deeper into the bowels of the complex I went, following row upon row of tiny stores – many of their shopkeepers barely visible behind veritable curtains of inexpensive but funky Asian fashion (I did wonder how much natural daylight those shopkeepers saw – I would imagine not very much).
And when I say the wares were inexpensive (by Australian standards, at least), I mean it. I bought tops for literally just a few dollars, and over ten years later, after quite extensive wear, the quality is still holding up. Of course Sungei Wang also has jewellery, electronics, homewares, accessories, the list goes on. I just never made it past the clothing racks! So even if you’re a cynical shopper, it is worth a short visit – you never know what you may find.
Having spent much longer in the mall than originally anticipated, I emerged back onto the street giddy from my successful retail-therapy session, bulging bags hanging off every finger, only to be brought back to the realities of the natural world in this equatorial region: another monstrous thunderstorm like the one I had witnessed in Singapore.
The only difference this time, however, was that this one appeared to have well and truly set in for the afternoon. Fortunately, it was not that hard to hail a taxi, and we aquaplaned our way back to the hotel to watch the rest of the ‘light show’ from the comfort of the bedroom window.
Cityscapes and central railway station
When you’re not caught in bucketing rain, a taxi is actually not a bad way to see some of the other sides of Kuala Lumpur – from dilapidated building shells to breathtaking Mughal architecture, and everything in between.
One example of the exquisite Neo-Moorish designs found across the city is the central railway station, with its administration building across the street. The station itself was completed in 1910, designed by English architect Arthur Benison Hubback, who was responsible for many structures across what was then known as British Malaya.
The station is still in use today, having undergone a number of renovations over the decades. Like an exotic wedding cake of Mughal arches topped with delicate minarets, it stands opposite the equally striking and similarly Mughal railway administration building, the two structures majestically straddling Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin Road.
Merdeka Square
A short drive north of the railway station is another impressive sight in the form of Merdeka Square (‘Independence Square’), formerly used as the cricket green for the nearby Selangor Club, which earned it the nickname of ‘Padang’, the Malay word for ‘playing field’.
Its most prominent feature is arguably the late-19th-century Sultan Abdul Samad Building, whose pinkish-coloured bricks and white Moorish arches beautifully set off copper onion domes which glint in the blazing Malaysian sun. The tallest of the domed towers doubles as a clock tower – Kuala Lumpur’s answer to Big Ben, reaching a height of 41 m (135 ft).
The wide avenues that comprise the square are often used for public demonstrations, and the day I visited it had been closed off for, I assume, such an occasion. In any case, it made for a more peaceful environment in which to admire the heritage buildings and grounds.
Islamic Arts Museum
I have mentioned a lot of Kuala Lumpur’s Neo-Moorish/Mughal architecture, and it is worth noting that, though Malaysia is a multicultural and multiconfessional country, its official religion is Islam (approximately 60% of the population is Muslim).
One of the surprising highlights of my stay in Kuala Lumpur was in fact a visit to the Islamic Arts Museum. I had read good reports about it online beforehand, and given my interest in Islamic architecture and art, I decided to check it out (a short taxi ride from my hotel). What a stunning place. Opened in 1998, it is situated in the inner-city area, within walking distance of lush botanical gardens and the National Mosque.
From the striking blue tilework that borders the main entrance, to the magnificent pastel domed ceilings, to the highly educational but interestingly showcased content (including original Arabic Korans, Islamic garments, exquisite carpets, and scale models of famous Islamic buildings around the world), I ended up spending several hours at this modern, beautifully presented complex.
Be sure to allow time to visit the gift shop too – it’s packed full of unique treasures of its own.
Day trip to Putrajaya
If you’ve got an extra day or 2 to spare while in Kuala Lumpur, there are a number of excursions you can do. One is the Batu Caves, which is a popular option, but one which I did not do myself.
I instead went for perhaps the lesser known but equally interesting trip (organised as a private tour through my hotel) to the planned city of Putrajaya, the federal administrative centre of Malaysia. Located 25 km (15 miles) south of Kuala Lumpur, it definitely has a less chaotic, if somewhat more contrived, feel than KL, and boasts some truly magnificent architecture.
The modern Putra Mosque, completed in 1999 and characterised by its striking dome made of rose-coloured granite, appears to float on the waters of the Putrajaya Lake like an exotic lotus. Visitors can go inside, provided you take off your shoes and are prepared to put on one of the heavy cloaks handed out to you if you are wearing anything vaguely skimpy (which, given the intense heat and humidity, is the case for most tourists).
While it is absolutely boiling to wear the cloak, it is worth it, as the interior is just as spectacular as the exterior, and is large enough to accommodate 15,000 worshippers at a time.
Other eye-catching structures in Putrajaya include the majestic Putra Bridge, the Perdana Putra, housing the office of the Prime Minister, and topped with a great turquoise onion dome; the modern Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin Mosque or ‘Iron Mosque’ (sometimes also ‘Steel Mosque’); the Sri Wawasan Cable Suspension Bridge; the Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry; and the space-age convention centre.
The centre is perched atop a hill, and provides fantastic views all the way down Putrajaya’s main boulevard, the Persiaran Perdana, taking in the Seri Gemilang Bridge, soaring skyscrapers, the Iron Mosque and, in the far distance, the Perdana Putra.
Final thoughts on things to see in Kuala Lumpur
As you will hopefully have seen from this blog post, there is a lot more to Kuala Lumpur than just its reputation as a destination for shoppers or business travellers – though it is that too.
It boasts some incredible architecture – both in the city itself and in its surrounds – and fascinating Islamic culture, not to mention delicious food.
The people are warm and friendly overall, and despite having heard people complain about polluted air and moped-riding bag-snatchers, I did not experience any of that.
It is a great place to spend a few days, whether as an extended weekend for Australians wanting somewhere closer to home, or as part of a larger Asian odyssey for visitors coming from further afield. I found it a stimulating, exhilarating and photogenic city of cultural and architectural contrasts.
** This post, like everything else on this website, has been written entirely by me. No ChatGPT or any other AI tool has been used. It takes longer to create, but I value 100% human-generated content and I hope you do too! **
Trip facts
When I visited: May 2012
Weather: During my 4-night stay in early May, the weather was very pleasant. As with Singapore, Malaysia is an equatorial nation with a consequently warm (approximately 30°C/85°F) and humid climate. Rain & thunderstorms occur regularly all year round, but you will also usually get plenty of clear times as well. I would recommend early May as a suitable time to visit.
Where I stayed: Shangri-La, Kuala Lumpur
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For more Asia travel content, feel free to check out my posts from China, Cambodia, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan, plus my older travel memories (more narrative style than blog style, just like this post) from Hong Kong, Macau and Singapore.
Not a lot of people make it to Putrajaya as well as Kuala Lumpur!
P.S. ‘Kuala Lumpur’ is native Malay, not Tamil. Lumpur is mud, and Kuala is estuary or confluence – basically the part of a river where it meets another water body.
Yes, I was tossing up whether to go to Batu Caves or Putrajaya and I thought the latter would be less touristy. I loved the architecture there! I would love to go back to Malaysia, as it was over 10 years ago that I visited. And thanks for the info about the language. I did look it up online, but just goes to show you can’t trust everything on the Internet!