Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur means muddy confluence, which is exactly what it was: a tin-mining camp at the meeting of two rivers in 1857. Nothing about it was planned to become a capital.
A short history
The city grew fast and unevenly out of that mining camp, shaped in turn by Chinese labour and commerce, Malay settlement and British colonial administration — and all three layers are still legible in a short walk. The Moorish-style Sultan Abdul Samad Building stands a few minutes from Chinatown's Petaling Street. The Petronas Towers, finished in 1998 and briefly the tallest buildings in the world, were the point at which the skyline stopped being a record of the past and became a statement about the future.
Why travellers love it
It is widely considered the most halal-friendly major city in Asia, which removes a whole category of planning from a family trip. It also works as a base: Langkawi's beaches and the tea hills of the Cameron Highlands are both easy additions rather than separate holidays.
Before you go
Malaysia is visa-free for many nationalities for short stays; check what applies to your passport. There is no dry season as such — it rains year-round, usually hard and briefly in the afternoon — but June to August is the driest stretch. The Cameron Highlands are three to four hours away by road and noticeably cooler, so pack a layer if you are going up.
Highlights
- The Petronas Towers skybridge
- Batu Caves
- Central Market and Chinatown
- A day in the Cameron Highlands
Complete your trip
Two things worth sorting before you fly.
- Mobile data in MalaysiaAn eSIM you set up before you fly, so you are online the moment you land. Via Airalo.(opens in a new tab)
- Things to do in Kuala LumpurTours, attraction tickets and airport transfers, booked ahead. Via Klook, in English.(opens in a new tab)
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Flights to Kuala Lumpur
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