LeVar Thomas
There may as well be a rut in the air from your Europe and Stateside travels, and you are looking to make trails somewhere else for a change. Why not consider Asia and more specifically Malaysia’s capital city, Kuala Lumpur. The exciting city has a rich mix of culture, historic buildings, temples, wildlife and more things to see that are unique to the region.
Petronas Towers
Kuala Lumpur is magnificent for shopping, the food is awesome, and you can basically catch an inexpensive flight from there to almost anywhere in southeast Asia. Let us not focus on leaving just yet though. Let’s talk about some exciting things to see and do while you are there. Fans of old architecture would not want to miss the Petronas Towers. The twin towers are an excellent testament to the city’s architecture and allow you to see the colorful sprawling landscape of Kuala Lumpur. If you are a thrill seeker, you can also walk across the Skybridge that is 41-floors up, or peer off the Tower’s observation deck.
Traders Hotel and Wildlife
If you are not much of a thrill seeker, visit The Traders Hotel across from the Towers. Traders has great 360° views of the city and a happening party scene, courtesy of the Hotel’s 33-story Skybar. The Skybar is complete with a pool and DJs that make your visit just that much better. For even better views, visit Menara KL, a shorter communications tower that is open for touring. It is shorter than Petronas Towers in stature, but its position on a hill inside of the Bukit Nanas nature preserve, will guarantee you great vistas and exotic wildlife to gaze upon.
Some other places to spot wildlife are the Kuala Lumpur Deer Park, Bird Park, and Butterfly Park. Each has sprawling gardens in which you can see thousands of these animals of different species respectively. If you want to see wildlife inside, try the Kuala Lumpur Convention Center Aquarium. It is an interactive aquarium with more than 5000 aquatic and terrestrial species hosted in an underwater tunnel. You can also dive and swim with sharks there.
Temples, Mosques, and Food
For the culture lover in you, don’t miss the religious attractions like Batu Caves, Hindu temples, the Muslim mosques Masjid Negara, Masjid Jamek, and the Islamic Art Museum. They are largely open to non-practicing visitors that are appropriately dressed and not showing up during prayer times. The Batu Caves aren’t only Hindu shrines, they are wide open limestone caves with flora and fauna, and also used for rock climbing, and festivals. These worship stops are impressive architecturally, with wide open floors, stained-glass windows, and giant statues that show reverence to the benefactors of the respective religions.
You’ve been touring for a while, so you should be hungry at this point. If you need a boost, you can show up for tea at Carcosa Seri Negara and have high tea. This luxury hotel serves afternoon tea with all the stops pulled out. You can have even have scones and a small sandwich to stave off hunger. However, if you are ravenous, make your way to Jalan Alor, a street in Kuala Lumpur that is lined with cafes and curious eateries. You can get standard Asian fare, or something different like fried honeybees, cow lung, century eggs, or chicken feet. It is definitely up to you.
Shopping & Travel
After you’ve eaten, you must do some shopping. The Golden Triangle in Kuala Lumpur is accessible by Malaysia’s multitude of public transit options. You can get to the shopping and nightlife district by train, bus, car, monorail or by foot. The most prominent shopping area in the Golden Triangle is Bukit Bintang. It has been long known as the place for landmark shopping centers, night markets, cafes, and Berjaya Times Square, which is the 13th largest mall in the world. It sports 12 levels and 3,500,000 square feet of shopping. There is just so much to enjoy about Kuala Lumpur that we cannot mention it all here but you can see it in person. Cop your tickets, or see your travel agent today and enjoy everything Kuala Lumpur has to offer.
