5 Must See Attractions for First Time Visitors to Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is not a big city; but there are too many places in such a small space that you should visit. In order to make the most of your time there, you need to know which places you should see or visit.

Here are 5 must see attractions for first time travelers to the city.

1. The Islamic Museum
You cannot say that you have visited Kuala Lumpur without visiting the Islamic Museum. This is probably the best place to learn about the influence of Islam on the country and the world.

Instead of artifacts from the Middle East; the museum, built in the green and lush Lake Garden houses over 2,000 artifacts from the East.

They range from holy manuscripts and ornaments, to medical literatures and arts produced by the Muslims from all over the world. The highlights here include true scale replica of world’s famous mosques and the holy Quran the size of your thumb.

2.The KLCC Twin Towers
Kuala Lumpur used to have a colonial building built by a British architect as the icon of the country. But after its completion in 1998, the KLCC Twin Towers (then the tallest building in the world) took over and have since become the symbol of Malaysia.

Owned by the national oil company, the modern tower houses a public gallery, a posh shopping mall, an oceanarium, a beautifully designed park as well as a world class performance hall.

You may also watch Kuala Lumpur from the sky bridge connecting the towers.

3.Explore Chinatown
The Chinatown in Kuala Lumpur is unlike the Chinatown you have in mind. It’s not just about slurping a bowl of authentic Chinese noodles in a cramped alley. It’s about honing your haggling skills.

The goods are mostly fakes. So, don’t be too happy if you find a Gucci bag under $30. It is also a good idea to leave your kids at the hotel since the area is cramped at the sellers are very pushy (here’s a list of KL hotel with childcare service).

4. Visit the Bird Park
Nature lovers can hail a taxi or go on the Hop-on-Hop-off bus and get into the Bird Park. This biggest free flying in the world is tucked in a huge park, adjacent to the Butterfly Park and the Orchid Garden.
The park is huge (we are talking about 21 acre here) and there are around 3,000 birds kept in the massive aviary. Highlights of the park include the turkey size pigeon and the most intelligent parrot species in the world – the Congo grey parrots.

5.Batu Caves Temple
If the temples and mosques around the city are not enough, then there’s the famous Batu Caves temple just outskirt of Kuala Lumpur.

Once found by a British explorer, the temple is built inside the massive cave and can only be reached after you have taken 272 stairs up.

It is not a good idea for the elderly or those with asthma to climb the stairs. But those with conditions can relax at the bottom of the temple and snap a picture of two of the tall 43 meters statue of the Hindu God guarding the temple.

All the 5 attractions we listed above are easily reachable by public transport. So, there’s no need to take a cab there, unless you don’t feel like walking.

But whatever you do, don’t rent a car. Like other major cities, the KL traffic can be really bad at times and navigating the ever-changing Kuala Lumpur can be a headache.

To explore the city best, take the train. You will save your money and experience Kuala Lumpur like the rest of the city folks.