2022 - Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Background

Kuala Lumpur is a federal territory and the ceremonial, legislative, and judicial capital city of Malaysia. It is one of the fastest-growing cities in Asia and the largest city in Malaysia. The city serves as the cultural, financial, and economic centre of Malaysia.

This city has undergone rapid development in recent decades and is home to the tallest twin buildings in the world, the Petronas towers, which have since become an iconic symbol of Malaysian development. This is one of the leading cities in the world for tourism and shopping, and one of the most-visited cities in the world. The city houses three of the world's ten largest shopping malls.

Highlights 

The nine highlights picked for this vacation are, Petronas twin towers, Kuala Lumpur tower, KL tower mini zoo, Petaling street, Bukit Bintang, Jalan Alor, Merdeka Square, Merdeka 118, and National Mosque of Malaysia.

Petronas Twin Towers

The Petronas twin towers, also known as the Petronas towers or KLCC twin towers, are 88-storey supertall skyscrapers in Kuala Lumpur. They are the world's tallest twin skyscrapers and remained as the tallest buildings in Malaysia until 2022 when they were surpassed by the Merdeka 118. The towers are a major landmark of Kuala Lumpur, and are visible in many places across the city.

Figure 1 - An upward view of the Petronas twin towers

Figure 2 - KLCC park, a lush, 50-acre urban sanctuary

Kuala Lumpur tower

Kuala Lumpur tower, also known as KL tower, is a 15-storey tower in Kuala Lumpur. It is the world's 7th tallest tower in the world and the tallest tower in Malaysia and Southeast Asia. Its construction was completed in march 1995. the tower has a stairwell and an elevator to reach the upper area, which also contains a revolving restaurant, providing diners with a panoramic view of the city.

Races are held annually, where participants race up the stairs to the top. the tower also acts as the Islamic Falak observatory to observe the crescent moon which marks the beginning of the Muslim month of Ramadhan, to celebrate the fasting month of Ramadhan. The tower is the highest viewpoint in Kuala Lumpur that is open to the public.

Figure 3 - A day view of the KL tower

Figure 4 - A night view of the KL tower

KL tower mini zoo 

This is a small indoor/outdoor petting zoo showcasing animals such as meerkats, parrots, llamas, and tortoises. The petting zoo is uniquely designed for those who would like to be close up with more than 50 species of animals ranging from native species to exotic animals.

There are 8 different zones inside the mini zoo all designed to recreate the animals' natural habitats, such as the mini jungle, moonlight shed, happy farm village, birdy school, pet village, jungle view, and forest walk. To tie in with the natural environment, the park owner introduced two of the world’s largest tortoises, the albino long-tailed macaque, the green iguana, the largest local softshell turtle, the oldest alligator turtle, and other rare animals in recent years.

Figure 5 - A red macaw forever guarding the entrace to the KL tower mini zoo

Figure 6 - A sad meerkat with a hope for freedom at the KL tower mini zoo

Figure 7 - A grinning yet serious crocodile at the KL tower mini zoo

Petaling street

Petaling street is a Chinatown located in Kuala Lumpur. The whole vicinity is also known as Chinatown KL. It is bustling with various activities that take place throughout the day and night. Since it is mainly a marketplace, it is constantly bustling with people, both locals and tourists, as well as shopkeepers and merchants. Haggling is a common sight here and the place is usually crowded with locals as well as tourists.

The area has dozens of restaurants and food stalls, serving local favourites such as hokkien mee, ikan bakar, asam laksa and curry noodles. Traders here are mainly Chinese but there are also Indian, Malay, and Bangladeshi traders. The entire stretch of the market area is covered with a green awning covering the roof to protect the shop owners and visitors from rain and heat.

Figure 8 - The entrance to the Petaling street

Figure 9 - One of many satay places in the old Chinatown

 

Figure 10 - A must-try style of cooking in claypots

Bukit Bintang

Bukit Bintang is the shopping and entertainment district of Kuala Lumpur. The area has long been Kuala Lumpur's most prominent retail belt that is home to many landmark shopping centres, al-fresco cafés, bars, night markets, food street, mamak stalls as well as hawker-type eateries. This area is popular among tourists and locals, especially among the youths.

Figure 11 - An effort to capture a "clear" shot of the busy square

Jalan Alor

Jalan Alor, located within the Bukit Bintang area, is a unique food destination in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. The whole character of the city changes when you step onto the street. It was once known as a red-light district and remnants of those activities still exist. However, after several face lifts, the street has literally become a food haven.

This is not just a place for the locals but foreigners also frequently visit here to taste the unique dishes that they would most probably not be able to back home. Diversity does not just exist in the population but that very factor that makes Malaysia so special is also translated in its cooking. Some must try food include,

• Barbecued chicken wings

• Satay

• Oyster omelette

• Char kway teow

• Coconut ice cream
  

Figure 12 - A view of the Jalan Alor

Merdeka Square

Merdeka Square, also known as independence square is located in Kuala Lumpur. It is situated in front of the sultan Abdul Samad building. It was here that the union flag was lowered and the Malaysian flag hoisted for the first time at midnight on 31 August 1957. Since then, the independence square has been the usual venue for annual Independence Day parade.

Figure 13 - Through the fountain to the sultan Abdul Samad building

Merdeka 118

Merdeka 118, also known as, 118 Tower and KL 118 is a 118-storey skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur. The building's name, Merdeka, which means independence, is inspired by its proximity to two stadiums, stadium Merdeka and stadium Negara. The spire of the building was completed in November 2021. The building will also be the first in malaysia to receive a triple platinum rating from worldwide sustainability certifications, including the leadership in energy and environmental design (LEED).

Figure 14 - An attempt to capture the immense height of the tower without skewing the picture

National Mosque of Malaysia

The National Mosque of Malaysia is a mosque in Kuala Lumpur. It has a capacity for 15,000 people and is situated among 13 acres of gardens. its key features are a 73-metre-high minaret and a 16-pointed star concrete main roof. The umbrella, synonymous with the tropics, is featured conspicuously – the main roof is reminiscent of an open umbrella, the minaret's cap a folded one. The folded plates of the concrete main roof are a creative solution to achieving the larger spans required in the main gathering hall.

Reflecting pools and fountains spread throughout the compound. completed in 1965, the mosque is a bold and modern approach in reinforced concrete, symbolic of the aspirations of a then newly independent nation.

Figure 15 - A quiet picture of the National Mosque in between prayer times

Others

Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad

The sultan Abdul Samad Jamek mosque is one of the oldest mosques in Kuala Lumpur. the mosque was designed by Arthur Benison Hubback, and built in 1909. the name "Jamek" is the Malay equivalent of the Arabic word jami, meaning a place where people congregate to worship. it is also referred to as "Friday mosque" by the locals.

Figure 16 - A quiet picture of the Jamek mosque in between prayer times

Central Market

The Central Market began life as a wet market in 1888, built by Yap Ah Loy, the city’s Chinese kapitan. It served as a prominent landmark in colonial and modern-day Kuala Lumpur. When the wet market was relocated in the 1980s, the Malaysian heritage society successfully petitioned against the demolition of the building. Now, Central Market Kuala Lumpur is an iconic attraction and a delightful destination for tourists, shoppers and art lovers.

Figure 17 - A peak inside the central market during lunch hours

Kuala Lumpur butterfly park

Kuala Lumpur butterfly park is a public butterfly zoo in Kuala Lumpur which is located adjacent to the lake gardens and Kuala Lumpur bird park. The butterfly park spans over 80,000 square feet of landscaped garden with over 5,000 butterflies, exotic plants, butterfly-host plants, and ferns, and is one of the largest houses in the world.

Batu caves

Batu caves is a mogote that has a series of caves and cave temples in gombak, Selangor. It takes its name from the Malay word batu, meaning “rock”. The town nearby is named after the Batu caves limestone formation. The cave is one of the most popular Hindu shrines outside India, and is dedicated to lord Murugan. It is the focal point of the Tamil festival of Thaipusam in Malaysia.

Sri Maha Mariamman temple

The Sri Maha Mariamman temple is the oldest Hindu temple in Kuala Lumpur. Founded in 1873, it is situated at the edge of Chinatown in Jalan Bandar. In 1968, a new structure was built, featuring the ornate “Raja Gopuram” tower in the style of south Indian temples. From its inception, the temple provided an important place of worship for early Indian immigrants and is now an important cultural and national heritage.

Figure 18 - The Gopuram of Sri Maha Mariamman temple