Without a doubt, the most popular landmark of Kuala Lumpur is the Petronas Towers. Being a central stage of the action in the movie Entrapment, 1999, starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sean Connery, it is now the symbol of the city. The towers have now lost the status of “The tallest building in the world”, but they remain the tallest twin towers in the world at 452m and a must-see. The towers look particularly impressive, when illuminated at night and the view from the connecting bridge is magnificent. At the base of the towers you can find the Suria KLCC mall.
The Batu Caves are another unique landmark of Kuala Lumpur. Located about 11km from the city, they are limestone cave formations, said to be around 400 million years old. An Indian trader, K. Thamboosamy Pillai, got inspired to dedicate a temple within the caves to Lord Murugan in 1890 and installed a statue of the Lord at the entrance of the caves. There are three main caves with Hindu statues, paintings and shrines and many smaller ones, accessible by 272 steps. Every year in late January or early February, thousands of devotees celebrate the Thaipusam festival with a procession, starting from the Sri Mariamman Temple in the city centre of Kuala Lumpur and ending in the Temple cave for a celebration, dedicated to Lord Murugan.
Merdeka Square (Independence square) and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building at its East side have played an important historical role for the Malaysians. The building was constructed as headquarters for the current British Resident William Bloomfield Douglas in the late 19th century. The land in front of it was levelled and used initially as a training ground for the police, and later as a cricket field. Here is where the Malaysian flag was first raised on August 31st, 1957, replacing the Union Jack. Nowadays here is where the annual Merdeka parade takes place and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building currently hosts the Ministry of Information, Communication and Culture of Malaysia. There are a few other interesting sites nearby – the Central Market is only 5 minutes away by walking and Chinatown is about 15 walking away.
Masjid Negara Mosque, as the National Mosque is also called, is the nationwide symbol of Islam – the predominant religion in Malaysia. It’s spread over 13 acres of land, surrounded by lakes and fountains and can accommodate up to 15,000 worshipers. Its non-traditional architecture features a 73-metres high minaret and a 16-pointed star concrete roof, covered in blue and green tiles. The roof is thought to look as an open umbrella, where the minaret is supposed to look like a closed umbrella. The Lake Gardens nearby are another attraction themselves, being a home to the Kuala Lumpur Bird Park – the world’s largest free flight aviary and the Deer Park Kuala Lumpur.
There is a lot more to see in Kuala Lumpur, time permitting. For the perfect photo opportunity, we recommend the Menara Tower Kuala Lumpur, which although not as popular as the Petronas Towers, has a higher observation desk at 276 metres. If you would like to unwind and relax from the hustle and bustle, surrounded by nature and greenery, we recommend the KLCC park, the Perdana Botanical Gardens and the KL Butterfly park. If you would like to get to know more about the unique and diverse culture of Malaysia, visit the Thean Hou Temple, the Sri Maha Mariamman Temple as well as the National Museum.
If your time permits and you would like to venture out of Kuala Lumpur, we recommend a surreal fireflies experience late at night at Selangor river, or visit the Genting Highlands – a complex of theme parks, casino, shopping mall and restaurants at 2000 above the sea level.