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What to Do in Kuala Lumpur

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

After three sunny days in Singapore, we continued our 7-week adventure in Asia and made our way north to Malaysia. Kuala Lumpur is the rapidly-expanding capital city of Malaysia. If you’re planning a trip to Kuala Lumpur and want to make sure you see all the highlights, here are our recommendations for the best things to Kuala Lumpur.


Batu Caves

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

Deep inside the Batu Caves you’ll find one of the most popular, iconic Hindu temples outside of India. At the entrance is a large statue of the Hindu god, which leads to a steep 272-step climb up to the temple and shrine inside the limestone cave. When you reach the top you’ll be rewarded with a stunning skyline view of the city.

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

Keep an eye out for the monkeys! They’re everywhere! :)

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

Getting there:

The Batu Caves are a bit outside the city, but fortunately there’s Uber in Malaysia. Uber in Malaysia was so cheap. It’s also very reliable and safe. We took it everywhere. I always prefer taking an Uber over a taxi because you can see upfront (before you even call the Uber) exactly how much the fare will be. No surprises! The cars always showed up very quickly whenever we called.

*Use this link to sign up with Uber to get your first ride free!


Petronas Twin Towers

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

The Petronas Twin Towers are one of Kuala Lumpur’s most iconic landmarks. They are tallest twin towers in the world. The two-story skybridge that connects the two towers is the highest two-story bridge in the world. From the top of the towers, there is a breathtaking 360 degree view of Kuala Lumpur. Hopefully you will have better weather than we did! ;)

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

What to expect:

  • You get about 10 minutes on the skybridge to enjoy the views and take photos.
  • The skybridge is on the 41st floor.
  • You get about 15 minutes on the observation deck.
  • The observation deck is on the 86th floor.
  • Both the observation deck and the skybridge are inside.
  • The entire visit takes about 45 minutes.

We recommend buying your ticket online at least one day before you go, as popular time slots can sell out early.

For a great view of the Petronas Towers themselves, head to SkyBar, the rooftop pool and bar at the nearby Traders Hotel. It opens at 10 AM. We went in the morning, it was free to go in and there was no one else there.


Royal Selangor

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

Royal Selangor is renowned worldwide as a manufacturer of some of the highest quality pewter in the world. At the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre in Kuala Lumpur, you can tour the pewter museum and factory and see how pewter is still being crafted today by talented pewtersmiths.

You can also experience a hands-on pewtersmithing workshop yourself! The Foundry workshop offers you the chance to create a take-home pewter accessory that you design yourself using traditional pewter crafting processes and tools similar to those used by pewtersmiths over 100 years ago.

For more information on the Visitor Centre and workshops, visit the Royal Selangor Website.

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

Don’t miss the giant red velvet cake at the Visitor Centre cafe!! Seriously one of the best red velvet cakes I have ever had!! :)


Merdeka Square

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

Merdeka Square is in the heart of the colonial district of Kuala Lumpur. This historic district is filled with significant examples of British colonial architecture.

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

Make sure to see:

Sultan Abdul Samad Building — A palatial government building from the 1800s with copper domes and a large clocktower with a 1-ton bell. (See the first picture in this post)

Jamek Mosque — A colorful mosque that once served as the main mosque in the city. (Above)


Petaling Street

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

Petaling Street is a lively pedestrian shopping street in Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown. It’s lined with small shops and stalls purveying every type of fake brand you can imagine — purses, watches, shoes, clothing — you name it, they’ve got it. Scattered amongst the shops are food stands and restaurants showcasing the local cuisine. After dark this area turns into a lively night market. It’s a popular scene for locals and tourists alike!

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

We were in Malaysia during Deepavali, the Hindu festival of lights. I loved seeing all the colored rice art (rangoli) displays in the hotels and malls!


Where to Stay

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

We stayed at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur. This stunning hotel is well-located with lots of shopping and restaurants nearby. It’s also within walking distance to the Petronas Towers. In fact, there’s a covered walkway almost the entire way from The Ritz-Carlton to the Petronas Towers — so nice to have a bit of air-conditioning to cool off in the tropical Malaysian weather!

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

One of the most amazing amenities at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur is that all rooms come with their own personal butler, available 24 hours a day.

Along with the normal things your butler can do like take care of any laundry or ironing you might have, bring the in-room breakfast and room service, or make dinner reservations for you, your butler can also:

  • Draw you a bath
  • Professionally Pack / Unpack your suitcase
  • Bring you coffee, tea, or juice 24 hours a day

The freshly squeezed orange juice at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur was some of THE BEST I have ever had!!

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

The rooms at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur are ultra spacious with opulent marble bathrooms and luxurious rainfall showers. I was seriously in heaven!

The service at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur was one of the highlights of our trip. Everyone we encountered was friendly, professional, and went above and beyond to make sure we had everything we needed and more. We asked the concierge for advice about renting a car, and instead of just giving us a list of reputable companies, he took care of everything for us and made sure we got the best deal and the right type of car. He even arranged to have the car brought to the hotel, so we didn’t have to go to the car rental place and deal with it ourselves. He even had someone on his staff run down to the local convenience store to make sure we had the correct card to pay the tolls on the roads. All we had to do was step out of the hotel and into the car. How amazing is that??

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur has many options available for dining. We were lucky enough to try a few during our stay. Our first lunch in Kuala Lumpur was at The Patisserie. How amazing does this Peanut Butter Hot Chocolate look??!

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

Dying over this giant burger!! The Patisserie is perfect for a cozy lunch or a sweet pastry.

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

Afternoon Tea at The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur was amazing. Three tiers of fluffy, buttery scones, decadent gourmet sandwiches, quiches, pies, and beautiful mini desserts were accompanied with a wide variety of delicious teas.

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

The fruit-infused teas were my favorites. I loved the strawberry tea and the peach tea. This was seriously one of my most memorable experiences from our entire trip.

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

On our last night in Kuala Lumpur we had dinner at The Library. This was such a beautiful dining area with a carefully crafted menu that changes every day.

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

If you are visiting Kuala Lumpur with your loved one, I highly, highly recommend the Traditional Royal Malay Couple’s Spa Treatment at The Ritz-Carlton’s Spa Village.

In this spa experience the men are treated like a traditional Malay warrior while the women are treated like the much loved princess.

The men’s treatment begins with a traditional Malay facial and body massage followed by a body scrub. The women’s treatment begins with a full body massage and a beauty scrub that is made with specially blended oils. The couple then receives a full body steaming which is said to delay the process of aging.

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

Upon finishing the royal treatment, the couple will then relax in a herbal, flower-petal lined bath while sipping a traditional Malay herbal tea. Truly a one-of-a-kind experience!!

The Ritz-Carlton, Kuala Lumpur is pure luxury. If you are looking for a special, unforgettable experience in Kuala Lumpur,  I highly recommend treating yourself to a stay here.

Five Things you MUST DO in Kuala Lumpur!! Don't miss these highlights in Malaysia's capital city!

Stay tuned for more from our 7-week adventure in Asia!

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1 Response
  1. Overlock

    Wow, Beautiful place thank you for sharing your travels and Information . I did wonder about those monkeys looks as if they are abunant. I always enjoy your photos. Merry Christmas

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