Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia·Asia

Currency

MYR

Language

Malay, English

Timezone

Kuala Lumpur

Continent

Asia

Our guide

Discover Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur means "muddy confluence", and the city began exactly there: at the junction of two rivers, where the Jamek Mosque now stands. The Petronas Towers, the tallest twin towers in the world, can be visited as far as the skybridge that joins them; the Kuala Lumpur Tower, set on a hill, actually gives a higher viewpoint and the advantage of having the Petronas in the picture. Below, the National Mosque, the Islamic Arts Museum — among the best of its kind — and Petaling Street at the heart of Chinatown sit a few metro stops apart.

When to go

The equatorial climate has no seasons: around 32 °C all year, with a shower possible any day, usually late afternoon. Two monsoons bring heavier rain, in March–April and from September to November. Haze from regional fires can degrade the air in late summer. There is no bad time, only humid heat to accept and mornings to favour.

Getting around

The LRT, MRT and monorail cover the centre for almost nothing, and the stations are air-conditioned, which matters. Ride-hailing is everywhere and cheap. Walking is less obvious than it looks: heat, uneven pavements and urban motorways cut the city up, but a network of covered walkways links much of the Bukit Bintang–KLCC triangle.

Where to eat

Three cuisines live side by side without merging, and that is what makes the city: Malay, Chinese and Indian — our data puts all three at the top. Nasi lemak, coconut rice, is the national dish and is eaten at breakfast. Roti canai comes from a mamak, the Indian Muslim places that stay open very late. Sixteen halal addresses are explicitly listed, which badly understates reality: in a Muslim-majority country certification is the norm and the label rarely applied.

Good to know

The ringgit is the currency. Covered clothing is required in mosques, which usually lend a robe at the door. Alcohol is heavily taxed and less present than elsewhere in Southeast Asia. English is widely spoken, a colonial inheritance and the language of business. And plan to go back and change: the humidity makes one outfit hard to wear all day.

Smart Planning