Berlitz Pocket Guide Kuala Lumpur (Travel Guide eBook)

By Berlitz

Berlitz Pocket Guides: iconic style, a bestselling brand, this is the quintessential pocket-sized travel guide to Kuala Lumpur, and now comes with a bi-lingual dictionary



Plan your trip, plan perfect days and discover how to get around - this pocket-sized guide [with new bi-lingual dictionary] is a convenient, quick-reference companion to discovering what to do and see in Kuala Lumpur, from top attractions like the Petronas Twin Towers, to hidden gems, including Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman. This will save you time, and enhance your exploration of this fascinating city.

- Compact, concise, and packed with essential information, this is an iconic on-the-move companion when you're exploring Kuala Lumpur - Covers Top Ten Attractions, including the Batu Caves and Central Market and Perfect Day itinerary suggestions

- New bi-lingual dictionary section makes this the perfect portable package for short trip travellers

- Includes an insightful overview of landscape, history and culture

- Handy colour maps on the inside cover flaps will help you find your way around

- Essential practical information on everything from Eating Out to Getting Around

- Inspirational colour photography throughout

- Sharp design and colour-coded sections make for an engaging reading experience



About Berlitz: Berlitz draws on years of travel and language expertise to bring you a wide range of travel and language products, including travel guides, maps, phrase books, language-learning courses, dictionaries and kids' language products.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Insight Guides
• Release date: Dec 1, 2018
• ISBN: 9781785731693

Berlitz

Make the most of your time on Earth with the ultimate travel guides

Book preview

How To Use This E-Book

Getting Around the e-Book

This Pocket Guide e-book is designed to give you inspiration and planning advice for your visit to Kuala Lumpur, and is also the perfect on-the-ground companion for your trip.

The guide begins with our selection of Top 10 Attractions, plus a Perfect Itinerary feature to help you plan unmissable experiences. The Introduction and History chapters paint a vivid cultural portrait of Kuala Lumpur, and the Where to Go chapter gives a complete guide to all the sights worth visiting. You will find ideas for activities in the What to Do section, while the Eating Out chapter describes the local cuisine and gives listings of the best restaurants. The Travel Tips offer practical information to help you plan your trip. Finally, there are carefully selected hotel listings.

In the Table of Contents and throughout this e-book you will see hyperlinked references. Just tap a hyperlink once to skip to the section you would like to read. Practical information and listings are also hyperlinked, so as long as you have an external connection to the internet, you can tap a link to go directly to the website for more information.

Maps

All key attractions and sights in Kuala Lumpur are numbered and cross-referenced to high-quality maps. Wherever you see the reference [map], tap once to go straight to the related map. You can also double-tap any map for a zoom view.

Images

You’ll find lots of beautiful high-resolution images that capture the essence of Kuala Lumpur. Simply double-tap an image to see it in full-screen.

About Berlitz Pocket Guides

The Berlitz story began in 1877 when Maximilian Berlitz devised his revolutionary method of language learning. More than 130 years later, Berlitz is a household name, famed not only for language schools but also as a provider of best-selling language and travel guides.

Our wide-ranging travel products – printed travel guides and phrase books, as well as apps and ebooks – offer all the information you need for a perfect trip, and are regularly updated by our team of expert local authors. Their practical emphasis means they are perfect for use on the ground. Wherever you’re going – whether it’s on a short break, the trip of a lifetime, a cruise or a business trip – we offer the ideal guide for your needs.

Our Berlitz Pocket Guides are the perfect choice if you need reliable, concise information in a handy format. We provide amazing value for money – these guides may be small, but they are packed with information. No wonder they have sold more than 45 million copies worldwide.

© 2018 Apa Digital (CH) AG and Apa Publications (UK) Ltd

Table of Contents

Kuala Lumpur’s Top 10 Attractions

Top Attraction #1

Top Attraction #2

Top Attraction #3

Top Attraction #4

Top Attraction #5

Top Attraction #6

Top Attraction #7

Top Attraction #8

Top Attraction #9

Top Attraction #10

A Perfect Day in Kuala Lumpur

Introduction

A capital city

An economic magnet

Multiple cultures

Tourist-friendly

Orientation

A Brief History

The search for tin

Yap Ah Loy takes control

British rule

A colonial capital

Towards independence

Shaping a modern Malaysia

The rise of people power

Historical landmarks

Where To Go

Around Dataran Merdeka

Old Market Square

The colonial core

Dataran Merdeka

Railway buildings

Central Market

Petaling Street

Sin Sze Si Ya Temple

Migrant enclave

Petaling Street Bazaar

Around Petaling Street

Chan She Shu Yuen

Jalan Masjid India and Kampung Baru

Jalan Masjid India

Semua House and Plaza City One

Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman

Fabric houses

Kampung Baru

Jalan Raja Alang

Lake Gardens

Flora and fauna

Indoor attractions

Brickfields

Jalan Scott and Jalan Thambipillai

Jalan Berhala

Jalan Tun Sambanthan

KL Sentral

KLCC

Petronas Twin Towers

Suria KLCC

KLCC Park

Nightlife hubs

KL Tower

KL Forest Eco Park

Bukit Bintang

Bintang Walk

Arab section

Sungei Wang Plaza and Bukit Bintang Plaza

Jalan Conlay

Jalan Alor and Changkat Bukit Bintang

Day trips

Museum of Asian Art and Rimba Ilmu

Sunway Lagoon

Batu Caves

FRIM

Genting Highlands

Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Centre

Fraser’s Hill

Kuala Selangor

What To Do

Shopping

Shopping malls

Specialist shops

Markets and galleries

Entertainment

Nightlife

Clubs

Live music

Pubs and bars

The arts

Cinemas

Sports

Spectator sports

Participant sports

Nature-based activities

Children’s Kuala Lumpur

Calendar of events

Eating Out

Malay cuisine

Chinese cuisine

Indian cuisine

Nonya cuisine

Other cuisines

Drinks

Reading the Menu

To help you order…

Restaurants

Around Dataran Merdeka

Petaling Street

Jalan Masjid India and Kampung Baru

Lake Gardens and Brickfields

KLCC

Bukit Bintang

A–Z Travel Tips

A

Accommodation

Airports

B

Budgeting for your trip

C

Car hire

Climate

Clothing

Crime and safety

Customs

D

Disabled travellers

Driving

E

Electricity

Embassies and consulates

Emergencies

G

Getting there

Guides and tours

H

Health and medical care

L

Language

LGBTQ travellers

M

Media

Money

O

Opening times

P

Post offices

Public holidays

R

Religion

T

Telephones

Time zones

Tipping

Toilets

Tourist information

Transport

V

Visas and entry requirements

W

Websites and internet cafés

Recommended Hotels

Around Dataran Merdeka

Petaling Street

Jalan Masjid India and Kampung Baru

Lake Gardens and Brickfields

KLCC

Bukit Bintang

Outside Kuala Lumpur

Dictionary

English–Malay

Malay–English

Kuala Lumpur’s Top 10 Attractions

Top Attraction #1

Shutterstock

Kuala Gandah Elephant Conservation Centre

A chance to observe and learn about Asian elephants. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #2

Nikt Wong/Apa Publications

Nightspots

From sophisticated bars to hot clubs, KL offers great nightlife options. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #3

iStock

Colonial core

Majestic Mughal-style architecture of the late 19th century. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #4

Shutterstock

Batu Caves

A beautiful limestone cave temple with Hindu shrines and statues. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #5

Shutterstock

Central Market

Home to lively art and craft shops. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #6

Shutterstock

Sin Sze Si Ya Temple

An important Taoist temple that honours early leader Yap Ah Loy. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #7

Nikt Wong/Apa Publications

Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia

Artefacts from the Muslim world displayed in a graceful building. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #8

Shutterstock

Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman

A rare ancient Malay timber house in modern KL. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #9

iStock

Petronas Twin Towers

These skyscrapers, among the world’s tallest, are stunning both day and night. For more information, click here.

Top Attraction #10

James Tye/Apa Publications

Canopy Walkway

Walk among the tree tops at the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia. For more information, click here.

A Perfect Day in Kuala Lumpur

8.00am

Hainanese breakfast

Enjoy a breakfast of toast with coconut jam and local tea or coffee at the Cafe Old Market Square traditional Hainanese coffee shop in Medan Pasar Lama (for more information, click here). Note the magnificent Dutch gables on the row of pre-war shophouses in which it sits.

8.30am

Colonial core

Stroll over to the confluence of the rivers Klang and Gombak, where the city began, and then to Dataran Merdeka to take in the Moghul architecture of the colonial core. There is an excellent model of the area in the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery.

10.00am

A bit of culture

Walk to Jalan Tun H.S. Lee and explore the temples here, including the Taoist Sin Sze Si Ya temple honouring one of the city fathers and the Hindu Sri Maha Mariamman temple. Soak up the atmosphere of Petaling Street and its surrounds.

1.00pm

Nonya lunch

Take a lunch break and respite from the heat at the Old China Café Nonya restaurant on Jalan Balai Polis. Then head south to see the Chan She Shu Yuen Clan Association Building and, if you have time, the Guan Yin temple before getting on the monorail at the Maharajalela station.

2.30pm

Malay heritage

The monorail goes through the frenetic shopping area of Bukit Bintang. Get off at the Raja Chulan stop and head to the Badan Warisan Malaysia (Heritage of Malaysia Trust) to take the 3pm tour of the beautiful Rumah Penghulu Abu Seman traditional Malay house (book beforehand, closed on Sun).

5.00pm

Towers galore

Walk or take a taxi to the KL Tower (Menara Kuala Lumpur), where you can get a great bird’s-eye view of the city, including the country’s tallest buildings, the Petronas Twin Towers.

7.00pm

Cocktails at sunset

Head downhill and across Jalan Punchak to the Pacific Regency Hotel Suites, where you can relax at the ultra-chic Luna on the 34th floor, sipping a cocktail while watching the city lights come on from this spectacular viewpoint.

8.30pm

Fusion fare

If you are hungry, head round the corner to Elegant Inn at Menara Hap Seng (for more information, click here) for creative Cantonese fare, including the outstanding dim sum the place is famous for, or Hakka Restaurant (for more information, click here) for traditional Hakka food.

10.30pm

All-night clubbing

From here, walk along Jalan P. Ramlee till you hit the big clubs like the Beach Club Café and Poppy Collection. There is more swanky action at the Asian Heritage Row on Jalan Dang Wangi. For live jazz and pubs, head instead to Changkat Bukit Bintang.

Introduction

Kuala Lumpur – or KL, as it is fondly called – is proudly progressive and cosmopolitan, with aspirations to achieve ‘world-class city’ status. The trademarks of this ambition include an ever-changing skyscraper skyline, the conspicuous presence of global brand names and an educated populace as well versed in English Premier League politics as in China’s superpower status. However, visitors to KL are likely to be impressed most with its multi-ethnic Asian rhythms, colour and bustle. From myriad cultural and religious sites and festivals, to a mouth-wateringly large choice of food, the multifaceted threads of Malay, Chinese, Indian and other Asian traditions and sensibilities are intricately woven into the fabric of this city.

A capital city

Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia, which comprises Peninsular Malaysia and the states of Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo. Located midway down the peninsula’s west coast, KL has an area of 234 sq km (90 sq miles). It anchors Klang Valley, the country’s most developed and prosperous conurbation, which spreads over 1,600 sq km (618 sq miles) and has a population of 6.84 million, about a third of whom work in KL. Annexed from the state of Selangor, KL is one of the country’s three Federal Territories and the seat of Parliament. The administrative and judicial capital is Putrajaya in the south.

The city’s oldest sections date back 150 years, but much of the city was modernised in the 1990s, when the country experienced double-digit Gross Domestic Product growth, fuelling a property and infrastructure boom. Density has increased, many old neighbourhoods have been redeveloped, and postmodern architecture dominates the cityscape. Big-city problems like pollution, traffic jams and high crime rates have taken root. Nonetheless, visitors are often surprised at how green KL is, with parks and gardens within the city and lush rainforests on its outskirts. The latter make up the natural tropical forests that cover about 40 percent of Malaysia.

New Year lanterns and signage on Chinatown’s Petaling Street

James Tye/Apa Publications

An economic magnet

The indigenous Orang Asli people are believed to have been the first inhabitants of the area, but they have long been relegated to