Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
A variety of interesting businesses, including cool boutiques and a couple of cafes, occupy this repurposed block of interconnected shophouses that once…
Must-see attractions in Kuala Lumpur
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
This colonial-era mansion is the headquarters of the trust overseeing Taman Tugu. Inside, by appointment, you can view plans of how KL's newest park will…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
This temple, fronted by an elaborate modern gopura (gateway), was founded by the Sri Lankan community in 1909 as a place to practise Shaiva Siddhanta, a…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
The elegant design of this gigantic 1960s mosque was inspired by Mecca’s Masjid al-Haram. Able to accommodate 15,000 worshippers, it has an umbrella-like…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
One of KL's best small museums offers a fascinating history of Malaysia through the story of policing. Discover not just the uniforms that distinguished…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
Established in 1916 by the Heng Hua clan, the 'three teachings' temple has a beautiful Hokkien-style temple roof, with graceful curving ridgelines that…
Chan She Shu Yuen Clan Association Temple
Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
Opened in 1908 to serve immigrants with the surname Chan, this Cantonese-style temple is a beauty. Decorative panels of 100-year-old Shek Wan pottery…
Kuala Lumpur
Southeast Asia's largest Sikh temple is the spiritual home of KL’s Sikh community. There’s been a temple and school here since 1918, though the present…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
This historic and pleasingly designed ashram, built in 1904 and part of the global Ramakrishna movement, is a well-loved subject for photographers. It…
Dharma Realm Guan Yin Sagely Monastery
Kuala Lumpur
The calm spaces, potted plants, mandala ceilings and giant gilded statues create an appropriately contemplative mood for quiet meditation at this…
Kuala Lumpur
The highlight of this impressive aquarium is its 90m underwater tunnel: view sand tiger sharks, giant gropers and more up close. Regular feedings of…
Kuala Lumpur
The industrial and natural heritage of an old railway depot and workshop has been transformed into this park surrounding upmarket condos. A chunk of it is…
Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
Cross the wooden bridge off an alley running between Jl Panggong and Lorong Panggong to find this Instagram hotspot lined with six murals by local artists…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
For art lovers it's worth making an appointment to view architect Ng Seksan's superb collection of Malaysian contemporary art, so large that he's turned…
Kuala Lumpur
If you need a break from frenetic, urban KL, this sleepy Malay village, located in a hilly, jungly landscape, is the solution – it's less than a 30-minute…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
Opened in 2017, the new home of Pertubuhan Akitek Malaysia (PAM) – the Architects' Association of Malaysia – is a distinctive contemporary building that…
Kuala Lumpur
Enshrining a Shiva lingam brought from India, this Hindu temple was built in 1937 and has one of the largest goporums (towers) in Southeast Asia. The…
Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
Pedestrianised Medan Pasar was once the heart of Chinatown. Kapitan Yap Ah Loy, often cited as one of KL's founders, lived here, and in addition to…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
Part of the National Space Agency, the planetarium offers shows in the Space Theatre throughout the day. It has an observation deck (for looking at KL)…
Kuala Lumpur
The cultural anchor of forward-thinking mall Publika, MAP hosts excellent art and photography exhibitions in its White Box space, while the Black Box…
Petrosains: The Discovery Centre
Kuala Lumpur
Fill an educational few hours at this interactive science discovery centre, which has all sorts of buttons to press and levers to pull. Many of the…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
Founded in 1894 by Sinhalese settlers, this is one of KL's major Theravada Buddhist temples. It's a particular hive of activity around Wesak Day, the…
Kuala Lumpur
Rescued from the brink of dereliction by the law firm Cheang & Ariff, this was once the home of self-made tin tycoon Loke Yew. The Japanese high command…
Kuala Lumpur
For a postcard-perfect view of the city skyline, head to Lake Titiwangsa and the relaxing tree-filled park that surrounds it. It's a pleasant spot for…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
This is a great place to get up close with a hundred or so of the 1100-plus butterfly species found in Malaysia, including the enormous and well-named…
Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
Occupying the old Rex Cinema building, this community-based cultural and creative centre is the brainchild of a group of young cultural entrepreneurs. It…
Kuala Lumpur
In 2018 the city commissioned artists to transform previously gritty alleyways in the Bukit Bintang area with rainbow swathes of street art. This network…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
As the printing business evolved in the early 21st century, the owners of Art Printing Works have creatively converted defunct parts of their plant into…
Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
Check the Facebook page of this edgy graphic arts space for details of art shows and gigs by local and visiting musicians and performance artists, many of…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
The original shrine for Lord Vinayagar (the remover of obstacles) in Brickfields was a shack on Jln Sultan Abdul Samad. Such was the humble start of many…
Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
The cartoonist known as Lat (his real name is Mohammad Nor Khalid) is a beloved figure in the Malaysian media. Fun, life-size sculptures based on his…
Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
The red-painted metal sculptures located on this pedestrianised square are based on artworks by Kuen Stephanie and depict scenes from Malaysian life in…
Kuala Lumpur
A large white stone statue of Buddha sits serenely cross-legged in the main prayer hall of this temple which celebrated its centenary in 2017. Meditation…
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
This lovely garden is dedicated to Malaysia’s national flower and surrounds a small colonial-era house (closed to the public).
Kuala Lumpur
Swap consumerism for culture at this excellent art gallery showcasing Petronas' art collection, including photography and paintings. It’s a bright, modern…
Kuala Lumpur
It took street artist Kenji Chai 21 days to paint the 87.1m tall mural of a Dayak woman with native flora and fauna on the side of the Red by Sirocco…
Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
If you want your chicken freshly plucked, this is where to get it. The market is squished in darkened alleys between Jln Petaling and Jln Tun HS Lee and…
Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
There's always a lively scene outside this small temple dedicated to the elephant-headed god Ganesh, as worshippers buy garlands, light ghee candles and…
Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
This impressive mural covering the end of a terrace on Jln Panggong is the first work in KL by Russian street artist Julia Volchkova, whose street art can…
Chinatown, Merdeka Square & Bukit Nanas
Look up to see this charming mural of a young girl peeking over the upstairs window of this cafe.
