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Kuala Lumpur Memorial Library Gallery
The Kuala Lumpur Memorial Library is a modern building that uses traditional features to blend into its surroundings. The small gallery on the ground floor has artworks by local student artists and displays on the history of KL.
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Lake Gardens Park
Just a few hundred metres from busy Chinatown, the urban landscape gives way to sculpted parks and dense tropical jungle. Covering 92 hectares, the Lake Gardens were created during the colonial era as an urban retreat where the British administrators could escape the hurly burly of downtown (as well as people of other races).
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Malayan Railway Administration Building
The old KL Train Station is mirrored by the equally handsome Malayan Railway Administration Building across the road. Walking here from Chinatown, the best route to follow is to take the pedestrian bridge across from the Central Market to Kompleks Dayabumi and then head south around the back of the post office to the underpass leading to the Masjid Negara.
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Masjid Albukhary
A short stroll east from the Pudu Jail is the gleaming modern Masjid Albukhary. Its dome features stunning blue tile work outside and detailed stucco work inside. Visitors are welcome outside of prayer times.
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Masjid Jamek
Set in a grove of palm trees, the Masjid Jamek is KL's most delightful mosque. Built in 1907, the mosque is a tranquil creation of onion domes and minarets of layered pink and cream bricks; it looks its best at sunset. Dress appropriately (covered limbs, and headscarves for women).
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Masjid Negara
The principal place of worship for KL's Malay Muslim population is the gigantic Masjid Negara. The mosque was inspired by the Grand Mosque in Mecca. Its umbrella-like blue-tile roof has 18 points symbolising the 13 states of Malaysia and the five pillars of Islam. Rising above the mosque, a 74m-high minaret issues the call to prayer that can be heard across Chinatown. Non-Muslims are welcome to visit outside of prayer times but dress appropriately and remove your shoes before entering.
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Megakidz
Younger kids may want to go to Megakidz in the Mid Valley Megamall - there are storytelling sessions, art activities and an indoor adventure playground, and the centre provides a crèche service (around RM30 to around RM35 for two hours) for kids aged four and over.
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Menara KL
Although the Petronas Towers are taller, the 421m Menara KL offers the best views over the city. Surrounded by a dense area of pristine jungle, this lofty spire is KL's answer to Seattle's Space Needle or Auckland's Sky Tower. This is the world's fourth-highest telecommunications tower - the bulb at the top contains the revolving restaurant Seri Angkasa and an observation deck with soaring views over KL.
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Menara Maybank
Designed by Hijas Kasturi, this was one of KL's first skyscrapers but it still stands out today for its chunky design inspired by the handle of a kris, the traditional Malay dagger.
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Merdeka Square
The huge open square where Malaysian independence was declared in 1957 is ringed by heritage buildings and dominated by an enormous flagpole and fluttering Malaysian flag. In the British era, the square was used as a cricket pitch.
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Muzium Telekom
A few blocks north of the Numismatic Museum, in a striking colonial building housing the Telekom Malaysia office, the reasonably diverting Muzium Telekom has exhibits on the history of telecommunications in Malaysia, with an English or Bahasa commentary on old-fashioned phone handsets.
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National Art Gallery
Housed in a striking pyramid-shaped block between Jln Tun Razak and the park is KL's main art gallery, showcasing the best of contemporary Malaysian art. The gallery was closed for renovation at the time of writing, but it's set to reopen in 2008 - check locally for the latest information on opening times and entry fees. Next door to the gallery is the Istana Budaya, built according to traditional principles of Malay architecture but almost certainly influenced by the Sydney Opera House.
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National History Museum
At the south end of the Merdeka Square is the National History Museum, which covers Malaysian history from prehistoric times to the present day. The building was constructed in 1888 and originally housed the first bank in Kuala Lumpur. Inside you can see relics and treasures from the various cultures that preceded the British colonial administration, including the Hindu and Buddhist kingdoms that existed here before the rise of Islam.
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National Monument
At the northern end of the Lake Gardens, the National Monument commemorates the defeat of the Communists in 1950. The militaristic bronze sculpture was created in 1966 by Felix de Weldon, the artist behind the Iwo Jima monument in Washington, DC. Nearby is a monument to the Malay fighters who died in WWI and WWII.
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National Museum
Housed in a striking 1960s building styled after a Sarawak longhouse, the National Museum has an extensive but musty collection of exhibits on the history, economy, arts, crafts and culture of Malaysia. The galleries are slowly being renovated but most of the new displays seem to concentrate on the achievements of modern Malay royals and politicians.
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National Planetarium
Looking more like a mosque than a centre for scientific research, the National Planetarium is a short walk uphill from the Islamic Arts Museum. The planetarium is part of the National Space Agency, and parts of the rocket that launched Malaysia's first satellite are displayed in the main gallery. Planetarium shows (around RM2 to around RM6 depending on the program) take place throughout the day in English and Bahasa.
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National Sports Complex
Footie fans can catch international matches at the National Sports Complex, accessible from the Bukit Jalil LRT station. For information on fixtures, contact the Football Association of Malaysia (7873 3100; www.fam.org.my).
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Numismatic Museum
On the ground floor of the Menara Maybank, the Numismatic Museum has a small display of Malaysian coins and banknotes, including early Chinese 'coin trees'. While Europeans preferred to strike coins, the Chinese cast their coins in ceramic moulds, leaving a tree of washer-shaped coins attached to metal 'branches'. The coins were then snapped off and carried around looped on strings.
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Old KL Train Station
Midway between Chinatown and KL Sentral is another of AB Hubbock's Moorish-inspired fantasies. KL Train Station opened with much pomp and circumstance in 1911 to receive trains from Butterworth and Singapore. This wonderful confection of turrets and towers looks particularly impressive in the golden afternoon sunlight - half close your eyes and you can imagine the old Orient Express steaming in from Singapore.
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Orchid Garden
Malaysia's fabulous orchids are collected together at the handsome Orchid Garden, uphill from the lake.
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Petaling Street Market
Traders start to fill covered Jln Petaling from mid-morning until the whole street is jammed with market stalls selling everything from fake Gucci handbags and pirate DVDs to nasi lemak (coconut rice) and bunches of lychees. The market really comes into its own at night, when hordes of tourists scour the stalls for convincing fakes of brand-name clothes, perfumes, watches and luggage.
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Petronas Towers
There could be no better symbol of KL than the iconic Petronas Towers, the headquarters of the national oil and gas company Petronas. These shimmering chrome towers rise above the city like twin silver rockets plucked from an early episode of Flash Gordon, a perfect allegory for the meteoric rise of KL from tin mine to space-age metropolis.
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Petrosains
Kids and kidults can fill an educational few hours at Petrosains, an interactive science discovery centre in Suria KLCC. Many of the science-oriented displays and activities focus on the wonderful things that petrol has bought to Malaysia - no prizes for guessing who sponsors the museum. There are all sorts of buttons to press and levers to pull; you don't have to be a boy to enjoy it, but it probably helps.
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Pudu Jail
Immediately southwest of Berjaya Times Square is the looming hulk of Pudu Jail. The star-shaped building was constructed by the British in 1895 and hundreds of prisoners were executed here (many for drug offences) before the prison was closed in 1996. Painted around the perimeter wall is the world's longest mural. Many locals believe that the prison is haunted and local travel agents occasionally organise ghost tours of the decaying cells and corridors.
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Pudu Market
South of the Golden Triangle, accessible by LRT from Hang Tuah station, Pudu Market is KL's biggest wet and dry market. It's a frenetic place, full of squawking chickens, frantic shoppers and porters forcing their way through the crowds with outrageous loads. Stalls here sell everything from goldfish in bowls to pig heads, cows tongues and durians in baskets. Arrive early in the morning to experience the market at its most lively and pungent.
