Kuala Lumpur: Itineraries

This walking tour begins at KL's magnificent train station. Built in 1911, this delightful example of colonial whimsy is a Moorish fantasy of spires, minarets, towers, cupolas and arches.

Walk north and turn the corner onto Jln Perdana. A short distance west you'll find the Pusat Islam Malaysia (Islamic Centre) and, on the other side of the street, the Masjid Negara.

Backtrack to the train station and take Pintu D on the eastern side. Then turn left and walk alongside the fenced-in train platforms underneath a covered footpath, until you arrive at the Pejabat Pos Besar (Main Post Office). Take the car ramp heading upward and skirt the eastern side of the post office until you find yourself at the small Petronas Fountain, which features a globe highlighting all the world's petroleum-producing countries (which include Malaysia, of course).

Immediately to your right is the distinctive, multiple-sided Kompleks Dayabumi. Note the Islamic arches and recurring motifs. Walk to the left of the tower and the building behind it, then north down the steps, alongside the Old City Hall to your left. Go through the arched gate and turn left along Lebuh Pasar Besar.

Walk west across Jln Sultan Hishamuddin to the National History Museum, which originally housed KL's first bank. Adjacent is the Kuala Lumpur Memorial Library. Cross Jln Raja to the southern side of Merdeka Square, once at the heart of colonial KL, and part of the open field formerly known as the Padang. It was here that Malaysia's British administrators engaged in that curious English rite known as cricket. It's no coincidence that in 1957 Malaysia's independence was proclaimed here, and dignitaries still gather on National Day to watch the parades.

From the flagpole, walk counter-clockwise around the perimeter of the square. The Royal Selangor Club, a social centre for KL's high society in the tin-boom days of the 1890s, is across the field to your left. It's still a gathering place for the KL elite.

East of the square across Jln Raja Laut you can see the Sultan Abdul Samad Building. Its blend of Victorian and Moorish architecture is typical of the colonial buildings that give the city much of its character. It was once the Secretariat Building for the British administration and is now Malaysia's Supreme Court.

Continue walking north towards the memorial arches inscribed with 'Dataran Merdeka' (Merdeka Square). Further north be careful crossing over Jln Raja from the square to St Mary's Cathedral, dating from 1894 and housing a fine pipe-organ.