Luxury hotels in Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur guide

Petronas Twin Towers: the skybridge and the park below

Kuala Lumpur's icon, seen from inside, from the park and from a suite across the way.

Completed in 1998, the Petronas Twin Towers were the tallest buildings in the world until 2004, and they remain the image of Kuala Lumpur. The tour takes you to the double-decker skybridge that joins the towers on the 41st and 42nd floors, and then up to the observation deck on the 86th.

Tickets are timed and limited, so we book them in advance, ideally for late afternoon. Afterwards, KLCC Park at the foot of the towers has a fountain show in the evening and the best ground-level view once the steel facades light up.

Batu Caves, the Hindu shrine at the top of 272 coloured steps, is the other name on every list, and is best visited early in the morning. Many of the city's hotels face the towers directly, and KL offers some of Asia's most generous suites for the price.

The Batu Caves

The Batu Caves, a limestone hill about thirty minutes north of Kuala Lumpur, are the city's most cited excursion: a giant golden statue of Lord Murugan stands at the foot of 272 rainbow-painted steps leading to the Temple Cave, a Hindu shrine inside a vast cavern.

Go early in the morning, before the heat; macaques live on the steps, so keep food out of sight. Modest dress is required. During Thaipusam, in January or February, hundreds of thousands of devotees make a pilgrimage to the caves.

Jalan Alor, Chinatown and Malaysian food

Jalan Alor, a street in Bukit Bintang that turns into an open-air food court every evening, is the most cited place to eat in Kuala Lumpur: satay, grilled seafood, chicken wings and durian. A guided food walk introduces Malay, Chinese and Indian dishes in one evening.

Chinatown's Petaling Street, the Sri Mahamariamman temple and the Kwai Chai Hong lane are close by, and Merdeka Square, with the Moorish Sultan Abdul Samad Building, recalls the colonial city. Nasi lemak for breakfast is a national ritual.