Kuala Lumpur is a city I’ve visited twice now, and only fall for more with each visit. It actually holds special significance, as it was Adam and I's first trip away together, all the way back in 2017. Whilst KL has all the hallmarks of a typical bustling Asian city, there's also so much more to recommend it besides.
Someone I know described Malaysia as “Easy Asia”, and, though simplistic, this well sums up the experience of Kuala Lumpur. The streets are clean, it feels safe, the driving is relatively sober, it’s tourist-friendly without being overtly touristy, oh, and most people speak good English. It’s not going to challenge you (whether this is a good or bad thing depends on your travelling temperament), but as Asian cities go, it’s one of the most accessible to experience.
And it is an experience, thanks to the wealth of cultures and ethnicities that call the country home. Malaysia is truly a melting pot of culture, particularly in KL. Dutch, Portuguese, and British colonial rule in centuries past have shaped the country’s history and heritage, whilst the mix of Malay, Indian, and Chinese backgrounds of people who call it home make it a truly vibrant destination. Add to this the sheer number of expats and foreign workers from all over the world, and you’ve got a truly modern metropolis with a rich and diverse culture.
Though I consider myself by no means an expert, I’ve compiled this short city break Kuala Lumpur travel guide highlighting some of my favourite restaurants, bars, and experiences in the city. Read on for some of the very best things to do in Kuala Lumpur.
Kuala Lumpur 101
Money in Kuala Lumpur: Malaysia uses the Malaysian Ringgit (RM). At time of writing, £1 is equal to 5.74RM. Cards are widely accepted, but I'd recommend having cash on you for smaller fees, and more rural areas.
How many days to spend in Kuala Lumpur: Being a big, cosmopolitan city, there's plenty of things to do in Kuala Lumpur to occupied for days, weeks, or even months. If you're visiting as part of a larger Malaysia trip, I'd recommend allocating 3-5 nights for Kuala Lumpur.
When to visit Kuala Lumpur: If you google "when to visit Kuala Lumpur", you'll soon notice that everyone seems to say slightly different things! Because, as a tropical destination, the weather in KL is far from reliable. Showers can be expected pretty much daily year round, even in the supposed drier months. We visited in early April, and it rained for a couple of hours every evening around 5-7pm. In theory winter (December-January) will be coolest, whilst the Summer months (July-September) will be driest.
How to get around Kuala Lumpur: We mostly used the Grab app (similar to Uber) to get around Kuala Lumpur. Rides are generally cheap and frequent. However in high demand times (rush hour, or when it's raining!), keep in mind that it might take a while to get a ride. If we had to be somewhere at a specific time, we'd usually allot ourselves an extra 10 minutes wait time.
Kuala Lumpur also has a good metro system. It can be a bit confusing to get your head around as there's a number of different systems (eg the KTM, MRT, and LRT), all with different lines. However its affordable, efficient, and with Google Maps as your guide, easy enough to figure out.
What to pack for Kuala Lumpur: The population of Malaysia is over 60%, therefore the general population dresses fairly modestly. Whilst people are tolerant, I'd recommend packing relatively modest clothing so as not to attract attention. Temples often have rules on what you can wear, so pack a light shawl if you need to cover shoulders.
Smarter restaurants and bars may also have dress codes such as no caps or sandals, so pack a nicer outfit if you like going to such places. And bring a rain jacket or umbrella! Oh, and mosquito repellant. The sockets are the same as in the UK, so if you're travelling from the UK you should be all good re adapters.
Where to Stay in Kuala Lumpur
Hotel Indigo On The Park By IHG
Most hotels in KL looks pretty much the same. 50 shades of grey (but not in a sexy way), depressingly corporate, boasting conference rooms and devoid of much in the way of personality. I was determined to find somewhere with a bit of character, which is how we ended up Hotel Indigo On The Park.
The hotel is sat in the heart of town overlooking KL Eco Park, which influences much of the design. Soft furnishings and artworks in various shades of green bring the outside in. Meanwhile the local community and craftsmanship is celebrated throughout with thoughtful design touches, and a “borrowing” programme to allow guests to borrow items like polaroid cameras and binoculars.
We stayed in a suite on the 11th floor, a compact but well furnished space that was perfectly comfortable for two people. The real highlight, however, is the pool. Rooftop pools are a fixture at many hotels in KL, however at Hotel Indigo the urban forest theme runs through to the pool area. I love design-led spaces, and the addition of lush green foliage against the blue and white towel stripes makes it far more interesting than your average rooftop pool. The floor below also hosts a chic bar and restaurant, The Silver Monkey, with more panoramic views over the city.
KL is a relatively affordable city for decent mid-high end hotel options, and Hotel Indigo On The Park is no exception, with rooms under £100 a night.
More Kuala Lumpur Hotel Options
Budget Kuala Lumpur Hotels
- Santa Grand Signature: Centrally located and with rather more character than the usual KL apartment stay.
- The Manor Residence: Slick, chic serviced apartments complete with pool and gym.
- MiCasa Hotel: Suites with plenty of amenities at a budget price tag.
Mid Range Kuala Lumpur Hotels
- Citizen M: Clean and comfortable from the hip hotel chain in the heart of the city.
- The Majestic: A rare non-skyscraper hotel option, The Majestic has a more heritage feel in a historic colonial property.
- Hotel Stripes: A contemporary stay in central Kuala Lumpur with a fabulous rooftop pool
Luxury Kuala Lumpur Hotels
- Villa Samadhi: A complete departure from the usual grey box high rises, Villa Samadhi is a stunning traditional style hotel that feels like a real respite from the city.
- Mandarin Oriental: The Mandarin Oriental brand is usually at the higher end of the spectrum price wise, but their Kuala Lumpur is relatively affordable, and comes with a gorgeous pool view.
- Banyan Tree: An Asian hotel institution, their Kuala Lumpur hotel offers some of the best views out over the Petronas Towers.
The Best Things To Do In Kuala Lumpur
Batu Caves
If there's one sight you can't miss, it's this. A cave complex of Hindu Temples flanked by an imposing gold statue of Hindu God Lord Murugan, Batu Caves is one of the most unusual things to do in the city. The route to the caves takes the form of 272 multicoloured steps, which can be quite the challenge. But if, like us, you stop every few yards to take photos, it's not too bad! Inside, it's a cavernous space with small temples dotted throughout the cave interior. Keep an eye out for the many monkeys that call the caves home - they make look cute, but they can be vicious, and may well steal your food!
It's particularly spectacular and makes for a unique cultural experience to visit during the festival of Thaipusam. During this time thousands of Hindus gather together to pray and perform religious ceremonies.
To get to Batu Caves you can either take a grab (around 30 minutes from central KL), or take a train to the Batu Caves KTM station. The temple is free to enter, and open from 7am. I'd recommend coming close to this time to avoid the crowds.
Explore Chinatown
When I’m in a new city I love to explore all the different neighbourhoods, and none is more vibrant and exciting to wander than Chinatown. It’s definitely very touristy, but not without good reason. The area around Petaling Street is packed with restaurants, bars, and cafes, as well as a wealth of street art and jam-packed markets.
Kwai Chai Hong is the place for street art, though it’s become so touristy that it does feel rather manufactured. When we visited, one wall had been devoted to a giant advertisement for TV show “The Last Of Us!”.
Head to Petaling Street Market for designer knockoffs and weird and wonderful football shirts (also counterfeit, no doubt), or just to soak up the atmosphere. Nearby Central market is a better spot for souvenirs, though the prices are high.
RexKL is a cool community space with vintage stores, a food court, and an immersive book store. The latter is more of a photo opp than for actually shopping for books, but it’s worth seeing. I’ve also listed a few of my favourite spots for dining and drinking in Chinatown below - but really, you’re spoiled for choice!
Canopy Walk at KL Eco Park
Kuala Lumpur can feel like a bit of a concrete jungle, but there are some lovely pockets of green from which to escape the grey. KL Forest Eco Park is one such, an oasis of lush nature in the shadow of the KL Tower. The highlight is the canopy walk, which takes visitors up amongst the trees on a roughly 200m, 15-20 minute long trail of raised walkways. To enter, head to KL tower and you'll find the main entrance just opposite. Entrance costs 40RM, and it's open from 08:00-17:30. It's an easy walk, and a lovely way to take a break from the skyscrapers!
Thean Hou Temple
There was one thing I didn't get round to doing on my last visit to Kuala Lumpur, and that was a visit to Thean Hou temple. Therefore, it sat right at the top of my bucket list this time around! The six-tiered, architectural temple was built by Hainanese Chinese in the 1980s, dedicated to Mazu, the Godess of Water and Goddess of Mercy.
A fusion of Buddhist, Confusionian and Taoist tradition, Thean Hou is truly a feast for the eyes, with a sea of red lanterns, intricate carvings, and troops of dragons marching along the roofs. It also offers panoramic views of the city, providing a real contrast of centuries of tradition against a backdrop of thoroughly modern skyscrapers.
As Thean Hou is a religious building, modest dressing is recommended. It's a bit out of the town centre, so I'd suggest getting a Grab. You can also combine with a visit to nearby Little India. It's open from 8am-8pm, and entry is free.
KLCC Park
The architectural symbol of Kuala Lumpur is undeniably the glittering Petronas Towers. Now I'm not generally one to wax lyrical about skyscrapers (honestly, they're usually just boring glass boxes...), but KL's iconic towers are actually quite pretty. The architecture is intended to represent the local culture and tradition of Malaysia, borrowing inspiration from Islamic design and principles.
One of the best places to view and capture the Petronas towers is from nearby KLCC park. Another pocket of green in the city, this beautifully manicured park is a great spot to see the towers in all their glory. It's free to enter, generally fairly quiet, and a lovely patch of green amidst the tower blocks.
Restaurants and Food Markets in Kuala Lumpur
LaGula by The Hungry Tapir
In Kuala Lumpur we were joined on our travels by my parents for a week of exploring. They’re vegetarian (vegan at home!), so we had to seek out veggie-friendly restaurants. Luckily, Kuala Lumpur has a surprisingly decent range of vegan and vegetarian restaurants. In Chinatown, vegan diners have The Hungry Tapir, and their sister restaurant, LaGula. We ended up at the latter, an Instagram generation fantasy in millennial pink with a generous sprinkling of boho Bali-cafe style accents. Not the kind of place you’d necessarily take your parents, but I was hoping the food would justify our choice.
Thankfully, it did just that, with a heaving menu of all sorts of actually quite tasty sounding (coming from a non-vegan, that is!) dishes. We tried the Madras platter, a thali style dish of curries and pickles, two filled croissants (shawarma and mushroom rendang), chilli chicken and a seafood platter. The latter, made of breaded konjac with tartare sauce, was so convincing it had us questioning if it was definitely, 100% completely vegan. Adam also claimed that the chilli chicken was the closest alternative to chicken he’d ever tried. High praise indeed!
Merchants Lane Cafe
Hidden on a first floor behind a fairly unremarkable door, Merchants Lane Cafe is not the kind of place you're going to stumble upon. In fact, you're more likely to be drawn towards the frenzied hubbub of crowds across the road at popular spot Ho Kow Hainam Kopitiam. However if you ignore the crowds and pass through said unremarkable door, and head up the stairs, you'll find a Chinatown institution. Once an old brothel, Merchants Lane Cafe was one of the first businesses to revolutionise the now-thriving area.
We first visited back in 2017, discovered thanks to a Lonely Planet guide. However in 2025 you're more likely to find it recommended on Instagram, thanks to the rustic, photo-friendly decor.
The menu is an interesting fusion of dishes, like nasi lemak pancakes and butter chicken pasta. We gorged on the chicken burger with sambal mayo sauce, a chow mein spaghetti, and fried chicken salad (fried foods and greens, it's all about balance!). The burger was an easy favourite, decadently saucy with the sambal mayo deliciously coalescing with the yolk of a fried egg, paired with a crisp chicken base.
There may be an abundance of places to eat around Chinatown, but Merchants Lane Cafe is a staple for a reason.
Tamarind Springs
By the end of our week in Kuala Lumpur, having hopped our way around endless hip brunch cafes and grease-friendly hawker stalls, we were looking for a more elevated dining experience. Therefore on our last night we headed out of town to experience something entirely different. Set in secluded suburb of the city, Tamarind Springs is one of the city’s most sophisticated dining spots. Turtles play in a pond as you enter the candlelit dining room, surrounded by lush green foliage and even a small waterfall. Despite the number of tables, it feels intimate, and decidedly romantic.
The Mekong menu is designed to be shared, with starters, soups, seafood, meats, veg and curries. There are the dishes those familiar with Thai cuisine will recognise - green curry, red curry, a mango sticky rice bringing up the rear. But also dishes from neighbouring countries, such as Cambodian brisket and Laotian chicken with papaya.
I could wax lyrical about every dish we tried, but I’ll attempt to keep it short. The standout for us was the the green chicken and wild banana curry, which hit a level of fragrant previously unbeknownst to us in our vast prior green curry experience (it’s even part of Adam’s cooking repertoire!). From the starters, the shrimp and crab spring rolls were practically bursting at the seams, generously filled yet not too overwhelmingly fishy.
The cocktails are distilled versions of the dishes, in a good way. Lemongrass, ginger, chilli, play leading roles. The highlight was a currently off-menu (but, we were informed, soon to be a signature) Mekong Mango Punch, designed to replicate the flavours of a Mango Sticky Rice. Adam and I don’t tend to like the same drinks, but we both loved this.
The portions are healthier than I’d expect for sharing plates, and more reasonably priced than one might assume. It’s fairly out of the way, so book ahead to avoid disappointment.
The Old China Cafe
On my “dream home” Pinterest board, my ideal living room looks rather a lot like the interiors of the Old China Cafe. The space is steeped in nostalgia, with old black and white pictures lining the walls, and antiques and indigo ginger jars along the shelves. The menu is a mix of traditional Chinese and Malay dishes with a focus on Nyonya cuisine. There's a selection of complete meals of rice and protein, or a number of chicken, beef, fish and seafood dishes.
We tried the Nyonya Belecan fried chicken meal, dry chilli beef, and spring rolls. The beef dish was a plentiful portion in a rich, glossy glaze. The chicken however wasn’t really crispy, and wasn’t much of a portion. Nonetheless I think the atmosphere and opportunity to try traditional Nyonya cooking in Kuala Lumpur makes Old China Cafe well worth visiting.
Markets and Street Food in Kuala Lumpur
- Jalan Alor (pictured) is the most famous food street in Kuala Lumpur, a bustling street food strip in Bukit Bintang. However it's fame does come with a slightly higher price tag, and it was claimed by our taxi driver to be the "tourist market". It's still worth checking out!
- For a more authentic food market experience, head to Tamam Connaught's market on a Wednesday night. A long, narrow stretch of road is jam-packed with stalls selling absolutely every street food dish you could think of, from stinky tofu to tiramisu. It's mostly locals, and an incredible experience.
- Petaling St Market, as mentioned, is Chinatown's main market street. It's filled with designer knockoffs and various plasticy goods at relatively cheap prices.
- Nearby Central Market is more upscale, with chic souvenirs, handicrafts, clothes stalls and a food court. It also hosts a number of cultural showcases. However the prices are considerably higher - some things were nearly London prices, well outside my meagre traveller budget!
- A market we didn't quite get to on this trip but that's on my list for my next KL adventure is Kampung Baru night market. This market runs on Saturday night through to Sunday morning, selling traditional Malay food and handicrafts.
Bars and Drinking in Kuala Lumpur
Sky51 Rooftop
Adam and I are generally not huge rooftop bar enthusiasts. We both find them a bit poncy, which added to Adam’s fear of heights, makes them a non-starter. However, I was keen to seek out and (admittedly, mostly capture) an iconic KL skyline. Enter Sky51, on the roof of EQ hotel in the heart of KLCC. It has all the hallmarks of ponciness. A dress code. A minimum spend (100RM per person, fyi). We were ready to hate it.
But actually, we didn’t. The staff were friendly, rather than snooty. The vibe at 5pm on a Thursday was in fact fairly laidback. Yes there’s a minimum spend, but when it meant we had to order the most delicious devilled popcorn chicken to make it, we didn’t really mind. Oh, and yes, I got cute snaps.
I'd recommend booking ahead at peak times, or they have room for walk-ins. The aforementioned dress code prohibits hats, sandals, shorts, and sleeveless shorts. It also mentions open-toed shoes - but I wore open toe heels, so I don't think this is strictly enforced! Basically, just look fancy.
Concubine
We ended up wandering into Chinatown bar and restaurant Concubine on our first night in KL, lured in by the loud decor and the promise of Happy Hour. The interiors are playful and unserious, a stylised, interpretation of the Chinatown aesthetic that feels a little like you've stepped into a graphic novel. "Concubine" is spelt out in neon, whilst three different tile work designs vie for attention against a backdrop of glamorously illustrated women straight out of a Wong Kar Wai.
Despite the temptation of Happy Hour's 3 beers for 60RM, I ended up opting for the main drinks menu. My cocktail “Her Name is Rio”, comprised of cachaca, elderflower, italicus, and apple cordial. I totally ordered it for the name, but it tasted great too! I’d read somewhere to get the gyoza, and they were not wrong. The cheeseburger gyoza genuinely tasted like cheeseburger, sans the grease.
If you're looking for places to drink, eat, and watch the world go by in the heart of Chinatown, Concubine is your bet.
PS150
It's simply not a city guide written by me if there's not a speakeasy on the list! In Kuala Lumpur, my pick for you is PS150, tucked away behind yet another unobtrusive door in Chinatown (can you tell we spent a lot of time there?). Down a dimly lit, narrow corridor, behind another door, lies this oh so cool speakeasy bar that would not be out of place in New York or London. The cocktail menu is heavily inspired by the region, celebrating Asian ingredients and culture. They're on the pricier side, but every drink we tried was subtle and beautifully balanced, so I can comfortably say that it's worth the price tag.
I hope this Kuala Lumpur travel guide provides a helpful starting point for planning your own Kuala Lumpur adventures. If you have any other suggestions for things to do in Kuala Lumpur please pop them in the comments. And if you're travelling around Asia like we are, head to my Asia travel hub for lots more city and region guides!
Pin Me
