Sign in with Facebook"Kuala Lumpur" Kuala Lumpur by phil_uk_net
Kuala Lumpur Travel Guide: 5,923 reviews and 13,230 photos
Some people say that all big cities are the same but of course they are not and they all have their own identities.
The Muslim presence in KL is quite noticeable, in the people and architecture. You will see a lot of women with veiled heads and lots of minarets on the buildings - more reminiscent of the Middle East than the Far East. There are also some remnants of Malaysia's colonial past with English style buildings and patches of grass that were unmistakeably cricket pitches at one time.
As with other cities in this region there are large Chinese and Indian communities that add their own flavour to the surroundings.
It is unfair to make rash statements and draw conclusions after only staying in a place for a short time, but I will anyway!
KL seemed to me to have a point to prove - possibly to the rest of the world but more likely to its nearest neighbours. This came across while visiting the modern areas and noting, for instance, the importance of the height of buildings etc. It appeared to be a very important thing to the Malaysians that the Petronas Towers and TV tower are some of the highest structures of their kind in the world. I noted lots of propaganda about the significance of these buildings and how they signify the development of Malaysia and its future potential on the world stage. Personally, I'm not convinced by some steel and concrete structures.
Another case in point is the monorail system that is being built. I talked to a few locals who told me that it wouldn't be of much use. The impression I got was that KL has to have one because it is a (perceived) sign of a modern, futuristic city. It reminded me a lot of the famous Simpsons monorail episode!
KL is quite different from Bangkok and Singapore if you are travelling there from one of these places but still worth staying in for a few days.
- Pros:Has an interesting blend of cultures
- Cons:Not as welcoming as other parts of Asia
- In a nutshell:Good to visit but doesn't compare with Bangkok
Reviews (45)
Local people and generalisations
Favorites
(25)
I made a nice friend in KL. After my first trip to Malaysia I had started to form the opinion that Muslim folk kept to... more travel advice
Merdeka Square
Favorites
(25)
Merdeka Square, home of a very tall flagpole, carrying of course the Malaysian flag. There is a lot of national pride in... more travel advice
Sultan Abdul Samad Building
Things to Do
(6)
Built in 1897 under British colonial rule for government departments to use, the architecture is in the Moorish style.... more travel advice
Merdeka Square
Things to Do
(6)
This scene could be in England somewhere, it resembles a cricket pitch and is a relic from Malaysia's colonial... more travel advice
-
Shopping (4)
See All Lot 10 -
Hotels (3)
See All Hotel Nova -
Warnings and Dangers (2)
See All General health and sanitation -
Nightlife (1)
Hemingway's
phil_uk_net's Related Pages
-
Melaka
-
Pulau Langkawi
Top 5 Page for this destination
-
George Town
Top 5 Page for this destination
-
Negeri Pulau Pinang
-
Manila
-
Boracay Island
-
Ubud
-
Pulau Nusadua
-
Kuta
-
Sanur
-
Pulau Bintan
-
Tanjungpinang
-
Bali
-
Bangkok
-
Pattaya
-
Pak Khat
-
Hat Yai
Top 5 Page for this destination
-
Ban Khao Lak
Top 5 Page for this destination
-
Ko Samui
-
Phuket
Kuala Lumpur Travel Guide
Member Travel Pages
- "Kuala Lumpur"
- "Kuala Lumpur - My Home"
- "KL - where the rivers (and all things else) meet."
- "-=Latest & Happening In Town=-"
- "I grew up here!!!"
- "PutraJaya"
- "JALAN BUKIT BINTANG"
- See All...
Categories
- Things to Do in Kuala Lumpur
- Hotels in Kuala Lumpur
- Transportation in Kuala Lumpur
- Nightlife in Kuala Lumpur
- Restaurants in Kuala Lumpur
- Shopping in Kuala Lumpur
- Warnings and Dangers in Kuala Lumpur
- See All...
Nearby Travel Guides
- Kuala Lumpur Travel Guide
- Putrajaya Travel Guide
- Cyberjaya Travel Guide
- See All...
Explore the World
Badges & Stats in Kuala Lumpur
- 45 Reviews
- 46 Photos
- 1 Forum posts
- 21 Comments
- 7,446PageViews
- See All Stats
- See All Badges (14)
Have you been to Kuala Lumpur?
Share Your TravelsLatest Activity in Kuala Lumpur
- Posted in Travel Liuzhou Forum "Re: Re: Liuzhou - what's it like?"
- Wrote a Review Local people and generalisations in Kuala Lumpur Favorites
- Uploaded a Photo to "Local people and generalisations"
- Commented on one of jenniferchin's Kuala Lumpur travel pages
- updated a Kuala Lumpur Travel Page "Kuala Lumpur"
Photos in Kuala Lumpur
See All Photos (46)
Top 10 Pages
-
London
Intro, 176 reviews, 174 photos, 3 travelogues
-
Top 5 Page for this destination
Hat Yai
Intro, 104 reviews, 135 photos, 4 travelogues
-
Singapore
Intro, 99 reviews, 121 photos, 4 travelogues
-
Singapore
Intro, 40 reviews, 73 photos, 4 travelogues
-
Top 5 Page for this destination
Pulau Langkawi
Intro, 51 reviews, 52 photos
-
Bangkok
Intro, 52 reviews, 49 photos
-
Top 5 Page for this destination
Ban Khao Lak
Intro, 40 reviews, 53 photos, 2 travelogues
-
Kuala Lumpur
Intro, 45 reviews, 46 photos
-
Top 5 Page for this destination
George Town
Intro, 40 reviews, 48 photos, 1 travelogue
-
Melaka
Intro, 36 reviews, 37 photos
Latest Kuala Lumpur hotel reviews
- The Coronade Hotel
- 105 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 15, 2013 - Westin Kuala Lumpur
- 968 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 17, 2013 - Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur
- 3313 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 19, 2013 - Duta Vista Suites
- 43 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Jan 8, 2013 - Best Western Seri Pacific Hotel
- 230 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 14, 2013 - J W Marriott
- 478 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 19, 2013 - Mandarin Oriental Kuala Lumpur
- 1386 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 17, 2013 - Maya Hotel Kuala Lumpur
- 557 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 16, 2013 - Le Meridien Kuala Lumpur
- 753 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 16, 2013 - Maytower Kuala Lumpur
- 138 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Apr 23, 2013 - The Summit Hotel Subang Usj
- 48 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: Apr 9, 2013 - Parkroyal, Kuala Lumpur
- 1058 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 18, 2013 - Melia Kuala Lumpur
- 563 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 15, 2013 - Holiday Villa Subang
- 88 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 16, 2013 - Hotel Novotel Kuala Lumpur City Centre
- 1243 Reviews & Opinions
Latest: May 18, 2013
Comments (19)
It's true everyone want to see the Petronas Twin Tower. On my flight back from Netherland this Swedish lady sitting next to me who is on a stopover flight was so excited to see it too. :-) Great page.
useful review on Master Tan and Wong! name changed, address is same, service is just as good as described... must visit rather than the other "foot rubbing" places
Hmm ... I have these friends from Liverpool and London keep on coming back every year for shopping. Most of them are in their 20s. I guess you must have missed something on your trip. Anyway, a great review!!
Mosques and minarets are usually enough to divert me, but this National Mosque is well, a little below the standard I knew in Turkey.
Hey there Phil, hope you had a great time in KL, and now enjoying Penang and next Langkawi. Sorry I didn't have much more time to catch up ☺
Glad you had an unforgettable time here in KL this time around ... good & bad :-) This is what traveling is all about !
That unusual meat is called "bak gua". It is BBQ pork or chicken, popular as gifts during the Chinese New Year. Very tasty though, esp between 2 slices of bread. There's one shop in Singapore that I had queued for 5hrs to buy "bak gua" for the New Year.
ahem...u like durians ? ;-)
Not much changes to the KL Chinatown = it is just a crown over it!!! It gives shelter to the many Chinatown enthusiasts. There has been many VTers asking for a peep at it...no where compared to Bugis Junction in Singapore
Not a fan of heights myself. Can't wait to go meet all the VTers in and around KL