Kuala Lumpur

Where two rivers meet

In Malay, kuala is a place where a river meets another river or the sea, and lumpur is soft, wet mud. The spot that gave the city its name is still right in the center. On the pointed tip of land where the Klang and Gombak rivers join in a Y stands Masjid Jamek, red brick banded in white. Kuala Lumpur officially became a city on February 1, 1972. A short walk away is Merdeka Square (Dataran Merdeka). Across the lawn, the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, topped with copper domes and a clock tower, is a former colonial government building. As the sun drops, lights come on along the clock tower and arches, and the building's outline sharpens.

Three cultures, face to face

Head south from Masjid Jamek and you're in Chinatown, centered on Jalan Petaling. Stalls pack the street under its green roof, and tucked behind is Kwai Chai Hong, a back lane painted with murals. On neighboring Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, the Sri Mahamariamman temple, with its ornate South Indian gate tower, faces the Guan Di temple across the road, so the scent of jasmine garlands comes from one side and incense smoke drifts over from the other. Central Market (Pasar Seni) opened in 1888 as a wet market; today its pale blue art deco building houses batik and craft shops. In Kampung Baru, traditional Malay houses still stand on wooden stilts, and you can see the glass towers glowing beyond their low roofs.

Mamak for breakfast, Jalan Alor for dinner

Start your day at a mamak stall. At these open-air eateries run by Indian Muslims, you dip roti canai, dough stretched thin, folded and griddled, into dal curry, alongside teh tarik, milk tea poured from a height until it froths. Many stay open late, and they're often busy around midnight with people watching football. Nasi lemak is a plate of rice cooked in coconut milk with sambal, fried anchovies, peanuts, a boiled egg and cucumber. For lunch, try banana leaf rice in Brickfields' Little India: rice, vegetable sides and curry served on a banana leaf. In the evening, head to Jalan Alor, behind Bukit Bintang. Once the sun's down, plastic tables line both sides of the street, and satay smoke and the clatter of woks fill the air. You can try KL-style Hokkien mee, thick noodles fried in dark soy sauce, at these Chinese stalls too.

Beneath the twin towers

The two Petronas Twin Towers are joined by a skybridge at levels 41 and 42. It's only open to the public at set hours, so if you plan to go up, check when it opens first and plan your day around that. Behind the towers, KLCC Park covers 50 acres (about 20 hectares), with a playground, a shallow wading pool and jogging tracks. The terrace by Lake Symphony, a man-made lake, fits both towers in one frame. Sit here at dusk and watch the facades go from a pink glow to white under the lights.

Batu Caves, a temple at the top of the stairs

A little north of the city, Batu Caves open into a limestone hill. Take the KTM Komuter from KL Sentral toward Batu Caves and get off at the last stop: the golden statue of Murugan is the first thing you'll see outside the station. Climb the steep, brightly painted staircase beside it, and inside a huge cave lit by sunlight through gaps in the roof is a Hindu temple. Monkeys on the railings sometimes snatch drinks or plastic bags, so keep food in your bag. During Thaipusam, held in the Tamil month of Thai (usually January or February), a procession of barefoot pilgrims climbs these stairs through the night, some carrying milk pots on their heads, others kavadi decorated with peacock feathers.

Rainy afternoons at the museum

Rain here tends to pour all at once rather than drag on, so when the sky darkens, it's time to move indoors. Next to the Perdana Botanical Garden (Taman Botani Perdana), the Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia holds 1,400 years of art and craft from the Islamic world across 12 galleries. Wander past tilework, Quran manuscripts and scale models of mosques from around the world, and you'll forget the rain outside. It's open daily, 9:30 a.m.–6 p.m. (last entry 5:30 p.m.).

Suggested 4-day itinerary

Day 1 — Land at KLIA → KLIA Ekspres to KL Sentral → hotel in Bukit Bintang → dinner on Jalan Alor Day 2 — Masjid Jamek → Merdeka Square → Central Market → Chinatown and Kwai Chai Hong → KLCC Park at night Day 3 — Batu Caves early → banana leaf rice in Brickfields → Islamic Arts Museum and National Mosque → dinner in Kampung Baru Day 4 — Breakfast at a mamak stall → Petronas skybridge (during its open hours) → KL Sentral → airport

What to eat

• Nasi lemak (coconut rice and sambal)
• Roti canai (breakfast at a mamak stall)
• Banana leaf rice (Brickfields)
• Hokkien mee (KL's dark fried noodles)

Handy tips

• Submit the Malaysia Digital Arrival Card (MDAC) on the immigration site (imigresen-online.imi.gov.my) within 3 days before you arrive.
• The KLIA Ekspres takes you from KLIA Terminal 1 to KL Sentral in 28 minutes (3 more from Terminal 2), RM55 one way.
• Foreign guests at hotels pay a tourism tax of RM10 per room per night, charged separately at check-in. Only Malaysian citizens and permanent residents are exempt.