I had the choice of 2 flights and had decided to do a long stop-over in Kuala Lumpur. I had a little more than 24 hours in front of me and wanted to make the most of them. As I had arrived in the middle of the day I went walking around the local wet market, Chow Kit; wandered through the centre to buy souvenirs; stopped to draw a mosque and ended up just after night fall in the business centre, looking at the illuminated Petronas towers.
Then, very early, I had to go to Lake Gardens and, once I had had a shower, go back there to visit the orchid garden, the butterfly park and the birds.
It was a bit tight for visiting this green capital, a bit of a race! Of course, I didn't have time to see lots of other beautiful things, so don't do what I did, stay there a bit longer.
Kuala Lumpur will probably be your first stop during your tour of Malaysia. Travellers don't often hang around, prefering to head directly to the coast or central parts of the country. All the same, this modern, human scale capital city has a lot on offer and those who stay here will be pleasantly surprised.
The first site I visited on arrival in Kuala Lumpur was the Petronas Twin Towers. Two dizzying 575m towers point towards the heavens. You can go up to the 35th floor and admire an amazing view of the capital. My favourite parts of town were, without doubt, Kampung Baru and the Chow Kit market. Take a stroll during the evening call to prayer - the muezzin's voice resonates across the streets.
I also visited Chinatown and Pasar Besar, which are great shopping areas if you're looking for souvenirs and other trinkets. But be pepared to drive a hard bargain! Another good area for shopping is Bukit Bintang, where you'll find huge, ultra-modern shopping centres. This is also the area where you'll find cheap accommodation.
I stayed in Kuala Lumpur for 4 months. I liked it a lot because there are a thousand and one things to do and see.
Of all the countries I visited in south east Asia, I really fell in love with Malaysia. It's a good compromise between big city and nature (jungle).
If you are just passing through then you should walk through the capital's different areas, especially Chinatown and Little India. Kuala Lumpur has three main ethnic groups: Malays, Chinese and Indians. Walking in Kuala Lumpur is like taking a cultural voyage: from Buddhist and Hindu temples to the call to prayer coming from the mosques.
Then I suggest you spend an afternoon at the Batu Caves (a complex of Hindu temples) which is 15 km north of the capital. Make sure you are wearing comfortable shoes because you have to climb up 272 steps.
Finally, Malaysian cuisine is spectacular. You absolutely must try " Nasi Lemak" (sticky rice boiled in coconut milk, anchovies, peanuts and cucumber, served in a banana leaf) for breakfast, it's really delicious.