Kuala Lumpur - An Intro To Malaysia’s Vibrant Capital
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Kuala Lumpur is Malaysia, and indeed South East Asia at its best – in many ways the city combines the modern and sophisticated living of the West with the traditional values and morals of the East, producing one of the most unique and rewarding experiences for every traveller.
The city, on the west coast of Peninsula of Malaysia has an area of 243 sq miles and is about 40km from the coast of Malaysia – the city itself is nestled within some gloriously sharp hills which makes some great viewing from the air (look out for it as you make your descent, and make sure you request a window seat from wherever you may be flying).
The premier commercial, shopping and entertainment center in Kuala Lumpur is called the Golden Triangle. All banks, insurance companies, multinationals and shopping malls have their headquarters or main buildings here. Perhaps the first thing that strikes you as you wander about the Golden Triangle is the bristling cleanliness of the city – even in the most densely populated areas, there is rarely any litter to be found. This is largely due to the combined “Keep Malaysia Clean” mindset of the locals coupled with the investment towards keeping streets clean as provided by the government. Take note, New York and London.
The History Of Kuala Lumpur
In the mid-1800’s, Malaysia’s now vibrant capital was little more than a dense jungle – even today, as you make your descent from the air, you can see miles of endless jungle in every direction away from Kuala Lumpur.
The city of Kuala Lumpur was initially developed by Chinese prospectors who discovered a rich source of tin in its soil. The most famous of these enterprising Chinese tin miners was Yap Ah Loy. He is credited as the founder of Kuala Lumpur. These tin miners promptly set-up their base along the Klang & Gombak rivers. The name Kuala Lumpur means “muddy river” in the Malay language – and so the city was born, and instantly became a magnet for tin and metal miners. This was in 1857. At that time, Malaysia was under British rule until the country finally gained independence on Aug 31st, 1957 (it is now celebrated as a national holiday).
Since then, Kuala Lumpur has been transformed at a breathtaking pace into one of the most modern metropolitan cities in the world. Tin mines, rubber estates and paddy farms have largely been replaced by skyscrapers, shopping malls, hotels and condominiums. Kuala Lumpur is home to the Petronas Twin Towers, the world’s second tallest buildings (as of 2008), the KL Tower, Suria KLCC, the National Art Gallery, the PetroScience Center, the national aquarium known as Aquaria, Starhill Gallery, the Lake Gardens, the Butterfly Farm, the Bird Park, the National Monument known as Tugu Peringatan Negara, countless shopping and entertainment centers, hotels and movie theaters.
One of the many world-class international hotels in Malaysia
Today, Malaysia is a mix of many tolerant cultures and races – Chinese, Malay and Indian are the most prominent races. The government has long been trying to get its people to think of themselves as one common Malaysian culture.
The Weather In Kuala Lumpur
If you arrive in Kuala Lumpur with a cold, you’ll leave with a clear nose and most probably a very nice tan!
Malaysia's weather is constant all year…with sunsets like this
The temperature can only dip as low as the mid-twenties during the nights and can rise to the lower thirties during the days in terms of degrees Celcius. No extreme temperatures or capricious weather conditions here, unlike some other major cities like Melbourne.
Kuala Lumpur - Travelling Around Inside The City
Many of the main attractions within Kuala Lumpur are located quite near to one another. It’s easy then to think that you can navigate the city by foot but the lack of decent infrastructure (footpaths) for pedestrians coupled with the usually humid weather makes it a better idea to just take a taxi or the Light Rail Transit (LRT) to travel about.
Downtown Kuala Lumpur
Generally taxi drivers are very helpful, chatty and friendly – you get the impression they’re genuinely proud of their city and they’re only too happy to tell you what you may want to know. It’s not exactly cheap to hire a taxi, but it’s certainly cheaper than in many other cities such as London or New York.
