If you’re in Kuala Lumpur for a week or more, you can indulge in a day trip or two to see some of the nearby attractions situated in neighbouring territories.

Downtown Kuala Lumpur

Selangor is where most day-trippers from Kuala Lumpur head to – Selangor is Malaysia’s most modern state, so there are more than a few points of interest to tempt the traveller to Malaysia.

For day trips from Kuala Lumpur, here are the main places that we recommend:

Batu Caves – If you’re in Kuala Lumpur for a few days, it’s a good idea to check out the impressive Batu Caves. This is the most popular cave location in Malaysia. It is also the place where people of Hindu faith go to during Thaipusam, one of the main Hindu religious festivals. This is because Batu Caves is home to the most venerated Hindu temple in Malaysia.

Orang Asli Museum – An excellent museum that features many displays on the history, culture and customs of the indigenous people of Malaysia through time. ‘Orang Asli’ means ‘Indigenous People’ in the Malay language. These indigenous people tribes are Malaysia’s original settlers. They were here before anyone from any other race arrived. Some of these tribes are the Senai, Dusun, Kadazan, Lun Bawang, Iban, Bajau etc. There are more than 50 different indigenous tribes in Malaysia.

Genting Highlands – Set amidst a thick rainforest, this awesome construction has an inbuilt theme park, casino and night shows that Las Vegas would be proud of. It only comes alive at night though, so you may need to consider a night stop if you’re visiting from Kuala Lumpur.

Sunway Lagoon – An outstanding theme park, and a particular favourite with kids, Sunway lagoon has plenty of rides (both wet and dry rides), a pet zoo (yup, a PET zoo!), a mock pyramid and an in-built hotel.

Sunway Lagoon Theme Park is a smash hit with the kids

Excellent for a day trip from Kuala Lumpur, though you will need to make an early start. If you have young children, do not miss Sunway Lagoon!

Your kids will LOVE Sunway Lagoon's pool and rides

Taman Alam Kuala Selangor Nature Park – This impressive nature reserve has lakes, mangroves and a lot of wildlife to view.

Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve – Situated in the state of Perak, the Matang Mangrove Forest Reserve is another superb trip for nature lovers to make. You can take a Mangrove walk and see some fascinating wildlife including hundreds of bird species, otters and even lizards.

Find out about how to travel about in Kuala Lumpur and its surrounding areas at my page, Getting to Malaysia and Moving Around.

Many holiday makers to Kuala Lumpur go on to visit some of the splendid beach islands such as Langkawi. Langkawi island is in another state, so you won’t be able to go to Langkawi on a day trip if you’re staying in Kuala Lumpur.

Langkawi Island Symbol Kedah Malaysia

If you do intend to go on, you may find that there are island hopping trips available from these islands that will give you a nice flavour of traditional Malay life as well as exposure to some spectacular wildlife & nature experiences. With that in mind, you may wish to consider a day trip from Kuala Lumpur only if you’re not going on to visit one of these paradise islands.