Kuala Lumpur - a great stopover
Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the largest city of Malaysia. If you find yourself flying to the east with Malaysian Airlines, then I strongly recommend that you break your journey with a stopover in Kuala Lumpur, and take a look at this interesting city.
The name Kuala Lumpur literally means “muddy estuary” in the Malay language. Kuala Lumpur has grown from being a small village to a major city of some seven million, in a mere half century. In Kuala Lumpur you will find five star hotels that do not break the bank, excellent shopping, (I once did a wardrobe restock on my stopover between the UK and Japan). The food is also excellent and I have particularly fond memories of an excellent vegetable curry eaten at an outdoor restaurant. A little off the usual tourist track, Kuala Lumpur is starting to become more popular with travellers.
As in most of Malaysia’s big cities, about 55% of Kuala Lumpur’s population is of Malaysian Chinese descent, and this is reflected in the availability of excellent Chinese food, and a bustling Chinatown. A good proportion of the population is Musilim, and many Malaysian women wear traditional Muslim dress.
The centre of the city lies between Jalan Sultan Ismail, Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Pudu, Jalan Tun Perak and Jalan Ampang, and this is where you will find most of the city’s fabulous shopping malls, five-star hotels and good places to go for an evening out. At the northern edge of the city are the famous Petronas Twin Towers. A little to the south you will find Merdeka Square where there are some of the old colonial buildings. Going a little further south you will find, the suburb of Bangsar which is famed for its restaurants and nightclubs.
For its good food, the marvellous view from the Petronas Twin Towers, great shopping and good hotels, Kuala Lumpur is a great place to spend a few days.