Asia Travel Guide

Most of KL’s malls are open daily from 10am to 10pm; elsewhere, shops are usually open daily from 9am to 6pm. However, most locals do their shopping at the markets . The Central Market is among the most popular ; the nearby Jalan Petaling market (daily 9am-10pm) is equally crowded and lively; and the sprawling Chow Kit on Jalan Haji Hussein, off Jalan TAR (daily 9am-5pm), is quite an experience, with its warren of stalls selling everything from animals’ brains to quality batik textiles. There’s a good weekly night market at Pasar Minggu, Jalan Raja Muda Musa, Kampung Bharu (Sat 6pm-1am).

Recommended outlets for handicrafts and batiks include Aked Ibu Kota on Jalan TAR, opposite the Coliseum; Central Market on Jalan Hang Kasturi, where you can see the craftsmen at work; Infokraft, Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, which deals in work by government-sponsored craftmakers; Kompleks Budaya Kraf, Jalan Conlay, which offers all of Malaysia’s crafts under one roof, beside the museum; and Wisma Batek, Jalan Tun Perak, where shirts, sarongs, bags and paintings are inexpensive. More upmarket is Peter How, 2 Jl Hang Lekir, a stone’s throw from Central Market, with beautiful bags, batik shirts and sarongs, as well as locally made and Indonesian crafts.

For English-language books try Berita Book Centre, Bukit Bintang Plaza; MPH, Jalan Telawi Lima, Bangsar; Times Books, Yow Chuan Plaza, Jalan Ampang; Minerva Book Store, 114 Jl TAR; and Yaohan Book Store, second floor, The Mall, Jalan Putra. KL is full of shopping malls , especially in the Golden Triangle, where you’ll find BB Plaza on Jalan Bukit Bintang, which has excellent deals on cameras, electronic equipment, shoes and much else besides. Lot 10 Shopping Centre, junction of Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Sultan Ismail, specializes in designer clothes, sportswear and music.

1. Chan See Shu Yuen Temple
The Chan See Shu Yuen is Kuala Lumpur’s most impressive Chinese temple, its inner shrine a riot of carved heroes and demons in battle.

2. Evening Prayer at the Jamek Mosque
Waiting outside the pink brick walls of Kuala Lumpur’s most evocative mosque while the faithful file in to the song of the Imam captures an unforgettable snapshot of Islamic life.

3. Chow Kit Market
A warren of plankboard walkways leads through Chow Kit daily market, the largest raw produce bazaar in the city. Here you’ll find silks, spices and fruit as well as lobsters and edible wriggling worms.

4. Dinner at Jalan Petaling
Watching the chefs at Chinatown’s night market along Jalan Petaling is an experience in itself. Amongst the whirling cleavers and overbrimming woks of boiling oil, you’ll find some of the best food in the city.

5. Backroom
Kuala Lumpur’s largest dance club on Lorong Shangri-La, Backroom features top international DJs and the best of the homegrown scene with house, techno and drum ‘n bass blasting until 6am.

6. Merdeka Square
A quiet walk along Merdeka Square - the brilliant green field where Malaysian independence was first proclaimed - will take you through the heart of the stately old colonial quarter.

7. Little India
The manic lunchtime trade in banana-leaf curries and the refrains of Bollywood dance hits can only mean you’ve arrived in Little India, the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s Tamil community.

8. Sri Maha Mariamman Temple
The gold and gem-encrusted Sri Maha Mariamman Temple - the breathing centre of Hindu worship open all year round - bursts into life during the annual Thaipusam festival in February.

9. Craftsmen at Central Market
Watch traditional Malay craftsmen at work on kites, wood sculptures and batiks at the huge Art Deco Central Market.

10. Lake Gardens
A short walk out of the city centre will take you into the peaceful Lake Gardens - once there, you can go bird-watching or boating on the serene Lake Perdana.