Kuala Lumpur (KL)

Kuala Lumpur is an Asian tiger that roars: in 130 years it has grown from nothing to a modern, bustling city of almost two million people. Take in its high-flying triumphs from the viewing deck of the world’s tallest building, then dive down to explore its more traditional culture in the back lanes of Chinatown. It’s a modern Asian city of gleaming skyscrapers, but it retains much of the local colour. It has plenty of colonial buildings in its centre, a vibrant Chinatown with street vendors and night markets, and a bustling Little India.

Click here for day trips and sightseeing tours

Fact File

CapitalKuala Lumpur

LanguageBahasa Malaysia, English, Chinese dialects, Tamil, indigenous dialects

ClimateTropical without extremely high temperatures. Days are very warm, while nights are fairly cool. The main rainy season in the east runs between November and February, while August is the wettest period on the west coast. East Malaysia has heavy rains (November to February) in Sabah and in Sarawak. However, it is difficult to generalise about the country’s climate, as rainfall differs on the east and west coasts according to the prevailing monsoon winds (north east or south west)

CurrencyMalaysian Ringgit (MYR)

VisaNo visa required

HealthAll travellers to Malaysia should be vaccinated against hepatitis A and B, and malaria

PassportsPassports should be valid for more than six

Time ZoneGMT + 8 hours