A thriving mix of food culture, more shopping centres than you can count and sky-high architecture are at the heart of the Malaysian capital.
We show you how to spend 48 hours in Kuala Lumpur, including all the best places to stay, see, eat and drink.
STAY
The St. Regis Kuala Lumpur
Cool and calm, The St. Regis offers perfect respite from Kuala Lumpur’s humidity and chaos. A sprawling arrangement of pink tiger lilies and green Persian lilies greets you upon entry, presided over by Fernando Botero’s pumped-up horse sculpture, as the centrepiece of the ground floor. The daily breakfast is worth the stay alone: made-to-order lobster omelette, green juices and a generous meat carvery sit alongside local delicacies of colourful striped kueh and aromatic curries. A rooftop pool, spacious suites, a daily shuttle and ever-attentive butler service round out this luxurious stay.
SEE
Perdana Botanical Gardens
An easy walk through these gardens is a welcome break from KL’s urban density and traffic. Enjoy the respite as you stroll past fountains, green spaces and flowers, moments away from the chaos of the city.
Pavilion Kuala Lumpur
Kuala Lumpur is the land of many malls, and this luxe shopping centre is home to high-end designers and local department stores at the epicentre of Bukit Bintang. The lower-level food court also offers a bounty of local eats at affordable prices, and is blissfully air-conditioned.
Petronas Towers
One of the city’s most recognisable silhouettes, the 88-storey twin structure boasts a footbridge halfway up that’s a drawcard for visitors, particularly after dark. They may have been surpassed in height by the spires of the recently completed skyscraper Merdeka 118, but the Petronas Towers are still worth a visit for first-timers.
EAT
Dewakan
As the heavyweight fine-diner that represents Kuala Lumpur on the world culinary stage, Dewakan offers Malaysian flavours done with a newfound modernism and edge. This might look like charcoal-roasted pigeon with heart of palm and Spanish mackerel paste; or slow-grilled slipper lobster with noni fruit emulsion, bamboo shoots and breadfruit flatbread. Dazzling and different, with killer views to match.
Roast pork is cooked over charcoal here before being cleaved to order, replete with bubbling crisp salty skin, an unctuous layer of fat and succulent white meat. It’s a plastic plate and chair affair, but it has to be some of the best pig in the city, alongside domes of sticky rice and mugs of cold, salty plum and calamansi juice.
Madam Kwan’s
A staple for family get-togethers, this beloved chain delivers local eats with consistency and care. The laksa is fragrant and rich with plump prawns and puffs of tofu – and though that will easily satisfy you, it’s worth ordering some chicken satay to start. Nasi lemak is also a must-order, completed with a rendang so good, you might just have to buy a take-home seasoning pack to attempt a recreation once back in Australia.
DRINK
Penrose KL
Petaling Street may be best known for bootleg designer gear, but behind an industrial door, you’ll find a complex and precise cocktail destination redefining the strip. Take a seat in the minimalist bar to be wowed by a savoury and spiced riff on The Gibson, layered with shochu, sake vinegar and wasabi; while the Rum Musa explores the banana plant from peel to blossom. Heaven for cocktail aficionados.
Vertigo
With some of the city’s best views out to the Petronas Towers and the twinkling lights of KL, this is a snazzy open-air affair on the 59th floor. Our pick of the drinks is the punchy and berry-forward Spiced Shirley Temple with vodka, grenadine syrup, orange liqueur and citrus.
Astor Bar
Jazzy, slick and located on the second floor of The St. Regis, this bar showcases local musicians each week with an outstanding atmosphere. Add in American-ish bar snacks like truffle and parmesan fries and beef croquettes, alongside whisky cocktails for a spot worthy of a nightcap or two.
Getting there
Malaysia Airlines offers daily flights from most major cities to KL.
FAQs
Yes, it is worth visiting Kuala Lumpur for its rich cultural heritage, culinary flair, modern attractions and sights like the Petronas Towers and Batu Cave. Whether as a standalone trip or as a starting point for exploring the rest of Malaysia or neighbouring countries like Singapore, it’s a major hub for culture.
The official language spoken in Kuala Lumpur is Malay, but English is widely used. Due to the city’s diverse population, other languages, such as various Chinese dialects like Mandarin and Hokkien, and Tamil are also commonly spoken.
Avoid visiting Kuala Lumpur during their monsoon season which generally runs from November to March. During this time, the city sees heavy rainfall and severe humidity.
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