Where In The World? – Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia*

In January it’s easy to get sucked in by all those fantastic TV commercials that show warm and exotic places to spend your holidays in. It really gets you thinking as to where you like to visit next. For many people, the amazing city of Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia is somewhere most people would like to visit if they get a chance. It is also something that you can get some advice and information on by reading the post below.

Getting there from the UK
A real bonus about travelling to Kuala Lumpur is that there is more than one airport that flies there from the UK. That means those of us up north don’t have to hike all the way down to London before we can start our journey in earnest. In fact, you can get a flight from both Glasgow and Edinburgh airports making it a very convenient long haul pick.

Of course, you will have to be prepared for a truly long haul flight if you want to travel from the UK direct to Kuala Lumpur. 12-15 hours being the usual flight time, although you can expect the luxuries of a long haul including meals and in-flight entertainment packages, so that does help the time go a little quicker.

Just remember it’s likely that you will have a little jet lag when you are in the city itself, so you may want to plan a relatively relaxed first day to help you adjust and get over that as quickly as possible.

Travelling to Malaysia with Kids
It is also worth being a mind a few things before you decide on this destination if you are going to be taking younger members of your family along. First of all, it’s worth noting that there are a lot of horizon-broadening and beautiful things for your little ones to see, something that will be discussed in more detail later on in this post.

However, a flight of 12-15 is a VERY long time for kids. You need to think carefully whether they will be able to sit quietly for that time, or whether it will exhaust both you and them by the time you get there.

You also need to be aware that the climate in Malaysia is both hot and humid for most of the year. That can make it a difficult place to adjust to, especially if you are only visiting for a short time. Although you can book a break in January to help with this, as this is the time when it’s the coolest.

Accommodation
As Kuala Lumpur is such a huge city, there is a great range of accommodation that will suit all needs and price ranges. To help you decide, first sort out how long you will be there for and what your budget is.

For short stays, you may wish to splash out on some of the more extravagant hotels including the Shangri-La Hotel and Mandarin Oriental in the city centre. These places range from around £100 to £150 a night and usually include the use of all the spa and leisure facilities too.

If you are staying for 1- 2 weeks then a cheaper hotel option may work the best. Try places like Impiana KLCC Hotel and Wolo Bukit Bintang located in Wilayah Persekutuan. Expect to pay around £30 – £60 a night for your stay in these type of places.

If you are planning an extended stay, hotels may not be the best option, both from a comfort point of view and in term of cost. Something that may mean choosing a rental house instead is a better option? The advantages of doing this is that you get a very high-quality place, that is set out as a home. Something that can make your stay much more relaxed and enjoyable and is also brilliant if you have little ones as it allows them to keep their lives as normal as possible during your travels.

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Culture and sites
Once you have the practicalities of your stay started, you will, no doubt be looking at all the wonderful places and sites to visit and experience while you are in Kuala Lumpur.

Firstly, regarding sites to see, you do not want to miss the Petronas Towers in the city centre. These are some of the largest twin towers in the world, and there is even a sky bridge that crosses between them that you can walk across if you dare!

Then, on the cultural side, there are the very famous Batu Caves located in Selangor,  on the outskirts of Kuala Lumpur. These are limestone caves in which some very impressive Hindu temples have been built. Steps have been hewn into the rock, so it’s fairly easy to get up there and to top it all off there is a wonderful, huge golden statue that is guarding the stairway as well.

Choose an organised tour if you want to get all the details and info on the site, or go it alone if you would rather absorb the atmosphere unhindered.

Lastly, anyone staying in Kuala Lumpur must visit the Kuala Lumpur Tower. It’s 1381 ft tall, and with a revolving restaurant at the top. Something that makes it’s the perfect place to grab dinner and get a bird’s eye view of this beautiful city at night.

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Food
Of course, while you are in Kuala Lumpur you will have ample opportunity to sample some delicious Malaysian delicacies like laksa soup, curried eggs, and char kway teow. Just remember that Malaysian cuisine does not fit neatly into any one box. In fact, it’s actually a wonderful melting pot of Chinese, Indian and Malay flavours with a bit of Japanese and Thai thrown in as well!

For some more traditional dishes, you can head to Qureshi Malaysia or Opium Kuala Lumpur where you can get a great seafood curry. However, if you prefer something of a more western variety try The Beato Aged Steakhouse and Marble 8.

Fun
There are some seriously fun thing to do in Kuala Lumpur, both for you and for the little ones as well. Why not take them along to the Kuala Lumpur Upside Down House? A crazy place where the furniture is fixed to the ceiling and everything is a little topsy-turvy.

Then there is the Illusion 3D Art Museum located in the city centre, where adults and kids alike can have a lot of un looking at the most wonderful 3-dimensional art. You can even get a discounted family tickets if there is a group of you going.

To cool off and have fun why not head to Sunway Lagoon in Selangor? This is a massive water park with slides swimming pools and wading pools and lots of fun things for the kids to do. There are also places to grab a bite to eat there as well, meaning you can easily make a day of it if you so choose.

Relaxing
If all of that sightseeing, eating, and having fun has left you exhausted why not treat yourself to some more relaxing and sedate experiences? One such experience is to visit the KLCC Park in Suria? Here you will be able to find a 50-acre green space that has fountains and even a kids wading pool. Something that makes it a perfect rest and cooling off spot in the middle of a busy sightseeing day.

Lastly, if you are looking to get away from the bustle and hustle of the city for a little while why not let yourself be transported to another world by visiting the Kuala Lumpur Butterfly Park? Its huge garden with koi ponds and thousands of types of butterflies to spot, and it’s a quite a restful and beautiful place to visit during your time in Kuala Lumpur as well.