Kuala Lumpur, often referred to as KL, is a very busy city and capital of Malaysia. The architecture is a striking mixture of old and new, shown in some of these photos. The Petronas Towers until recently held the world record for the tallest office buildings. The KL Telecoms Tower provides a useful landmark, visible from many parts of the city.There are a number of indoor shopping centres, many located on or near Julan Bukit Bintang. The Federal Hotel, just visible, was the first large hotel to be built when Malayia gained independence in 1957. The Petronas Towers make a striking sight when seen at night, every bit as impressive as the Empire State Building in New York.
With a similar climate to Thailand, KL is almost as hectic, with very heavy and slow-moving traffic at peak times. However, with its history of colonisation, there is a different 'feel' to the city. A good way to see the main sights and get your bearings is to take a trip on one of the 1/2 day coach tours, getting dropped off in Chinatown in time for lunch. The new overhead monorail system was due to open in 2003, and will give a good view of the City Centre at approximately 'second floor' level; information about the bus and suburban train services was not easy to find. The National Museum (Muzium Negara) has a wide range of exhibits, and is situated near the Railway Station.
