Kuala Lumpur Travel Guide

Kuala Lumpur (KL) boasts a bustling commercial center by day and offers an exciting entertainment location by night. It could become Asia's next big entertainment and party capital as discerning clubbers from around the region and the world hotfoot it to KL.

A myriad of nightspots provides a great and varied selection, and attract the fickle loyalties of party-goers. No doubt, a dull moment never exists in KL. The various races and cultures also present a great base for many festivals and cultural shows.

Dance Clubs

One of the most famous KL places to get groovy is Vivid Dance Club, which seems to slowly gain momentum as the night goes on and is a favorite place to be seen. The Beach Club Cafe, on the other hand, offers a less conspicuous spot in an idyllic resort setting. It draws an already ecstatic crowd with perennial pop tunes. By night, the Hard Rock Cafe, a favorite, becomes the haunt of an eclectic crowd ready to groove to the varied sounds of rock, soul, R&B, funk and blasts from the past.

Festivals

Many of Malaysia's festivals demand grand celebrations including the most joyful of Muslim celebrations, Hari Raya Haji. Thaipusam, a day of penance and thanksgiving for Hindus, begins with a grand procession of the magnificent silver chariot bearing the statue of Lord Subramaniam. Chinese New Year is also a big deal, a celebration lasting 15 days beginning from the first day of the Chinese lunar calendar.

Museums

KL offers an extraordinary variety of museums, and they provide plenty to do on those rainy days. Art lovers can view eye-catching exhibitions at the National Art Gallery with its collection of more than 2,500 art pieces from mainly local artists. The Craft Museum, featuring handicrafts from different sectors of Malaysian society, provides yet another great place to check out the diverse crafts and handiwork of Malaysians.

The National Planetarium (The) is a must-see for those with kids. It offers exciting astronomy exhibitions plus facilities such as the Space Science Exhibition, a viewing gallery and an ancient observatory park.

If your curiosity about Malaysia still abounds, then visit the National Museum, which features interestingly laid-out displays and exhibits on local history, culture and traditions, arts and crafts, economic activities and currency, weapons, and the local flora and fauna.

Theme Parks

Offering a unique entertainment concept in leisure and entertainment, theme parks get more and more exciting as thrill seekers become more demanding. KL's theme parks generally combine a mixture of water activities, adventure, futuristic experiences, games and rides, while others present just the place for relaxation and sightseeing.

Sunway Lagoon Theme Park, a recreation area in a sunken mining wasteland, endows Malaysia with a premier water theme park. Spanning some 80 acres, the park's emphasis centers largely on water-based adventure rides and amusement games.

The Mines Wonderland tops the list for relaxing family entertainment with just the right blend of experiences for visitors of all ages. The Snow House claims the major attraction rights, as children love indulging in a bit of snowball throwing or sliding down a snow slide. The park also offers additional winter wonderland entertainment with its ice skating rink.

Cinemas

The movies supply Malaysians with a favorite past time, and KL has the best range of cinemas in the country. However, most movies screened here get censored, which can be good if you take kids along.

Tanjong Golden Village provides one of the best sound systems plus comfortable chairs in a rather posh setting. Golden Screen Cinemas, equally posh and grand, screens films that compete in prestigious film festivals such as Sundance, plus the normal box office hits.2008-08-02T07:29:22.000 155