A Photo Tour of Kuala Lumpur (Malaysia)

Last year, my friends and I had a vacation at Kuala Lumpur (KL), the capital of Malaysia. It’s our first time in the city and we availed of Klook’s Kuala Lumpur Half Day City Tour (not sponsored), which is incredibly priced at P384 per person (MYR33 or USD7.59)! That’s 3.5 to 4 hours of tour, inclusive of an English-speaking guide and hotel pick-up and drop-off (and if I remember right, a bottle of water). For the information and convenience it provides, it’s really worth it!

The tour guide, who is also the driver, is very knowledgeable of the city. There are also many stops, in which most I will feature in the article. That includes (in the order of our stops):

Petronas Twin Towers

No visit to KL will be complete without viewing the Petronas Twin Towers (or simply Petronas Towers). In fact, it’s hard to miss it. Everywhere you go in the Malaysian capital, you’ll most likely see the towering structure.

The Petronas Towers. We were dropped at this spot because it’s said to have the best view of the towers. I’m not so sure about that. LOL.

Built in 1998 with an Islamic-inspired architecture, the Petronas Towers used be the tallest building in the world (452 meters) until Taipei 101 (508 meters) surpassed it in 2004. Today, its still remains the tallest twin towers. One tower houses the Malaysian state oil company Petronas, while the other houses several multi-national corporations.

By the way, we went to see the Petronas Towers on the eve of Malaysia’s Independence Day (locally known as Hari Merdeka). So instead of the usual white lighting, we saw the twin towers lit with the colors of the Malaysian flag. There was also a fireworks display by midnight. What a treat!

Istana Negara (National Palace)

The Istana Negara is the official residence of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong or the King. The complex is 28 acres large and the building has 22 golden domes. Unfortunately, tourists aren’t allowed inside. So we just took a glimpse of it from the outside.

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Tudu Negara (National Monument)

Tudu Negara or National Monument is a 15 meter-high bronze statue, commemorating the heroes who died during World War I, World War II, and the Malayan Emergency (or the struggle against communists). Beside it is the Kuala Lumpur Cenotaph.

The Kuala Lumpur Cenotaph (left) and the National Monument (right)

If the bronze statue looks familiar, that’s because it’s made by the Austrian sculptor Felix de Weldon, who’s also responsible for the Marine Corp War Memorial (or commonly known as the Iwo Jima Memorial) in Arlington, Virginia, U.S.A.

The Tallest Flagpole in Malaysia

I’m not sure what the official name of this flagpole. Located in the Dataran Merdeka or Independence Square (more on this later), it is the tallest flagpole in Malaysia at 100 meters. It was once the tallest in the world for 20 years until North Korea overtook. Still, it remains one the tallest in the world.

It’s in this flagpole that the Union Jack or United Kingdom’s national flag was lowered and the Malaysian flag was hoisted for the first time.

Dataran Merdeka and Sultan Abdul Samad Building

Undoubtedly one of the famous landmarks in KL, Dataran Merdeka consists of a green lawn surrounded with other iconic landmarks such as the Royal Selangor Club, St. Mary’s Anglican Cathedral, Sultan Abdul Samad Building, and the tallest flagpole in the country. It was here where Malaysia declared independence from British rule at midnight of August 31, 1957. No wonder that Malaysians celebrate on the eve of Independence Day, as if waiting for the New Year.

The Sultan Abdul Samad Building has a Moorish design and considered one of the most beautiful structures in KL. It used to house the offices of the British colonial government and was eventually renamed after the Sultan of the state of Selangor, the former and surrounding state of KL (the city eventually became its own federal territory).

By the way, you may also visit the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery (check out my experience here), which is just beside Dataran Merdeka. It’s a fascinating gallery that tells the history of KL. It’s not part of the tour but maybe you can tell the tour guide to leave you at the Square. It’s in the end of the tour anyway. (I say maybe because I’m not sure if it can be allowed. You can try though.)

Like I said, I won’t be featuring all of our stops. Among them are Muzium Negara (National Museum) and Masjid Negara (National Mosque). We didn’t enter both because of time limitation.

Which of the landmarks above have you visited or would like to visit? Comment them below!