Lonely Planet Kuala Lumpur, Melaka & Penang Read online

  Flooded with natural light, the Islamic Arts Museum is a contemporary building with airy, open spaces and wall-to-ceiling glass. The vaulted, iwan-style entrance resembles a ceramic tapestry and is inscribed with verses from the Quran. Iranian artisans were contracted to tile the turquoise domes on the museum roof, while the building's striking internal inverted domes were constructed by craftspeople from Uzbekistan.

  Don't Miss

  AOttoman Room

  AArchitecture Gallery

  AQuran & Manuscripts Gallery

  AChina Gallery

  ATextiles Gallery

  AGift Shop

  Practicalities

  AMuzium Kesenian Islam Malaysia

  A MAP GOOGLE MAP

  A%03-2092 7070

  Awww.iamm.org.my

  AJln Lembah Perdana

  Aadult/child RM14/7

  Ah10am-6pm

  AdKuala Lumpur

  TOP SIGHT

  Tun Abdul Razak Heritage Park

  ALIZADA STUDIOS/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

  Covering 173 hectares, KL's major recreational park is better known by its colonial moniker of the Lake Gardens. Ranging over undulating, landscaped hills, it's a park with something for everyone, the main attractions being the KL Bird Park and Perdana Botanical Garden. The Islamic Arts Museum, National Museum, Masjid Negara and National Monument also fall within the park's boundaries.

  Park History

  In 1888 Alfred Venning, Selangor State Treasurer, secured permission from British Resident Frank Swettenham to create a botanical garden around the small stream Sungai Bras Bras. It took more than a decade to clear and landscape the area, which today stretches from Parliament House to the National Museum. The stream was dammed to give the park Sydney Lake (Tasik Perdana) – hence the name Lake Gardens.

  In 2011 the park was renamed after Abdul Razak, Malaysia's second prime minister (1970–76). Abdul Razak lived in a house in the park between 1962, when he was deputy PM, and 1976, when he died; the home is now the Memorial Tun Abdul Razak museum.

  KL Bird Park

  This fabulous 21-hectare aviary ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-2272 1010; www.klbirdpark.com; Jln Cenderawasih; adult/child RM50/41; h9am-6pm; c; dKuala Lumpur) houses some 3000 birds comprising 200 species of (mostly) Asian birds. The park is divided into four sections: in the first two, birds fly freely beneath an enormous canopy. Section three features the native hornbills (so-called because of their enormous beaks), while section four offers the less-edifying spectacle of caged species. Feeding times are scattered throughout the day (see the website for times) and there are bird shows at 12.30pm and 3.30pm.

  Perdana Botanical Garden & Around

  The vast Perdana Botanical Garden showcases a wide variety of native and introduced plants with sections dedicated to ferns, rare trees, trees that have lent their names to places in Malaysia, medicinal herbs, aquatic plants and so on. The gardens are well laid out with gazebos and boardwalks (be careful of rotten wood that might break underfoot), but there is only limited signage to identify the plants.

  The Hibiscus (Taman Bunga Raya; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jln Cenderawasih; h9am-6.30pm; dKuala Lumpur) and Orchid (Taman Orkid; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jln Cenderawasih; Sat & Sun RM1, Mon-Fri free; h9am-6pm; dKuala Lumpur) gardens are adjacent to the Botanical Garden. Among the 800-odd species of orchid are Vandas and exotic hybrids.

  Other Attractions

  A short walk north of the KL Bird Park is the KL Butterfly Park (Taman Rama Rama; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-2693 4799; www.klbutterflypark.com; Jln Cenderasari; adult/child RM22/11; h9am-6pm; dKuala Lumpur). Among the 101 different species of colourful butterflies fluttering around the covered grounds are some real monsters, and there’s a bug gallery where you can shudder at the size of Malaysia’s giant centipedes and spiders.

  Between the Islamic Arts Museum and the planetarium is the surprisingly interesting Royal Malaysia Police Museum ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 5 Jln Perdana; h10am-6pm Tue-Sun, closed 12.30-2.30pm Fri; dKuala Lumpur), where the standout display is a gallery of weapons, from handmade guns and knives to automatic weapons, and from hand grenades to swords, all seized from members of criminal ‘secret societies’ and communists during the Emergency.

  National Monument

  At the northern end of the park, across Jln Parlimen, an impressive monument (Tugu Negara; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Plaza Tugu Negara, Jln Parlimen; h7am-6pm; LRT Masjid Jamek) commemorates the defeat of the communists in 1950 and provides fine views across the park and city. The giant militaristic bronze sculpture was created in 1966 by Felix de Weldon, the artist behind the Iwo Jima monument in Washington, DC, and is framed beautifully by an azure reflecting pool and graceful curved pavilion. Nearby is a cenotaph to the Malay fighters who died in WWI and WWII.

  Eating in the Park

  Head to the Bird Park's Hornbill Restaurant for Western and Malay staples, best enjoyed (with the free-flying fowl) on the wood deck overlooking the park.

  For something more local, try the hawker stalls at Kompleks Makan Tanglin.

  The KL Hop-On-Hop-Off bus stops at Masjid Negara, KL Bird Park, the National Monument and the National Museum, and the GOKL free city bus red line stops at KL Sentral, Masjid Negara and the National Museum.

  Top Tips

  ARent bicycles (as well as a helmet and lock) and pick up a route map from KL By Cycle. You'll need to take care crossing busy roads at the start of the route to get to the park.

  APick up a map of the Perdana Botanical Garden at the information booth.

  AA hop-on, hop-off electric tram (RM4) shuttles around the park's major attractions from 9.30am to 5pm daily.

  Don't Miss

  AKL Bird Park

  APerdana Botanical Garden

  AKL Butterfly Park

  ARoyal Malaysia Police Museum

  Practicalities

  ALake Gardens

  A MAP GOOGLE MAP

  Awww.visitkl.gov.my

  Ah7am-8pm

  AdKuala Lumpur

  TOP SIGHT

  Thean Hou Temple

  IHOR PASTERNAK/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

  Sitting atop Robson Heights, this imposing, multilayered Chinese temple is one of the most visually impressive in Malaysia. Dedicated to the heavenly mother, Thean Hou, it provides wonderful views of KL and is a great place to visit on a Buddhist festival such as Wesak Day or during Chinese New Year.

  History & Design

  The temple was officially opened in 1989 and cost the Selangor and Federal Territory Hainan Association RM7 million to build. You can see pretty much every ringgit in its rich architectural detail, which includes decorative balustrades, beams, eaves, murals, and flying dragons and phoenixes. Arranged on four levels, the temple is fronted by a statue of Thean Hou beside a wishing well and a garden studded with large statues of the signs of the Chinese zodiac. On the ground floor there are souvenir stalls, a canteen and a marriage registration office – this is a very popular spot for weddings. The 1st floor has a large hall where religious and cultural events are held while the 2nd has the temple's administrative offices.

  Main Prayer Hall

  Thean Hou's statue takes centre stage in the main hall on the 3rd floor with Kuan Yin (the Buddhist goddess of mercy) on her right and Shuiwei Shengniang (goddess of the waterfront) to her left. Smaller statues of Milefo (the laughing Buddha), Weituo and Guandi contribute to this Taoist‒Buddhist hotchpotch. Climb to the terrace above for wonderful views and then go back down behind the temple past a medicinal herb garden and a pond packed with tortoises.

  TATIANA POPOVA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

  Don't Miss

  AMain prayer hall

  AChinese zodiac statues

  ARooftop terrace

  Practicalities

  A GOOGLE MAP

  A%03-2274 7088

  Awww.hainannet.com.my/en

  Aoff Jln Syed Putra

  Ah8am-10pm

  ADTun Sambanthan

  TOP SIGHT

  National Museum

  JSVIDEOS/SHUTTERST
OCK ©

  This museum offers a rich look at Malaysian history, with four main galleries covering everything from the formation of the rainforest through to Malaysia today. The best exhibits are Early History, with artefacts from Neolithic and Bronze Age cultures; and the Malay Kingdoms, which highlights the rise of Islamic kingdoms in the Malay Archipelago. Note that the museum may close for renovations in 2017.

  The Main Building

  The four main galleries are housed in a building with a distinctive Minangkabau-style roof. Flanking the main entrance are a pair of giant friezes, designed by Cheong Lai Tong and made of Italian mosaic glass, depicting scenes from Malaysian life and history.

  Apart from the Early History and Malay Kingdoms galleries, the Colonial Era gallery has exhibits from the Portuguese through to the Japanese occupation; and Malaysia Today charts the country’s post-WWII development. Free museum tours are offered at 11am Monday to Saturday and again at 2pm on Thursday.

  Other Galleries

  Outside the main building, there's a section with a regularly changing exhibition; two excellent small permanent galleries – the Museum of Malay World Ethnology ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-2267 1000; www.jmm.gov.my; Jln Damansara; adult/child RM5/2; h9am-6pm; dKL Sentral) with displays on Malay musical instruments, games, textiles and metalwork; and the Orang Asli Craft Museum ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-2282 6255; www.jmm.gov.my; Jln Damansara; adult/child RM5/2; h9am-6pm; dKL Sentral) with wood carvings and masks produced by the Mah Meri and Jah Hut peoples – both covered by a joint entry ticket; a gorgeous traditional raised house; and ancient burial poles from Sarawak.

  Don't Miss

  AGuided tours

  AExterior friezes

  AOrang Asli Craft Museum

  AMuseum of Malay World Ethnology

  Practicalities

  AMuzium Negara

  A MAP GOOGLE MAP

  A%03-2282 6255

  Awww.muziumnegara.gov.my

  AJln Damansara

  Aadult/child RM5/2

  Ah9am-6pm

  AdKL Sentral

  1Sights

  1Lake Gardens

  Islamic Arts Museum Top Sight

  MAP GOOGLE MAP

  Tun Abdul Razak Heritage Park Top Sight

  MAP GOOGLE MAP

  National Museum Top Sight

  MAP GOOGLE MAP

  Masjid NegaraMOSQUE

  (National Mosque; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.masjidnegara.gov.my; Jln Lembah Perdana; h9am-noon, 3-4pm & 5.30-6.30pm, closed Fri morning; dKuala Lumpur)F

  The main place of worship for KL’s Malay Muslim population is this gigantic 1960s mosque, inspired by Mecca’s Masjid al-Haram. Able to accommodate 15,000 worshippers, it has an umbrella-like blue-tile roof with 18 points symbolising the 13 states of Malaysia and the five pillars of Islam. Rising above the mosque, a 74m-high minaret issues the call to prayer, which can be heard across Chinatown. Non-Muslims are welcome to visit outside prayer times; robes are available for those who are not dressed appropriately.

  National PlanetariumPLANETARIUM

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %03-2273 4301; http://planetarium.angkasa.gov.my; 53 Jln Perdana; gallery free, planetarium adult/child RM12/8; h9am-4.30pm Tue-Sun; dKuala Lumpur)

  Part of the National Space Agency, the planetarium offers shows in the Space Theatre throughout the day. It has an observation deck (for looking at KL) and a space observatory, and in the grounds are small-scale models of famous historic observatories such as Stonehenge. Parts of the rocket that launched Malaysia’s first satellite are displayed in the main gallery.

  Memorial Tun Abdul RazakMUSEUM

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.arkib.gov.my/memorial-tun-abdul-razak; Jln Perdana; h10am-5.30pm Tue-Sun, closed noon-3pm Fri; dKuala Lumpur)F

  The house where Tun Abdul Razak lived while serving as Malaysia's second prime minister has been turned into a memorial museum displaying his personal effects, speedboat and golf cart. Upstairs you can see the bedroom where Tun Abdul Razak's son Najib, the current prime minister of Malaysia, sometimes stayed.

  Behind the museum is Rumah Felda, a small wooden house in the style of those built to provide rural housing during Tun Abdul Razak's premiership.

  Old KL Train StationHISTORIC BUILDING

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jln Sultan Hishamuddin; dKuala Lumpur)

  One of KL's most distinctive colonial buildings, this 1910 train station (replaced as a transit hub by KL Sentral in 2001) is a grand if ageing structure designed by British architect AB Hubback in the Mogul (or Indo-Saracenic) style. The building's walls are white plaster, rows of keyhole and horseshoe arches provide ventilation on each level, and large chatri (elevated pavilions) and onion domes adorn the roof.

  Note that only KTM Komuter trains still stop here. Across from the station is the Malayan Railway Administration Building ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; Jln Sultan Hishamuddin; dKuala Lumpur), opened in 1917 and another beautiful Indo-Saracenic piece of architecture.

  Malayan Railway Administration Building and Old KL Train Station | ANDREW TB TAN/GETTY IMAGES ©

  WORTH A DETOUR

  SUNGAI PENCHALA

  In the city's far northwest, this sleepy Malay village, nestling in a hilly, jungly landscape, seems a million miles from urban KL, even though it's less than a 30-minute taxi drive from Chinatown. The main reasons to visit, apart from the relaxing atmosphere, are to eat and learn to cook.

  A visit to a local market, followed by learning to cook several Malaysian dishes, is the format at LaZat ( GOOGLE MAP ; %019-238 1198; www.malaysia-klcookingclass.com; Malay House at Penchala Hills, Lot 3196, Jl Seri Penchala, Kampong Sg; RM290; h8.30am-2pm Mon-Sat). Teaching takes place in a traditional Malay house with an open kitchen looking out into the jungle, where you might see silver leaf monkeys scampering by. A different menu is taught on each day of the week, so book your class for a date when the list of dishes appeals.

  If cooking isn't your idea of fun, let the chefs do the work and enjoy the exquisite Malay buffet at Sambal Hijau ( GOOGLE MAP ; %03-7731 2045; www.sambalhijau.my; Lot 2990, Jln Sungai Penchala, Kampung Sungai Penchala; buffet dishes RM1-35; h8am-1am). Here you'll find more than 50 traditional Malay dishes to sample, including ikan bakar (barbecued fish) with sambal hijau green chilli sauce. The restaurant is also known for its gulai daging (beef curry).

  On the main road before the turnoff to LaZat, Subak ( GOOGLE MAP ; %03-7729 9030; www.subak.com.my; Lot 3213, Jln Penchala Indah, Bukit Lanjan; mains RM26-40; h11am-11pm) serves Indonesian, Malaysian and international dishes in a leafy, relaxed setting.

  A taxi to Sungai Penchala from KL Sentral takes around 30 minutes and costs RM25.

  1Brickfields, Bangsar & Around

  Thean Hou Temple Top Sight

  GOOGLE MAP

  Royal MuseumMUSEUM

  (Muzium Diraja; MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.jmm.gov.my; Jln Istana; adult/child RM10/5; h9am-5pm; DTun Sambanthan)

  With the 2011 opening of the new RM800 million Istana Negara (National Palace; official residence of Malaysia's head of state) in the city's north, the former palace became the Royal Museum. You can tour the first two floors of the mansion, originally built as a family home in 1928 by Chinese tin tycoon Chan Wing. The palace exterior, with its eclectic European style, looks much the same as it did in Chan Wing's day. To get here, take a taxi from Tun Sambanthan.

  Used as the Japanese military's officers' mess during KL's WWII occupation, in 1957 it became the National Palace, the residence of the king and queen of Malaysia. The interior was obviously altered to suit both royal tastes and royal needs. There are major and minor waiting rooms, a small throne room (for royal events), an office for the king, a family room (including KTV), and a dozen or so bedrooms for guests and family alike. Floral wallpaper, upholstered furniture, thick carpets, crystal chandeliers and some gaudy posters reveal the Downton Abbey–meets-'70s-suburbia tastes of the royals, though Malay colours and motifs remind you of where you are.

  Royal Museum | JOE RAVI/SHUTTERSTOCK ©

  Sekeping Tenggi
riGALLERY

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; %017-207 5977; www.sekeping.com/tenggiri; 48 Jln Tenggiri, Taman Weng Lock; hby appointment; LRT Bank Rakyat-Bangsar)F

  If you're not a guest at the adjoining guesthouse you'll need to make an appointment to view landscape architect Ng Seksan's superb collection of Malaysian contemporary art, so large that he's turned over a whole house to store and display it. View pieces by top talents including Phuan Thai Meng, Samsudin Wahab, Justin Lim and Rajinder Singh.

  Sri Kandaswamy TempleHINDU TEMPLE

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; www.srikandaswamykovil.org; 3 Lg Scott; h5.30am-9pm; DTun Sambanthan)F

  This temple, fronted by an elaborate modern gopura (gateway), was founded by the Sri Lankan community in 1909 as a place to practise Shaiva Siddhanta, a major Hindu sect popular with the diaspora community. One of the temple's major events (it has many festivals) is the 10-day Mahotchava Festival held around May or June, with celebrations including processions of the painted wooden deities. Check the temple's Facebook page (www.facebook.com/SriKandaswamyTemple) for detailed information and schedules.

  Sam Kow Tong TempleTEMPLE

  ( MAP GOOGLE MAP ; 16 Jln Thambapillai; h7am-5pm; DKL Sentral)F

  Established in 1916 by the Heng Hua clan, the 'three teachings' temple has a beautiful Hokkien-style temple roof, with graceful curving ridgelines that taper at the ends like swallowtails. The colourful rooftop dragons, and other figures, are actually three-dimensional mosaics, another traditional decorative feature of southern Chinese temples (though these are new works). Inside, look for photos of the original temple, a simple timber-frame structure with a thatched roof.