Lonely Planet Pocket Kuala Lumpur & Melaka
()
About this ebook
Lonely Planet's Pocket Kuala Lumpur & Melaka is your passport to the most relevant, up-to-date advice on what to see and skip, and what hidden discoveries await you. Take in the views from the Petronas Towers, soak up the past in Merdeka Square, and make a pilgrimage to the sacred Batu Caves - all with your trusted travel companion. Get to the heart of Kuala Lumpur & Melaka and begin your journey now!
Inside Lonely Planet's Pocket Kuala Lumpur & Melaka:
- Colour maps and images throughout
- Highlights and itineraries help you tailor your trip to your personal needs and interests
- Insider tips to save time and money and get around like a local, avoiding crowds and trouble spots
- Essential info at your fingertips - hours of operation, phone numbers, websites, transit tips, prices
- Honest reviews for all budgets - eating, sleeping, sightseeing, going out, shopping, hidden gems that most guidebooks miss
- User-friendly layout with helpful icons, and organised by neighbourhood to help you pick the best spots to spend your time
- Covers Bukit Bintang & KLCC, Chinatown & Merdeka Square, Masjid India & Kampung Baru, Lake Gardens & Brickfields, Pudu, Batu Caves, Forest Research Institute Malaysia, Thean Hou Temple, Bangsar Baru, and more
The Perfect Choice: Lonely Planet's Pocket Kuala Lumpur & Melaka is our colourful, easy to use and handy guide that literally fits in your pocket, and is packed with the best sights and experiences for a short trip or weekend away.
About Lonely Planet: Lonely Planet is a leading travel media company and the world's number one travel guidebook brand, providing both inspiring and trustworthy information for every kind of traveller since 1973. Over the past four decades, we've printed over 145 million guidebooks and grown a dedicated, passionate global community of travellers. You'll also find our content online, and in mobile apps, video, 14 languages, armchair and lifestyle books, ebooks, and more.
'Lonely Planet guides are, quite simply, like no other.' - New York Times
'Lonely Planet. It's on everyone's bookshelves, it's in every traveler's hands. It's on mobile phones. It's on the Internet. It's everywhere, and it's telling entire generations of people how to travel the world.' - Fairfax Media
Virginia Maxwell
Aunque afincada en Australia, Virginia Maxwell pasa el menos medio año actualizando para Lonely Planet destinos de Europa y Oriente Próximo. Si bien el Mediterráneo es la zona que más le interesa, ha cubierto España, Italia, Turquía, Siria, el Líbano, Israel, Egipto y Marruecos para las guías Lonely Planet. Virginia ha escrito también para las guías Lonely Planet de Finlandia, Armenia, Irán y Australia. En Instagram y Twitter se la puede seguir en @maxwellvirginia.
Read more from Virginia Maxwell
Lonely Planet Scandinavia Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Lonely Planet Istanbul Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lonely Planet Best of Scandinavia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLonely Planet East Coast Australia Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLonely Planet Washington, DC Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lonely Planet Tasmania Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lonely Planet Pocket Istanbul Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Lonely Planet Pocket Melbourne Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLonely Planet Discover Scandinavia Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Travel Guide Best Road Trips Italy Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLonely Planet Best of Europe Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lonely Planet Pocket Rotterdam Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings
Related to Lonely Planet Pocket Kuala Lumpur & Melaka
Related ebooks
Lonely Planet Best of Malaysia & Singapore Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsMalaysia: A Travel Adventure Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Insight Guides Pocket Malaysia (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLonely Planet Pocket Taipei Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Lonely Planet Pocket Siem Reap & the Temples of Angkor Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Rough Guide to Singapore (Travel Guide with Free eBook) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lonely Planet Seoul Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsBerlitz Pocket Guide Singapore (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Berlitz Pocket Guide Kuala Lumpur (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLonely Planet Auckland & Bay of Islands Road Trips Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Pocket Kuala Lumpur (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsFodor's Hong Kong: with a Side Trip to Macau Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lonely Planet Singapore Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Berlitz Pocket Guide Malaysia (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLonely Planet Pocket Warsaw Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsInsight Guides Malaysia (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lonely Planet Bangkok Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lonely Planet Laos Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lonely Planet Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos & Northern Thailand Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5The Rough Guide to Bangkok (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLonely Planet Pocket Phuket Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLonely Planet China Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Lonely Planet Beijing Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLonely Planet Thailand Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lonely Planet Maldives Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lonely Planet Pocket Ko Samui Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsLonely Planet Southeast Asia on a shoestring Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Insight Guides Explore Singapore (Travel Guide eBook) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lonely Planet Cambodia Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Lonely Planet Beautiful World Japan Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Asia Travel For You
Unlocking Mandarin Chinese with Paul Noble Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Fodor's Essential Japan Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsThe Kerala Kitchen, Expanded Edition: Recipes and Recollections from the Syrian Christians of South India Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5The Last Yakuza: life and death in the Japanese underworld Rating: 2 out of 5 stars2/5Mediocre Monk: A Stumbling Search for Answers in a Forest Monastery Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5What Really Happened In Wuhan: A Virus Like No Other, Countless Infections, Millions of Deaths Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tokyo on Foot: Travels in the City's Most Colorful Neighborhoods Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Basic Tagalog: (Audio Recordings Included) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratings1000 Japanese Flash Cards: For Smart Phones and E-Readers Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Dishoom: The first ever cookbook from the much-loved Indian restaurant Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5First Steps to Mastering Japanese: Japanese Hiragana & Katagana for Beginners Learn Japanese for Beginner Students + Phrasebook Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsHistory of Japan: Revised Edition Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Brief History of Japan: Samurai, Shogun and Zen: The Extraordinary Story of the Land of the Rising Sun Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Learn Vietnamese: Start Speaking Today. Absolute Beginner to Conversational Speaker Made Simple and Easy! Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsJapanese for Fun: A Practical Approach to Learning Japanese Quickly (Downloadable Audio Included) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Mandarin Chinese for Beginners: Mastering Conversational Chinese (Fully Romanized and Free Online Audio) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Essential Tagalog: Speak Tagalog with Confidence (Tagalog Phrasebook) Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Japanese for Beginners: Learning Conversational Japanese - Second Edition (Includes Online Audio) Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Periplus Pocket Japanese Dictionary: Japanese-English English-Japanese Second Edition Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Cool Japan Guide: Fun in the Land of Manga, Lucky Cats and Ramen Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Tagalog Stories for Language Learners: Folktales and Stories in Filipino and English (Free Online Audio) Rating: 0 out of 5 stars0 ratingsElementary Hindi: Learn to Communicate in Everyday Situations (Audio Recordings Included Rating: 3 out of 5 stars3/5Three Simple Lines: A Writer’s Pilgrimage into the Heart and Homeland of Haiku Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Easy Vietnamese: Learn to Speak Vietnamese Quickly! (Free Companion Online Audio) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Around the World in 80 Trains: A 45,000-Mile Adventure Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Life and Death Are Wearing Me Out: A Novel Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Korea: A Walk Through the Land of Miracles Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5
Reviews for Lonely Planet Pocket Kuala Lumpur & Melaka
0 ratings0 reviews
Book preview
Lonely Planet Pocket Kuala Lumpur & Melaka - Virginia Maxwell
Contents
Plan Your Trip
Welcome to Kuala Lumpur
Top Sights
Eating
Drinking & Nightlife
Markets & Malls
For Kids
For Free
Architecture
Religious Buildings
Outdoors
Galleries & Museums
Four Perfect Days
Need to Know
Kuala Lumpur Neighbourhoods
Melaka Neighbourhoods
Explore Kuala Lumpur & Melaka
Bukit Bintang & KLCC
Walking Tour: Pudu
Chinatown & Merdeka Square
Masjid India & Northern KL
Lake Gardens, Brickfields & Bangsar
Thean Hou Temple
Melaka City
Worth a Trip
Batu Caves
Survival Guide
Survival Guide
Before You Go
Arriving In…
Getting Around
Essential Information
Language
Behind the Scenes
Our Writer
Welcome to Kuala Lumpur
Glitzy malls rub shoulders with street markets, gleaming skyscrapers loom over colonial buildings, and world-class restaurants vie for patronage with traditional hawker stands: Kuala Lumpur may be racing towards the future, but its rich cultural heritage refuses to be left behind. Even richer in this respect is World Heritage–listed Melaka, settled centuries before its brash northern neighbour and the vibrant sum of its wildly disparate multicultural parts.
Petronas Towers | ARCHITECT: CÉSAR PELLI; NOPPASIN WONGCHUM/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Kuala Lumpur & Melaka
Top Sights
Petronas Towers
KL’s iconic twin skyscrapers.
PK.INSPIRATION_06/SHUTTERSTOCK ©; ARCHITECT: CÉSAR PELLI
Kuala Lumpur & Melaka Top Sights
Islamic Arts Museum
World-class Islamic art collection.
DAICHI IIZUKA/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Kuala Lumpur & Melaka Top Sights
Tun Abdul Razak Heritage Park
Top attractions in a leafy park.
GWOEII/SHUTTERSTOCK ©; ARCHITECT: GDP ARCHITECTS
Kuala Lumpur & Melaka Top Sights
Thean Hou Temple
Vividly decorated multistorey Chinese temple.
ALFRED CHAN/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Kuala Lumpur & Melaka Top Sights
Batu Caves
Limestone caves harbouring Hindu temples.
MIGEL/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Kuala Lumpur & Melaka Top Sights
Merdeka Square
The birthplace of Malaysian independence.
DREAMARCHITECT/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Kuala Lumpur & Melaka Top Sights
Menara KL
Telecommunications tower offering spectacular views.
MOHAMMAD FAHMI ABU BAKAR/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Kuala Lumpur & Melaka Top Sights
Dutch Square & the Stadthuys
Heart of the historic city.
DIEGO FIORE/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Kuala Lumpur & Melaka Top Sights
Masjid Jamek Sultan Abdul Samad
Magnificent Mogul-style mosque.
DIEGO DE MUNARI/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Eating
Ask any traveller what they most enjoy about Malaysia and the answer is likely to be ‘the food, of course!’. As two of the acknowledged culinary hotspots in the country, Kuala Lumpur and Melaka are essential stops for any food-focused itinerary, offering culinary styles and cuisines to suit every taste and budget.
MIGEL/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Hawker Stalls, Markets & Food Courts
To sample Malaysian hawker food, head to a street stall (either standalone or in a street market) or to a food court – many of the latter are in shopping malls or other commercial buildings. Place your order with one or multiple vendors, find a seat (shared tables are common) and pay for each dish either at the stall or as it’s delivered to your table. Many locals prefer to eat in air-conditioned food courts during the day but will head to pasar malam (night markets) on the street after the sun goes down.
Coffee Shops & Restaurants
While some kopitiam (coffee shops) operate like food courts, with different vendors under one roof, others are single-owner establishments. Expect to be served noodle and rice dishes, as well as all-day breakfast fare such as toast spread with kaya (coconut-cream jam).
Restoran (restaurants) range from casual, decades-old Chinese, Indian or Malay restaurants to upscale establishments offering contemporary global cuisine and a full bar.
Best Market & Street Food
Bazaar Baru Chow Kit Scoff Malay delicacies in a bustling wet market.
Jalan Alor KL’s most famous food street, with dozens of choices.
Masjid India Pasar Malam A wide range of excellent food stalls at this Saturday-night market.
Madras Lane Popular laksa stop in the heart of KL’s Chinatown.
Kee Ann Food Street Weekend night market in Malaka where you can sample delicious Nonya dishes.
Best Malay Restaurants
Rebung Seemingly endless buffet of traditional Malaysian dishes.
Bijan Malay cuisine with fine-dining flair in a relaxed atmosphere.
Kocik Kitchen Old-fashioned Malakan eatery serving delicious Peranakan dishes.
Nonya 63 Upmarket Nonya eatery set in a historic Malakan shophouse.
Wild Coriander Melaka’s best rendang and tasty local sweets.
Best Indian Restaurants
Annalakshmi Vegetarian Restaurant Delicious vegetarian buffet served in a cultural centre.
Ganga Cafe South Indian dishes and a wide range of healthy juices.
Restoran Yarl An array of tasty Tamil food from northern Sri Lanka.
Best Global Eats
Chō Chǎ Foodstore Delicious modern Asian cooking in hip surrounds.
Joloko Caribbean food and kick-ass cocktails.
Salud Tapas Spanish wine and ingredients in Malaka’s Chinatown.
Fuego Knockout views, excellent cocktails, tacos and tapas.
Cantaloupe Refined French-accented menus and classy surrounds.
Best Cafe Food
Tommy Le Baker Top-grade sourdough bread, pastries, sandwiches and quiches.
Breakfast Thieves Australian-style cafe serving great brunches.
Lisette’s Cafe & Bakery Ottolenghi-style buffet and house-baked pastries.
Eat at 18 Delectable house-baked cakes, cookies and scones.
Drinking & Nightlife
Bubble tea, iced kopi-o, cappuccino, a frosty beer or a dirty martini – KL’s cafes, teahouses and bars offer a multitude of ways to wet your whistle, and Melaka follows in its footsteps. Muslim mores push coffee and tea culture to the fore, but there’s no shortage of honest pubs, sophisticated speakeasies and other alcohol-fuelled venues.
MARON_STUDIO/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
Bars
Sky-high duties on alcohol can make a boozy night out awfully expensive, but KL compensates for that by offering such fabulous city views from its many elevated venues. In Melaka, pubs at ground level are the drinking holes of choice. The cheapest beers are those brewed locally, such as Tiger and Carlsberg; cocktails are many and varied, but good-quality wine can be hard to source.
Cafes
Traditional Malaysian kopi is popular in KL’s kopitiam (coffee shops). This dark, bitter brew is served in Chinese coffee shops and is an excellent antidote to a case of jet lag.
There’s no need to go without your daily dose of latte or espresso, though. The traditional kopitiam and their contemporary counterparts are rivalled by a host of excellent independent cafes that deal in single-origin beans and employ baristas trained to use classic coffee-making machines as well as third-wave equipment such as AeroPress.
Best Cocktail Bars
Suzie Wong Flamboyant speakeasy cocktail bar with live cabaret.
PS150 Shanghai-style drinking den concealed behind a fake toy shop.
Coley Tiny cocktail bar serving expertly mixed drinks.
Botakliquor Superior cocktails in the heart of KL’s Chinatown.
Omakase + Appreciate A pioneer of KL’s speakeasy scene.
Best Sky Bars
Bar Trigona Classy cocktail bar with sensational city-skyline views.
Heli Lounge Bar Thrilling rooftop drinks in the heart of Bukit Bintang.
Marini’s on 57 Book a seat for a bird’s-eye view of KLCC.
Mantra Bar KL Look across the suburbs to the KL skyline from the rooftop of Bangsar Village mall.
Mai Bar Fun poolside bar overlooking KL Sentral.
Best Beer
Delirium Café Kuala Lumpur Global brews galore and a great terrace.
Gavel A choice of 30-plus beers and a menu of comfort food.
Taps Beer Bar Plenty of microbrews on offer, 14 of which are on tap.
Coliseum Cafe Colonial charmer where Somerset Maugham enjoyed a drink or two.
Best Cafes
VCR Good cold brew and espresso on Bangsar’s main cafe strip.
Heesan Kopi One of the leading contributors to Melaka’s contemporary coffee craze.
Feeka Coffee Roasters Choose from microlot beans or espresso-based drinks.
RGB at the Bean Hive House-roasted beans and a health-conscious menu.
LOKL Coffee Western- or Malay-style brews and hearty breakfasts.
Pulp Coffee Top-quality coffee from a third-wave Singaporean outfit.
Sin See Tai Melakan hipster haven where they take their coffee seriously.
Daily Fix Retro-styled cafe serving dark-roast coffee.
Markets & Malls
Kuala Lumpur is a show pony on the Asian shopping parade, a serious rival to retail heavyweights Singapore, Bangkok and Hong Kong. Most of the retail action happens in modern malls, with traditional outdoor markets also popular. Shopping opportunities in Melaka are less enticing – save your ringgit for the capital.
WITHGOD/SHUTTERSTOCK ©
What to Buy
Skilled artisans may be a dying breed, but you can still find great handmade craft items for sale in KL. Fashion (including traditional textiles such as batik and luxurious kain songket), contemporary-art galleries, antique stores and interior-design shops are also worth a look.
Best Malls
Pavilion KL Setting the gold standard for Bukit Bintang’s gaggle of malls.
Suria KLCC A retail nirvana at the base of the Petronas Towers.
NU Sentral Department stores, cinemas, a food court and an excellent bookshop.
Bangsar Village I & II Twin malls specialising in locally designed and produced fashion.
Best Markets
Bazaar Baru Chow Kit Sprawling wet produce market with traditional kopitiam (coffee shops).
Pudu Market Mornings at KL’s largest wet market are a colourful, visceral experience.
Central Market Historic art deco building housing plenty of handicrafts stores.
Petaling Street Market Popular night market chock-a-block with counterfeit goods and food stands.
Jonker Walk Night Market A party vibe prevails at this famous Melaka street market.
Best Mall Food Courts
Lot 10 Hutong Always busy, with plenty of famous hawker stalls.
Malaysia Boleh! Clean and modern basement food court in the Shoppes at Four Seasons Place mall next to the Petronas Towers.
Food Republic Exists alongside loads of restaurants inside Pavilion KL.
Imbi Market at ICC Pudu Bustling food court and attached kopitiam (coffee shop).
Best Mall Attractions
Galeri Petronas Excellent art gallery in Suria KLCC.
Petrosains: The Discovery Centre Hands-on science discovery centre in Suria KLCC.
Golden Screen Cinemas Pavilion KL Cinema multiplex in Pavilion KL.
TGV Cineplex Multiscreen cinema complex in Suria KLCC.
Hammam Spa Bliss out in this