photo journal for Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur
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Big, hot, humid and overcrowded, to many Kuala Lumpur is nothing but overwhelming. For tourists, the main attraction in the city is the Petronas Towers - for six years they were the world’s tallest beaten later by Taiwanese and Dubai building projects - but if towering buildings aren’t your thing then maybe you can’t see a lot of reason to spend time in the Malaysian capital.

Ask the locals what they recommend however, and you’ll hear of all the readily available cheap street eats across the city. While in the West we may have an early dinner and graze unceremoniously at the fridge door, Malaysians opt for a more refined snack following their main meal, ‘siu yeh’ or supper. The choices here are unlimited by meal times and are the best example of how Malaysia’s many cultures come together: Malay, Chinese, Indians and every other cuisine imaginable is on display at the International buffet.

This melting pot, now a sprawling metropolis had humble beginnings as a sleepy Chinese tin-mining village. Inviting in and accommodating the rest of the world is the pride and pleasure of locals here, happy to tell you where to pick up the best street food, what to see and what areas are not to be missed.

A street with greenery and the Petronas Twin Towers are seen in the distance

The Petronas Towers seen from Chow Kit.

Looking up the Petronas Towers from below

Between 1998 and 2004 the Petronas Towers were the world’s tallest buildings. They were surpassed in 2004 by the Taipet 101 in Taiwan tower, which was surpassed in 2010 by the Burj Khalifa in Dubai - which is almost double in height!

Looking up at the Petronas Tower

The 88-floor tower is constructed of reinforced concrete, steel and glass designed to resemble motifs in Islamic art. The buildings architect was Fazlur Rahman Khan.

A covered walkway is framed with colourful steel

Colourful walkways in Kuala Lumpur’s Chow Kit suburb. Chow Kit was traditionally known as one of the cities major red-light districts & is where Malaysian filmmaker Justin Ong set his 2013 film Ida’s Choice.

A view of the city of KL with the Merdeka standing tall in the centre

The Merdeka 118 is 1 118 storey skyscraper which is set to be complete in 2023. Once open it will officially be the tallest skyscraper in Kuala Lumpur, surpassing the Petronas Twin Towers. It is also the world’s second tallest building and structure.

Concrete Pool with greenery climbing some concrete stairs behind.

Alila Bangsar’s swimming pool on level 40.

A row of pool loungers with white cushions and brown wooden frames

Lounge beds at the Alila Bangsar swimming pool on level 40.

A open reception with trees growing in the centre.

Alila Bangsar reception area on level 41.

A city view with a large park to the left and buildings, including the Merdeka, to the right.

View of the Merdeka 118 from the swimming pool at Alila Bangsar Hotel.

A Birdseye view of tracks with greenery along the side and buildings along the other.

Tracks leading away from the Bangsar LRT station in Kuala Lumpur.

A view of KL with a large park in focus on cranes building the city to the left

Kuala Lumpur is one of the fastest growing cities in Asia covering 243 km squared, with a population of nearly 2 million (as of 2020).

Looking for restaurant, bar or hotel recommendations in Kuala Lumpur? Maybe our map can help.

‘Once We Were There’ by Bernice Chauly from our book club picks is set in Kuala Lumpur during the Reformasi movement of the late 90s.

For more destinations in Malaysia check out our photo journal for Penang & photo journal for Sabah, Borneo.