Kuala Lumpur is home to much more than just mega shopping malls, cheap Malaysian eats, and Sunway Lagoon. But when Googling for interesting things to do in Kuala Lumpur, the websites that show up often recommend the same few places you’ve already visited.
To spice up your itinerary and make your 3 hour drive from Singapore to KL well worth it, we’ve compiled a list of interesting activities and sightseeing places, many of which can’t be found on generic tourist info websites:
Amp up your Instafeed at the Selfie Museum, which recently opened its doors to visitors in September and will be up for 6 months till February 2019. It’s a dessert-themed museum that includes 9 rooms full of larger-than-life dessert sculptures, specially made for you to spam photos with.
You’ll also receive 5 free desserts such as ice-cream and cupcakes as you journey through each room.
Read about our visit to the Selfie Museum here.
Selfie Museum
Address:Unit 2.28-2.40, Level 2, Fahrenheit88, 179, Bukit Bintang Street, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Opening Hours:Daily: 10AM-10PM
Prices:
Door: RM45 for adults (~S$15) | RM30 (~S$10) for children
Online: RM40 (~S$13.30) for adults, RM25 (~S$8.30) for children
Durian lovers – you’re in for a treat. Besides offering whole durians for sale, Durian BB park in central KL lets you sample the famous Mao Shan Wang, along with other interesting flavours like Mountain XO, Sweetie, Date, and Special Guest on a platter at just RM59 (~S$19.55).
Disposable gloves will be provided so you can keep your hands clean and smell-free.
Durian BB Park
Address:15, Jalan Kamuning, Imbi, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, 4PW8+3W Kuala Lumpur, Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Opening Hours:Daily: 12PM-11PM
Telephone:+60 12-678 5445
Enter this gravity defying house and snap hilarious photos of yourself “hanging” upside down from the ceiling.
Kuala Lumpur Upside Down House
Address:Menara Kuala Lumpur (KL TOWER)
Prices: RM19 (~S$6.30) for adults and RM14 (~S$4.65) for children
Opening Hours:9AM-10PM (Last ticket by 9.30PM)
Telephone: +60 10-802 7547
Batu Caves is both a place of worship for Hindus and a popular tourist attraction, but it’s been catapulted to a whole new level of fame with its recent colourful makeover. To prepare for the yearly Thaipusam festivities, the temple at the bottom and the steps leading up to the cave have recently been repainted in rainbow colours.
Batu Caves
Address:Gombak, 68100 Batu Caves, Selangor, Malaysia
Opening Hours:Daily 24/7
Telephone: +60 1-300-88-5050
Image credit: @cheesebanjir
If the thought of trying a milo-cheese-durian drink hasn’t crossed your mind, it’s because you haven’t come across it yet. Cheese Banjir, a restaurant where 99% of the food is served with cheese, has invented this exact concoction.
Dubbed Milo Kaw Cheese Durian (RM25, ~S$8.30), this drink is made up of three quarters milo, one-quarter cream cheese, with D24 durian flesh piled on top. If you’re an adventurous foodie, this fascinating dessert drink might just be right up your alley.
Cheese Banjir
Address: Lot 19, G-Village, Jalan 1.76, Desa Pandan, Kuala Lumpur
Opening Hours:Daily: 10AM–10.30PM
Telephone: +60 18-203 6070
Zhongshan Building a communal and commercial space where artists can live together and make a living from selling their art to the general public. It provides the perfect breeding ground for budding artists to express themselves as freely and creatively as they wish in their areas of expertise.
Most of the artists maintain an open door policy for visitors to browse their work, be it in the mini art gallery on the first floor of the building, or in their own work studios on the upper levels. Some of the exhibits are kept to viewing by appointment only, so if you want to visit them, do schedule an appointment with the specific artist in advance.
Zhongshan Building
Address:Jalan Kampung Attap, 80 – 84, Jalan Rotan, 50460 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan, Malaysia
Telephone:+60 16-660 2585
The Putra Mosque in Putrajaya, a neighbouring city south of KL, is truly a sight to behold – especially for people with an obsession with pink. Pink walls, pink tiles, pink robes, pink prayer hall – there’s just something incredibly calming about the pastel tones all around.
All it takes is a short 1.5 hour drive from KL city centre to get here. Ladies are required to don a pink robe that can be collected from a counter stationed outside the entrance. That, or you can come prepared with your own head scarf and Jubah outfit.
Putra Mosque
Address:Persiaran Persekutuan, Presint 1, 62502 Putrajaya, Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya, Malaysia
Opening Hours:Sat-Thur: 9AM-12.30PM, 2-4PM, 5.30-6PM | Fri: 3-4PM, 5.30-6PM
Telephone: +60 3-8888 5678
Petaling Street is KL’s Chinatown with Haji Lane vibes. At first glance, the place looks unassuming with old tuck shops and laundromats lining the front of the streets. Walk a little further down and you’ll stumble upon hipster cafes and dessert shops.
Nestled at the end of Petaling Street, Chocha Foodstore looks like it could fit right into Tiong Bahru in Singapore. 1960s-esque tiled walls, patterned grilled windows and a neon sign above the entrance give off retro vibes – almost like a gateway to a different time.
Image credit: @chochafoodstore
The cafe not only looks pretty, they serve decent food too – try their Ulam Stew Barley Rice (RM28, ~S$9.30) and Cincalok Fried Chicken (RM26, ~S$8.50).
Chocha Foodstore
Address:150, Jalan Petaling, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Opening Hours:Tue-Sun: 11AM–10PM
Telephone:+60 3 2022 1100
Urban Artisan makes dual-flavoured ice cream cones for us indecisive folks. They change up their flavours every week, so you can look forward to something new each time.
We tried the Pure Lychee X Coal Black Thai Coconut soft serve (RM12.90, ~S$4.30), sprinkled with rainbow cornflakes for extra crunch..
Urban Artisan
Address:149 Jalan Petaling Street, 50000 Kuala Lumpur
Opening Hours:Sun-Thur: 12PM – 10PM, Fri-Sat 12PM – 11PM
Leaf n Co. is a must-visit for cafe-hoppers, housed in a colonial building with graffiti on the walls.
Leaf n Co.
Address:53, Jalan Sultan, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri: 10.30AM-10PM | Sat-Sun: 10AM-10PM
Telephone:+60 3-2020 2220
This public alleyway features a series of art murals which range from light-hearted pieces to more sombre illustrations of Malaysia’s social issues. To get here, you need to travel down South to Shah Alam, another state on KL’s outskirts. While it’s admittedly a little far off from KL’s city centre, the compelling art murals are well worth the trip.
Image credit: @malaysia.now
Address:Jalan Plumbum R7/R, Seksyen 7, 40000 Shah Alam, Selangor, Malaysia
Hidden from plain sight with no sign board to mark its location, The Deceased is where you can get an avant garde drinking experience.
Getting to the bar itself is creepy. You need to walk up a long flight of minimally lit and blood-smeared stairs to reach the rooftop. The bar itself is not nearly as frightening. In fact, the bar’s loungey music is juxtaposed with the oriental decor, giving the place a slightly surreal yet chill vibe.
The bar serves drinks which are named after popular Chinese sayings or folklore. We tried the Tea of Oblivion (RM40, ~S$13.30), inspired by the myth of Meng Po’s Soup – a drink that wipes off all memories of one’s previous life before reincarnation. It’s a sour concoction of Thai black tea infused with gin, passionfruit and lime juice.
The bartender recommends Karma is Bitch (RM50, ~S$16.50) to first-time visitors – a sweet, carbonated, light alcoholic drink suited for most types of drinkers. Oh, and the drink comes with a surprise – we dare you to order it yourself to find out what it is.
The Deceased
Address: 55 Jalan Sultan, City Centre, 50000 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Opening Hours: Mon: 6.30PM-12AM | Wed: 12-2PM, 6.30-2AM | Thu-Sun: 6.30PM-2AM.
Telephone:+ 6 03 2715 7492
The night markets in KL may not be like the ones in Bangkok where you can shop for all kinds of trinkets, but they do offer more in terms of food variety. Round off at least one of your days in KL with supper at Connaught Night Market – which spans over 2km worth of space as KL’s longest night market.
If you’ve always wanted to know how it feels to free fall from a plane, here’s your chance. Gear up and put your helmets on for some high intensity obstacle courses at District 21. Race through the entire park on an automated flying fox or experience the thrill of free-falling from a plane at 2 storeys high.
In case you’re wondering – you’ll be securely strapped to a harness at all stations so you don’t have to worry about getting injured. With that said, the park allows visitors of all ages, including children, to participate in any of the obstacle courses.
Image credit: @xchacmx
District 21
Address: AT 6, IOI City Mall, IOI Resort City, 62502 Putrajaya, Wilayah Persekutuan Putrajaya, Malaysia
Prices:RM64 (~S$21.30) on weekdays, RM80 (~S$26.60) on weekends and public holidays
Kids below 90cm gains free entry.
Opening Hours: Mon-Fri:12PM-8PM | Sat-Sun: 10AM-8PM
Telephone: +60 3-8328 8888
If you’re famished after a long day of sightseeing, drop by Tapak Urban Street Dining Park for a food truck dining experience.
Take your pick from more than 10 food trucks in the park – some options include rainbow drinks, beef boat noodles, and ramen.
The tacos (2 for RM14 / ~S$4.65) from Maxcito are as authentically Mexican as they’ll get, and each one is topped with cilantro and spicy salsa.
Tapak Urban Street Dining
Address:2A, Persiaran Hampshire, Hampshire Park, 50450 Kuala Lumpur, Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Prices:from RM2 (~S$0.65)
Opening Hours:Daily: 6PM-12AM
Spend a weekend or two in KL and have a jolly time diving into hidden gems like cafes, night markets, and beautiful places of worship that you’ve never even heard of before.
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