Kuala Lumpur
Activities and Non-Activities

This capital houses the famous Petronas Towers, beautiful mosques, lovely gardens, aquarium and endless museums!

And if you're lazy, treat yourself with a fish spa or a fabulous massage!

But...

... I got to "disappoint" you -- we didn't bother to see the touristy attractions of Petronas or anything like that.

We decided to avoid it because there were just too many rumors about tons of tourists flourishing the scene.

Kuala Lumpur Activities: Colorful KL

Instead, we decided to take a day trip and visit the Western part of KL -- the Lake Gardens and the surrounding mosques and museums.

Let me share my experiences with you!

We decided to just walk.

So we started our journey from Central Market.

From there we walked over a bridge and suddenly we were in the middle of a large park where I saw a very high flag pole with the Malaysian flag. We asked a local about our location. He looked at us, smiled and said:

Kuala Lumpur Activities: Merdeka Square

"You're in Merdeka Square"

Merdeka Square is apparently a favorite location during the New Year's countdown, and outdoor concerts are held here!

Then we took some pictures and continued our journey.

But which way should we go to see Masjid Negara and Lake Gardens?

We didn't know how to get to Lake Gardens because all we saw were traffic and buildings… We were looking for a park!

Kuala Lumpur Activities: Weird, cool plant

After getting lost around Merdeka Square, walking forth and back, we continued south -- walking along Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin for 30 minutes.

It took a while because we had to stop every 10 meters so my boyfriend could take pictures of every tree and every flower by the road.

I kept telling myself: "Patience Amanda…" :-P

Masjid Negara -- The National Mosque

Then the sight of National Mosque hit our eyes! FINALLY!

Kuala Lumpur Activities: Masjid Negara Fountain area

The area around the mosque was huge, and beautifully decorated with small and large fountains. The mosque itself was simple, but gracious with its 73-meters high minaret.

This impressive mosque was built in 1965 and it is said that it can house 15.000 worshippers! When we saw the size of it, we had no problem imagining 15.000 people at this place.

And as you can see, the mosque has a modern design which is an interpretation of traditional Islamic art and calligraphy.

Kuala Lumpur Activities: Masjid Negara minaret

I think it was awesome to try to read the Arabic lettering (I've studied the Arabic alphabet for 4 months and still working on it)!

Before entering the mosque, you have to be properly dressed whether you're female or male.

You can borrow robes (they were lilac-colored at the time we were there in June 2009) at the entrance. A robe will cover you from head to toe. We also had to take off our shoes.

When you get inside, you'll get pamphlets with useful information about the mosque and about the Islamic teachings.

Walking in the hallways and the galleries of National Mosque is all about observing, and experiencing the silence which fills the atmosphere.

ENJOY!

Where: Jalan Perdana

Admission: Free

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National Planetarium

The Planetarium was OK. Unless you're an astronomy geek, I don't think you're missing anything if you skip it.

What I can tell you is that there's a lot of focus on Malaysia's contribution to space tech. You can see movie clips of how space shuttles land on various planets, exhibitions of space suits, and there's an instrument there which can test your coordination after been spun around a couple of times.

Where: Jalan Perdana

For more information on admission charges and opening hours, Click here! (opens in a new window)

Be prepared to walk uphill -- from National Mosque it takes about 15-20 minutes. We got lost and used 40 minutes to get there. But a terrific view of KL is waiting for you!

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Museum of Islamic Arts

This is probably one of the few places in Southeast Asia where you can get a real introduction to almost every aspect of Islamic arts!

Kuala Lumpur Activities: Museum of Islamic Arts -- image credit: flickr.com

I loved the handwritten illustrated Qurans and there were tapestries displaying the Islamic art. You have to search a long time before you can find something as detailed and at the same time beautiful as this!

Other interesting artifacts to stare at are swords, jewelry, textiles (a lot of carpets!) fascinating armor, ancient coins and ceramics just to mention a couple of things.

You don't need to be interested in history to enjoy the sights of beautiful collections of artifacts and intriguing art, but it's a big plus though! ;-)

Admission: RM 12 (adults), free for children

Opening hours: Tuesdays to Sundays: 10 am to 6 pm

Phone: + 603 2274 2020

Where: Jalan Lembah Perdana

Website: Website of Islamic Arts Museum (opens in a new window)

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Xtreme -- Massage, Reflexology and Spa

The time we were there, they had promos like 1 hour massage with free ear candling/free fish spa. We tried the ear candling and didn't know what to expect. The goal is to suck out as much ear wax as possible.

It doesn't hurt, but you will feel that your ear canal gets warm. What they do is that they light an end of a hollow candle.

This kind of practice has been criticized because it was proved to be ineffective. Well, all I can say is that a lot of ear wax came out of my ear canals… I don't need to say more…?

Our body massage hours were excellent, but kind of painful during the process. A sweet, old Chinese lady drove her knuckles into all my muscle knots -- from neck to toe. I wanted to scream, but at the same time I knew that it had to be done. When we were finished, I didn't have any balance in my legs -- I was THAT relaxed!

Plus: Clean and friendly

Minus: We went there twice. The first time, it was peaceful. The second time there was two kids screaming in the next room. To be honest, I don't like kids who disturb my paid relaxing hour…

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Other massage/beauty spots in KL

If you walk around Petaling Market, you can glimpse the signs on the streets advertising for massage or fish spa. Even at Central Market they have fish spa for RM 5 (10 minutes).

Fish Spa -- they're tickling me! The pic is from Manila in Philippines, but the process is the same! ;-)

I didn't try the fish spa in KL because I had a fresh tattoo on my foot/leg. But I've tried the fish spa in Manila, Philippines (basically the same as in KL -- they use the same fish) and it tickles a lot! ;-) I'm not even that ticklish.

But the results are smooth feet with no dead skin cells! Muwah!

When it comes to beauty salons, you'll find them everywhere. In general, you can pay as little as RM 5 for a hair cut. One of the salons we saw was at Central Market called D'Molly Saloon. They do regulars such as haircuts, facial treatment and waxing.

Cheap barber shops can be found in Little India -- they're in general clean (around RM 10).

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You're done with Kuala Lumpur Activities, where do you want to go next?

Need a place to sleep in Kuala Lumpur? Get over here!

Hungry? Grab som Malay food here!

Ready for shopping? Thought so!

Want to get a tattoo?

Return from Kuala Lumpur Activities to Backpacking Tips Asia.