Kuala Lumpur, The City That Never Sleeps

More than any spot in the country, Kuala Lumpur, or "KL" as it is commonly known, is the focal point of new Malaysia. While the city's past is still present in the evocative British colonial buildings of the Dataran Merdeka and the midnight lamps of the Petaling Street nightmarket, that past is everywhere met with insistent reminders of KL's present and future. The city's bustling streets, its shining modern office towers, and its cosmopolitan air project an unbounded spirit of progress and symbolise Malaysia's unhesitating leap into the future.

In the same way, the city brings together Malaysia's past and present, its many constit l Market, music, crafts and cultural practices from Kelantan to Sarawak can be explored and experienced. And in the National Museum, the dizzying multiplicity of Malaysia's cultural history comes into focus. As the entry point for most visitors and the meeting point of the country's many attractions, Kuala Lumpur is a grand gateway to a fascinating destination.

Location
Kuala Lumpur is situated midway along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia, at the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers. It is approximately 35 km from the coast and sits at the centre of the Peninsular's extensive and modern transportation network. Kuala Lumpur is easily the largest city in the nation, possessing a population of over one and a half million people drawn from all of Malaysia's many ethnic groups.

( pictures courtesy of Malaysian Tourism Promotional Board )