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City Guide - Kuala Lumpur - Sightseeing | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Sightseeing Kuala Lumpur sprawls over a large area, but the relatively compact city centre and the efficient public transport system take many of the hassles out of sightseeing. As the world-famous Petronas Twin Towers are closed to the public at present, the best way to appreciate the layout of the city is by catching the lift up to the observation deck of the Menara Observation Tower, Jalan Punchak, the fourth tallest of its kind in the world. From here, it is possible to see how the city is split between its older ramshackle districts and the pre-planned modern developments. On the ground, the tourist epicentre of the old city is Dataran Merdeka (Independence Square). In the colonial days, the British played cricket here and fittingly it was also here that the Union Jack was lowered on 31 August 1957, heralding the birth of the new nation. Typically, in a city that makes a point of grandiose gestures, the current flagpole is reputed to be the tallest in the world. Also around the square are the elegant colonial Royal Selangor Club and the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, an unlikely, although nevertheless compelling, blend of Victorian and Moorish architectural styles. Chinatown is another historic district that has managed to preserve much of its traditional architecture. Local preservation groups have made a determined effort to keep Chinatown safe from the hands of developers and the district offers a slice of Asian life that is a world away from the air-conditioned shopping malls. The main modern area of the city of interest to tourists is the Golden Triangle, a large sweep of the city incorporating Jalan Sultan Ismail and Jalan Bukit Bintang, where most of the luxury hotels are situated. Tourist Information Malaysian Tourist Information Complex 109 Jalan Ampang Tel: (03) 264 3929 Web site: www.tourism.gov.my Opening hours: Daily 0900-1800. There are other tourist information offices in Plaza Putra (on the southern edge of Independence Square), at KL Railway Station, and at KLIA. |
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