Kuala Lumpur

The name Kuala Lumpur means 'muddy confluence', and it describes the place exactly: the spot where the Klang and Gombak rivers meet. In 1857 a group of Chinese miners went upriver in search of tin and set up a camp at that confluence. The tin was rich, the camp grew, and within a few years there was a market town with shophouses, gambling dens and warring mining factions.

The most famous early leader was Yap Ah Loy, a Chinese Kapitan who rebuilt the town after fires and floods and helped it survive civil wars between Malay rulers in the 1870s. By 1880 the British colonial administration had moved the state capital of Selangor to Kuala Lumpur, and in 1896 it became the capital of the Federated Malay States.

Colonial architects then gave the centre its look. The Sultan Abdul Samad Building of 1897 faces a cricket field, now called Merdeka Square, and its brick, copper domes and clock tower mix Moorish and Victorian styles. The Jamek Mosque opened in 1909 at the river confluence, and the railway station and the Art Deco Central Market came later.

On 31 August 1957 the flag of Malaya was raised on the field, and the city became the capital of an independent country. In 1963 it became the capital of the larger federation of Malaysia. The decades since have been marked by rapid growth, a business district around KLCC and the towers of 1998.

Today the city has about two million residents and lies at the heart of the Klang Valley, where some eight million people live. The federal government has moved much of its administration to Putrajaya, but Kuala Lumpur remains the business, cultural and transport centre. A short walk in the centre shows every layer of that history at once: mining-era shophouses, colonial arcades, a river mosque and glass towers.

The Petronas Twin Towers are the image of modern Malaysia. They rise 452 metres over KLCC, the city centre district built on a former racecourse, and they held the record as the world's tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004. The design uses Islamic geometric motifs in the floor plans, and the steel and glass skin catches the light differently through the day.

You cannot go all the way up, but you can go far. A skybridge links the two towers at the 41st and 42nd floors, and an observation deck sits higher, on the 86th floor of Tower 2. Tickets are sold for timed slots, in limited numbers, and they often sell out, so book ahead. The towers are usually closed on Mondays, and bags are searched at the entrance. Allow about an hour.

At the base is Suria KLCC, a large air-conditioned mall with a food court, a concert hall and connections to the park. The mall is your refuge on a hot afternoon, and the covered walkway links it to Bukit Bintang. This is the easiest place in the city to escape a storm.

KLCC Park lies behind the towers: a lake, a jogging track, a playground with a splash area and shaded paths. Early morning is the best time, when the air is cool and the towers reflect in the water. In the evening the towers are lit and a fountain show runs on a timetable that changes; check it locally.

A cheaper view comes from KL Tower on Bukit Nanas hill, a 421-metre telecommunications tower with a viewing deck, and the towers themselves appear in the skyline from there. If you have only one morning, do KLCC first: the light is better, the queues are shorter and the heat is bearable until about 11:00.

The area is modern and easy: pavements are smooth, lifts are common and the walkways are covered. It is also the least characterful part of the city. For history and food, you head south and east.

Merdeka Square and the streets around it are the historical heart of the city. The field was once a cricket ground for British officials, and now it is where Malaysians gather on national days. On one side stands the Sultan Abdul Samad Building, with its long arcade, copper domes and clock tower, and beside it the Royal Selangor Club and other colonial buildings. A giant flagpole marks where the flag rose in 1957.

A short walk to the north-east is the Jamek Mosque, at the confluence where the city began. It is small, elegant and built of red brick and white domes in a Moorish style, with palm trees and a riverside courtyard. Visitors are welcome outside prayer times, dressed with covered shoulders and knees; robes are lent at the entrance and shoes go off. Visiting hours change on Friday and around prayer times, so check on the day.

Beyond the mosque is the old river, which locals say gave the city its name. It was once a working waterway, and now it has been cleaned and dressed with walkways and lights. The stretch between Masjid Jamek station and Central Market is a short walk that gathers several eras.

Central Market, a blue-and-cream Art Deco hall of the 1930s, is now an air-conditioned craft market with batik, pewter and wood carving. Prices are not the cheapest, but the hall is cool and a good place to compare items before you shop elsewhere.

The colonial core is best in the early morning, before the sun is high and the traffic heavy. Go at 08:00, walk the field, step into the mosque courtyard and finish in the market hall as the heat rises. Take rail, not a walk, back to your hotel.

Other sights lie a little further, such as the National Mosque, the Islamic Arts Museum and the Perdana Botanical Garden, all in one green district to the west. They are easy by rail and ride-hail car and make a good second morning if you want a quieter, cooler day.

Chinatown is where the old town's shophouses survive. Petaling Street, a covered lane of stalls, sits at its heart, and around it stand temples, clan halls, herbal shops and old coffee houses. It is loud, crowded and hot, and it is also the cheapest and most human district for a visitor on a budget.

The Sri Mahamariamman Temple, on Jalan Tun H.S. Lee, is the oldest Hindu temple in the city. Founded in the 19th century by Tamil settlers, it has a tall gopuram tower carved with bright deities and a shrine hall that opens onto the street. Visitors are welcome, with shoes off and shoulders and knees covered. Do not photograph worshippers or the inner shrine.

Nearby, the Guan Di Temple and the Chan See Shu Yuen clan hall show the Chinese side of the story. Each was built by a clan or a trade group to look after its members, and each is a quiet interior a few steps from the market. Check the hours, and keep your voice low.

Petaling Street itself is a bargaining market. It is known for souvenirs, snacks, watches and copies of branded goods. Start at about half the first price and settle near two-thirds, and skip anything sold as branded: it is almost always a copy. It is better in the late afternoon and evening, when the lights come on and the street food carts are out.

For food, a kopitiam is the answer. These old-style coffee shops serve kaya toast, soft-boiled eggs and white coffee in the morning, and noodles and rice at lunch. Try a char kway teow from a cart at night, and bak kut teh, a pork rib soup with herbs, at a Chinese-run restaurant.

Chinatown works as a base if you want cheap beds and the rail line is close: Pasar Seni station is a short walk. It is noisy, however, and pavements are narrow and uneven, so do not plan to push a stroller. If you stay elsewhere, come for a morning and an evening.

Kuala Lumpur is a food city before it is anything else. The three big communities, Malay, Chinese and Indian, each brought a cuisine, and the city mixes them on almost every street. You can breakfast on Malay nasi lemak, lunch on Chinese noodles, take Indian roti in the afternoon and eat grilled seafood at night, all within a few blocks.

Nasi lemak is the national breakfast: rice cooked in coconut milk, served with sambal, anchovies, peanuts and egg, usually in a small packet for RM 5 to 12. Roti canai, a flaky flatbread with dhal or curry, costs RM 2 to 5 and is served at mamak stalls, the Indian-Muslim open-air restaurants that stay open late. A glass of teh tarik, milk tea poured between two cups to make foam, goes with it.

Jalan Alor, a short walk from Bukit Bintang, is the best-known street-food row, with rows of plastic tables, grilled meats, noodles and seafood, from about 18:00. It is loud, hot and open-air. Some stalls charge tourists more or hide the price of seafood, so ask the price per weight before you order, choose a busy stall and pay attention to the bill.

Food courts are the easy option: air-conditioned, fixed prices and many cuisines in one room. The mall food court under the towers is a good lunch in the storm window, and a set meal costs RM 15 to 35. For a full sit-down meal with drinks, expect RM 30 to 80 per person.

Halal food is widespread, and most Malay and mamak stalls are halal. Chinese-run places often serve pork, and alcohol is available in Chinese-run and non-Muslim areas such as Bukit Bintang but is taxed and expensive. Vegetarian food is easy in Indian restaurants around Brickfields, but check the sambal and stock.

A simple approach: eat at busy places, wash your hands, drink bottled water and ask for less chilli if you need it. Service charge and a government tax are often added to a restaurant bill, so read the total. Tipping is not expected.

The weather defines the daily rhythm. Temperatures are close to 32 °C in the day and 23 °C at night in every month, and humidity is high. Heavy afternoon storms are common, especially from about March to May and from October to November. Some months are drier, such as January, February, June and July, but the pattern is the same: hot mornings, storms around 14:00 to 17:00 and warm nights.

So plan your day around it. Go outdoors between 07:00 and 11:00, when the air is coolest and the queues are shortest. From about noon to 16:00, move indoors: a mall, a museum, a food court or your hotel pool. Come out again after 17:30 for dinner and the night markets. Carry a compact umbrella, drink water often and take an air-conditioned break every hour or so.

Rail is the best way between districts. The LRT, MRT and monorail run to most sights, tickets cost RM 1 to 6, and a Touch 'n Go card or eWallet avoids queues. Trains stop around midnight, so use a Grab car late at night and in storms, when prices rise. From the airport, the KLIA Ekspres takes about 28 minutes to KL Sentral.

Pavements are broken in many places, drains are open and crossings are not always respected, so look down and cross with locals. Carry the bag on the side away from the road, since snatch theft by motorbike happens. Emergency numbers are 999 and 112.

Behaviour and dress matter at religious sites. Cover shoulders and knees in mosques and temples, take off your shoes and keep your voice low. Use the right hand to give and receive. Same-sex acts are illegal in Malaysia, so be discreet.

A three-day plan works well: KLCC and the towers on Day 1, the colonial core and Jamek Mosque on Day 2, Chinatown and Central Market on Day 3. Add a half-day at Batu Caves, a Hindu shrine up 272 steps and best in the early morning, or a trip to Putrajaya. Keep afternoons light and evenings for food.