MALAYSIAlonelyplanet.com KUALA LUMPUR •• Activities
of central KL. From Chinatown, Intrakota
Bus 21C from the Jln Sultan Mohammed
bus stop, or buses 21B, 22, 48C and F3, will
take you there. It is also a 20-minute walk
from Masjid Jamek.
The gardens contain a host of attractions
such as the Bird Park (Map pp440-1 ; %2272 1010;
http://www.klbirdpark.com; adult/child RM39/29; h9am-6pm)
and Taman Rama Rama (Butterfly Park; Map pp440-1 ;
%2693 4799; Jln Cendarasari;^ adult/child RM15/8; h9am-
6pm). You can take a leisurely stroll around
them, or catch the shuttle bus that does a
loop of the area.
At the edge of the Lake Gardens, the re-
cently renovated National Museum (Muzium Negara;
Map pp440-1 ; %2282 6255; http://www.muziumnegara.gov.my;
Jln Damansara; adult/child RM2/free; h9am-6pm) boasts
colourful displays on Malaysia’s history,
economy, arts, crafts and culture. Free guided
tours in English are held at 11am Tuesday,
Thursday and Saturday and in French at 9am
and noon Thursday.
Near Lake Gardens, the Islamic Arts Museum
(Muzium Kesenian Islam Malaysia; Map pp440-1 ; % 2274
2020; http://www.iamm.org.my; Jln Lembah Perdana; adult/child
RM12/6; h10am-6pm) has exquisite displays
of textiles, carpets, jewellery, calligraphy-
inscribed pottery and a reconstruction of an
ornate Ottoman room. The building itself is
also a stunner, with decorated domes and
glazed tilework.Northern KL
It’s sensory overload at the Chow Kit Market (Map
pp440-1 ; 469-473 Jln TAR; h6am-8pm), where tightly
jammed stalls sell clothes; toys; spices; meat;
live, flapping fish; and weird and wonderful
tropical fruit.
Further north near Lake Titiwangsa, the
National Art Gallery (Balai Seni Lukis Negara; Map pp440-
1 ; %4026 7000; http://www.artgallery.org.my; 2 Jln Temerloh, off
Jln Tun Razak; admission free; h10am-6pm) displays
works by contemporary Malaysian and inter-
national artists. Take any Len Seng bus from
Lebuh Ampang (north of Central Market) in
Chinatown or from along Jln Raja Laut; get
off at the hospital stop.ACTIVITIES
There’s a concentration of Chinese massage and
reflexology places along Jln Bukit Bintang,
south of BB Plaza. The going price is usu-
ally RM65 for a one-hour full-body massage,
but try bargaining for RM50. Expect to pay
about RM30 for 30 minutes of foot reflex-
ology. Old Asia (Map p444 ; %2143 9888; 14 Jln Bukit
Bintang; h10am-10pm) is one of the more reliable
and pleasantly designed places.
If you’d rather be the one pounding your
hands, you can join the Tugu Drum Circle atBATU CAVES
Get closer to KL’s Indian culture by visiting the Batu Caves (off Map pp440-1 ; admission free; h8am-
8pm), a system of three caves 13km northwest of the capital. The most famous is Temple Cave,
because it contains a Hindu shrine reached by a straight flight of 272 steps, guarded by a 43m-
high Murga statue, the highest in the world. About a million pilgrims come here every year
during Thaipusam (January/February) to engage in or watch the spectacularly masochistic feats
of the devotees.
To get there take Bus 11 (RM2, 45 minutes) from where Jln Tun HS Lee meets Jln Petaling,
just south of Medan Pasar in KL. The bus also stops along Jln Raja Laut in the Chow Kit area. A
taxi shouldn’t cost more than RM20.INFORMATION
MPH Bookstores ..................................................................... 1 B
New Zealand Embassy ......................................................... 2 ASIGHTS & ACTIVITIES
Menara Kuala Lumpur .......................................................... 3 A
Old Asia...................................................................................... 4 B
Petronas Towers ..................................................................... 5 CSLEEPINGi
Bedz KL ...................................................................................... 6 B
Green Hut Lodge .................................................................... 7 B
Red Palm ................................................................................... 8 BEATING@
1+1 .............................................................................................. 9 B
Blue Boy Vegetarian Food Centre.................................. 10 A
Frog Porridge Stall .............................................................. 11 B
Imbi Market ........................................................................... 12 D
Wong Ah Wah ...................................................................... 13 BDRINKING?
Blue Boy.................................................................................. 14 C
Finnegan'sIrishPub&Restaurant................................. 15 B
Oblique ................................................................................... 16 B
Palate Palette........................................................................ 17 BSHOPPINGf
Kompleks Budaya Kraf ....................................................... 18 D
Low Yat Plaza........................................................................ 19 B445