Mr. Roboto

That's what I thought. I saw a basic map of Putrajaya, but there was no indication of scale and I didn't know if possibly it was designed that way to give the impression of it being larger that it really is.
OK, thanks, looks like this is the wise & comfortable way to go.

Helen123

one more thing about the Petronas Twin Towers:

Admission is free but you need to line up on the day of admission for the ticket. The office opens at 8:30am but when we were there in Dec, the line is already pretty long when we got there around 8:15am. So, if your schedule is only in KL for 1-1/2 days, make sure you go early!
(unless you join a tour package and if it includes twin tower, then I think the tour agency will have tickets for you). FYI, we got to go up to the tower at their 9:15am slot so it was over by 9:30am!! (you only get to stay up there for 15 min).

Sweet Willie

Three to visit from what I’ve gathered are:

Sri Mahamariamman Temple (Hindu)
See Shu Yuen Temple (Chinese)
Sze Ya Temple (Chinese)
All the above are in the Chinatown section of KL

Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Mosque
Thean Hou Buddhist Temple - on a hill off Jalan Syed Putra,very near to Mid Valley Megamall


Any other temple/mosques that are worthwhile to see ?

Sweet Willie

mario33, do you have an address for Restoran Mee Kai Kee ?

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blueDC

Mee Kai Kee 佳记面
141, Jalan Maharajalela,
Kuala Lumpur

It's a short walk from the Maharajalela Monorail station, and just down the street from this place.

Sweet Willie

THANKS blueDC for the address for Mee Kai Kee 佳记面 ^^

Nyonya food:
Sounds delicious to me, I've read about these two KL restaurants that specialize in Nyonya food

Restoran Nyonya
21 Jin Tingkat Tong Shin (just behind Jln Bukit Bintang)

Dongdang Sayang
12 Lower Ground Floor, The Weld
Jln Raja Chulan

Anyone been to either of these or have a recommendation for Nyonya food ?

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Sweet Willie

Has anyone taken the rainforest canopy walk at Forestry Research Institute Malaysia (FRIM), which is about 15 km's north of KL ?

I believe you are supposed to call ahead to book the canopy walk.

Read that as far as getting there besides a taxi, an option is to take the train to a nearby station and then take a taxi from there. A visit to FRIM can be combined with a trip to the Batu Caves- as they are both in the same area north of Kuala Lumpur.

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mario33

Mee Kai Kee : Its not as good as it used to anymore.
The soup seems to have lost its original flavour and the noodles often came out soggy.

I am now quite content with the curry mee at Little Penang Cafe which is reasonably good and the surroundings more hygenic. Its more expensive but at least I wont have to worry about the frequency of my toilet visits the next morning

l etoile

A bit further, but if you have a free afternoon/night and the weather conditions are right, seeing the thousands (millions?) of fireflies blinking in unison on the mangroves in Kuala Selangor is not a bad thing to do.

Sweet Willie

sounds very relaxing, popular enough of an item that there are tours: http://www.viator.com/tours/Kuala-Lu...d335-3705KUL32
was just one I located in a search.

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A top 10 list of must eat dishes in KL

- Nasi Lemak
Arguably this is the country’s national dish that transcends cultures and boundaries as Malaysians embrace it as the perfect sustenance for breakfast, lunch, tea, dinner and supper! Ask anyone on the street and they will have their favourite nasi lemak stall. In general, nasi lemak consists of rice steamed with pandan leaves and coconut milk, garnished with anchovies, peanuts, a hard-boiled egg, cucumber and spiced chilli gravy (sambal). Wrapping it in fresh banana leaves add extra fragrance to this dish. For convenience, nasi lemak is sold in affordable packets - as low as RM1 each. However, sellers also provide extra dishes to spice up your humble meal, like beef rendang, fried chicken, sambal sotong (chilli squid) or stir-fried vegetables. Chinese versions also provide pork curry and tamarind prawns. There is also Mamak nasi lemak sold at the Mamak stalls. Still if you pass by a small eaterie and see green pyramids on the table, grab one because eating nasi lemak old school is still the best way. Nasi lemak can be found at Malay restaurants and moble stalls around town or at Nasi Lemak Tanglin, Tanglin Food Courts, Jalan Cenderasari (Near the Butterfly Park), Lake Gardens, Kuala Lumpur.

2 - Satay
This is a popular local delight that has also gained a following overseas! Satay translates to pieces of meat skewered on small sticks and grilled over hot coals. What makes our satay so good is the marinade usually consisting of turmeric, lemongrass and sugar. Done the Malaysian way, satays have a gorgeous caramelised, burnt taste. Common meats used are chicken and beef, though more exotic versions include venison, fish, ostrich and rabbit. Accompaniments include fresh onions and cucumber, cubes of compressed rice called ketupat and homemade spicy peanut sauce for dipping. Chinese versions include pork and intestinal parts.Try satay at Samuri Satay at the Kajang Satay Food Court or at O’Mulia Semarak Satay.

3 - A kopitiam breakfast
This type of breakfast is usually found in an old Hainanese coffeeshop. Although there are more commercialised ones in shopping malls and office buildings, to truly experience this you have to find yourself a true blue kopitam. These places usually look like they have seen better days, furnished by marble-top tables and wooden chairs and staffed by very grumpy looking middle-aged Chinese men. A typical kopitiam breakfast usually consists of a strong cup of local milky coffee/ tea, fat charcoal grilled bread slathered with coconut jam and a half boil egg eaten with pepper and soya sauce. Try them at Yut Kee’s or Old China Café.

4 - A good, crispy, hot roti canai with teh tarik
The roti canai is purely a Malaysian creation i.e. you can’t get this anywhere else in the world unless you are in a Malaysian restaurant. Part crepe, part flat bread, it is dough that is repeatedly kneaded, flattened, oiled and folded. The making of the roti canai is a show in itself with the cook tossing it with skills that can make the greatest pizza chef green with envy. This method makes it fluffy on the inside yet crisp and flaky on the outside. Served with fish/meat curry or dhal (lentil-based vegetarian curry), it also comes cheap at just over RM1. More expensive variations may include egg, onions, margarine, potatoes, minced meat (otherwise called ‘Murtabak’) and others.

Roti canai’s perfect mate is a cup of teh tarik. It is described as tea mixed with condensed milk and poured from a hand held high into another container held below by the other hand. The sweet tea is poured back and forth until it forms a thick froth. This method mixes the tea and milk thoroughly to create a hot drink with a frothy top. These are available at Raju’s and Nirwana’s.


5 - Assam Laksa
Akin to nasi lemak, laksa also transcends cultures as the Malays and Chinese have their own distinct take on this popular dish. Essentially, it is noodles served with a spicy soup that is ‘lemak’ (coconut milk based) or ‘assam’ (tamarind based). Penang laksa includes a sour spicy fish-based ‘assam’ soup served with white vermicelli noodles. Accompaniments include cucumber, pineapple, lettuce, onions, ginger buds, mint leaves and topped with black prawn paste. Laksa lemak or Nyonya laksa uses rich, spicy coconut gravy and is served with yellow noodles, bean sprouts, fried tofu and cockles, topped with spicy sambal belacan for that extra kick! Different states have their own version which may vary thus making it unique yet universal! For example, Sarawak laksa is a blend of sweet, spicy and sour, Johor laksa uses spaghetti noodles while Kelantan laksam is served cold with thick fish-based coconut gravy. Although curry laksa translates well in other countries, it’s the assam laksa that makes our saliva drip with desire. Made with blended mackerel and tamarind juice, this savoury sauce will ‘haunt’ your tastebuds for weeks to come. Try this at Jalan Alor, at the mobile stall just as you enter Jalan Alor.

6 - Char Kuey Teow
This is a popular Chinese dish that is most famous in Penang. Frying flat noodles may sound simple but this task requires skill and finesse, as demonstrated by the deft hawker. Extreme heat of the wok must be maintained constantly as the hawker quickly fries the noodle with prawns, cockles, bean sprouts, garlic, chilli, lard and soy sauce. Egg may be added upon request. Note that prices may vary according to the size of the prawns. It’s best to eat it hot off the wok! If you only have one dish… it might have to be this one. You can try this at a mobile hawker stall at Tengkat Tong Shin or if you prefer a more upmarket one, at Madam Kwan’s.

7 - Ikan Bakar (BBQ fish- Malay style)
Before you even get anywhere near the stalls, there will be the fragrant scent of barbequing heralding your entrance to the shop/ stall. Malay stalls baste their seafood with loads of spices before grilling. Basting sauce is usually a closely guarded secret passed down from parent to child and can consist everything from chilli paste to pounded cumins and coriander seeds. The marinade is massaged deep into the fish after scoring it, and even as it cooks, more marinade is brushed on usually with a lemongrass stalk. This makes the spices seep deep into the seafood and to add fire it’s eaten with two or more chilli dips. Must tries are the BBQ stingray, mackerel and catfish. Try this at Seri Melaka, Behind the National Palace, Jalan Bellamy, Kuala Lumpur.

8 - Seafood (Chinese style)
There are loads of great Chinese seafood restaurants were you can choose your seafood straight from tanks. Coming to a tanked Chinese seafood restaurant is a many sensory experience. Even when you are enjoying the seafood on your plate we’ll guarantee that you’ll still be staring at the row of lobsters waving their delicious claws at you. Need we mention that if you are squeamish, just sit at the far end and wait for the food to come. Seriously food does not get fresher than this. Among the weird and wonderful things you can enjoy here are such as the lewd-looking geoduck (best as sashimi) and giant king crabs. Live tanks of seafood for you to stare and choose from… try Jin Chwan in Taman Bidara, Selayang or Fresh Unique Seafood in Petaling Jaya.

9 - Indian Banana Leaf Rice
This literally means white rice served on fresh banana leaf and it is topped with an assortment of vegetables, curried meat or fish, papadum (Indian cracker) and a selection of curries. This meal is perfect for vegetarians and non vegetarians alike. Rice and vegetables are replenished on the house. You also get to choose either fried chicken or fish and it comes to your table piping hot from the wok. End your meal with a cup of rasam, a thin soup made out of tomatoes, tamarind and spices which is believed to aid digestion. It tastes quite good - slightly spicy with a sourish tang and herbal aftertaste. Get stuck in with your fingers- it’s the only way to eat it. Try them at Nirwana’s, Raju’s or Kanna Curry House.

10 - Local Snacks and Shaved Ice Drinks
At tea time there is nothing better than sweet, ripe bananas dipped in batter and fried. Banana fritters here are crisp and sweet and perfect with a cup of afternoon tea. On a hot day too, try one of our shaved ice drinks. There are so many kinds because we live in a hot country. A nice bowl of mango loh will not fail to cool you down and bring you back instantly to childhood days where food is an uncomplicated pleasure. Available for dinner as well. Try the KTZ Fruitti Stall (Restaurant) at 145, Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur for mango loh or any mobile banana fritter stall around town. They start selling from around 3pm to 7pm everyday.

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glex50

There's also a large park within KL itself, and there are a few short (20 min) trails that start from/end at the road to the KL tower.

Sweet Willie

Pudu Market (aka Jalan Pasar Market) open Saturdays from ~7:30am till ?

Central Market 10am-10pm M-Sun
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Market,_Malaysia

National Craft Complex located in Jalan Conlay is home to a wide variety of traditional handicrafts made from around Malaysia.

Night Markets, which are called ‘Pasar Malam’, in Kuala Lumpur there are many night markets happening each day in different places throughout the week.

Kampung Bahru is one of the oldest residential areas in Kuala Lumpur, on Saturday, a large market takes place, which has a strong Malay favour to its goods and merchandise. It goes on all the way till 1 am on Sunday. This is a good place to get traditional Malay clothes and delicacies.

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i'mlovin'it

Great info! I'm heading out to KL (first time) at the end of the month, for work. I'll have the weekend to kill before going to SIN. Looking forward to the Batu Caves and the food!

i'mlovin'it

A friend who goes out to KL all the time sent this list of restaurants along to me to try out:

1) Greenview restaurant with excellent signature prawn
noodles (better that the Imbi Road 'big tree trunk'
place) and spicy crabs, salt baked crabs etc. Type of
crabs depends what is in season. This is up in PJ near the Rothmans Round-about- so it
is miles away form Marriott- 40 minutes by cab.
Reasonable prices, but not cheap

2) Another superb place is called Unique seafood in
Damansara Kaya Ara-also near One Utama area which is
on this side of town. Fresh swimming seafood and you
pick what you want and they cook it for you- prawns,
crabs, fish, shellfish, cockles, mussels etc.
reasonable prices, not cheap but they don't
'slaughter' you . Always packed with people,

3) Coffee shop near Marriott along Jalan Khoo Teik Ee .
Name escapes me right now but very good noodles made
from fish. chili crabs.

4) Overseas restaurant along Imbi Road just behind the
Marriott. good Chinese food - esp. roast pork but must
book this early otherwise it gets sold out early!

Sweet Willie

excellent, have fun^