Kuala Lumpur is the capital of a hot tropical country, a former English colony, which now amazes travelers with its diversity of nationalities, religions and cultures. Contrary to the famous Russian proverb “free cheese — only in the mousetrap” there are many attractions in Kuala Lumpur that you can see for free or for a nominal fee. We will tell you about the most interesting of them.
City metro
The metro in KL runs mostly above ground, only some central stations of the red line go underground. There are four metro lines in the city. By purchasing a ticket to the station you need, you can enjoy city views from a height of eight meters. Trains move at relatively low speed between city blocks in close proximity to buildings, which allows you to get a close-up look at the colorful city architecture and provides an excellent opportunity to take a lot of photos and videos. By the way, trains on the Red Line are fully automatic and operate without a driver. Instead of a driver’s cabin, the head car has a large window; standing next to it, you can imagine yourself as a driver and fly towards the city. For metro city tours, choose daytime and avoid traveling during rush hours.
Free “Go KL” buses
They travel on four routes in the central part of Kuala Lumpur and cover many attractions. Opening hours: on weekdays from 6 to 23:00, and on weekends from 7 to 23:00. The movement interval is 5-10 minutes. A nice addition to a trip around the city will be free Wi-Fi, so on the way from one attraction to another you can read about it on Wikipedia. Buses are adapted to the needs of people with disabilities. During peak hours the buses are packed with very friendly workers from neighboring countries. A detailed route map is available on the official website.
Free walking tours in the area of Independence Square
The square is called Dataran Merdeka in Malay, and free tours are available on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 to 11:30. Collection point – Kuala Lumpur city gallery. The guides will tell you about life in KL during the colonial period, when Malaysia was under the rule of the English crown. Even if you barely understand English, you should still take this excursion – you will be able to see the sights and get the missing information from the Internet. Just don’t forget to sign up for the walking tour in advance, you can do it here.
Kuala Lumpur City Gallery
Kuala Lumpur City Gallery Great for people wanting a quick introduction to the history of Kuala Lumpur. The ticket costs only 5 ringit (a little more than $1) and can be used as a discount coupon in a cafe or souvenir shop. Inside you will find many rare photographs of the city during different historical periods. The highlight of the exhibition is the only multimedia show in Southeast Asia with a city panorama made of wood. You will see not only existing architectural structures, but also those that are planned to be built in the near future. In the gallery there is a souvenir shop where you can buy products made of thin wood – a traditional Malaysian craft, and also see through the glass wall how craftsmen work on them. A nice bonus when visiting the gallery will be a stand with free maps and useful travel brochures, which can be picked up right next to the entrance. The gallery is open daily from 9 to 18:30, and all the details are available on its official website.
Botanical Garden
Perdana Botanical Garden is a real tropical forest in the heart of the city. The park is quite large and consists of 80 hectares of subequatorial greenery. Many tourists are surprised to recognize their favorite home plants in the giant trees. On its territory you can visit orchid and hibiscus parks, Mouse Deer Park and many other interesting places for free. You can visit the garden daily from 7 to 20:00. You can go on a free tour of the Botanical Garden, accompanied by an experienced guide, by sending a request for a tour by email indicated on the website. Such excursions are conducted only on weekdays from 8 to 10 am.
Petronas Art Gallery
Petronas Art Gallery is located on the third tier of the Suria shopping center in the Twin Towers. You can visit it daily from 10 to 20.00. Admission is free.
Malaysia Tourist Information Center
At the Malaysia Tourism Center MaTiC you can find not only free maps and booklets, but also use the Internet with computers. Here you can also watch a dance show of the peoples of Malaysia: Chinese, Indian, Malay, and dances of the peoples of Borneo. The show runs from Monday to Saturday from 15:00 to 16:00. The entrance is free. The schedule of events can be viewed on the official website of MaTiC
Source: Irina Chereponko
