See & Do
Bintang Walk & The Golden Triangle
The Golden Triangle is recognised as KL’s central business district (CBD) and is bordered by Jalans Imbi, Sultan Ismail and Tun Razak. However, it is a term that has been lost in translation and most city residents probably couldn’t mark it on a map. To most, it refers to the expensive part of the city centre, where there are many five-star hotels, office headquarters, smart shops and upmarket restaurants.
Menara KL (KL Tower) soars 421 metres into the sky and is the natural place for first-time visitors to KL to go to get their bearings. Views are best on a clear day. The Seri Angkasa revolving restaurant is situated near the top of the tower.
Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve surrounds the base of Menara KL between Jalan Ampang and Jalan Raja Chulan. While the origins of the name Pineapple Hill (Bukit Nanas) are unknown, the 10.5 hectare reserve is a natural haven in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Few cities claim their own natural rainforest in the city precincts. The land was declared a forest reserve in 1906 and survives to provide a recreational area and a place for visitors to see some rainforest features within the safe confines of several well-developed and signed trails. It was later changed to a wildlife reserve and bird sanctuary and in 1950 parts of it became a virgin jungle reserve, a status which supposedly means it cannot be developed. One of the entrances to the trails starts at the far end of the Menara KL carpark.
The Golden Triangle is home to several shopping malls with large department stores as anchor tenants. Lot 10, Starhill Gallery, Sungei Wang Plaza, KL Plaza, Berjaya Times Square and the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur are the biggest shopping complexes in the area. These include international designer brand boutiques in addition to large department stores such as Isetan, Tangs and Metrojaya. While most are modern, well designed and spacious, Wang Plaza is a rabbit warren of rows and rows of small shops packed with bargains and is very popular with the locals. Prices are reasonable and bargaining is acceptable in some outlets. Low Yat Plaza is the place for cheap computers and accessories but be warned that some may not always be authentic items.
One of the hottest precincts is Bintang Walk, along Jalan Bukit Bintang from Jalan Sultan Ismail to The Westin KL. It is an excellent example of re-engineering KL social habits, as many locals, once confined to the air-conditioned hotels and bars, have now taken to the streets. People want to be seen enjoying the good life and are now happy to sit outdoors. While there has always been a tradition of open-air dining in hawker stalls, KL has come of age with the arrival of Dôme, Starbucks, Gloria Jean’s, San Francisco Coffee and The Coffee Bean brands.
The young and impressionable parade down Bintang Walk or lounge about in places like Planet Hollywood and sidewalk cafes along Jalan Bukit Bintang. If you want to be seen, this is definitely the place to be.
The Pavilion KL is the most recent addition to the shopping scene, with Tangs and Parkson as anchor tenants but supported by an impressive cast of around 450 retail outlets such as 128 Faubourg, Clinique, L’Occitane, A/X Armani Exchange, DKNY, Guess, Jaspal, Paul Frank, Raoul, Ted Baker, Jean Paul Gaultier and Versace. There are also cinemas, restaurants, foodcourts, bookshops and a fitness centre. Emporio Armani is located immediately opposite, in front of the JW Marriott.
Kompleks Budaya Kraf on Jalan Conlay sells Malaysian handicrafts such as batik, songket, carved wood, baskets and beadwork from Borneo. There are also some displays where visitors can see articles being made, and to even have a go at making these crafts themselves.
Nearby at 2 Jalan Stonor, the headquarters for Malaysia’s Heritage Trust, or Badan Warisan, is located in a delightful 1920s British colonial bungalow. Badan is a non-profit, non-government organisation established to promote the preservation and conservation of Malaysia’s built heritage. There is also a traditional wooden Malay house in the grounds that is well worth inspecting. Badan Warisan has an excellent resource library, a small but well-stocked gift shop, and is one of KL’s lesser known assets. It holds talks and leads guided trips across the city and the country, and anyone interested in Malaysia’s built heritage should consider joining the organisation. Visitors are welcome between 10:00 and 17:00 (Monday to Friday) and 11:00 to 16:00 (Saturday).
Away from the glass and aluminium of the modern Golden Triangle there remain pockets of ‘old’ KL. Just off all the retail action of Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Alor is a good place to visit. In the evening, hawkers set up their plastic chairs and offer a delicious array of dishes to enthusiastic diners.
This is an authentic Malaysian dining experience with reasonable prices, great variety, lots of noise and a fantastic atmosphere. First-timers should visit all the stalls, making a note of what looks good. Then it’s best to choose a location that offers lots of variety and order whatever takes your fancy.
The dishes on offer along Jalan Alor are principally Chinese and mostly from the island of Penang. Indian and Malay hawker stalls can be found here, but they are in the minority. The stalls often remain open until the early hours of the morning, giving the city life around the clock. There are no set hours for meals and Malaysians will snack and drink at all times, so join in the fun. At such stalls, if you are unsure what something is, take a chance and order it anyway – it’s always really cheap so if you don’t like it you can just bin it and try something else instead. The Jalan Bukit Bintang area of the city offers the best of several dining experiences, from local hawkers stalls to fine dining in modern international restaurants and smart coffee shops under the stars.
There are various public rail stations that service the Golden Triangle. Use the monorail stops of Imbi (for Times Square), Bukit Bintang (Jalan Bukit Bintang), Raja Chulan (Istana and Crowne Plaza Hotels) and Bukit Nanas (Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve). Imbi Station is also near the Pudu Star LRT line and Bukit Nanas is the access station for Dang Wangi Station on the Putra LRT line.
Menara KL (KL Tower) soars 421 metres into the sky and is the natural place for first-time visitors to KL to go to get their bearings. Views are best on a clear day. The Seri Angkasa revolving restaurant is situated near the top of the tower.
Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve surrounds the base of Menara KL between Jalan Ampang and Jalan Raja Chulan. While the origins of the name Pineapple Hill (Bukit Nanas) are unknown, the 10.5 hectare reserve is a natural haven in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. Few cities claim their own natural rainforest in the city precincts. The land was declared a forest reserve in 1906 and survives to provide a recreational area and a place for visitors to see some rainforest features within the safe confines of several well-developed and signed trails. It was later changed to a wildlife reserve and bird sanctuary and in 1950 parts of it became a virgin jungle reserve, a status which supposedly means it cannot be developed. One of the entrances to the trails starts at the far end of the Menara KL carpark.
The Golden Triangle is home to several shopping malls with large department stores as anchor tenants. Lot 10, Starhill Gallery, Sungei Wang Plaza, KL Plaza, Berjaya Times Square and the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur are the biggest shopping complexes in the area. These include international designer brand boutiques in addition to large department stores such as Isetan, Tangs and Metrojaya. While most are modern, well designed and spacious, Wang Plaza is a rabbit warren of rows and rows of small shops packed with bargains and is very popular with the locals. Prices are reasonable and bargaining is acceptable in some outlets. Low Yat Plaza is the place for cheap computers and accessories but be warned that some may not always be authentic items.
One of the hottest precincts is Bintang Walk, along Jalan Bukit Bintang from Jalan Sultan Ismail to The Westin KL. It is an excellent example of re-engineering KL social habits, as many locals, once confined to the air-conditioned hotels and bars, have now taken to the streets. People want to be seen enjoying the good life and are now happy to sit outdoors. While there has always been a tradition of open-air dining in hawker stalls, KL has come of age with the arrival of Dôme, Starbucks, Gloria Jean’s, San Francisco Coffee and The Coffee Bean brands.
The young and impressionable parade down Bintang Walk or lounge about in places like Planet Hollywood and sidewalk cafes along Jalan Bukit Bintang. If you want to be seen, this is definitely the place to be.
The Pavilion KL is the most recent addition to the shopping scene, with Tangs and Parkson as anchor tenants but supported by an impressive cast of around 450 retail outlets such as 128 Faubourg, Clinique, L’Occitane, A/X Armani Exchange, DKNY, Guess, Jaspal, Paul Frank, Raoul, Ted Baker, Jean Paul Gaultier and Versace. There are also cinemas, restaurants, foodcourts, bookshops and a fitness centre. Emporio Armani is located immediately opposite, in front of the JW Marriott.
Kompleks Budaya Kraf on Jalan Conlay sells Malaysian handicrafts such as batik, songket, carved wood, baskets and beadwork from Borneo. There are also some displays where visitors can see articles being made, and to even have a go at making these crafts themselves.
Nearby at 2 Jalan Stonor, the headquarters for Malaysia’s Heritage Trust, or Badan Warisan, is located in a delightful 1920s British colonial bungalow. Badan is a non-profit, non-government organisation established to promote the preservation and conservation of Malaysia’s built heritage. There is also a traditional wooden Malay house in the grounds that is well worth inspecting. Badan Warisan has an excellent resource library, a small but well-stocked gift shop, and is one of KL’s lesser known assets. It holds talks and leads guided trips across the city and the country, and anyone interested in Malaysia’s built heritage should consider joining the organisation. Visitors are welcome between 10:00 and 17:00 (Monday to Friday) and 11:00 to 16:00 (Saturday).
Away from the glass and aluminium of the modern Golden Triangle there remain pockets of ‘old’ KL. Just off all the retail action of Jalan Bukit Bintang, Jalan Alor is a good place to visit. In the evening, hawkers set up their plastic chairs and offer a delicious array of dishes to enthusiastic diners.
This is an authentic Malaysian dining experience with reasonable prices, great variety, lots of noise and a fantastic atmosphere. First-timers should visit all the stalls, making a note of what looks good. Then it’s best to choose a location that offers lots of variety and order whatever takes your fancy.
The dishes on offer along Jalan Alor are principally Chinese and mostly from the island of Penang. Indian and Malay hawker stalls can be found here, but they are in the minority. The stalls often remain open until the early hours of the morning, giving the city life around the clock. There are no set hours for meals and Malaysians will snack and drink at all times, so join in the fun. At such stalls, if you are unsure what something is, take a chance and order it anyway – it’s always really cheap so if you don’t like it you can just bin it and try something else instead. The Jalan Bukit Bintang area of the city offers the best of several dining experiences, from local hawkers stalls to fine dining in modern international restaurants and smart coffee shops under the stars.
There are various public rail stations that service the Golden Triangle. Use the monorail stops of Imbi (for Times Square), Bukit Bintang (Jalan Bukit Bintang), Raja Chulan (Istana and Crowne Plaza Hotels) and Bukit Nanas (Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve). Imbi Station is also near the Pudu Star LRT line and Bukit Nanas is the access station for Dang Wangi Station on the Putra LRT line.
