Kuala Lumpur itineraries

Old Town to the Twin Towers

Kaya toast first, then the colonial square, two Chinatown temples, chicken rice, a shark tunnel, the 86th-floor deck, and charcoal chicken wings to finish. This is the loop a one-day visitor ends up walking anyway.

Two Days from Bukit Bintang

Day one is the Lake Gardens side: mosque, museum, bird park, a hilltop Chinese temple and a helipad bar after dark. Day two is the Batu Caves steps, a Malay village and a canopy walk above the forest. Stay in Bukit Bintang and mix taxis with trains.

Three Days from Chinatown

Day one is Chinatown, Brickfields and a banana-leaf curry in Bangsar; day two a bus day trip to Malacca; day three the pink mosque at Putrajaya and a Nyonya lunch in Chow Kit. Base yourself in Chinatown and mix trains, buses and Grab.

Festivals & seasons

• 1 — Thaipusam at Batu Caves
• 2 — Chinese New Year lanterns at Thean Hou and Chinatown
• 3 — Ramadan bazaar in Kampung Baru
• 5 — Wesak Day
• 6 — The drier months, June and July, and haze
• 8 — Merdeka Day parade and countdown
• 10 — Kuala Lumpur Marathon
• 11 — Deepavali lights in Brickfields
• 11 — MotoGP Malaysian Grand Prix at Sepang
• 11 — Wet season, October to March, wettest in November
• 12 — Year-end sale and Bukit Bintang Christmas displays

Souvenirs

• Royal Selangor pewter
• Batik and songket cloth
• White coffee and teh tarik sachets
• Beryl's chocolate
• Durian products (Musang King chocolate, freeze-dried)
• Kaya jam
• BOH tea from the Cameron Highlands