I thought that Kuala Lumpur has an exotic ring to it, redolent of the mysterious east – though where it actually was escaped me. However, I found that Kuala Lumpur is situated midway along the west coast of Peninsula Malaysia, where the Klang and Gombek Rivers meet, and is around 35 km from the coast. It is easily the largest city of the nation with a population of over one and a half million people from all Malaysia’s ethnic groups.
Kuala Lumpur, the focal point of new Malaysia, also affectionately know as KL, is an interesting blend of the old, and increasingly, the new. It has the impressive British Colonial buildings of the Dataran Merdeka and then its bustling streets and modern office towers show KL continuing its development from the past into its future.
In many ways KL is as it has always been, it’s a commercial centre for merchants and travellers from all over the world. Not only does KL bring together old and new, it also encompasses its mixed cultures and also its rich landscapes – this gives visitors a taste of Malaysia as a whole before travel to other parts. You can see Malaysia’s flora and bird life at the botanical and bird parks of the Lake Gardens, and in the Central Market see the see the music, crafts and artefacts from Kelatin to Sarawak. From Kuala Lumpur it is possible to travel to nearby Shah Alam (around 25 km away) or travel down the coast to the fabled Malacca (or Melaka) or travel down to Johor Bahru – on the way to Singapore.
I believe that one of the best things about Kuala Lumpur is the level of tolerance displayed by its residents for each other. There are ethnic Malays, Chinese, Indians and Europeans all living and working harmoniously together, with little racial problems and tensions – and much less than encountered in Western Europe or North America – though to be truthful, it was not always so.