Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur is the capital of Malaysia. Literally meaning "muddy estuary" in Malay, Kuala Lumpur has grown from a small sleepy Chinese tin-mining village to a bustling metropolis of around 6.5 million in just 150 years. With the world's cheapest 5-star hotels, great shopping and even better food, increasing numbers of travellers are discovering this little gem of a city.

The first phase of Kuala Lumpur's ambitious public transport system is now complete, the city's public transport system is excellent but there's still a fair amount of room for improvement. The city, like many developing cities, suffers from paralytic traffic jams periodically throughout the day. In rush hours, it may be worthwhile combining public transport by different means.

Despite having many attractions,Kuala Lumpur is one of those cities which is short on must-see attractions: the real joy lies in wandering randomly, seeing, shopping and eating your way through it. It's hot, humid and sometimes crowded though, so schedule some air-conditioned downtime in shopping malls or restaurants into your plan. You may find that most attractions are only crowded on weekends/holidays and deserted on weekdays.

There's some great shopping to be done in Kuala Lumpur. Goods are available in every price bracket, and while electronics are a tad more expensive than in Singapore or Hong Kong they can still be much cheaper than Europe.

Malaysians are obsessed with food and it is hardly surprising that as the country's capital, Kuala Lumpur reflects this love affair with eating. You'll be able to find the entire range of Malaysian cuisine as well as food from around the world.