A few years back, I got an opportunity to explore Kuala Lumpur(KL) over a weekend. KL is a fantastic, family-friendly city to visit with a lot to see and do. KL is a naturally beautiful city and Malaysian people are welcoming and friendly. While the local food is distinct and unique, Malaysia is an ethnically diverse country so the cuisine in KL is vibrant with lots of variety in delicious food that is worth trying.
Top 5 Family-friendly Things to Do in Kuala Lumpur
#1 Petronas Towers
The iconic and signature symbol of KL is the Petronas Towers. Also known as the KLCC Twin Towers, these magnificent buildings are nearly 1500 feet high and amongst the tallest buildings in the world. Taking pictures from different angles with these buildings is a must but there is plenty to see and do within the buildings themselves. The activities available to do at the towers include guided tours, an observation deck that offers dazzling views of the city, walking the SkyBridge and there are several digital displays to explore and learn from about the towers.
#2 Kuala Lumpur Bird Park
Kuala Lumpur Bird Park was the most unique and fun place I visited while in KL. This open-air park is located in close proximity to the center of the city in a naturally beautiful area. There are roughly 3000 local and foreign birds to explore within four zones in the park. Each zone offers a different experience with a couple of the zones allowing free flight for birds to fly all around the park. Other zones have birds in cages and closed habitats. The immersive aspect of the park, which even allows visitors to hold some birds and take photographs with them is what makes this park a must-see.
#3 Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia
The Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia is the largest museum of Islamic Art in Southeast Asia and it is spectacular in both its appearance and facilities as well as the priceless artifacts that are displayed in it. This award-winning museum has twelve gallery spaces spread over multiple levels. One of the levels contains galleries devoted to architecture, manuscripts, and historical copies of the Quran. Other levels are focused on historical armor, textiles, coins, jewelry, ceramics, metals, Islamic glassware, and woodwork. This museum is a must-visit when visiting KL.
#4 Muzium Negara
The Muzium Negara was a project initiated by the first Prime Minister of Malaysia. The museum’s construction was completed in 1963 and the building is a true representation of traditional Malay architecture. This museum is a great place to learn the history of Malaysia. There are four separate galleries that explore the pre-historic era, historical Malay kingdoms, the colonial era as well as a gallery devoted to Malaysia in current times.
#5 Royal Selangor Visitor Centre
While in KL, I took a guided tour of the city that took us to some of the city’s best attractions. One of the places we visited was the Royal Selangor Visitor Centre, which is a really unique showcase of the history and productions of the products of Royal Selangor, which has been producing quality products since 1885. There are really cool and free guided tours that include a museum section with samples of their products that go way back in time as well as a display of historical photographs. You also get to visit a working Royal Selangor factory and get an immersive experience that allows you to try and build your own pewter pieces. Lastly, there is a really neat gift shop on the premises to buy some memorable pewter jewelry and ornaments to take home.
There is so much more to see and do in Kuala Lumpur. Time permitting, other attractions to consider exploring include taking a walk through Pavillion Kuala Lumpur(a really nice shopping mall), sampling the vastly diverse food around the city, and buying some souvenirs at Central Market.
