The Best Free Things to Do in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Is Kuala Lumpur expensive for tourists? Well, this modern metropolis can be costly, but a trip to the Malaysian capital doesn’t have to break the bank. In fact, you needn’t spend a ringgit to enjoy some of the best things to see and do in this vibrant city. Whether you like wandering museums and parks or prefer to immerse yourself in spiritual temples, there are stacks of free attractions here.
1. Take a stroll in Perdana Botanical Gardens
Botanical Garden, Park
Draped over a hill west of Central Market in the city centre, the Perdana Botanical gardens are an oasis of shady green amid the high-rise concrete-and-glass modernity of KL. There are waterfalls, lily ponds, formal box gardens and woodlands. Perdana preserves some rare Malaysian plants, including must-photograph sausage (and cannonball) trees, orchids and lesser-known species of the national flower, hibiscus. If you’ve got time, butterfly and bird parks are five minutes from the gardens, in Tun Abdul Razak Heritage Park.
2. Nose around Batu Caves Temple
Shrine
3. Go hiking in KL Forest Eco Park
Forest, Park
An easy day-hike in the city centre? It’s yours at KL Forest Eco Park, a patch of preserved tropical rainforest just south of the landmark twin Petronas Towers. It is a revered space, with a history that dates to the dawn of the 20th century. Come for meditative walks through the trees, shocks of bamboo and clambering creepers. And even if you don’t have a head for heights you’ll feel safe wandering along the well-netted Canopy Walk, which floats a couple of hundred feet in the air.
5. Discover local literature with a reading
Art Gallery, Bookstore
Malaysia has a burgeoning literary scene. Several local writers have been recipients of the Man Asian Literary Prize. Author Tan Twan Eng was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 2012 for his second novel, The Garden of Evening Mists. Meanwhile, Hanna Alkaf walked away with the Freeman Award for the Young Adult Literature in 2019 on the strength of her novel, The Weight of Our Sky. Want to be a part of it? Live events – with readings – are held monthly at Seksan Gallery in Bangsar.
6. Be guided around Merdeka Square
Building, Park
7. Marvel at the Petronas Twin Towers from the KLCC Park
Park
8. Thean Hou Temple
Buddhist Temple, Shrine
9. Visit the National Art Gallery
Museum, Art Gallery
10. Chocolate Museum
Museum
This intriguing place is devoted to anything you can imagine connected with chocolate, bar none. Galleries and interactive displays trace its origins as a bitter hallucinogenic drink made from the cacao bean and taken ceremonially by Aztecs and Maya, to its adoption by Europeans as a sweet alternative to coffee and its growth in global popularity. There’s chocolate art too, including an impressive rendition of the Petronas Towers and, of course, a shop bursting with brands.
This is an updated version of an article by Sarah Anne Lee.
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