Adorning the summit of Kuala Lumpur's Pineapple Hill, the Menara Kuala Lumpur rises phenomenally over the city's landscape. This needle-like telecommunications tower measures 421 metres (1,381 feet), offering visitors extraordinary views of the city from its spacious sky deck, which can also be enjoyed from the on-site revolving restaurant. Besides offering avenues for recreation, it also brilliantly operates as a lunar observatory, allowing devout Muslims to observe the moon throughout the holy month of Ramadan. Declared open to the public since 1996 when it finished construction, the Kuala Lumpur Tower was also misunderstood as the city's tallest building, because of its perch atop a hill. It is recognized, however, as the 7th tallest self-supporting tower in the world.
A city and region as big, vast and sprawling as Kuala Lumpur, a tour bus is probably the only way most tourist will get to see all there is to see. Among the 20 some-odd stops and 40 attractions, the bus route makes includes the Petronas Towers, the KL Menara Tower, National Mosque and National Palace. The buses also come with 9 different languages that you can experience your tour with.
An outstanding architectural masterpiece embedded on the city's horizon, the Istana Negara Palace is one of the most emblematic landmarks of the city. Established in 2011 replacing the old Istana Negara (which is now an elaborate museum), this regal edifice bears an ornate amalgam of Islamic, Malay and Western architectural styles. Ornamented with rolling, verdant lawns, the palace served as the official abode of Sultan Abdul Halim Mu'adzam Shah Ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah, the then monarch of Malaysia. The palace is guarded by sturdy, wrought-iron gates, its insides complete with a tapestry of sharp arches, opulent rooms, and artifacts chronicling the majesty and legacy of the monarch. Crowned by more than 20 gleaming golden domes, the palace is, indubitably, the crowned jewel of Kuala Lumpur.
After gaining its independence in August of 1957, the Federation of Malaya, the Malaysian federal government, decided to build the museum on the site of the old Selangor Museum. Construction began in 1959 and the doors opened in August of 1963. It is a place that houses and recounts Malaysia's rich cultural and historical heritage.
A serene sanctum nestled in the heart of the city, this garden ensemble dates to as far back as the colonial times when they were used as a hideaway by those who wanted to get away from the din of the city. The brainchild of Alfred Venning, the British State Treasurer in the 1880s, this botanical garden is yet the city dweller's favorite rendezvous retreat. The park opened its doors in 1991, and has, since then, been a canvas of unabashed wilderness interweaved with pleasant bouts of idyll. Complete with a tapestry of sprawling green lawns, rolling hills, a jubilant fountain and vibrant patches of blooming flowers, the gardens are as much entrenched in botanical beauty as they are in recreational pleasure. Sprawling across acres and acres, these gardens shelter an array of fascinating sites like an orchid garden, a hibiscus garden, a deer park, and the teeming Kuala Lumpur Bird Park. The ornamental Perdana Lake forms the centerpiece of these gardens which is traversed by motley walking trails, trams and curious bicycles alike.