Attractions

Most of Kuala Lumpur's historic sights are located in and around the Merdeka Square/Jalan Hishamuddin area, while many of the gardens, parks, and museums are out at Lake Gardens. Taxi fare between the two locations should run you about RM8.

For general inquiries, the Malaysia Tourist Centre (MTC; 109 Jalan Ampang. tel. 03/9235-4900) has tourist information services for Kuala Lumpur and the rest of Malaysia and is open daily from 7am to 10pm. Some tour agencies are also located there, plus a police station and Transnasional bus ticketing counter. In the evenings, there are cultural dances and performances.

KL Hop-On Hop-Off City Tours (tel. 1800/885-546; www.myhoponhopoff.com) is a recommended way to sightsee. Double-decker buses circle the city daily, passing most major attractions and hotels, and operating from 8:30am to 8:30pm at 30-minute intervals. Buy your ticket from the nearest Hop-On Hop-Off bus stop, from your hotel's front desk, or from the bus driver directly. A 24-hour ticket costs RM38 adults and RM17 children; once you purchase your ticket, you can hop on and off the bus as many times as you like within this period.

Red Fury Tours, Ste. 2.18, Wisma Central, Jalan Ampang (tel. 03/2162-2693), offers a half-day tour of KL's major attractions, including the Petronas Twin Towers, National Museum, Lake Garden and National Mosque, and a few handicrafts factories; the tours costs RM80 for adults and RM60 for children. They also offer full-day excursions to Port Dickson, Putrajaya, Melaka, the Genting Highlands, and elsewhere.

It may be more convenient to hire a private car and driver by the hour or for the whole day, which can be arranged through your hotel's tour desk. Costs run about RM60 per hour within KL or about RM500 per day.