We ended up staying 6 days longer in Malaysia than we had planned. (Read why
HERE), so we found many great thing to do in Kuala Lumpur with the kids. Here are our top 10 favorite things to do.
1. Petrosains
When checking out other blogs and asking for suggestions on what to do in Kuala Lumpur, everyone suggests Petrosains, the hands ob science center. The center is focused on the science of petroleum industry. It does focus on other areas of science too, but the main focus is everyday use of petroleum. The science center is located in KLCC Suria shopping center (the mall by the Petronas Towers.) The museum is open Tuesday through Sunday 9:30- 5:30. It costs RM 15.00 for adults, RM 10.00 for youth 13-17 years, RM 5.00 for children 3-12 years, and 2 & under is FREE.
My boys loved walking around on the model of the oil rig. They were so excited because they had just found out that their aunt was going to be working on an oil rig in the United States and they were getting to see what it would really be like living on a rig. We had a great time at the museum and spent a few hours there. One tip: Eat before you go to the museum. There is a small snack bar, but it is way at the end of the museum.
2. KLCC Suria
This is the mall that is connected to the Petronas Towers. I think we made a visit to this mall every single day that we were in KL. There is a lot to do there. We ate dinner at Chilis one night and had a window seat. We were able to watch the light & fountain show from the window. The boys loved this! Make sure to ask for a window seat if you are at Chilis at dusk!
We checked out a
movie while we were there. The movies are MUCH cheaper than in the States.
We went to the
Petronas Art Gallery, free art museum, that is located on the floor of the mall.
We stopped at
Kinokuniya Book store a couple times and sat around and read. I really miss good book stores and this one was amazing.
We ate at the great food court a few times.
Really, this mall has tons of things to do at it. I usually hate malls, but I really liked this one.
3. Central Market
The Central Market has been open for over 100 years. It is also called The Centre for Malaysian Culture, Heritage, Arts & Crafts. This is the best place to shop for souvenirs to take home. This market is great because it is indoors and air conditioned, so if it is too hot or raining, this is a great place to go for a bit. There are places to eat and tons of great shops to look at. Make sure to find a great batik to take home. We found batik place mats that we loved. My boys liked dressing up at the Chinatown shop!
4. National Mosque
We have been to Wats, Temples, Synagogues, and Churches, but we have never been to a Mosque. One thing that is great about living in another country (or even in a big city in the States) is being able to do our own world religion courses with the boys. I was a little nervous about visiting, as I always am when I visit a new place of worship, because I did not want to do anything to offend anyone. Some religions you are not supposed to touch the opposite sex or you need to remove your shoes or wear certain clothing and I wasn't sure what to expect.
As soon as we made our way to the line to go into the mosque my nerves were calmed. Everyone was so kind and helpful. Women do need to be covered and will be given a robe with a headscarf. Men should be dressed in pants and children can get away with a little more. My boys had shorts and t-shirts on. We learned a lot about the Muslim religion from the guides that were there and met some wonderful people. Our trip to the mosque was a highlight of our trip. My boys loved it. Greyson could not get over how beautiful the mosque was.
Just remember to be respectful. You are a guest. This is not just a site to see in the city, but also a place of worship. We watched a few very large tour groups try to pose in the praying position to get a picture. It was rude and made me uncomfortable to watch. Make sure to check out the website for visiting hours. The mosque is closed during prayer times.
5. Planetarium
We stopped at the National Planetarium or called the Planetarium Negara for an afternoon visit. The place it not really all that big. We probably spent about 1 1/2 hours there. We learned about life on the International Space Station. They had a model of it and the boys were able to see how the astronauts sleep and even use the toilet. (Of course, a favorite of the boys and made lots of giggles.) They tried on gloves and tried to preform tasks like the astronauts have to do. They had a model of a space shuttle that you could sit in. It was very informative. They also have a few shows during the day in the planetarium. We watched one The Voyager Show. The movie was geared more for middle school students and up, but my boys all enjoyed it. The cost for the Planetarium is free but if you want to view the movie it is 12.00 RM ($3.70) for adults and 8.00 RM ($2.50) for children 2-12.
6. Botanical Gardens
The Botanical Gardens are located on the same grounds as the Planetarium and also very close to the National Mosque. The gardens are huge. You can hop on a tram to get to and from each section if you cannot walk the whole thing. We only explored a small section of the gardens. The gardens are very well cared for. They do have a small enclosure with animals in it. They have a deer sanctuary and houses for some rodent type animals. We walked over to the massive Brazil Nut Tree and had a little picnic under the tree. We only spent about an hour there, mostly because we were melting from the heat, but it was a lovely place to visit.
7. Chinatown
Our first attempt to visit Chinatown left me a little confused. There were no stalls set up, just huge tables and a stage. I just couldn't figure out where all the stalls and vendors were. It turned out that Chinatown had been closed for the night due to a huge reunion! I figured we must have visited the only night of the year when it was closed. I didn't think we would have time to make it back, but we were able to sneak a quick visit in later in the week. This is a great place to buy shoes, clothes, purses, watches, etc., but not souvenirs or art work. Go back to the Central Market if you want those. It was a fun place to see, and we left before it go too busy.
8. Playground
The first night we were in Kuala Lumpur we headed over to see the Petronas Towers. This was what the boys had been most looking forward to seeing. Right outside of the towers is a massive playground. It honestly went on forever. The boys kept finding new sections to play at. There is also a free splash pad/fountain to play in. We decided against the water since Britton had a cut and injection marks on his arms. I wasn't sure how clean the water was, but it looked like great fun. We went around sunset, which was a great time because it was much cooler out. The park is not shaded, so it gets very hot during the day. The boys loved playing at the playground. We miss going to playgrounds in Thailand.
9. Fountains
Once it gets dark, head back over to KLCC Suria to watch the light/fountain show. We had a lot of fun watching the fountains. They were beautiful!
10. Gallery
I love getting a little history of a country when we are on a trip and a great place to learn about Kuala Lumpur is the Kuala Lumpur City Gallery. The first part of the building goes over this history of the city. This building is also home to ARCH, which is a model making company. You can watch the builders make the wooden models and also see the largest model of the entire city of Kuala Lumpur. They also have a beautiful gift shop. The gallery is free.
We had an amazing week in Kuala Lumpur. We saw way more than we had planned and had to scrap a few ideas due to Britton being injured. Hoping next time we visit we will make it to the Batu Caves and the Firefly tours. We all loved this city and hope to go back again!
