Malaysia, like many other countries, has many tribes and therefore, many dialects and in Kuala Lumpur, they speak Malay or Bahasa as it is main official language of Malaysia. People in Malaysia, Indonesia, Singapore and Brunei speak Malay as their first or second language, like English and other languages in the world.

Kuala Lumpur has many other different dialects, ranging from Batavian to Keletanese, each dialect has its own way of sounding and a native speaker of the language can usually tell a dialect from another.

Bahasa is the medium or instruction in schools and in universities, although English is taught as a second language and is widely spoken and generally understood.

Many other Asian languages and dialects are also spoken in Kuala Lumpur and in Malaysia in general including Mandarin and other Chinese dialects such as Hokkien, Hakka, and Cantonese. Also Tamil and other Indian dialects, Thai and Japanese.

Malay is an easy language to learn, as far as learning any language goes, it is deceptively simple in its structure, spelling is consistently phonetic and most sounds are pronounced in roughly in English.

For Example:
“If you can’t find it, bring another one”, in Malay is, “Ta jumpa, bawa lain” or literally “not find”, bring another one. That is the way Malay is spoken.

There are literally too many art galleries in Kuala Lumpur to mention all of them. What does stand out among all of them is undoubtedly one of the oldest and one of the most famous National Art Gallery, situated near the lake Titiwangsa. The gallery was established in the late 1950 and was built in a truly unique style, mixing the essence of finest traditional Malay architecture and some west influenced textures.

Another important place not only for Kuala Lumpur but for the whole country is Islamic Arts Museum, not one if its kind but the first of its kind to be founded in the country. It is filled entirely with objects that deeply reflect Islamic art and nothing else. The museum’s building itself is a great piece of art and quite impressive. It is home for thousands of artifacts that are extremely valuable to Islamic culture.

Asian Art Museum is also a nice place to see if you value Asian art in general as this three stories museum has got an extremely massive art collection of stone carvings, colourful paintings which were created not only by local artists. This museum is said to possess the world’s richest collection of water vessels, referred to as ‘kendi’

What can serve as an inspiration for modern artists is the regular displays at AP Art Gallery. The gallery is famous for a really good choice of inexpensive canvasses that reflect all aspects of life.

There is also a very modern private art gallery called ‘Art Case Gallery’ situated in Golden Triangle area. The time of exhibitions changes all the time to ensure that the works for sale are always fresh and most of artists have a chance to have their art seen.

Valentine Willie Fine Art features some 400 works in total some of which are originated in Malaysia while the others came from all over South East Asia.

Kuala Lumpur can definitely educate you about ancient and modern art.

In the last few years, traditional arts and culture have made a real comeback in Kuala Lumpur and small performances are rubbing shoulders with the more slick events at theaters. The city is home to the nation’s most renowned orchestra, the Malaysian philharmonic orchestra.

The traditional dance such as Menora (all masked men) or the Mak Yong (all masked women), is sometimes performed. However, there is no venue or organization taking charge of this. Some hotels and the central market also stage visiting regional dancers.

In the recent years, western and European culture, has taken up the music and dance scene in Kuala Lumpur, like the VIVA DANCE CLUB which is a disco located in the Eastin hotel which is visited by a large number of youngsters, thus a hangout attracts its visitors with titillating music and fantastic ambience.

Kuala lumpur, is a city that attracts tourists because of it’s many music and dance activities, if you are visiting for the first time, please check out the monthly Vision magazine, which gives you all the listing of events and performances throughout the city.

For classical music concerts, the main venue in town is the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas, which is located in the Petronas twin towers.

One of the most popular modes of transport within the city of Kuala Lumpur is bus as this is a cheap and convenient way to get around the city. The Kuala Lumpur bus service allows passengers to travel with in the city in a comfortable manner and at economical rates.

Bus stops are located in almost all corners of the city, thus, you can stand in any bus stop and get a bus that will take you to your chosen destination.

Boarding a bus however becomes very difficult during the morning rush hours and during the evenings. It is during these times that buses are crammed as the whole city is either going to work or are returning home. Hence, tourists are advised to avoid boarding buses during these rush hours.

There are several bus operators, operating in Kuala Lumpur, linking the city center with the suburbs of the Klang valley. The main operator is the government owned Rapid KL, which stands for Rangkaian Pengangkutan Intrakota Deras Kuala Lumpur sdn Bhd. Rapid KL took over the operations from the main two bus services, Intrakota and the City Liner.

Kuala Lumpur has several bus stations or terminals located near China Town. Beware of pickpockets, ticket touts and other undesirables, especially late at night.

In Kuala Lumpur, like in any other cities, there are many private and government, short and long distance bus services to various destinations throughout Malaysia and some neighboring countries.

For Example:
Transnasional (tell: +60 3 2070 3300), is Malaysia’s biggest long distance bus company with economy class departures to Singapore’s Lavender Street Terminal at 08:45, 10:30, 13:30, 17:30, 22:30 and 23:59. RM30 one way and it takes 5 hours.

For more information about bus times of departure or arrival to any destination, it is advised to check with the information desk at your hotel or place of accommodation.

When you hear the words ‘Kuala Lumpur’ you can’t help it but to think of the truly fabulous Petronas Twin Towers, once the tallest building of the world. The great city of Kuala Lumpur can offer absolutely anything your heart might desire.

Excellent food, great entertainment, absolutely marvelous places to go for sightseeing. You must have heard that Kuala Lumpur is very famous for the cheapest 5 star hotels in the world, that is another reason to experience flawless comfort while seeing around and trying out new things.

The city is also very well known for being the home of Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra which offers performances all the time. At the Petronas Twin Towers you can enjoy classical music concerts and other interesting venues. Another great place for theater lovers is the Istana Budaya, a 1500-seat-theater is amongst the best in the world.

The variety of ethnic groups and nationalities created an incredibly wide range of interesting events that can bee found absolutely anywhere, anytime throughout the city. The most spectacular but little venues can be seen at the Central Market (Jalan Hang Kasturi).

The number of cinemas in the city will impress absolutely anyone, most of them are located in shopping malls while other stand as separate movie theaters. Majority of movies are shown in English with Malay and Chinese subtitles.

In case you are lost in the city, just ask some on in the streets. Locals usually can speak pretty good English and are really friendly to the tourists.

Drinking in KL is a fabulous experience and the amount of bars is quite staggering. From cute drinking stalls to futuristic sky bars the sky is the limit if you’ll pardon the pun. Golden Triangle is the centre of this and from cocktails to Guinness all tastes are catered for here. Jalan P. Ramlee, just south of KLCC, is Kuala Lumpur’s central clubbing area is in Jalan P. Ramlee were western style DJ’s pump out techno, house and rock to the wee small hours. Nearby Bukit Bintang offers neon-lit nightclubs, many of them with hostesses, provide a more traditional Asian aesthetic.

Tankan Abdul Raman has beloved Heritage Row, which is fast becoming another nightlife centre with a distinct colonial feel as shop houses are taken over and turned into nightclubs and trendy bars. They are by no means cheap but you do get what you pay for. Head for Jalan Doraisamy just off Jalan Dang Wangi.

If you like live music try Sri Hartamas and Mont Kiara in the Damansara and Hartamas districts. The standard is usually high and the areas also offer many bohemian style Asian coffee houses.

The city also offers many alternatives to alcohol like the Mamak stalls which are open 24 hours a day. Here you can sip frothy tea or watch football matches.

Or, if you want to avoid a hangover, why not investigate the new Kopitiam trend? These are trendier versions of the Chinese coffee houses, great tea and coffee as well as light meals. Nice change to Starbucks but they too are in abundance here found in shopping malls.

Kuala Lumpur is a cosmopolitan city with many clubs and nothing to fear about. It seems that often this country is totally misunderstood. Everyone is welcome here and there are many things to do which make it an ideal destination for gay and straight travelers alike.

The Bear Bar on Queen Ave caters not only for Bears and Queens! This is a mixed bar with about 70% gay patronage. They have drag contests karaoke competitions and it’s the perfect setting for a private party. The staff are handsome and the age limit is 18 to 40.

Palace bar is located on Warisan Cityview next to CALTEX.
Mixed bar where the majority of patrons are gayat this trendy modern relaxed bar. It has a lounge area and offers karaoke and has great sightlines for eye contact. Crowd is mainly local professionals and there are some lesbians too. They hold regular events on public holidays and festivals.

There are many gay friendly hotels here like The Westin which can be found in the scintillating Golden triangle district which has many bars (some gay friendly) and restaurants. It has heavenly beds and salsa.

Without wishing to lectur anyone it is worth remembering that sexually transmitted diseases are at a higher rate here than back home and precautions are to be recommended and followed. The young crowd here and of course sex workers can take risks which would be considered unwise in other countries. Also there is zero tolerance towards drugs and are best avoided here as in many parts of Asia.

What could be nicer and more relaxing whilst in KL than a massage? A bit more expensive than in other parts of Asia but the locations like Bodyworks Spa which has three locations in the city are delightful and as always you get what you pay for. Some spas offer beauty treatments and baths a good deal cheaper than back home. Expect a massage to last at least an hour. Asians have a very different attitude towards massage and are very experienced well trained and dedicated in this art form.

There are several types of massage on offer in Kuala Lumpur.

Hand massage is a great relief of stress concentrating on the shoulders neck and back using Swedish techniques where as reflexology is Chinese in origin. Concentrating on different reflex points in the foot using only pressure it releases tension in the whole body.

Khmer massage is a more traditional Asian approach where the muscles are massaged along with stretching of the limbs to produce a blissful feeling of well being without the use of oils.

Pressure can be applied to the muscles in different intensities with an oil massage and it provides release from stress as well as improving blood circulation and aches and pains which is why it is often used in treating injuries. This is intensified by adding herbs and aromatic spices to the oil. Similar to the advantages of inhaling burning oils in aromatherapy here the aromatic oils are massaged into the skin.

KL’s budget accommodation is situated in the City Centre here you can expect to pay as little as RM20 more and more small bed and breakfast places are opening in Abdul Rahman Jalan Tuanka the Bukit Bintang and Jalan Tuanku Chow Kit and Jalan Ipoh. Jalan Pudu is just opposite which is just opposite Hentian Puduraya bus station but if you are arriving from the islands buses will stop at the Hentian in the Chow Kit area.

You can stay in the Golden Triangle area which although slightly higher in price is better located for entertainment, shopping and restaurants. Many of these places will be familiar to the Asian traveler and although usually clean and safe we are talking a very basic level of lodging.

Hostels marked Rumah Tumpangan are boarding houses which have a very bad reputation and cater to the hourly rate crowd, however, if you are in search of adventure, give them a try.

Kuala Lumpur’s midrange hotels have a bad reputation also, not for any seediness but in that they are just plain poor value for money and as the budget places are very good value for money may be avoided. Even better value for money but maybe out of your price ranges are Kuala Lumpur’s luxury hotels. With the right amount of searching and if they are offering a discount at your time of visiting it is possible to luxuriate in 5 star splendor for as little as 250RM a night. KL is famous for offering 5 star hotels at the lowest prices so why not give yourself a treat?

The spa is a popular and relaxing way to spend one’s time Kuala Lumpur and many hotels have them together with privately run spas the choice is here endless and easy to find. It is important to know what is involved and what the benefits are. Here is a brief outline of the more popular treatments.

Body Wraps
Sore muscles are common for the weary traveler and what could be more rejuvenating than a body wrap? Warm towels, soaked in herbal and seaweed oils, mud and clay are plied on to tired muscles to draw toxins away.

Massage
A body rub in KL is always great value for money – most of Asia has perfected massage and KL is no exception. There are various massages of different intensities but all of them are relaxing and enjoyable

Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy has been around for centuries and involves using essential oils of plants combined with certain “carrier oils” to use in a massage. The healing properties of different oils either stimulate or calm the body by inhalation. Not recommended for expectant mothers

Facials
Both Western and Eastern facials are popular in KL. Various techniques and oils close pores and smooth tired skin making you look your radiant best.

Water Treatments
Water massages, immersion massage and water jets are used to ease tired muscles safe gentle and extremely invigorating and worthwhile.

Whatever treatments you decide to try this is an ideal city to experience them. Staff are well trained and at a fraction of the cost one would pay at home.