Guide to the Golden Triangle district Kuala Lumpur
Bukit Bintang is KL's main entertainment zone
Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle is the city’s main nightlife, hotel and shopping area. Slightly northeast of the city centre, the neighbourhood has Bukit Bintang as its focal point for entertainment, but most of the luxury hotels are found around Jalan Sultan Ismail with bars and nightspots on Jalan P. Ramlee. Suria KLCC shopping centre and the Petronas Twin Towers are just on the edge of the neighbourhood. And if you feel like relaxing, there are countless luxurious spas where you can be pampered to your heart's content.
The best way of getting to and around the Golden Triangle of Kuala Lumpur is by the clean and efficient metro system. Imbi station is useful for the area surrounding Berjaya Times Square, Bukit Bintang station is where to get off for Pavillion shopping mall, Sungei Wang Plaza, Lot 10, Bukit Bintang Plaza, KL Plaza and Star Hill Gallery.
Bukit Nanas station and Dang Wangi LRT are useful if you are staying at the Rennaissance, Concorde, Sheraton or Good World Hotels. Alternatively you can always take a taxi, although it can be difficult to persuade drivers to use their meters. Ask your hotel concierge to book one for you to save the hassle of an argument.
Walking around the KL Golden Triangle is fine around Bukit Bintang and the smaller avenues nearby, but wandering farther afield is not pleasant as roads quickly become large and inaccessible. More on getting around Kuala Lumpur.
Attractions in KL’s Golden Triangle
No visit to the Golden Triangle of KL would be complete without a trip to the Petronas Twin Towers. These iconic buildings, built in 1998, were the tallest skyscrapers anywhere in the world until Taipei 101 was constructed in 2004. Nevertheless, the Petronas Towers remain the symbol of a buoyant and thriving modern Malaysia and are a subject of great pride for Kuala Lumpur citizens. More on the Petronas Twin Towers.
Located beneath the towers is the Suria KLCC shopping mall. There you can browse the latest designer fashions, buy top of the line electronic gadgets and dine in international chain restaurants such as Nandos and Cafe Rouge. There is also a cinema to catch the latest releases. Outside the centre is KLCC Park complete with wading pools, landscaped lawns, a musical fountains to relax by. More on shopping malls.
Contained within Suria KLCC is the Petrosains Science Museum. This demonstrates the technology which makes the oil exploration industry work, and is extremely educational and informative for younger visitors to Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle district. It gets busy, especially on weekends, so come early. (Admission: RM12/7/4 adults/teens/children). More on KL museums.
KLCC park is a fun place for families to relax
Also on the same spot is the KLCC Aquarium with 60,000 square-feet of fish tanks and more than 250 species of aquatic life. Those with nerves of steel may want to take the chance to swim with real sharks. Very popular with children in the Kuala Lumpur Golden Triangle, although adults will find themselves just as fascinated by the life on show here. (Open daily 08:00 – 20:00, admission: RM28/18 adult/child)
With a viewing deck slightly higher than that of the Petronas Towers at 276m, KL Tower (Menara KL) has the best views of Kuala Lumpur’s Golden Triangle district and the wider city beyond. You can go one floor higher by dining in the revolving restaurant which is especially atmospheric at sunset when the orange sky dims and the city become illuminated by thousands of twinkling lights. There is also a Hackett Bungy platform and zipline at the base of the tower. (Jalan Punchak, Tel: +60 (0)3 2020 5444, express elevator open 09:00 – 22:00, admission RM38)
Activities in the Golden Triangle of KL
The acclaimed Malaysian Philharmonic Orchestra calls the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas concert hall home, also located within Suria KLCC. It is possible to catch a show at various times throughout the year but normally on Saturdays a 20:30 and Sunday at 15:00. Smart dress code applies. (Tickets from RM25, Tel: +60 (0)3 2051 7007). Saloma Theatre Restaurant puts on imaginative dinner and stage shows of traditional Malay cultural performances. (Jalan Ampang, Tel: +60 (0)3 2161 0122, starts 20:30)
Cosmo’s World is the only fully fledged theme park with in the Golden Triangle neighbourhood of Kuala Lumpur. Located from floors four to nine of the enormous Berjaya Times Square Mall, it has 14 rides but is especially famous for its mammoth seven-storey indoor rollercoaster. There is a kids section and a more hair-raising half for adrenaline-seeking adults. (Jalan Pudu, +60 (0)32117 3118, open 12:00 – 22:00, admission from RM33). More on KL amusement parks.
Also within the Berjaya Times Square Mall is Ampang Superbowl. The place for any bowling enthusiasts who want to topple some pins in the KL Golden Triangle, there are 48 lanes each with a 42-inch plasma screen. There is also a decent restaurant and members lounge if you plan to stay in town for a while. (Open 10:00 – 01:00 weekdays, 10:00 – 03:00 weekends; games from RM33).
Fish Spas are very popular all over Southeast Asia and nowhere is that more obvious that in the Golden Triangle area of Kuala Lumpur. Dipping your feet in special tanks filled with hundreds of ravenous fish leads to soft, fresh, revitalised skin as the little critters nibble away all your dead cells.
Recommended outlets in the KL Golden Triangle include: Morino Kaze (2nd Floor Piccolo Galeria, Bukit Bintang, Tel: +60 (0)3 2141 1916, 11:00 – 01:00); Kenko (Level five, Pavillion Shopping Mall, Bukit Bintang, Tel: +60 (0)3 2141 6651, 10:00 – 22:00) and Foot Master (6th Floor, Berjaya Times Square, Jalan Imbi, Tel: +60 (0)3 2144 3319, 10:00 – 22:00).
Shopping in the Golden Triangle in Kuala Lumpur
Malaysian handicrafts and traditional works of art can be bought in the Golden Triangle neighbourhood of KL at government-run Karyaneka. There is also the opportunity to learn about the age-old techniques of batik painting and try a little yourself, or get stuck into some basket weaving. (Jalan Conlay, off Jalan Raja Chulan, Tel: +60 (0)3 2164 9907). More about Malaysian handicrafts and batik.
KL is vibrant at night with music and dancing
The first of the now countless upmarket shopping malls in the Golden Triangle, Lot 10 started off life in the 1980s as an exclusive smattering of speciality stores and restaurants. Today it is still a popular shopping haunt for KL’s elite with some decent fashion stores and expensive restaurants. (Jalan Bukit Bintang, Tel: +60 (0)3 2716 8615, 10:00 – 22:00)
Low Yat Plaza is a mecca for IT geeks who must have the latest electronic gadgets and gizmos. Everything is at bargain prices with expert technical support on site. All the stores are interrelated so you can browse between each for the perfect combination of goods to precisely meet your needs. Each floor is set apart for a particular type of electronic device. (Jalan Bintang, Off Jalan Bukit Bintang, Tel: +60 (0)3 2148 3651, 10:00 – 22:00)
The unbelievably lavish Pavillion Shopping Mall is one of the most recent additions to the retail scene of the KL Golden Triangle. Apart from an extensive variety of restaurants, boutiques, cinema and leisure options, this seven level mall has more than 450 shops including the cream of international haute coutre. (Jalan Bukit Bintang, Tel: +60 (0)3 2118 8833, 10:00 – 22:00)
More on shopping in Kuala Lumpur.
Spas and luxury pampering in the Golden Triangle
There are countless spas in the Golden Triangle area offering everything from extensive skin treatments to quick rub-downs. If you are staying in the area your hotel will most likely have its own service, but if you fancy something special then you can’t miss with our Golden Triangle recommendations.
Pamper Zone (Starhill Gallery, Jalan Bukit Bintang, +60 (0)3 9287 3933); Rustic Nirvana (Berjaya Times Square, Jalan Imbi, Tel: +60 (0)3 2141 9193); Jojoba Spa (Berjaya Times Square, Jalan Imbi, Tel: +60 (0)3 2141 7766, 11:00 – 00:30). For more on spas in Kuala Lumpur.
There are a vast range of bars and restaurants in the Golden Triangle area so for comprehensive listings of all the best visit out hospitality page.
