Kuala Lumpur’s futuristic skyline as viewed from the KL Tower

I love heights and even better tall structures. I liked the idea of a structure that pierces the sky. I remembered when I was a kid, visiting Kuala Lumpur means a chance to marvel at one of the tallest free-standing tower in the world. At 421 metres tall and sitting on top of a hill, KL Tower dwarfs any other buildings in the Malaysian capital back then. Well that was way back in 1996. Anyway, after visiting KLCC and the Petronas Twin Towers too many times, I’ve decided to break tradition and not go back there this time. So off I went to this tall structure instead.

There are many ways to get to the tower. You can easily use public transportation, by that I mean using the Monorail or the Star LRT to either Bukit Nanas or Dang Wangi stations. You then have to hike a bit to get there. Today though, I’m driving to the capital.

The view from the top is breathtaking to say the least. I’ve never expected that there are that many tall buildings in KL, especially when you look towards Bukit Bintang and the Petronas Towers.

This is the view of Jalan Sultan Ismail and Bukit Bintang area. This is KL’s shopping and entertainment district. If you look closely in the middle of the photo you’ll spot Kuala Lumpur’s elevated monorail track.

On the left of the Petronas Towers is an urban village – Kampung Baru which if translated means New Village. This is the largest remaining village in the capital and remains the only undeveloped piece of land in the city. Having said that, the area is nowhere near like a slum. It actually works like a traditional Malay village you’ll find anywhere else in Malaysia.

In this view you will see Dataran Merdeka and Sultan Abdul Samad building. Dataran Merdeka or Independence Square was the place where the Union Jack was lowered and the Malaysian flag was hoisted in 31 August 1957. Today, there is a 100 metres tall flagpole erected on the square.

Towering high on the left is Menara Maybank, which at 50 storeys high was Malaysia’s second tallest building back then. The Maybank tower takes as a form of a ‘keris’ which in the Malay language means a dagger. It was previously my favourite KL building.

If you look closely on the far end of the photo right in the middle, among the smog you will see a tall tower. That is the Telekom Tower. At 55 storeys tall and 310 metres in height, the tower is the second tallest building in Malaysia. The tower is located on the fringes of the capital near to a city called Petaling Jaya.

To the west side of the tower lies the area called Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman. This area is another famous shopping district most frequented by locals.

If you’re around in KL why not give a visit to the KL Tower. I’m sure you’ll enjoy the magnificent views as I did.