Kuala Lumpur

Founded in the 1850s as a tin-mining settlement at the muddy confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers (Kuala Lumpur literally means "muddy confluence"), Malaysia's capital has grown into one of Southeast Asia's most striking skylines. Above the rainforest trees of KLCC Park rise the faceted stainless-steel pinnacles of the Petronas Twin Towers, while two kilometres south-west around Merdeka Square and Chinatown stand red-brick Moorish-revival clock towers, pre-war Chinese shophouses and South Indian Hindu temples.

What makes Kuala Lumpur endlessly rewarding is the everyday meeting of Malay, Chinese, Indian and Peranakan cultures, experienced most vividly at table over banana-leaf nasi lemak, smoky char kuey teow and frothy pulled teh tarik. Start with what to know before you go and top experiences.

Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA Terminal 1 and KLIA2 Terminal 2) sits 55 kilometres south of the city and connects straight to the central rail hub of KL Sentral in under half an hour on the non-stop KLIA Ekspres train. From KL Sentral, RapidKL LRT and MRT lines fan out to Pasar Seni (Chinatown), Bukit Bintang and KLCC, while KTM Komuter trains run directly to Batu Caves. See how to get to Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur offers some of the best-value luxury and boutique hotels in Asia: choose KLCC for park views and family convenience, Bukit Bintang for night markets and shopping arcades linked by elevated walkways, or Chinatown (around Pasar Seni and Petaling Street) for heritage shophouse hotels. Compare six districts in where to stay in Kuala Lumpur.

Cross the double-deck Skybridge of the Petronas Twin Towers, walk the illuminated Saloma Link Bridge into Kampung Baru, climb the 272 rainbow steps of Batu Caves, admire the Sultan Abdul Samad Building and Islamic Arts Museum near Merdeka Square, and eat your way along Jalan Alor in Bukit Bintang. See the full list in things to do in Kuala Lumpur.

Kuala Lumpur's food scene spans open-air street hawkers, air-conditioned mall food courts (such as Lot 10 Hutong) and 24-hour Indian-Muslim mamak stalls: start with fragrant coconut-rice nasi lemak and flaky roti canai, seek out charcoal-fried Hokkien mee and char kuey teow, and cool down with shaved-ice cendol. Read what to eat in Kuala Lumpur.

Malay, Cantonese, Hokkien, Tamil and English are heard side by side on every train carriage, often blended into lively Malaysian English (Manglish). Within a ten-minute walk around Chinatown and Masjid Jamek, you can pass the domed Jamek Mosque at the river confluence, the sculpted gopuram tower of Sri Mahamariamman Temple and Taoist Guan Di Temple on the same street.