Quick list of activities if you find yourself in KL with time to kill.

Shopping

• KLCC mall (below the twin towers)
• The strip along Bukit Bintang Star Walk through to Sungai Wang Street is full of malls – in particular Low Yatt Plaza for electronics. At night this area has cafes etc.
• Petaling Street – the “China Town” – lots of hawkers with fake merchandise etc. Has lots of street food too. Best to go at night as I think there isn’t much during the day.

Food

KL is not short of eateries – just walk in anywhere that looks busy / popular. Almost every mall will have a food court of some sort giving you lots of local options. (I presume its local options you are after rather than hoity-toighty options which aspire to a Michelin star.). These are some of the ones i enoyed.

• Madam Kwan (there is a branch in the KLCC mall) – good local food but in a relatively clean environment.
• Oversea Chinese Restaurant, Jalan Imbi – good local Chinese food in a very local restaurant. You are unlikely to get tourists here unless they are with a local.
• Bangsar Farmers Market – only on Sunday evenings – has lots of street food you can just snack on. Bangsar is an upmarket residential suburb.
• Chinese Restaurant in the Shangri-la used to do good dim sum.

Other things to do

• Afternoon tea at Carcosa Sri Negara – get your concierge to ring ahead to check they still offer this. This is the former residence of the British Governer and the Queen now stays here when she’s in town. See below for some images.
• Central Market – touristy knick knacks, near Petaling Street.
• Merdeka (Independence) Square – worth a drive through if you have time. Colonial cricket ground, old colonial court houses, St Mary’s Church (Queens comes here for Sunday service when she visits).

That should keep you busy for a couple of days.

Tips came from a former colleague, Wei Ng.

Images from Afternoon tea at the Carcosa Sri Negara