The youngest Asian capital - Kuala Lumpur

30 November -0001

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Founded in the mid-nineteenth century, KUALA LUMPUR , or KL as it's popularly known, is the youngest Southeast Asian capital and the most economically successful after Singapore - and it's still growing: building sites abound and the city is awash with stunning examples of modern architecture, not least the famous Petronas Towers and the recently opened Museum of Islamic Arts.

It's not one of Malaysia's most charming cities perhaps: it doesn't have, for example, the narrow alleys, bicycles and mahjong games of Melaka or Kota Bharu or the atmospheric waterfront of Kuching. But it's safe and sociable, and with a population of nearly two million, it's usually exciting in the day and always buzzing with energy at night. From a cultural standpoint, it certainly has enough interesting monuments, galleries, markets and museums to keep visitors busy for at least a week.

KL began life as a swampy staging post for Chinese tin miners in 1857 - Kuala Lumpur means "muddy estuary" in Malay - and blossomed under the competitive rule of pioneering merchants. But as fights over tin concessions erupted across the country, the British used gunboat diplomacy to settle the Selangor Civil War and the British Resident, Frank Swettenham, took command of KL, making it the capital of the state and, in 1896, the capital of the Federated Malay States. Swettenham imported British architects from India to design suitably grand buildings, and thousands of Tamil labourers poured in to build them; development continued steadily through the first quarter of the twentieth century. The Japanese invaded in December 1941, but although they bombed the city, they missed their main targets. Following the Japanese surrender in September 1945, the British were once more in charge in the capital, but Nationalist demands had replaced the Malays' former acceptance of the colonizers, and Malaysian independence - Merdeka - finally came in 1957

Shopping
Most of KL's malls are open daily from 10am to 10pm; elsewhere, shops are usually open daily from 9am to 6pm. However, most locals do their shopping at the markets . The Central Market is among the most popular ; the nearby Jalan Petaling market (daily 9am-10pm) is equally crowded and lively; and the sprawling Chow Kit on Jalan Haji Hussein, off Jalan TAR (daily 9am-5pm), is quite an experience, with its warren of stalls selling everything from animals' brains to quality batik textiles. There's a good weekly night market at Pasar Minggu, Jalan Raja Muda Musa, Kampung Bharu (Sat 6pm-1am).

Recommended outlets for handicrafts and batiks include Aked Ibu Kota on Jalan TAR, opposite the Coliseum; Central Market on Jalan Hang Kasturi, where you can see the craftsmen at work; Infokraft, Jalan Sultan Hishamuddin, which deals in work by government-sponsored craftmakers; Kompleks Budaya Kraf, Jalan Conlay, which offers all of Malaysia's crafts under one roof, beside the museum; and Wisma Batek, Jalan Tun Perak, where shirts, sarongs, bags and paintings are inexpensive. More upmarket is Peter How, 2 Jl Hang Lekir, a stone's throw from Central Market, with beautiful bags, batik shirts and sarongs, as well as locally made and Indonesian crafts.

For English-language books try Berita Book Centre, Bukit Bintang Plaza; MPH, Jalan Telawi Lima, Bangsar; Times Books, Yow Chuan Plaza, Jalan Ampang; Minerva Book Store, 114 Jl TAR; and Yaohan Book Store, second floor, The Mall, Jalan Putra. KL is full of shopping malls , especially in the Golden Triangle, where you'll find BB Plaza on Jalan Bukit Bintang, which has excellent deals on cameras, electronic equipment, shoes and much else besides. Lot 10 Shopping Centre, junction of Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Sultan Ismail, specializes in designer clothes, sportswear and music.

Eating and Drinking
All the restaurants we've listed are open daily from 10am until midnight, unless otherwise stated. Phone numbers are given where you need to book ahead. Most Malay restaurants in KL serve a limited range of dishes, so for a wider selection you'll need to dine out at one of the big hotels, many of which offer special buffets. Finding good Chinese or Tamil and North Indian food is much easier: it's served in cafés and restaurants in both Chinatown and Little India. In Little India especially, the cafés and hawker stalls do a manic trade at lunchtime in excellent banana-leaf curries, murtabak, dosai and roti. The trendiest area in KL to eat and drink in the evening is Bangsar , around 4km west of the centre, with over a dozen top-notch restaurants, two hawkers' areas - one inside a giant hangar, the other in the adjoining street.

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