Literally meaning 'muddy river confluence' in Malaysian, Kuala Lumpur (KL) has developed from a sleepy village of tin miners into Malaysia's most modern and developed city. KL is a melting pot of cultures due to its multi-ethnic and multi-lingual population that mainly consists of Malays, Chinese, Indians and indigenous people. In addition, Arabic, British and Portuguese culture has affected the country. These influences can be seen in Little India or the vibrant Chinatown, which is fondly referred to by the locals as Petaling Street.
Citizens of the United States, Canada, and most Arab, Commonwealth and European countries do not need visas for visits of less than three months.
You may view entry requirements by country of origin from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs,Malaysia.
The Malaysian currency is the ringgit, divided into 100 sen (cents). It is abbreviated both as RM and MYR.
Credit cards are accepted in hotels and department stores but cash is commonly used in rural areas.
Here are the most recent exchange rates for some common currencies.
MYR 1.00 equals:
Hotels and restaurants include a service charge of 10% and Goods and Services Tax (GST) of 6%.
Tipping is not customary in Malaysia.
Bank Hours 9:30am - 4pm, Monday through Friday
Office Hours 8am - 5:30pm, Monday through Friday (Government) 9am - 5pm, Monday through Friday (Business)
Shop Hours10am - 10pm
Ensure that all food is well cooked and consume only bottled mineral water outside of the hotel.
Lightweight clothing is ideal and shirts, jackets and ties are normal business attire.
Do note that shorts, miniskirts and sleeveless garments for women are not advisable in Government Offices, places of worship and certain rural areas.
KL has a tropical climate of warm, sunny weather throughout the year. Rain is most frequent from November to January, but can be expected in any month.
Population1.8 million
LanguageBahasa Malaysia, English
Time ZoneGMT + 8 hours
MeasuresMetric System
Voltage220 / 240 volts
Plug Type
Mobile PhonesGSM 1800, G3