Taman Negara National Park was established in Malaysia in 1938/1939 as the King George V National Park. It was renamed to Taman Negara after Independence, which literally means “national park” in Malay. The total area of Taman Negara is 4,343 km².

Kuala Lumpur is the capital and the largest city of Malaysia. Being a young city (founded only in 1857) it developed fast into a bustling metropolis of 1.5 million people (6 million including the satellite cities in the Klang Valley). Kuala Lumpur, or simply KL (as it is it called by Malaysians), literally means “muddy estuary” in Bahasa Malaysia. With good and cheap accommodation, great shopping and even better food in this multi-cultural melting pot, increasing numbers of travellers are discovering this little gem of a city.
Having been in the shadow of other big cities in the region like Bangkok and Singapore, KL was put back on the map for good with the opening the Petronas Twin Towers in 1997, until 2004 the highest and still one of the most impressive buildings in the world. Though, the sights are not what makes this city unique, it’s KL itself and it’s mixture of people and visitors.

Dataran Merdeka

The Dataran Merdeka (or Merdeka Square) is the old colonial heart of Kuala Lumpur. It was here, in front of the Sultan Abdul Samad Building that the Union Flag was lowered and the Malayan flag hoisted for the first time at midnight on August 31, 1957. Merdeka = Independence.

At Merdeka Square you find Royal Selangor Club, the National History Museum and the impressive Moorish-architecture Sultan Abdul Samad Building which is quite a sight a night if the lights are lit.