Banyan Tree hotels in Bukit Bintang

Kuala Lumpur’s shopping and entertainment centre includes Bukit Bintang Road and its surrounding streets and is a popular area for all types of tourists as well as being a trendy neighbourhood for local Malays. Still, Bukit Bintang was not always like this. In fact, it wasn’t until the late 1980s that this area became what it is today, with its numerous shopping malls, upscale cafés and restaurants, and great selection of hotels.

A must see attraction in Bukit Bintang is Berjaya Times Square Kuala Lumpur, which is a hotel, shopping centre and theme park all in one. The indoor Berjaya Times Square Theme Park takes up the 5th to 8th floors and is fun for visitors of all ages. It is also well worth going up to the viewing deck at KL Tower for panoramic views of the city.

Bintang Walk is the most fashionable shopping strip in the city and even if you are not a shopper it makes for an interesting afternoon. If you are visiting over New Year’s Eve be sure to take in the countdown here. This busy stretch is also where events like Malaysia International Fashion Week and the Guinness St Patrick's Day Celebrations are held. For something a little more quiet, visit Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve, a 100-year old rainforest right in the middle of the city.

There is no shortage of places to eat and drink when staying in Bukit Bintang. In fact, it has the largest concentration of restaurants in all of Kuala Lumpur, with the famous Alor Road being one of the best spots for eating cheap local cuisine from a restaurant or a street stall. For Arabian cuisine, take a stroll along Bintang Walk, which is also home to some of the most chic restaurants in the area. Numerous trendy nightclubs can also be found in this neighbourhood of the city, while Changkat Bukit Bintang is the best place for a pub crawl.

Shopping is the main attraction of Bukit Bintang and there is no shortage of places to shop here. It is a haven for the fashion conscious, with Starhill Gallery being the most upscale shopping mall of them all and Sungei Wang Plaza the best place to find bargains. There are also independent shops scattered along the streets throughout the entire district.