What to Buy in Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur offers visitors a variety of shopping opportunities for both traditional and modern goods. As the cultural centre of Malaysia, KL has a wide range of complexes, markets and shops that enable you to shop for local arts and crafts. At the same time, as a modern and sophisticated city, designer brands jostle for attention in expansive shopping malls and centres along with the latest electronics, fashion accessories and jewellery.

Handicrafts and Souvenirs

You don't have to venture far to other states to appreciate local arts and crafts from Malaysia; in Kuala Lumpur, there are many places that stock traditional goods made in other Malaysian states. These make great souvenir items for you to bring back home and present to friends and family.

Form shopping centres to night markets, visitors will find a large variety of cultural souvenirs that may or may not have practical use in the household. Most of them will be ornamental objects that will decorate your wall, desktop or refrigerator nicely. Some of the stuff you can find are described below.

Pewter, brass and silver items include jewellery, figurines, key-chains, pen-holders and other items are popular souvenirs, having been crafted by local metal-smiths with precision to create artistic and practical objects.

Wood carvings and pottery imported from other states in Malaysia also make great display items. Some of them can even be used practically in the house, such as jars and mugs. Others, like giant spoons and statues crafted in wood with intricate designs make nice ornamental items.

Traditional Fabrics are another favourite among visitors. This includes traditional Malay garments such as 'Kain Songket' – distinct Malay brocade made of silk with gold and silver threads woven in as well as 'Batik', a fancy cloth from the East of Peninsular Malaysia which is a colourful silk garment that uses floral motifs in its design.

Other souvenirs include Malaysian T-shirts with funny captions, locally-made lighters crafted with all sorts of designs, miniature replicas of Kuala Lumpur's buildings such as the Twin Towers and stuffed toys that mimic Malaysia's local wildlife as well as carpets.

Modern Shopping

Kuala Lumpur is Malaysia's economic hub and a premier destination for shopping in Southeast Asia. This is why the Government organises up to two, month-long shopping carnivals per year to cater to an immense crowd of avid shoppers from across the world. From the latest designer brands to ground-breaking electronics, Kuala Lumpur will leave you spoilt for choice as illustrated by the examples below.

Branded fashion clothing is one of Kuala Lumpur's best shopping highlights, encompassing the latest design wear from Europe, America and Asia which includes renowned names such as Nike, Adidas, Club Monaco, Gucci, MNG, Calvin Klein, Zara, Raoul, Ted Baker, Elle, Versace, Prada and much more. From mini-skirts to hard jeans and sports wear to immaculate suits, Kuala Lumpur stocks everything you need for fashion through retail outlets, shopping complexes, department stores and expansive malls.

Perfumes are another popular item on the shopping list. Department stores and shopping malls retail the latest perfumes from famous designer houses such as Armani, Polo, Christine Dior, Anna Sui, Elizabeth Arden, Calvin Klein, Issey Miyake and Kiehl's.

Fashion Accessories such as hairpin, scarf, bracelets, jewellery, bags, shoes, purses and ribbons made both locally and overseas are available in many shops located in the city and in malls. Some famous brands include Tiffany, Bvlgary, Sasa, Pearl and Perlini.

Electronics are priced very competitively in Malaysia, as some of them are made locally despite carrying an overseas brand name. Camcorders, video players, wide screens, digital cameras, projectors, television sets, MP3 Players, cell phones and other trendy gadgets can be found almost everywhere in Kuala Lumpur, from small shop-lots to fully-fledged outlets in large malls. You'll be spoilt for choice among a range that includes Canon, Sony, Nikon, JVC, Toshiba, NEC, Dell etc.

Cigarettes & Liquor are available in many shops around Kuala Lumpur, with a few being duty-free outlets. Enjoy the cigarettes which are made locally under famous names such as Marlboro, Dunhill and Salem. Most hard liquor is imported from overseas but you can enjoy locally-brewed beer licensed under famous brands such as Carlsberg, Tiger, Heineken and Anchor.

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