If you are traveling with young kids to Kuala Lumpur soon and are looking for the slightly off-the-beaten tourist paths, we have compiled a list of places and activities that your entire family can enjoy!

Farm In The City

Image source: fitc

Located about 40 minutes away from the city centre via a taxi ride, parents and their kids will have a chance to get up-close and personal with a wide range of farm animals and exotic animals - from sheep, rabbits, deers and goats, to giant tortoises, peacocks, llamas and pythons. Most animals here are free to roam big enclaves that are supposed to mimic their natural environment. In total, there are 11 habitats for you to explore.

Apart from interacting with the animals, the visit will also give you a taste of local ‘kampong’ (Malay for village) culture as there is a full-sized traditional Malaysian house near the Rabbit Farm, as well as a palm oil estate and traditional vegetable farm for you to walk through. All in all, you should be able to cover the entire farm in under 3 hours - a perfect place for a half-day visit. Compared to other tourist attraction in Kuala Lumpur catered towards families with young children, the tickets are reasonably priced at RM55 for adults and RM45 for children under 11 years old.

Tip: To beat the crowd (especially during weekends) and the hot afternoon sun, be sure to arrive early, preferably as the farm opens its door to visitors at 10.00 am on weekdays and at 9.30 am on the weekends.

Image source: Pexels

Kuala Lumpur Bird Park

Image source: klbirdpark

Image source: Pexels

Image source: Pixabay

Another animal park worth a visit for families traveling here is the KL Bird Park. Located at the fringe of inner city center, it is relatively easy to reach via public transport, as well as taxis. Touted as the “world's largest free-flight walk-in aviary”, upon entering the park, you’ll feel like being welcomed into your feathered friends’ world. The park is basically a huge, beautifully landscaped garden, and with a giant net canopy sprawled atop of it, the birds are mostly free to roam and fly around the park. Many species of birds here have been able to breed naturally as the environment mimics their natural habitat.

You can see that the birds feel very much at home, and having been used to being around humans so much, they seem comfortable interacting with the visitors - some will even eat from your hands! Throughout the park, you will find points where you can buy food to feed specific bird species. There are about 3,000 birds here and the birds are divided into different sections such as Brahminy Land, Flamingo Pond, Hornbill Park, Oriental Bird Aviaries and Flightless Birds. Priced at RM67 for adults and RM42 for children under 11, the tickets are slightly pricier for this kind of attraction in KL, but it’s definitely worth the experience!

Tips: To reach here, you can take a ride with the double decker tour bus (there is only one such service operating around KL) and disembark right in front of the park’s entrance. Also, check out the programme on their website to time your visit to catch the bird show!

National Science Center

Image source: psn.gov

(author's own image)

National Science Center (Pusat Sains Negara) Kuala Lumpur has recently been given a facelift and opened its door back to the public at the end of 2017. Perched atop Bukit Kiara and surrounded by lush greeneries, the large green dome with rainbow-colored corrugated walls surrounding it is a structure that is hard to miss from a distance. You can reach there within 15 minutes via a taxi, although there is also a bus that stops right at the center’s entrance.

The center houses nine galleries altogether, both indoor and outdoor, and the exhibits are cleverly catered to educate and amuse both young and older kids. For the animal lovers, there is a walk-through aquarium, and outdoor park that houses ostriches, chickens, rabbits, deers and many more. There is an exhibit on the history of flight and kids will sure love trying their hands at the flight simulator. For the daredevils, they can step into the haunted-house-esque 'Survive the Bunker' exhibition (not included in the entrance fee ticket), and face the many different phobias that plague lots of people. All in all, the center covers a wide range of scientific themes and you can easily expect to spend close to 3 hours here. Tickets are priced at just RM6 for adults and RM3 for children under 12 years old.

Tip: The center is closed on Fridays and if you can help it, do avoid the weekends as the place will usually be packed.

Royal Selangor Visitor Center

Image source: royalselangor

To understand how Malaysia becomes a melting pot of many cultures and ethnic groups, perhaps a visit to the Royal Selangor Visitor Center can shed a light on a part of Malaysia’s vast history. It sounds like an unlikely venue for a lesson in history, which is exactly why it is often overlooked by tourists. Royal Selangor was first founded in 1885 during the booming tin industry by a young tinsmith named Yong Koon from Shantou, China. The company started to go by the name Royal Selangor after the late Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah from Selangor granted it a royal title. Royal Selangor is now being managed by Koon’s fourth generation and is one of the world’s largest pewter manufacturer. If you would like to stay away from the cheesy trinkets for your loved ones back home, you may want to do your gift shopping here.

A free guided tour, available in English as well as other languages, will take you through the company’s century old business. You will be able to tour the factory and watch the pewter-making process closely and enjoy the on-site museum where the actual tools used by the founder himself are on display. And then comes the best part: at just a small fee of RM65, you and your kids can get a first-hand experience in creating your own personal accessory in the workshop for your own safekeeping!

Tip: To ensure that you are guaranteed a place for the workshop (certificate is also provided for each participant), please book a slot beforehand! Oh, and don’t forget to snap a picture with the world’s largest pewter tankard (tall beer mug) at the entrance on the center.