Things to Do in Petaling Jaya

Silvered leaf monkeys flit through the trees on the climb up Melawati Hill (Bukit Melawati, the historic epicenter of Kuala Selangor. Besides a colonial-era lighthouse, other relics of past times include cannons, a royal mausoleum, a well with a gory history, the remains of a fort, and a small museum devoted to Selangor state history.

The sprawling 88-acre (36-hectare) Sunway Lagoon ranks among Southeast Asia’s biggest theme parks and boasts rides, water slides, a man-made beach, a wildlife park, and Malaysia’s first surf simulator. It’s one of Kuala Lumpur’s top family attractions, offering activities that will suit kids of all ages.

Fringed with mangrove forests and filled with houses on stilts, the relaxed fishing community of Crab Island (Pulau Ketam couldn’t be further from nearby Kuala Lumpur. The two villages, which are home to only 6,000 residents, are renowned for their seafood dishes, which tend to feature fresh prawns and crab.

Wet World Water Park in Shah Alam is a place for visitors of all ages to have fun on a hot day. Enjoy rides such as the Thunder River, Pirate Challenge, and Super Hurricane—then have lunch at one of the on-site food venues, or relax in one of the cabanas available for rent.

The sleepy coastal town of Sekinchan, north of Kuala Selangor, is Malaysia’s rice bowl, with spectacularly flat, fertile fields that yield more rice per acre than anywhere in the country. The Sekinchan Paddy Fields (Sawah Padi Sekinchan, vast rice fields that roll away towards the endless horizon, are Sekinchan’s star attraction.