Kuala Lumpur Best Area - Ampang Kuala Lumpur

Ampang Kuala Lumpur

Ampang is a suburb of Kuala Lumpur and it's interesting to note that it's also partly located in the state of Selangor. It is the place where history of Kuala Lumpur began. In the 1850-s, tin was a very much sought-after commodity and 87 Chinese men made their way up the murky Klang River in searching for the precious material. Upon reaching the place where the river joined with the Gombak River, they disembarked from their boats and headed east where they found a huge deposits of tin.

When mining began in this part of Kuala Lumpur, food, equipment and other necessities were brought up the Klang River by merchants. They could however only get as far as the muddy confluence of the two rivers. Therefore, they set up shop on a high bank where the Klang River met the Gombak River. From there on, a thriving shanty town was established and later developed into a big metropolitan city known as Kuala Lumpur.

Subdivisions

Previously, Ampang only consists of the present day Ampang New Village (Kampung Baru Ampang), Ampang Town (Bandar Ampang), Ampang Malay Village (Kampung Melayu Ampang), Bandar Baru Ampang, Taman Dagang, Dato' Ahmad Razali flats and parts of Ampang Jaya. Now, it is divided into various smaller subdivisions -- Ampang Jaya, Ampang Indah, Ampang Mewah, Ampang Permai, and Lembah Jaya.

Ampang is a packed residential hub. There are a few housing estates in Ampang such as Taman Dagang, Taman Cahaya, Taman Cempaka, Taman Bukit Indah, Taman Kesuma, Pandan Jaya and Pandan Indah. You can also find exclusive condominiums surrounding the Ampang area such as Villa Ampang, Condo Villa Aman, Tara Condominium and East Side One Ampang Avenue. Taman TAR (Tunku Abdul Rahman) Ampang, which is a housing estate for the elites, is also located in Ampang in the Ampang Jaya area.

The main road to Ampang, Jalan Ampang (from Leboh Ampang in Kuala Lumpur to the main road in front of Ampang LRT station) is situated to the east of central Kuala Lumpur. Jalan Ampang is easily accessible from Jalan Tun Razak or Jalan Ulu Kelang from the Hulu Kelang or Setapak direction.

Ampang is surrounded by Wangsa Maju, Setapak, Central Kuala Lumpur (KLCC) and Salak Selatan.

Attractions

There are a few interesting places that you can visit in this area. The National Zoo or Zoo Negara is not far away from Ampang and is one of the best attractions in Kuala Lumpur. It is a major zoological park in Malaysia that was officially opened on November 14, 1963. Zoo Negara is managed by a non-governmental organization known as the Malaysian Zoological Society. Zoo Negara is located in Hulu Kelang and is only 10 minutes away from Ampang using Jalan Hulu Kelang from Ampang Point Shopping Mall.

Ampang also has a small recreational park suitable for having a family picnic. The park known as Taman Rimba Ampang is a perfect place to unwind. It is located in Lembah Jaya Ampang.

If you're interested in arts, you can go to the National Art Gallery in Jalan Ampang. The art gallery displays creative and contemporary art pieces and sculptures. Located just next to the National Art Gallery is Istana Budaya where you can enjoy cultural performances and theatres.

Food

Ampang Kuala Lumpur is quite famous for its Yong tau foo, a Chinese soup dish with Hakka origins commonly found in Singapore and Malaysia. Yong tao foo is a broth containing a varied selection of food items including fish balls, crab sticks, bittergourds, cuttlefish, lettuce, okra, as well as chilis, and various forms of fresh produce, seafood and meats common in Chinese cuisine. Some of these items, such as bittergourd and chilli, are usually filled with fish paste (surimi). There are 3 restaurants in Kampung Baru Ampang which serve the famous dish.

If you're a Korean and still need time to adjust your digesting system to the local food, you can find many Korean restaurants serving juicy steaks in Ampang. Most of these Korean restaurants are concentrated beside Ampang One Avenue apartments near Ampang Point shopping complex.

Western food is abundance! There are several places that you can get western food in Ampang. Just, on the outskirts of Ampang, you can find Victoria Station, which is located just opposite Sucasa Service Apartment along Jalan Ampang. Victoria Station is famous for its charbroiled steaks as well as U.S. Rib-eyes, U.S. Prime Ribs, U.S. Sirloins, U.S. T-Bones, U.S.

If you prefer a mix of local and western delicacies, Alexis Ampang Bistro & Bar in Great Eastern Mall is highly recommended. You can enjoy your food while listening to relaxing Jazz and Soul music.

Entertainment

Ampang has a large range of night clubs, pubs, bars and elegant cafes located in and around the area. The night clubs here play a wide theme of music which includes techno, R&B, Latin and contemporary dance favourites. For clubbing and dining, you can go to Zouk and Velvet Underground.

Shopping

Ampang is a shopping paradise! There are a lot of shopping malls around Ampang that you can go for shopping or just having fun. Ampang Point for instance, is located at a bustling junction between Ampang road and Ulu Kelang road. You can find your favourite Mcdonald's and Kentucky Fried Chicken here, as well as various departmental stores and individual shops. There are also many other shopping malls near Ampang. You can go to Ampang Park, Ampwalk, City Square and Suria KLCC right in the heart of the city following Jalan Ampang. There is also Great Eastern Mall and Avenue K within KLCC's vicinity.

Ampang Point -- near One Ampang Avenue
Plaza Ampang -- across the MRR2 from Ampang Point
MidPoint -- Pandan Indah
Paragon -- Taman Muda Ampang
Pandan Kapital -- beside Menara MPAJ in Pandan Indah
Spectrum Mall Ampang -- Bandar Baru Ampang
Galaxy Ampang -- near Taman Nirwana Ampang
TESCO Ampang -- beside the MRR2 & nearby Pandan Jaya exit
Kuala Lumpur City Center

Embassies

There are many embassies located along Jalan Ampang, and they include the British, French, Chinese, Irish and Thai embassies. The American embassy is also located in Ampang at the corner of Jalan Tun Razak and Jalan U Thant.

Health Care Facilities

Ampang presently has 4 hospitals namely:

Ampang Putri Hospital -- behind Ampang Point shopping complex
Pantai Hospital Pandan Indah -- Pandan Indah
Hospital Ampang -- Ampang Mewah
Gleneagle Hospital -- Jalan Ampang