Airbnb x Think City: Exploring KL’s Hidden Heritage (and Eats!)

Kuala Lumpur isn’t just malls and skyscrapers. It’s also old shoplots, neighbourhood kopitiams, craft makers, and stories passed down through generations.

That’s what Airbnb and Think City are spotlighting with the Airbnb Heritage Guide to Kuala Lumpur — a digital travel companion that takes you beyond the usual tourist checklist and into the city’s living heritage. From historic landmarks and local artisans to food spots and creative spaces (including the emerging Warisan KL), the guide shows how people and places continue to shape KL’s identity today.

Launched as part of efforts to strengthen heritage tourism ahead of Visit Malaysia 2026, the guide is basically an invitation to explore KL the slower, more meaningful way — one story, one neighbourhood at a time.

“As Malaysia prepares to welcome millions of visitors for Visit Malaysia Year 2026, this partnership demonstrates how the public and private sectors can come together to make a meaningful impact,” – Amanpreet Bajaj, Airbnb’s Country Head for India and Southeast Asia.

“By shining a light on Kuala Lumpur’s cultural heartbeat, we hope to inspire more travellers to explore responsibly, support local communities, and experience Malaysia’s unique heritage through a sustainable and inclusive tourism model.”

Airbnb data shows travel in Malaysia is still going strong with Kuala Lumpur topping the list as the most-booked city in the first half of 2025. Meanwhile, heritage hotspots like Penang, Melaka and Kuching remain fan favourites, proving travellers are still very much into culture-packed getaways.

“Kuala Lumpur is moving with an exciting energy as its heritage, culture and community life continue to be re-energised through collective city efforts taking place across the capital as we approach 2026. The Heritage Guide, shaped through our collaboration, invites travellers to immerse themselves in KL’s heritage and cultural offerings, enriching the visitor journey while reaffirming the pride residents hold in the city’s identity,” – Datuk Hamdan Abdul Majeed, Managing Director of Think City.

Airbnb even has its own Heritage Guide to Kuala Lumpur

The Heritage Guide to Kuala Lumpur is for travellers who want to explore beyond the usual spots — highlighting KL’s architecture, food, markets, crafts, creative spaces and the people who help preserve the city’s living culture.

• Cultural & Creative Landmarks: From the iconic Central Market, to GMBB creative community space to the indie spirit of the Zhongshan Building. 
• Historic Icons: Landmarks like Dataran Merdeka the neighbouring St. Mary’s Cathedral, the city’s oldest church. 
• Food, Stories & Neighbourhood Life: From Betel Leaf, where the flavours of Tamil Nadu find a home in the heart of the city, to Jao Tim, a restored shophouse-turned-jazz-bar, to the Riwayat Bookstore, a sanctuary for local literature.  
• Local Hosts & Cultural Storytellers: Meet Manjeet Dillon, who brings Malaysian heritage to life through her Culture on a Plate food experience.**

Discover the Airbnb Heritage Guide to Kuala Lumpur here.

The highlight of our walk was all the food we ate

We discovered plenty of hidden makan spots serving cultural favourites like putu bamboo, teh masala, Arab, Bangladeshi and Indian food.

We also tried the original kulfi ice cream at Betel Leaf — and the coolest part wasn’t just eating it, but how it’s made. Unlike regular ice cream, the milk is slowly boiled down until it gets thick and creamy, then mixed with spices like cardamom or saffron and poured into moulds to freeze. No churning, which makes it denser and more flavourful than what we’re used to. We didn’t get to see the kulfi-making process ourselves, but Miss Jane gave us the lowdown on how it’s done! Hehe 😋

We also checked out some cute cafés and photo spots around Pasar Seni, plus the birthplace of KL itself — Masjid Jamek. Along the way, Miss Jane showed us how to tell the difference between old buildings and newer ones.

Last but not least, we had a blast playing tourist with all these awesome local influencers — Azfar Heri, Ain Ramli, Leona Azhar, Daisey, Ivor, and so many more of their friends!