Malaysia is an excellent place for children and, particularly in Kuala Lumpur, there are masses of activities to occupy little minds and bodies. These range from canopy walks high above the forest floor to strolls across the air-conditioned Skybridge of the futuristic Petronas Twin Towers, and from wonderful water parks to a state-of-the-art aquarium in the centre of the city.

First out, though, this little ditto from the British entertainer Noel Coward may be worth remembering: The smallest Malay rabbit/Deplores this foolish habit/But Mad Dogs and Englishmen/Go out in the midday sun.

Yes, it’s obvious, but it is worth repeating often, the sun is blazingly hot here in the tropics. If you are going to do outdoor activities with your children (and you will have plenty of choice of venues) do schedule these trips for mornings. Indoor (and air-conditioned) attractions are where to head in the middle of the day, when it can get horribly hot outside.

While it doesn’t quite rain every day, it does rain often, and usually in the late afternoon, with crashes of thunder and cracks of lightning. Remember to get your children out of the swimming pool if a thunder storm is coming, even if swimming in the rain sounds quite appealing. It is actually downright dangerous.

Basic health warnings aside, you’ll discover as you set out to explore Kuala Lumpur with your kids in tow that Malaysians are most child-friendly and their lifestyle tends to be child-centred. You will rarely see an adult shouting at or reprimanding children. In shops and restaurants, kids are often treated like special guests, and given far more attention than grown ups.

A good place to start planning your fun is to look through these Top 10 attractions excerpted from “KL for KIDS”, a great guidebook to having fun with your children. This Top 10 selection of the best places to take children involves both indoor and outdoor venues. It also delves into Kuala Lumpur’s past and future, so you can get some on-the-spot history and geography lessons at the same time as having fun.

TOP 10

* Petronas Twin Towers Skybridge

The Petronas Twin Towers are the iconic symbol of modern Malaysia, and the Skybridge that links the two buildings at 170 metres above the ground is a great destination for kids. There are high-speed lifts, great views, and even a lightning strike simulator for the scientifically-minded. Even if the kids are too young to have seen Sean Connery and Catherine Zeta-Jones make their famous jump from it in the 1999 movie “Entrapment”, you may enjoy reliving that moment. Free entry.

*Forestry Research Institute Malaysia

You can walk under great forest trees, ride on mountain bike tracks, play in the river, camp overnight, and trek up to a canopy walk in the treetops. What is particularly amazing is that just 80 years ago, this area was an industrial wasteland. The people of FRIM literally nurtured the forest back to life, and kids love to see this life cycle in action. RM1/kids and RM5/adults.

*Magical Fireflies at Kuala Selangor

Catch a first-class display of twinkling fireflies on the banks of the Selangor River. This is one of the most remarkable and reliable places to view fireflies anywhere in the world. Your kids need to be able to stay awake until it is properly dark, around 8pm, and manage a 90-minute car journey. RM6/kids and RM10/adults.

*Camp Five

The highlight of the new wing at 1-Utama Shopping Centre is Asia’s largest indoor climbing wall. Kids as young as three scale the walls, and there are plenty of adults too. The climbing wall is there because the Swiss company that manufactures the world’s best climbing walls has its production factory nearby. RM45 for 1-hour lesson.

*Flying Fox at Menara Kuala Lumpur

The futuristic KL Tower, or Menara Kuala Lumpur, is easily the tallest building in the city. Well, that is what it looks like when you are standing on its observation deck and looking down on the rest of Kuala Lumpur’s skyscrapers. However, this is all an illusion. It is built on the Bukit Nanas (Pineapple Hill) forest reserve in the centre of the city which gives it a boost of height. You and your kids can get a whiff of the excitement with a whiz over the treetops on the Flying Fox. This is operated by AJ Hackett, the original bungy jump specialists from New Zealand. RM20/kids RM40/adults for observation deck and flying fox.

* Royal Selangor Pewter School of Hard Knocks

The capital of Malaysia was literally built on tin. There was nothing but jungle until 1857 when prospectors found tin in Kuala Lumpur. Pewter is 90 percent tin and the history of Royal Selangor Pewter mirrors the history of tin in Malaysia. Take your kids and bash out your own pewter bowl. RM50.

* Sunway Lagoon Water Park

This is one humdinger of an amusement park. It is enormous and filled with water slides, surfing pools, flumes and funfair rides. Its previous incarnation was an opencast tin mine, and while kids’ hearts lift with joy at the prospect of a visit, most adults fill with a little dread at the sheer size and potential for lost toddlers. RM30kids/ and RM45/adults.

*Petrosains

Oil has replaced tin as Malaysia’s most significant commodity. Visit this large interactive museum in the Suria KLCC shopping centre, and your kids can learn about the importance of petroleum. There is a simulated volcano, earthquake and helicopter ride. There are also lots of hands-on exhibits too. RM5/kids and RM12/adults.

* Craft Complex

At the back of the Jalan Conlay craft complex, three Malay women run a brilliant batik making centre. Both adults and children are welcome and children from age four and up can do batik with some adult help. The traditional studio has a high-pitched roof, with cross ventilation and ceiling fans that keep it remarkably cool, without any need for air conditioning. Approximately RM30.

* Aquaria KLCC

Check out the stingrays, sharks and some 250 other species in this underground sea complex in the centre of Kuala Lumpur. The highlight is a 90-metre-long moving floorway that looks like a giant rotating belt from a Japanese sushi bar. You stand on it and snake ever so slowly along a glass tunnel that gives excellent views into a magical water world all around. Fans of “Finding Nemo” will love all the clown fish, and there is a 3-metre monster Arapaima fish for older kids who say they aren’t scared of anything. Adults RM38/adults and RM26/kids.

“KL for Kids”

Lorien Holland and Kate Phillips wrote “KL for KIDS” and also took the photographs which appear in the book. They have both lived in Kuala Lumpur for more than seven years each, and have brought up their children (a combined total of six) from babies through to teenagers in Malaysia. They have also entertained countless visitors from overseas.

“KL for KIDS” is the result of several years of research. It presents the Top 10 indoor sites and the Top 10 outdoor sites for children to visit in Malaysia’s capital. It also has plenty of detail on interesting mosques, temples and churches to visit, great adventures on local transport, excellent sports and art classes, and advice on where to eat. There is also a potted history of Malaysia, details on annual festivals and holidays and a select guide to the best places to visit outside the capital.

STILL WANT MORE?

If you want to get a step ahead, here are some new favourites that are not in the book (yet) and will keep your kids well entertained (and better educated).

First out, wakeboarding. Or water skiing. Or dinghy sailing. Out in Putrajaya, which is the nation’s new administrative capital, there is an enormous lake. Apart from the excellent bike tracks around it, and the great wetlands nature reserve, you can also do excellent water sports. Check out the Lake Club (www.kelabtasikputrajaya.org) for more details.

Next up, adventure in the jungle. Skytrex Adventure is a French outfit based in a forest in Kuala Lumpur’s southwestern suburbs. The guided outdoor activity involves climbing from tree to tree in a super-sized canopy walk. It’s a great test of agility as you walk, crawl and swing through the challenges in the sky. The “Little Adventure” will satisfy most kids, while older teenagers might be up for the “Big Thrill”. Find out more at www.skytrex-adventure.com.

Finally, for the more intellectually-minded, Malaysia’s National Museum has recently had a major make over. All the main galleries have been modernized and there is plenty to keep children occupied and amused as they learn lots about Malaysia at the same time.

Have fun!