Kuala Lumpur, or simply KL, is the capital of Malaysia. Literally meaning ''muddy estuary'' in Malay, KL has grown from a small sleepy Chinese tin-mining village to a bustling metropolis of around 6.5 million (city-proper population of 1.6 million) in just 150 years. With the world''s cheapest 5-star hotels, great shopping and even better food, increasing numbers of travellers are discovering this little gem of a city.