Kuala Selangor

Overview

Kuala Selangor is the capital town of an administrative district, also named as Kuala Selangor, in Selangor. It is located close to where the Selangor River meets the ocean and hence gets its name because Kuala in Malay means “river mouth”. It is a small coastal town still maintaining its traditional village atmosphere. It used to be the royal capital of Selangor and in 1784, was conquered by the Dutch in an attempt to profit abundantly from the tin mining in Selangor and Perak.

Places of Attraction

It could be said that the majority of the tourist influx into Kuala Selangor are visitors on their way to look at one of the largest firefly colonies in the world. In the Kampung Kuantan Firefly Park along the Selangor River the red, yellow and green bioluminescence can be easily spotted in the evenings and night. This beautiful natural spectacle is best observed by a nocturnal boat ride where the mangrove trees will be lighted up like Christmas trees.

Overlooking this town is a hill, Bukit Melawati, which once had a heavily fortified battlement built during the rule of Sultan Ibrahim and was impenetrable until it fell to the Dutch in 1784. A European-style fort, Altingsburd Fort, was built after demolishing the existing battlements during the invasion and this in turn was destroyed during the Selangor Civil War. Bukit Melawati is a historical monument because of the ruins that still exist, including the outer fort wall, palace ground, lighthouse, Royal Mausoleum (burial ground of first three Sultans of Selangor), beheading stone, 100-step stone ladder, poison well, Traditional Games Museum and several cannons.

The Kuala Selangor Nature Park is home for a variety of flora and fauna such as leopard cat, silvered leaf monkey and over 150 bird species. The Eagle Feeding Tour is an exhilarating boat ride from Pasir Penambang to Selangor River estuary where many eagles can be fed. Other attractions include the Kuala Selangor Historical Museum, Freshwater Fish Park, Kuala Selangor Fishing Village, Monkey God Chinese Temple, Sri Shakthi Dhevasthanam Temple built according to ancient architecture and the Remis Beach approximately 20 km from the town.

Amenities and Facilities

Kuan Hwa Seafood Restaurant, Hai Ung Seafood Restaurant, River View Seafood Restaurant, Wharf 72 Restaurant and Restaurant D’Coral (halal) offer a variety of seafood cooked in several styles. Budget hotels include Del Palma Hotel, Firefly Villa, Sun Inns Hotel and APPS Hotel. Other amenities include schools (SMK Sultan Abdul Azis and SM Sains Kuala Selangor), INPENS International College, banks, mosque and clinics.

Accessibility and Transportations

Kuala Selangor is about 80 km from Kuala Lumpur and is accessible via the North-South Expressway, Kuala Lumpur-Kuala Selangor Expressway (LATAR) and via Federal Route 5 from Klang.