Aquaria KLCC and KL Bird Park Family Day

These two attractions carry the bulk of family bookings in Kuala Lumpur and are usually combined into one day. Aquaria KLCC sits in the basement of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, a short walk from KLCC Park. Its 90-metre walk-through tunnel puts you under sand tiger sharks, green sea turtles and giant groupers, with a moving walkway so children can watch without pushing through crowds. Feeding sessions and a diver show run at fixed times each day, and there is an electric eel tank and a touch pool of bamboo sharks.

KL Bird Park in the Lake Gardens at Perdana Botanical Gardens is a 20.9-acre free-flight aviary, one of the largest covered aviaries anywhere. Peacocks, hornbills, flamingos and milky storks move freely along shaded walkways. The daily bird show at the amphitheatre features macaws and cockatoos, and the hornbill feeding session is a favourite with children.

Both sites are indoor or shaded, which makes them dependable during the afternoon downpours common between October and December. The Bird Park is close to Islamic Arts Museum and the National Mosque, so many Indian families use the morning for birds and the afternoon for Aquaria before shopping at Suria KLCC.