Malaysia - Truly Asia

It dates back to March 2008 when I made a family trip to KL (Kuala Lumpur) and also visited the beautiful Island of Langkawi which is approximately over an hour flight from the capital. The weather is tropical i.e. remains the same round the year. The light thunder showers are very usual with rains almost every day or at times every hour. I have visited KL many times on business trips and with family as well but there is something so special about that place that I am always looking forward for any opportunity to visit this beautiful capital of Malaysia. It’s homely, green, amazingly maintained, wonderfully laid out infrastructure, friendly people, and variety of food catering to everyone’s tastes, great place for shopping, modern buildings, hotels and malls offering literally all sorts of brands etc.

Malls

• Pavilion (opposite JW Marriott on Jalan Bukit Bintang) 
• Lot 10 (approx 200 meters from JW Marriott on Jalan Bukit Bintang)
• Times Square (approx 500 meters from JW Marriott on Jalan Bukit Bintang)  
• KLCC (next to Petronas - next to famous KL Twin Towers)

Cinemas & Theme Parks

• Golden Screen Cinemas (on the 3rd floor of Pavilion Mall on Jalan Bukit Bintang)
• Indoor Theme Park (on the top floor of Times Square Mall)
• Sunway Lagoon (water theme park on Petaling Jaya)
• Genting highlands (approx. 1 hour drive from Bukit Bintang)   

 Other Places (must go....click on link below)

Things to do & see......

• Petronas Towers (they give first 100 people free pass to cross the towers as the two are connected, you should reach early around 7:30 am if you want to go). Mondays are closed.

• Menara also called KL / Telecom Tower. At the top of this tower, there is a revolving restaurant with a picturesque view of KL and especially Petronas Towers. This tower is around 900 feet around the same height as that of Eiffel Tower. If you want to have food there, you need to do reservation in advance from your hotel reception.
• Gentang Highlands (around 45 minutes drive outside KL with all sorts of interesting rides and casinos)
• Cameron Highlands (tea gardens around 2 hours drive outside KL)
• China Town (cheap replicas of all sorts of branded wrist watches)
• Putrajaya (purpose built capital of Malaysia, its close to airport while driving from KL airport to KL city, there is a turning on the right side)
• DiGi is worth seeing as well
• Starhill Gallery (inside JW Mariott hotel on Jalan Bukit Bintang)

 Shopping

  

• On Jalan Bukit Bintang inside Lot 10 Mall close to JW Mariott. There is a factory outlet and you will be surprised to find branded T shirts, shirts, pants etc for as low as Malaysian Ringgit 25
• On Jalan Bukit Bintang next to McDonalds you will find Giordano, usually there is sale on that store round the year
• Pavillion and KLCC are all full of branded stores, while Lot 10 and Times Square is relatively cheaper with other brands as well
• Metrojaya is good in terms of prices
• Electronic malls 5 min walk from Pavillion mall close to metro station 

Important

• Bargain for anything you buy in KL as you are likely to get substantial discounts
• Langkawi island is duty free so you must shop from there as the same are sold in KL at premium  
• Get well oriented with KL city as it is mostly around Jalan Bukit Bintang, the cab driver will charge you RM 10 or RM 15 and you will be surprised that he took you through a long distance. Although if you had good orientation, you could have simply walked. I experienced it couple of times.

 Langkawi

It is a beautiful island (just over 1 hour flight from KL main airport, also reachable via ferry ride)

Other attractions apart from beach on this island includes:

 o Carting

 o Cable Car on the highlands. You can have caricature and wax sculptures (you will be asked to dip your hands inside cold and hot wax and the gentleman will make a mould out of it, fill it with colour of your choice and wax and deliver it to your hotel)

 o Water world

 o Bowling in nearby shopping malls

 o Water sports

 o Renting car or heavy bike

Have a great trip!