Kuala Lumpur: the new black in stopovers

Petronas Twin Towers: one of the prettiest mega-structures in the whole world.

Twenty four hours is a long time to be sitting on a plane. Or anywhere. Break up your next long-haul flight with two nights (or more) in Kuala Lumpur. It’s got the glam mega-malls of Singapore without the litter-and-we-will-shoot rules, and the nightlife of Bangkok without the seediness. Throw in food that would have Matt Preston loosening his cravat and you’ve got the ultimate stop-over city. Last year, I rediscovered the best places to shop, sleep, drink, eat and, um, eat in Malaysia’s capital.

SHOP

OK, no-one really visits KL for the Bird Park. Hightail it to Jalan Bukit Bintang (jalan simply means “street”), the city’s answer to Fifth Avenue in New York or Oxford Street in London. This promenade of megamalls is a tourist attraction in its own right; allow a few hours for Pavilion alone. On Jalan Bintang, just off Jalan Bukit Bintang (confusing much?), is Low Yat Plaza – to remember the name, think “low fat pizza” – which sports 500 electronics stores. I picked up a BlackBerry Curve for $250 (tech-savvy friends tell me it’s a bargain). Once you’ve stocked up on Zara, cleaned out Sephora and bought the most recent i-something, cab it to Suria KLCC, a mega mega-mall underneath Petronas Twin Towers. Tiffany, Burberry, Coach, Hermès, Boost Juice… need I say more?

DRINK

For uninterrupted views of the glittering Petronas Twin Towers at sunset, you can’t go past Skybar, on level 33 of Traders Hotel. It boasts a lap pool, fast-flowing cocktails, super-friendly staff and DJ Farouk’s retro tunes will have you bouncing on the sunken lounges all night long. Skybar’s a KL institution, but there is a new player in town: The View, on level 30 of KL’s newest five-star digs, G Tower Hotel. The view of the Towers isn’t as good (despite the name), but its sexy al fresco atmosphere and charismatic “mixologists” are going to make this bar the place to be seen in KL. Get there before everyone else does.

EAT

With a melting pot of Chinese, Indian and Malay residents, KL serves up a smorgasbord of culinary delights – pack the stretchy pants. Start in Chinatown by sampling street food along Jalan Petaling and head inside the art deco Central Market (Pasar Seni) for lunch. Wade through the artisans’ stalls (the perfect place to pick up authentic gifts); on the mezzanine level you’ll find Precious Old China Restaurant. Try the nasi lemak, Malaysia’s national dish: $3 gets you rice cooked in coconut cream tinged with pea-flower essence (which is purple – crazy); with nyonya rendang chicken, fried anchovy (nicer than it sounds), hard-boiled egg, cucumber, crackers, peanuts and spicy sambal sauce. Feeling brave? Order the fish head curry. For a more upmarket dinner and cocktails session, head to Jalan Nagasari, a bit like Sydney’s King Street Wharf without the wharf (or disco bowling).

SLEEP

Want absolute luxury on a Best Western budget? You can stay at Malaysia’s first certified green hotel, G-Tower – home of The View – for about $120 per night. It opened in June this year and doesn’t accommodate children under 12 (not that I don’t love kids). If you’re on a backpacker budget, rest your head at Hotel Chinatown2, right on Jalan Petaling’s buzzy night market, for only $30 per night (it’s no Shangri-La but I liked it so much I stayed there twice). If money’s no object and you’d rather fresh sea air than the smell of BBQ satay and exhaust fumes, bunk down at Golden Palm Tree Resort & Spa, 25 minutes from the airport and 70km from KL (the resort provides a daily, free shuttle bus to the city). Located on the Malacca Straight, these 392 over-water villas form the shape of a palm tree. It’s Dubai-meets-Malaysian-oasis. If you can leave your four-poster bed, book a massage at the resort’s Escapade Spa. The best you’ll ever have.

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