56 June 2014

Less chaotic than Jakarta but livelier than Singapore, Kuala Lumpur has emerged as a vibrant Southeast Asian destination. The Malaysian

capital manages to combine traditional cul-ture with modern aspirations and incorpo-rates a variety of ethnic flavours.

The skyline is dominated by the 88-storey Petronas Twin Towers, among Asia’s tallest buildings. Tickets are free, but only a limited number are given out each day. A few min-utes away along Jalan Ampang are two other examples of spectacular architecture: the colonial-era Masjid Jamek (Friday Mosque) and the Mahkamah Tinggi (High Court). The heritage Moorish-style structures are among Malaysia’s most beautiful buildings.

Kuala Lumpur reflects the country’s eth-nic diversity. In Little India, the colour-filled

lanes of the Brickfields neighbourhood thrum with Bollywood music, while shop-keepers and sidewalk vendors sell spices and silk amid open-air markets and intricately decorated Hindu temples.

The city’s bustling Chinatown, centered on Jalan Petaling, is nearby, with a wide va-riety of goods – both modern and traditional – available for sale in department stores, shop-houses and street stalls. The tranquil Sin Sze Si Ya Temple (14A Lebuh Pudu) dates back to the 1860s.

Traditional Malay life can be found in Kampung Baru, a less touristy area settled by rural villagers from the 1880s. Today it is an agglomeration of seven villages over 100 hectares of downtown Kuala Lumpur. Rows of wooden stilt houses have been built amid beautiful blooms of bougainvillea, frangi-

pani and coconut palms.The city’s historic retail heart is Central

Market, built in 1888 and now restored as a national heritage site. Today, the market at-tracts tourists seeking handicrafts, art, batik and traditional Malaysian crafts such as ke-baya, a blouse-and-skirt combination, and songket, a fabric similar to brocade. A batik emporium in the market houses several high-end designer labels.

The more modern core is Kuala Lumpur City Centre, known as KLCC, a retail complex bounded by Jalan Ampang, Jalan P. Ramlee, Jalan Binjai, Jalan Kia Peng and Jalan Pinang.

Other interesting neighbourhoods include Bangsar, known for its constantly changing cafés, boutiques and restaurants, while Bukit Bintang competes for the city’s hip diners and clubbers.

Malaysian mosaicTravelzoo Asia-Pacific CFO and Institute member Honnus Cheung visits Kuala Lumpur, where tradition vies for attention with modern aspirations

Business travel

June 2014 57

Business travel

One interesting emerging area is Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, once a leafy residential suburb but now dotted with artisanal cafés, pubs and hawker stalls. The unpromisingly named Sec-tion 17 has a more artistic bent, with galleries, theatres and performance spaces.

Kuala Lumpur is a surprisingly green city for its size. The 8-hectare Kuala Lumpur Bird Park is well worth seeing for its parrots and peacocks, and is adjacent to a butterfly park and Perdana Botanical Garden (formerly known as Lake Gardens), which is around 100 hectares of lush, peaceful parkland. All these outdoor attractions are best seen as early as possible in the day, be-fore the heat sets in.

Although Malaysian food is well known in Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur has a few cross- cultural specialties seldom seen outside the country, such as roti baba, a bread pocket stuffed with shredded pork and onions and dipped in Worcestershire sauce.

Some Malaysian food is surprisingly rich yet delicious, such as opor rusuk, slow-cooked beef ribs, and rendang kambing, a generously spiced tender lamb shoulder. Burung puyuh (spicy fried quail) is a notable Muslim dish of Indian origin, while Peranakan, or Nyonya, food fea-tures blends of Chinese and Malay influences.

Kuala Lumpur boasts some fine restaurants but some of the most exciting food is found on the streets. The stalls along Jalan Aror, such as Charn Kee and Fu Xi, both local institutions, serve noodles, seafood and barbecued meat from mid-afternoon onwards.

Like Singaporeans, Malaysians take their coffee breaks seriously, and have done so for generations. Try a kopi tiam, or coffeehouse, such as Yut Kee Kopitiam (35 Jalan Dang Wangi), which has served kopi peng (iced milk coffee) since 1928.

Kuala Lumpur has had a surprisingly vibrant club scene since the 1980s and, led by Zouk (113 Jalan Ampang) and its six individually themed dance floors, still attracts celebrity DJs from all over the world.

For the more adventurous, many attractions are nearby. To the northeast lie the picturesque Genting Highlands. To the north are the Batu Caves, a Hindu pilgrimage site featuring a huge statue of the Hindu god Murugan and 272 con-crete steps leading to a stunning view, and fur-ther north are the Cameron Highlands, with their plantations and pretty hill stations.

Previous page: Petronas Towers. This page (from top): The Masjid Jamek; bustling Chinatown; Hindu temple and shrine at the Batu Caves; Central Market.

Where to eat• Bijan Featuring sumptuous opor rusuk and rendang kambing. 3 Jalan Ceylon. 2031-3575.

• Charn Kee A warung (food stall) revered for seafood noodles. 35 Jalan Alor. 2204-7222.

• Enak Traditional Malay food with modern twist. LG2, Starhill Gallery, 181 Jalan Bukit Bintang. 2141-8973.

• Fu Xi Famous for chicken rice and wonton mee. 31 Jalan Alor. 2204-7229.

• Nasi Kandar Pelita Localized Indian Muslim cuisine. G/F, 2 Jalan Telawi 5. 2282-5532.

• Sangeetha Lively South Indian vegetarian fare. 65 Lorong Ampang. 2032-3333.

Where to stay• Aloft Kuala Lumpur Sentral Hip new hotel in city centre. 5 Jalan Stesen Sentral. 2723-1188

• Grand Hyatt Plush digs opened in 2012. 12 Jalan Pinang. 2182-1234.

• Idaman@Janda Baik Rainforest setting 40km from the city. Jalan Tanarimba Pine, Kampung Bukit Tinggi, Pahang. 2730-9988.

• InterContinental Kuala Lumpur Centrally located luxury. 165 Jalan Ampang. 2161-1111.

• Mandarin Oriental Skyline views and fresh orchids in every room. Kuala Lumpur City Centre, Jalan Pinang. 2380-8888.

What to see• Islamic Arts Museum Malaysia Super collection of iconography. Jalan Lembah Perdana. 2274-2020.

• Kuala Lumpur Bird Park World's largest walk-in aviary. 920 Jalan Cenderawasih. 2272-1010.

• Petronas Towers Twin skyscrapers connect tradition with modernity. Kuala Lumpur City Centre. 2331-8080.

• Petrosains, The Discovery Centre Interactive fun space showing its age. Suria KLCC, Jalan Ampang. 2331-8181.