Coming from Vietnam we decided to stay for two nights in KL to get a glimpse of this Asian Metropolis. We visited Kuala Lumpur as a Stop Over Destination mainly to relax and to do some shopping.
Within a century Kuala Lumpur has developed from a trading post to a modern city and business hub with luxury hotels, stylish shopping centers, efficient transportation systems, surrounded by an impressive industrial cluster. The city's development has been driven by the longterm visions for Malaysia formulated by Mahatir Mohamad, the country's prime minister since the 80s. Manifests of the will to develop Malaysia in to one of the world's leading industrial nations are for example the Petronas Towers (world's largest building) or the Formula One Circuit appr. 70 km south of the city at Sepang.
Favourite spots:
Right behind the Petronas Towers is the new City Center (KLCC) - a nice park with specific lanes for jogger a public swimming pool and an impressive fountain that has starts at 6 pm in the evening with an hour long program which repeats a couple of times. We would have liked to get on top of the towers but didn't manage to get there for a couple of reasons - First: you can't visit the top of the towers as tourist, just the sky-bridge which is only approximately 50% of the total height. Second: the towers are closed on mondays (which was the first day of the our visit). Third: You have to get tickets early in the morning (admission is free but the number of tickets is very limited. (We figured those details out on the second last and day of our stay - I hope it gives you some help if planning a trip)
What's really great:
We came to shop around for clothes, shoes and electronics and left fully satisfied if not overwhelmed by the choice offered. But what most amazed us was the variety of different cultures to be found in just one city / country - mainly the blend of Malay, Chines, Indian and English influences.
Accommodations:
View from the pool of the Manadarin Oriental.
We've got a good deal (thanks to traveloverland.de) for staying at the Mandarin Oriental - a luxury hotel right beside the Petrona Towers. Considering the magnificient view from the pool, the rich breakfest, the prime location and the service offered it was absolulety worth the money - especially if compared to what prices in most European metropols.
Restaurants:
To get a taste for the local cuisine we went to Bijan Bar & Restaurant (3, Jalan Ceylon).
The Food was delicious and spicy - it burned more then once.