ON BUSINESS IN... Kuala Lumpur
MUST-SEE SIGHTS The Petronas Towers may no longer be the tallest structures in the world, but they’re still the greatest of KL’s iconic structures. A tour as high as you can go requires a little advance planning as only 1,640 tickets are issued per day. Get in line, or get a friend to go at 8.30 in the morning when tickets are released.
Departures
INSIDER'S TIP KUALA LUMPUR
“Malaysians will be impressed with foreigners who show any interest in their culture or attempt to speak the national language. Women should only shake hands with a Muslim man if he offers his first.”
UK TRADE & INVESTMENT
Doing business Watch out for Malaysia’s devoutly observed Islamic faith, which means Friday meetings will be a no-no. Remember also that you’re in Asia, so the importance of retaining face at all times. This is a land where you may see rather than hear the true answer to your question, so mug up on body language and gestures before you go. All in all, a fascinating place to work.
Cool hotel If the budget’s biting then the Tune Hotel (tunehotels. com) in Little India will be music to your ears. Book early online and a room can be yours for less than £15. Everything beyond your bed costs extra, including TV, wifi and even getting the room cleaned. If you can stretch a little further, Traders Hotel (
www.tradershotel. com; rooms from £125) is luxury inside and offers Petronas Towers views on the outside.
Hip restaurant Frangipani (
www.frangipani.com) offers outstanding creative fusion-style dishes at this superb fine-dining restaurant in the Golden Triangle. There’s a stylish upstairs bar too, for that post-dinner drink.
Happening bar Luna, located atop the towering Menara PanGlobal building, offers a twinkling view of Kuala Lumpur’s impressive skyline. The super-sophisticated rooftop bar
surrounds an illuminated swimming pool and is a great location for a celebratory cocktail or knock-their socks-off business introduction.
Getting there Kuala Lumpur is lucky enough to be served by both a legacy carrier from the UK, Malaysia Airlines, and the country's very own no-frills airline, Air Asia. The latter operates from London Stansted and now features a Premium cabin with lie-flat seats. Economy fares start from around £250 one-way including taxes.
Getting downtown The KLIA Ekspres (
www.kliaekspres.com) takes 28 minutes to run into KL Sentral, departing every 15 minutes. A return fare is £16. There’s also an Airport Coach which is not only cheaper but will take you to and from your hotel for £5 return.
The details Malaysia is bordered by Thailand to the north, Singapore to the south, and shares the island of Borneo with Indonesia. Kuala Lumpur is 6,557 miles from London, making it one of the longest direct flights available from the UK. As such you can expect a hefty dose of jetlag in exchange for arriving in such an exotic locale. Malaysia is seven hours ahead of the UK.
SOURCE: CITY PROFILES BY TOM HALL, TRAVEL EDITOR AT LONELY PLANET. MALAYSIA TRAVEL GUIDE; 636 PAGES; £16.99; WWW.LONELYPLANET.COM
THE CARBON COST
A return flight from London to KL will cover 23,600km and
produce 1.93 tonnes of CO2. Offset this with The Carbon Neutral Company from £19.30.
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