Pulse
this cosmopolitan city, with its fusion of Malay, Chinese and Indian cultures, wonderfully eclectic architecture, lip-smacking cuisine, top shopping and vibrant nightlife certainly shouldn’t be overlooked. And it’s a city that’s experiencing an exciting urban regeneration with a stream of new hotels, restaurants, bars and cafes adding an extra level of energy. A compact and eminently walkable
K Kuala Lumpur
This cosmopolitan city’s latest surge of regeneration is bringing with it an exciting new wave of high-end hotels, restaurants, bars and cafes, top shopping and street food – and it’s compact enough to be covered on foot author: Lee Cobaj
town, the best way to get to know KL’s uniquely contrasting cultures is on foot. The Shangri-La Kuala Lumpur (
shangrila.com) offers a private city tour taking in the twin spires of the Petronas Towers, the historically important Merdaka Square and the candy-striped Jamek Mosque. Or suggest joining a free heritage walking tour at the Kuala Lumpur City Hall (
visitkl.gov.my), which swings by 11 significant historical sights, from the mock-Tudor Royal Selangor Club to the Moghul-inspired National Textile Museum to the Moorish old High Court. Another cultural highlight is the Islamic Museum of Art (
iamm.org.my), which houses a jaw-dropping collection of ornate armour and swords from Morocco, jewels and silks from Goa, and gold and leather-bound Qur’Ans
uala Lumpur might not immediately spring to mind for a luxury sojourn, but
white-gloved waiters while a pianist tinkles the ivories. For more fashionable eats, try Mama San (
mamasankualalumpur.com), the latest outpost from the hip Balinese restaurateurs. Or make for Marini’s on 57 (
marinis57.com) and enjoy Italian fine dining with pinch-me views of those famous towers. While still in the skies, KL boasts
a clutch of chic rooftop bars perfect for sipping tropical cocktails and taking big-city selfies. Prime spots include View (
view.com.my) on the 30th floor of the GTower Hotel and Sky Bar, which sprawls across the top of the recently revamped Traders Hotel (
shangri-la.com). Or how about knocking them back on a helipad jutting out of the 36th floor of a skyscraper? The head- spinning Helipad Lounge clings to the side of the Menara KH building and is fully operational, its space given over to helis by day and partygoers by night; sundown’s sensational 360-degree views are the best. Things are heating up on the
hotel scene too; the country’s first St Regis (
starwoodhotels.com) will debut in the city on April 1 – and its second will arrive in Langkawi five days later. Boasting a super location in Sentral, close to Little India, Chinatown and the colonial
Don’t leave without: Zipping 30 minutes out of town to visit the extraordinary Batu Caves. This atmospheric Hindu temple is guarded by a 140ft-tall golden statue of Murugan and is home to some of the best Indian restaurants in the city.
from Persia, as well as paintings, sculpture and photography. Fast becoming known as south-
east Asia’s street-food capital, you’ll find everything from Chinese crispy chicken wings and beefball noodles to Indian banana leaf curries and Malay dishes with exotic-sounding names like blue rice and jungle-nut salads on the menu. Growing numbers of tour operators and hotels are offering food tours, while the Mandarin Oriental (
mandarinoriental.com) can also arrange visits to Bayan Indah (
bayanindah.com), a culinary school inhabiting a Malay house in a small kampung (village) enclosed in tropical rainforest on the outskirts of KL. Other unique dining experiences include afternoon tea at the colonial-era Hotel Majestic (
majestickl.com) – think spicy Scotch eggs, mango cheesecake and puffy scones, all served by
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TTGLUXURY.COM SPRING 2016 DESTINATIONS
district, each of the St Regis’s 200 suites boast sweeping city views and the services of a personal butler. Soon after, Ritz-Carlton (
ritzcarlton.com) will cut the rope on its second KL hotel, with 288 rooms housed in one of Malaysia’s tallest skyscrapers. Next year sees the arrival of a playfully designed Wand a fancy, 62-storey Fairmont property, as well as the first ever Twentieth Century Fox theme park, with its 25 acres incorporating a five-star hotel, mega-casino and waterpark, as well as 25 attractions. Meanwhile, helping to get your clients to the heart of the action is British Airways (
ba.com), which commenced daily direct flights from Heathrow last year.
Pictured 1. Petronas Twin Towers 2. Kuala Lumpur street food 3. Hotel Majestic 4. Mandarin Oriental 5. Ritz-Carlton
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