Page 58 - Globale Traveler

DIVERSIONS
You can familiarize yourself with the layout of Kuala
Lumpur by map, or you can go one better and view the
actual city spread beneath you from
the 86th-floor observation deck of the
Petronas Twin Towers. The deck is open
Tuesday to Sunday 9 a.m.–9 p.m., with
tickets priced at $20. Tours include a
crossing of the Skybridge, which links the
two towers at the 41st and 42nd floors.
The Petronas Twin Towers represent
the epicenter of the Kuala Lumpur City
Centre district, known as KLCC. A large
shopping mall, Suria KLCC, is located
at the foot of the twin towers, while
stretching away from it is KLCC Park,
50 acres of landscaped gardens. On
the west side of the park stands the
Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre and,
beside it, the city’s world-class aquarium,
Aquaria KLCC.
Kuala Lumpur’s patchwork of districts
reflects the city’s cultural diversity. The
area around Merdeka Square boasts
many buildings dating to the British
colonial period, most notably the Tudor-
style Royal Selangor Club, overlooking a
cricket field, and the remarkable Sultan
Abdul Samad Building which, with its
domes, is straight out of a fairy tale.
Chinatown presents a dense, bustling
maze of narrow streets and alleys
centered on Petaling Street. It’s the place
to come for authentic Chinese cuisine
and cheap shopping (though be warned
many of the goods are counterfeit
copies of famous brands).
Brickfields, also known as Little India,
houses the majority of the city’s Indian
population. As with Chinatown, cuisine
is one of the big draws. There’s nowhere
better in the city to enjoy a great curry,
often served on a banana leaf.
Bukit Bintang, the premier shop-
ping and entertainment district, is the
melting pot of this culturally diverse
city; by day and especially at night, the
district presents a dynamic, neon-lit mix
of generations, ethnic groups, locals and
tourists.
In the middle of Kuala Lumpur lies
a preserved fragment of rainforest, Batu Caves, immediately north of the city, makes MAIN ATTRACTIONS:
formerly known as Bukit Nanas Reserve, now rebranded a worthwhile excursion. Reach the largest cave in this Batu Caves statue and entrance (top),
as KL Forest Eco Park. It offers winding forest trails (which natural complex, Cathedral Cave, up a flight of 272 steps. Little India (bottom left), and Batu Caves
can be muddy, so wear appropriate shoes) and a recently Visit early in the day to avoid the crowds, and enjoy the (bottom right)
opened canopy walk for treetop views of the local birds, coolness within the caves — relief from Malaysia’s hot PHOTOS: © IGORP1976 | DREAMSTIME,
squirrels and monkeys. humidity. © GUILLOHMZ | DREAMSTIME,
© RAVINDRAN JOHN SMITH | DREAMSTIME

58 globaltravelerusa.com FEBRUARY 2018