Come To Kuala Lumpur !

ALL PHOTOS : OXYMANUS

Text Excerpt - FORBES TRAVEL.COM

The Draw

• Tomorrowland today: towering sky-rises, multimedia supercorridors and a sleek new international airport

• A vibrant postcolonial mélange of Chinese, Indian and Malay cultures

• The gateway to several hot resorts in the South China Sea, including Four Seasons and the Datai on Langkawi Island

The Scene

Kuala Lumpur has arrived. This lively, eclectic city has managed to avoid the squalor of Bangkok and the sterility of Singapore to become a destination in its own right. Despite the occasional spasm of architectural insecurity (taller buildings! bigger malls!), KL hangs on fiercely to its local color -- multiculturalism was practically invented here. Ethnic Indians, Chinese and Malays, all proudly Malaysian, populate a thriving metropolis that still boasts plenty of colonial charm in addition to scads of hip pan-Asian culture. And from the downtown splendor of the Mandarin Oriental to the stately grandeur of the Carcosa Seri Negara, there's no dearth of unique lodging opportunities.

To Be Seen

• Petronas Towers. The sky bridge on the 42nd floor offers a jaw-dropping panorama of the Kelang Valley.

• Chinatown. Originally constructed as a laborer settlement, Chinatown is now a mandatory stop for its fantastic night market. Dig into the stall food along Petaling Street, but we can't vouch for the $10 Rolexes.

• Merdeka Square. The moorish Sultan Abdul Samad Building and the downright baronial Royal Selangor Club line this huge verdant expanse, which also features the world's tallest flagpole ("merdeka" is Malay for "independence").

For The VIP

• Drinks at the Selangor Club Long Bar. The Selangor Club is the city's unofficial shrine to its British colonial past. Lord Mountbatten played polo on its grounds as a young army officer, and returned 20 years later as Supreme Allied Commander.

• Dinner at Senses. Head chef Cheong Liew pretty much invented Asian fusion while at the Grange Restaurant in Adelaide, and now the prodigal son of Malaysian cuisine has returned to the KL Hilton.

• Butler Service at the Ritz. All the rooms at the Ritz come with your own personal Jeeves. Ask for some tips on nearby Bintang Walk, KL's luxury retail district.

Overrated

Suria KLCC. At the base of the Petronas Towers you'll find this very large, very antiseptic shopping mall. For a bustling arcade with real character, try Sungei Wang.

Underrated

Cameron Highlands. About 70 miles north of KL, set high in the mountains amidst several tea plantations, Cameron Highlands offers cool climes and several stately English guesthouses.

Don't Miss

Batu Caves. These spectacular limestone caves just outside the city are sacred cathedrals for Malaysia's Hindu population. Home to the annual Thaipusam Festival (of skin-piercing notoriety), the caves are also rife with long-tailed macaque monkeys.

When To Go

Monsoon season lasts from November through March. Fortunately, the thundershowers are finite affairs -- they turn off abruptly after a couple of hours. Temperatures hover in the mid-80s year-round, but so does the humidity.