Freida PINTO Riz AHMED

HOW FAR WOULD YOU GO FOR LOVE?

Getting There

Malaysia Airlines fl ies frequent ly to Kuala Lumpur from Austral ia

W Hereto Eat

Old style Kop it iamsorcoffi>t' houses, once an integra l part of Ma la~ian society an> hard to come by these days. Yut Kee 3S Ja lan Dang Wang i has been servingcoffi>t' since 1928, and is now in its th ird generation. Restoran Teratai on the ground level of the Oayabum i building by the river has goodcoffi>t' and Malay food. In Little Ind ia, I like Saravanaa Bhavan, 1007, 5€Iangor Mansion, Jalan Masji dInd ia, part of the Indian cha inand Lakshm i Vilas Restaurant

S7 Lebuh Ampang. Good places to eatan> to be bund everywhere.

Whereto Stay

Afavourab le exchange rate translates to Kua la Lumpur being a bargain destination. The emergence ofclean, comfortab le, new ly refurbished and centrally located hotelsach ieves further savings. Recommended budget hotelsinclude the Citi n Hotel Masjid Jamek and Tune Hotel though there are other good budget hotels, many in Little India.

For asp lurge the sp lendidly deluxe Mandarin Oriental offers city skyline views and rooms that featu re king-size beds and ma rble bathrooms. Just metres from the PetronasTwin Towers, Su ria KL(( and a lake and garden idea l for a pleasant ea rly morn ing or late afternoon stro ll

The Club Lounge isextraordinarily good with awelcoming,clubby amb ience. The food and refreshments on offerthroughouttheday make it hard to leave. The pool is lovely, the gym wellequippedwith tra inerson hand, andthe massage from the hotel spa the best I have ever had.

Getti Ng Around

AcrBS from Kuala Lumpur lntffnational Airport (K UA)todowntiwn takes28 minutes by tra inor one hour by taxi or bus. Kuala Lumpur's publict ransport system is inexpensive, effident and frequent, but negotiatingth!l'e ...eparatl'ly run monorail, rommutff and light rai l systems is challenging for the un init iated. Taxisare inexpensrie and numerous,just be alert as tl when>youa re heading.

Tip

At KUA, not having acress to an air li ne lounge is no obstacle to boarding your fl ight feeling buffed, refreshed and ready to go. The Transit Hotel offers a shower, towel and soap for RM20. The Plaza Premium Lounge charges RM2S. Both are open 24 hours.

Money-changers give the best rates, higher for larger denominations and prefer notes in pristine condit ion. Wh ile Kuala Lumpur is a relatively safe city take care with your wallet whi le on tra ins and buses, at stations and when walking in Chinatown and Chow Kit My overa ll impression isthat Kua la Lumpur isbecoming more affluent, relaxed and welcoming to visitors.

Inform At Ion

Austra lian passport holders do not need a visa to enter Ma laysia for a visit ofup to three months, prov ided theirpassportsa re val id for at least six months on arriva l and they have a return or onward t icket to another internationa l dest inat ion. for citizens of India, Sri Lanka, Pakistanand Afghanistan, a visa from the High Comm ission of Ma laysia i nCanberra is requ ired. Tourism Ma la~ia has many brochures and is at Leve l 2, 171 Clarence Street, Sydney Phone: 02-9299 4441 Email: mala~ia@ma laysiatour ism.com.au