Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
228
Sultan Abdul Samad Building
In 1897, this exotic building was designed by two
colonial architects, A. C. N orman and A. B. H ubbock, in a style called M uhammadan
or neo-Saracenic, which combines I ndian Muslim architecture with G othic and other
Western elements. Built to house government administrative offices, today it is the home
of Malaysia's Supreme Court and High Court. At night, the building is lit up .
Jalan Raja. Free admission.
GOLF
People from all over Asia flock to Malaysia for its golf courses, many of which ar e excel-
lent standard courses designed by pros. The
Kuala Lumpur Golf & Country Club,
10
Jalan 1/70D Off Jalan Bukit Kiara (
&
03/2093-1111
), has 2 courses, 18 holes each, par
71 and 72, designed by R. Nelson and R. Wright, with greens fees of RM180 ($52/£32)
weekdays. The club is closed to nonmembers on w eekends and holidays.
Suajana Golf
& Country Club,
Km 3, Jalan Lapangan Terbang Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah, 46783 Sub-
ang Selangor (
&
03/7846-1466;
fax 03/7846-7818), has two 18-hole courses, each par
72, designed b y R onald F ream, with gr eens fees fr om RM220 ($64/£40) w eekdays,
RM353 ($102/£64) weekends and holidays.
SHOPPING
Kuala Lumpur is a truly great place to shop. In recent years, mall after mall has risen from
city lots, filled with hundr eds of r etail outlets selling ev erything from haute coutur e to
cheap chic clothing, electronic goods, jewelry, and arts and crafts. The
major shopping
malls
are located in the ar ea around Jalan Bukit Bintang and Jalan Sultan Ismail. Suria
KLCC, just beneath the Petronas Twin Towers, is KL's most upmarket mall, while Berjaya
Times Square wins the prize for excess, with 900 shops, food and entertainment outlets,
plus one of the world 's largest indoor amusement par ks. Pavilion KL on J alan B ukit
Bintang is the city's latest luxurious mall.
Still the best place for Malaysian handicrafts, the huge
Central Market
on Jalan Ben-
teng (
&
03/2274-6542
) keeps any shopper occupied for hours. There you'll find local
artists and craftspeople selling their war es in the hear t of town. It's also a good place to
find Malaysian handicrafts from other regions of the country. One specific shop I like to
recommend for M alaysian handicrafts is
KL C raft Complex,
Section 3 J alan Conlay
(
&
03/2162-7533
), with its war ehouse selection of assor ted goods fr om ar ound the
country, all of it fine quality. Don't forget to walk thr ough the gardens to see the ar tists'
village. In the bungalows toward the side of the building, y ou'll find some of M alaysia's
finest contemporary artists displaying their wor ks for sale. And w ear comfy shoes; y ou
may need to walk back to the main r oad to get a cab.
Another favorite shopping haunt in KL is
Chinatown,
along Petaling Street. Day and
night, it's a great place to wander and bargain for knockoff designer clothing and acces-
sories, sunglasses, T-shirts, souvenirs, fake watches, and pirated CDs and D VDs.
Pasar malam
(night mar kets)
ar e v ery popular ev ening activities in KL. Whole
blocks are taken up with these brightly lit and bustling markets packed with stalls selling
almost ev erything y ou can dr eam of . Two good bets for catching one: O n S aturday
nights, head for Jalan Tuanku Abdul Rahman, while the Bangsar Night Market starts at
dusk and is popular with tr endy residents.
13
KUALA LUMPUR AFTER DARK
There's nightlife to spar e in KL, fr om fashionable lounges to sprawling discos to
pubs per fect for lounging. B asically, y ou can expect to pay about RM10 to RM25
