Luxury Travel to Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur acts as the perfect entryway (or buffer) to the rest of Malaysia. Cosmopolitan and urbane, with dining options and an entertainment scene characteristic of capital cities around the world (albeit tinged by the occasional visit from the morality police to ensure that local Muslims do not partake of the same kind of entertainment options offered to tourists and non-Muslims). The city buzz of Kuala Lumpur is a nice counterpoint to the otherwise relaxed beach holidays of Langkawi and Trengganu, the culturally-steeped destinations of Malacca and Penang and the quaint oddity of Cameron Highlands.

Based at the modern designer hotel Hotel Maya in Ampang, indulge in the resident spa, a spot of shopping at nearby KLCC or dine by the reflective pool in Frangipani, a hip restaurant set within a colonial house.

Alternatively, opt to be based in the more secluded, atmospheric Carcosa Seri Negara, a colonial house accessible through a windy drive up a hilltop with a well-known fine dining restaurant, or the Saujana, with a sleek modern tenor and whose location away from the shopping and restaurants is compensated for by the lush, idyllic surroundings. An excellent five-star chain option would be the Westin Hotel- a modern hotel with one of the best restaurants (pictured in the gallery) and hotel breakfasts in Kuala Lumpur, the Westin provides all the services associated with a five-star chain with all the style of a design-led hotel.

if you (must) experience a more authentic form of living in Kuala Lumpur- away from the glitz of the city's shopping malls and into the realities of a suburban neighbourhood, with single-clad ah peks as neighbours and communal parks and wet markets in the immediate neighbourhood, we might have the perfect accommodation option for you. A stylish house  with minimalist lines and an unfussy ethos, relax in the garden bath or dine on local food al fresco in the house's courtyard. Opt to rent the whole house for no more( probably less) than what you would spend on a room downtown.

We continue our trip in Kuala Lumpur by taking a 2 hour drive out of the city center into a luxe jungle resort in an unlikely jungle setting close to an Orang Asli village is an accessible one hour's drive from Kuala Lumpur. All minimalist lines using vernacular materials, this resort and associated activities makes for a memorable and unexpected contribution to your memories and impression of Kuala Lumpur.

From Kuala Lumpur, there are two land-bound extensions available; the mountain resort of Cameron Highlands, a favoured ex-colonial town for its cool, frost-free weather and verdant hillsides (its place amongst the colonizers evident in the architecture of the houses and hotels in the area) or the luxurious private island resort of Pangkor Laut, where you're able to partake of a range of sea sport activities, book yourself a sunset cruise on the island's private cruise liner, with an interesting alternative mode of transportation being the Chinese junk ship. Based in one of the stilt-mounted villas, explore the treatment options from the resort's excellent spa and book yourself a private dinner in one of several private dining locations proffered by the resort.