Christmas In Asia | Spending Seasonal Holidays in Kuala Lumpur

We haven't really had a white Christmas in the UK in a long time, but when I think of the impending Christmas I can't help but conjure up these fantasies of a white Christmas matched with cosiness at home, PJs, hot chocolate mugs, decorated trees watching cheesy Christmas movies with family while the snowflakes slide down the downs downstairs. 

Definitely no snow in London this Christmas, perhaps that's a good thing as we have never really been prepared for snow in the city, albeit the whole country. My sister on the other hand is visiting Michigan in the USA with my 1-year-old nephew. She has been sending daily videos of her son.  My current favourite is watching the look of my nephew's face as he experienced snow for the first time. The look on his face as he was trying to figure whether we broke the sky, because he couldn't make sense of the powdery stuff on the ground as well as the flakes falling from above and onto his little hands. Christmas is celebrated differently around the world. For a long time, I experienced Christmas in a warm climate, in Zambia so the very idea of white Christmas was out of this world madness. Now that I am living in London I have come to associate it with cold weather with flakes of snow thrown in every other year.

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Mandarin Oriental | A slice of Luxury In Kuala Lumpur

Up there among some of my favourite stays from last year. I was in Malaysia late last year and twice thrice this year. I am smittened with the city and yearn to see more of this beautiful country. Known for its beaches and rain forests, sadly none of which were on the itinerary for the last few trips. You have seen me post about my visit to the Batu Caves, a run down on what to see and do in Kuala Lumpur as well as the experiencing city views from Petronas Towers, and a culinary tour of KL's China Town. With all the city gems available to explore in Kuala Lumpur one needs to consider a comfort spot to lay your head. It doesn't get any better than Mandarin Oriental in the heart of the capital. Perfectly located, sits right next to Petronas Towers, KLCC shopping mall and many cool and trendy bars and restaurants within reach. It was definitely worth the splurge! Plus, we managed to snub a room with a view of the twin towers. 

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Petronas Towers | Sky High Views From Kuala Lumpur's Iconic Twin Towers

I am a sucker for a good view where are home, peeking at London views from the Shard or away. There the higher the better too. When one visits Kula Lumpur a stop to admire the Petronas twin towers is always somewhere on the list. Lets' face it, you would have to try really hard not to see these beauties when you visit the country. 

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See Do Eat Sleep | Guide to Exploring Kuala Lumpur

My Plan was to visit Malaysia for a couple of days while doing a mini tour of Asia last year that consisted of China, Cambodia, and Thailand. Little did I know that the vacation Gods had other plans as I ended up back in Malaysia after missing my flight to Paris and also visiting this year on the way to Australia. While I was bummed about missing my Paris flight and consequently missing the New Year's celebration I planned in Paris but it wasn’t all too bad as I got to ring in the New Year in Cambodia then flew off to visit Malaysia before returning back to London. One gets over these little mishaps very quickly if you happen to get stuck in rather beautiful cities like Kuala Lumpur. I expected it to be Modern and lavish and I wasn’t disappointed either.

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Malaysia's Best Kept Secret : Why You Must Visit The Heli Bar In Kuala Lumpur

Where in the world can you land a chopper on a helipad, only to have that same helipad turn into a bar after dark? Only in Kuala Lumpur! The Heli Lounge Bar is quite literally a breath of fresh air. One of 5 helipads in the city but what makes this one special is that you can stand on it and sip cocktails as the sun sets into the horizon. 

Before you get too excited and rush to the stairs leading to the heli-pad on the 36th floor, you will have to buy a drink in the bar before being shown up to the roof. The Heli Lounge Bar sits on the on 34th floor and comes complete with an aeronautical theme to the decor. You have panels from Boeing 737 and 747 turned into sitting booth and DJ console. The Heli Pad is 2 flights of stairs, also note that other than the light barriers around the helipad, you are basically on the roof of a building with no safety net. There is security on deck to ensure no one gets too close to the edge.

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Exploring Kuala Lumpur's Batu Caves

You cannot visit Kuala Lumpur without visiting KLCC, Chinatown or indeed the Batu Caves. The Batu Caves are an iconic tourist attraction in Selangor, about 13km from Kuala Lumpur's city center. The Batu Caves are spectacular caves that feature temples and Hindu Shrines in caves that are over 400 million years old. As you approach the site you are greeted by Lord Murugan Statue, the tallest statue of a Hindu deity in Malaysia. It's also the second tallest statue of a Hindu deity in the world. This thing is huge, so I would love to see just how big the biggest one is. The tallest of the Hindu deities is the Kailashnath Mahadev Statue in Nepal.

To the left of Lord Murugan Statue are the steep steps to the caves. All 272 steps of them to get you up to the limestone outcrop that harbours the 400 million old caves. On the way up you will pass crazy monkeys that will snatch your fruit,sweets, water, ice-cream or anything attractive that you lightly hold without too much care. Look away and it's gone! Especially look out for your phones.

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Mandarin Oriental | Where To Stay In Kuala Lumpur

Petronas Twin Towers are Kuala Lumpur's most famous landmarks in Malaysia, if not the whole of Southeast Asia. When I was planning our visit to Kuala Lumpur I was also on the hunt for hotels in Kuala Lumpur city center as almost everything that I planned was close if not within the main part of the city center. We checked into Mandarin Oriental in Kuala Lumpur, which not only sits pretty with views of Malaysia's business district but comes with a bonus of being right next to Petronas Towers and the ridiculously HUGE Suria KLCC shopping mall. The location makes it some much easier to get started on the list of things to do in Kuala Lumpur as KLCC and Petronas Tower Bridge Tour Experience are right at your door!

The luxury hotel boasts 10 restaurants serving up Japanese, Chinese, Italian, Spanish and other international cuisines. Gastronomy to the max! Kuala Lumpur is already a multi-cultural city but I love that the hotel is already offering you a piece of the world in all its international flavours without even having to leave the premises. With all the city's tourist sights we had on the cards, first on the list was a bit of R&R on the rooftop's infinity pool. Considering we had just spent a few days temple running through Cambodia's Angkorian Temples, it was time to relax by the pool with a cocktail before exploring began. A few days ago I also shared some pictures from our culinary tour through Kuala Lumpur's Chinatown.

Budget - Wise

Obviously, Mandarin Oriental is in the luxury category so expect to pay a premium for that, but it was well worth every penny or dollar that we paid. We had a room that was looking out to Petronas Towers, again those rooms charge a bit more. Others not facing the towers are slightly less. I will be posting more on the hotel. It was a birthday treat so totally justified, I guess. For a list of hotels in Kuala Lumpur head over to this list of hotels in KL.

Location Location Location

Location of the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Kuala Lumpur doesn't get any better!  You are bang in the middle of it all. If you are after a hotel near KLCC then this is the place for you! Firstly you have the 10 restaurants inside the hotel, then the major Suria Mall within Petronas Towers next door. You have stores from luxury to sensibly priced stores. So from your Gucci, Fendi, Chanel to H&M and all the gadgets shops like the Microsoft, Samsung and Apple stores. I couldn't resist, I managed to come back to London with a gold and shiny Samsung A8. Exclusive to Asia, so I feel pretty chuffed that only a few people in the UK might have it. The hotel is perfectly located with plenty of sights are your finger tips. Also, perfect for anyone short on time but wanting to get the most out of your stay. You won't have to go very far to see the sights.

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Kuala Lumpur | A Culinary Tour Through Chinatown

Exploring a new city is not just about the tourist sites. Food is very much as the heart of cultural explorations. When it comes to Kuala Lumpur, its got it all! Kuala Lumpur is a city that never sleeps and at the heart of it, you have the lively and bustling neighbourhoods of KLCC, Bukit Bintang and Chinatown. Having heard great things about China town it wasn't long before we were hunting down Petaling Street, where Chinatown is based. Day or night this part of town is bustling with food stalls, shops calling out customers for nail and massage services. We were too famished for grooming sessions, so we skipped the nail and hair salons and got right down to business; the food!

Famous for its street food and the beauty of it is that majority of it is cooked right in front of you. It's a paradise if you are a lover of seafood or exotic food in addition to the usual Chinese delicates that includes scorpions and other weird and wonderful creatures. As far as entertainment goes, there are folks that pass through and play music next to the dinners outside, there sellers walking around the tables selling selfie sticks, laser pens, and other nicknacks. It's well-known as a bargain hunter's paradise where you can find everything from souvenirs, clothes, electronics to imitation goods. Make sure you up your haggling game as you will find brands like Adidas, Louis Vuitton, Calvin Klein, Nike, the list goes on!

Even if you are short on time in the city be sure you make time for Chinatown. The best part is that whatever time or day you come it's always lively.

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