Travel Agent - August 18, 2008 - (Page M7)

H e r e y o u ’ l l f i n d T H E C O U N T R Y ’s g at e way c a p i ta l , K u a l a L u m p u r — a n d M a l ay s i a at i t s m o s t m o d e r n city, with a Butterﬂy Park, Bird Park and Orchid Garden. Shopping is one of KL’s main draws and dedicated shoppers can head for the Bukit Bintang area in the Golden Triangle. Last year saw the opening of the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur (often referred to as Malaysia’s version of New York City’s Fifth Avenue), a seven-storey shopping center featuring some of the world’s most famous high-end brands, including Hermes, Montblanc, Coach, Omega and Versace. If you thrive on local color, visit the Central Market (an arts-andcrafts venue rather than a food market), Chinatown (a good place to stop for lunch, too) and Little India, where your ﬁnd all manner of goods and accessories, including batiks and colorful sarongs in Karyaneka. KL is Malaysia’s transportation hub and it makes a great base for setting off to explore destinations throughout the country. Putrajaya Putrajaya is the new government administration capital and a ﬁne example of a governmentdesigned community, affectionately referred to as an “intelligent garden city.” Putrajaya makes a pleasant day trip from KL, being only 15 miles away. At the 12,185-acre site are the eight bridges spanning the man-made lake and linking various parts of Putrajaya — the futuristic-looking Seri Wawasan Bridge being especially eye-catching. The pink-domed Putra Mosque has become one of Malaysia’s iconic buildings. Large enough to hold some 15,000 worshipers at one time, the mosque is open to visitors; women must don a garment called a jubas. The mosque is right next to Putrajaya’s waterfront promenade, which also houses a food court with an array of eateries. If you wish to enjoy the scenery on a cruise, embark on the Cruise Tasik (www. cruisetasikputrajaya.com) lunch cruise or sunset dinner cruise on Putrajaya Lake. Price varies according to the menu, but you can expect to pay less than $50 per person for the two-hour sunset dinner cruise. Government administration buildings line the wide boulevards of Putrajaya and residential apartments are situated on the far shore of the lake. The distinctive Putrajaya Convention Center attracts convention and meeting attendees from around the world. Putrajaya has 12 parks, including the Putrajaya Wetland, the largest man-made freshwater wetland in the tropics. There’s also the Botanical Gardens, perfect for a contemplative stroll. Adjacent to Putrajaya is the 27-hole Palm Garden Golf Club. nual Hindu festival Prime Minister’s ofﬁce, Putrajaya, Kuala Lumpur Thaipusam, in which Hindu true believers go to great lengths to show their faith as they make the religious pilgrimage to the caves. Batu Caves consists of three big caves, including the main-temple cave, which features ornate Hindu shrines. The ascent of the center also has its own School of 272 steps leading up Hard Knocks, which gives visitors a to the main-temple cave is brochance to tap out their own pewken by the appearance of curious ter bowl. It’s a 30-minute workmacaques monkeys. Throughout shop that costs about $16 per perthe ascent, and in the caves, there son; prior booking is required. are evocative paintings and sculpTourists ﬂock to Kampung tures depicting scenes of Indian Kuantan to take boat trips on the epic myths. At the top of the stairs, river to see the natural light show you’ll enter a huge chamber that put on by thousands of ﬁreﬂies lets in sunlight from above. There’s as they ﬂit in and out of the manno charge to visit the caves – groves. Bird-watcher’s convene another example of the good on Fraser’s Hill, where they have value of a Malaysian vacation. the chance to view more than There are a number of sites 265 species of birds. that can be combined with a visit to Batu Caves. Nature-lovers will want to make their way to the Forest Research Institute of Malaysia (FRIM) site in Kepong located 10 miles northwest of Kuala Lumpur. The site is surrounded by the Bukit Lagong Forest Reserve. FRIM’s forest tour packages provide opportunities for camping, bird watching, jungle trekking and nature photography. The Royal Selangkor Visitor Centre, (www.visitorcentre. royalselangor.com) is the headquarters for the company’s pewter works. It comprises a pewter gallery, factory and retail store. If you’re in the market for superbly crafted pewter items, this is deﬁnitely a stop worth making. The Negeri Sembilan The tiny state of Negeri Sembilan is notable for being the home of the Minangkabau people, who arrived from Sumatra in the 15th century. Visitors with a yen for spicy food should try the ﬁery Minangkabau cuisine, which uses a potent chili called chili padi. When visiting, don’t miss the town of Sri Menanti, famed for its Istana Lama (Old Palace), now a museum and impeccably constructed of black hardwood. In Port Dickson, head out to explore the Cape Rachado Forest Reserve, a sanctuary for migrating birds. Selangor The federal district of Kuala Lumpur lies in the heart of Selangor, making this Malaysian state’s attractions an easy half-day trip from KL. Without a doubt the Batu Caves, located in a massive limestone outcropping nine miles north of Kuala Lumpur, should be high on the must-see list of any visitor to the region. The 130-foot-high statue of Lord Muruga at the entrance to the caves is the largest Murugan statue in the world. The caves are of special religious signiﬁcance to the Hindu faith and are the site of the an- www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my • www.tourismmalaysiausa.com Malaysia TRAVEL PLANNER 7 http://www.cruisetasikputrajaya.com http://www.cruisetasikputrajaya.com http://www.visitorcentreroyalselangor.com http://www.visitorcentreroyalselangor.com http://www.tourismmalaysia.gov.my http://www.tourismmalaysiausa.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - August 18, 2008

Travel Agent - April 18, 2008 Online Now Contents From the Editor Pacific/Asia: Visitors to Ubud will Discover the Essence of Balinese Art and Culture Special Supplement: Malaysia Travel Planner New Zealand: There is Plenty to See and Do Throughout the West Coast of the Southern Alps Europe: Beauty, History and Culture Combine in Valencia, Spain Caribbean: Scrub Island is the BVI’s First Development in 15 years The Wyndham Rio Mar’s $40 Million Makeover is Well Underway in Puerto Rico The Latest on Grenada, a Caribbean Up-and-Comer Mexico: Big Hotel Plans are in the Works for the Riviera Nayarit Florida: Loews Portofino Bay Hotel turns Orlando into Italy Las Vegas: Dinner at these Restaurants Can Get your Clients into Vegas’ Hottest Nightclubs Cover Story: Medical Tourism Special Supplement: Destination Weddings Specialist 3.0 Hotels: Everything Old is New Again at New York’s Algonquin Cruise: Short Cruises Keep your Clients on the Move for Less Group Travel: Disney makes Exotic Locales Friendly for Family Travel Car Rentals: How Much Insurance Does your Client Need for a Rental Car? Agency Profile: Corporate Travel Sales are Rising at MTravel.com, a Division of Montrose Luxury Travel Expo Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Hyatt comes to Curaçao New Hotels and Resorts in Asia CLIA Tightens Qualifications for ID Tripology Links Agents to Clients In the Spotlight Agent Access Editorial Index Advertising Index Trendwatch

Travel Agent - August 18, 2008

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