A SENSE OF TRULY ASIA 

Do: Go up the Menara KL Tower for breathtaking views of the city. The views, in my opinion, are much better than the one you can get up the Petronas Twin Towers as it offers a stunning panoramic view of the city, the Twin Towers, and its historical sites. Afterwards, take a 5-minute cab westwards to the Perdana Botanical Gardens for a relaxing leisurely stroll featuring a variety of tropical fauna, rare fruit trees, an orchid garden, and a planetary observatory. 

Eat: Having tasted many local cuisines both in the city and outside, at various price levels. If you're after authentic Malaysian food, you'll be hard-pressed to find any in the city core that rivals places we've tried outside of KL. A plethora of hotels offer poor and overpriced choices that disappoint. While not terrible, they do not fully encompass the passion needed to deliver the wholesome flavour one seeks in Malaysian cuisine. In fact, you're better off going for the city's other popular eats, including a Taiwanese dumpling place called Din Tai Fung and some very interesting Japanese delights at the Isetan Shopping Centre. 

Overall, what surprised me the most was how quickly the city has changed since I last visited over eight years ago. While it is adapting many ill-advised Western influences (soulless malls) in the process, one can continue to find solemn and cultural peace in the outer fringes of the city's historic parks and museums.

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