Where's Johnny Jet: Peering Down from the Petronas Towers

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Merry Christmas and happy holidays from Malaysia! Last week we left off at the Ritz-Carlton in Kuala Lumpur. This week we venture off the Ritz's property and check into another inexpensive 5-star hotel. If you want to explore some of the sights of this up-and-coming city -- including a visit to the world-famous Petronas Twin Towers --- then grab your walking shoes. We're in Malaysia's capital!

Checking in to the JW

I checked out of the Ritz-Carlton and into the JW Marriott. I actually didn't go directly from one to the other, though that would have been convenient (they are adjacent to each other). Instead my stay at the JW took place on my return from the countryside (which I will get to next week). For easier reading, I thought it would be best to put all my KL (Kuala Lumpur) experiences together.

JW Marriott Hotel

The JW, like the Ritz, is rated 5 stars. But because it's so much larger -- 561 rooms -- it lacked the same luxury feel. The biggest disappointment for me was that the bedroom walls were so thin I could hear the guest next door blowing his (or her) nose. And that person's wake-up call woke me up as well. However, don't let that stop you from staying at this 29-story hotel. The location is ideal, and the price is right. It's in the "Golden Triangle" of Bintang Walk, a popular shopping area that's trying to emulate Ginza in Tokyo.

My Room

The JW opened in 1997. Service is excellent; check-in was quick; the elevators were fast, and my bags got delivered to my room very efficiently. My room was comfortable, but nothing special. In fact, when I walked in I had a flashback to a few months earlier, when I stayed at JW Marriott in Brisbane. The room was almost (if not) identical (here's the story from that trip). What I liked about this JW is that the Internet was free, there was a huge workout facility (including an outdoor pool), and there was access to some of the best restaurants and shopping in the city. Rates begin at 400 RM ($112) a night. The JW Marriott Hotel; 183 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; tel. 011-60-3-2715-9000.

Starhill Gallery

The JW hotel is linked to the prestigious Starhill Gallery, whose seven levels boasts 70 shops (including top brand name designers like Gucci, Prada, Louis Vuitton?). A ground floor, nicknamed Feast Village, offers a slew of restaurants where patrons can dine on Chinese, Indian, Italian, Japanese, Malaysian, Middle Eastern, Spanish, seafood, Thai -- you name it! One of several bars -- the Village -- is special: It is made from 10,000 recycled bottles. That's not the only architectural wonder. The design of this entire floor is so cool -- it's funky, dark and definitely worth the trip.

Fisherman's Cove

I had dinner at Fisherman's Cove. It is designed like a rustic fisherman's boathouse, with bamboo boat sails and fish tanks. I am not a big seafood fan, so the most impressive part of the evening was the desserts. They were too good to describe, and my pictures don't do either the presentation or the colors justice. Fisherman's Cove, LG10 Feast Village, Starhill Gallery, 181 Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur; tel. 603-2782 3848.

Night Market

A good place to visit after dinner is the Night Market on Petaling Street, in the heart of KL's Chinatown. This is not the best night market I've ever been to (the ones in Bangkok and Hong Kong blow it away), but it's still a good experience to walk through the two tight, completely packed streets where street hawkers try to get you to buy all kinds of cheap stuff, from t-shirts to knickknacks. I bought a fridge magnet for less than a dollar and a bag of Rambutans (my favorite tropical fruit) for only 2 RM (56¢). If I hadn't just eaten dinner I would have tried the street food specialties, nasi ayam goring (chicken fried rice) and kari laksa (rice noodles in coconut curry).

Yo, Taxi!

Getting a taxi from the night market is not a problem -- but getting them to charge by the meter is. When drivers use the meter, the fare is so cheap I understand why they put up a fuss. If you don't feel like arguing with a driver, then before getting into the car you should bargain for a fixed price. My friends and I hired a taxi to take us to Petronas Towers, then to our hotel. Each was a 10 minute drive. We tacked on another 15 minutes at the towers for picture-taking. It cost us only 30 RM ($8.50) for over 30 minutes. In Europe or the U.S. the price would be at least quadruple that. The one drawback: These taxis are so small that three people in the back seat are cramped. They felt like the cheapest thing I've ever ridden in -- it was like riding in a tin can on wheels. FYI: All fine hotels have drivers waiting outside with luxury cars for hire. Their prices are still cheaper than taxi rates in the U.S.

Petronas Towers

Kuala Lumpur's most famous landmark is the 1,483-foot (452-meter) Petronas Twin Towers. The 88-floor buildings were constructed in 1998 by American architect Cesar Pelli. For six years they were the world's tallest buildings (Taipei 101 now holds the title). They were designed in keeping with Islamic patterns. That was achieved by using geometric art -- such as squares, hexagons, octagons. The Arabesque octagons at the top of each tower are part of that form. Halfway up, a sky bridge connects the two towers. From a distance this makes them look like a pair of humongous rockets about to be launched into outer space.

On a clear night, all lit up, the twin towers are absolutely beautiful. The only problem is that you can't go inside then. In fact, there are very strict rules about visiting. The skybridge is open to all visitors and passes are free. However, there is a limit of 1,300 tickets a day. These are usually handed out before noon, and reservations are not accepted. To avoid waiting in a long line, arrange for your hotel to get you passes. If they refuse, ask the bellman to do so. I'm sure he'd be happy to do (for a small amount of money).

The Skybridge

Our time slot was 1pm We thought we would just cruise up and down and be on with our day, but that was not possible. First, visitors are asked to wait in a room filled with information about the towers. When our time slot was called we were given a colored pass. Then everyone went into a small theatre to watch a documentary, until we were summoned. The film does not start when you walk in; it runs continuously. Other groups were in there as well. The only good part is that the seats are comfortable. When we were finally called 20 minutes later (it felt like 2 hours), it was time to go through airport-like security -- except this was tighter. I was shocked when we were led to the most sterile elevator I've ever seen. I thought a structure as magnificent as this would have a better-looking elevator. Fortunately, it takes only a few seconds to reach the sky bridge, located on the 41st and 42nd floors. The 41st floor is for visitors (that's as high as they can go), while the 42nd floor is only for employees. The sky bridge is 557 feet (170 meters) off the ground and 190 feet (58 meters) long. When clear, the view is very nice. It might look familiar, because it was shown in the 1999 movie "Entrapment" starring Catherine Zeta-Jones and Sean Connery. Visiting hours are 9am to 5pm daily, except Mondays. For more information on tickets, surf to this website: Petronas.com.my

Kuala Lumpur City Centre

Connected to Petronas Twin Towers is the Suria KLCC (Kuala Lumpur City Centre), one of the biggest malls in Southeast Asia. The bright, crescent-shaped six-level structure features over 200 shops (including Tiffany's), three department stores, movie theatres and a monster food court with over 1,500 seats. I felt like I was in a really nice mall back home, because the prices were just as expensive -- if not more. Except for the food, that is -- it was ridiculously inexpensive. A huge plate of Indian food cost me roughly $2.50. I also had a snow cone (under a dollar) and a couple of glasses of fresh-squeezed watermelon juice for $1 each. There was even an Auntie Anne's Pretzels, a common sight in American airports, except here the prices were two-thirds lower. Outside the mall, a 50-acre park offers water fountains, a kiddy playground and a jogging track. The entire complex, including the towers, is owned by Petronas (short for Petroliam Nasional Berhad), a Malaysian government-owned oil and gas company that operates in 31 countries (and has deep pockets).

Luan Bar

If you want a place with great views for drinks or dinner, try the Luna Bar. I didn't eat there, but I did lounge around on both floors of the bar. At 34 stories up it's almost the same view as from the Petronas, but from here you can see one of the towers -- a much nicer sight. The only problem is that you only see one of the towers. Visitors come here for the view and the atmosphere, because service is slow, the mixed drinks don't taste too good, and it's much more expensive than most places (drinks start at 20 RM [$5]). But I highly recommend it, especially if you can score a romantic windowside niche -- you're set for the night. On weekends after 9:30 pm, expect to pay a 50 RM ($14) cover charge (it includes a drink). I told you Malaysia was inexpensive! Luna Bar, Menara PanGlobal 34F, Jalan Punchak (off Jl P. Ramlee), tel. 60-3-2026-2211.

Video

Here's a 2-minute Johnny Jet Video of my trip to Kuala Lumpur (including my flight over). It's on YouTube, so it only takes a few seconds to load (though the quality is not crisp). All JohnnyJet Videos ever made are on their servers as well.

Next Week

Next week we get out of the city and fly to the Malaysian coast!

Happy Travels,

Johnny Jet

Please tell us what you think of this week's newsletter!

John E. DiScala (aka Johnny Jet), is the founder of www.johnnyjet.com, the ultimate travel website and weekly newsletter. He logs over 150,000 miles a year, has been featured in over 850 articles (including Frommers.com, USA Today, Time, Fortune, the New York Times, CNBC and MSNBC), and has published the book, You Are Here Traveling With JohnnyJet.com.

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