Kuala Lumpur: stopover city

A 24-hour seduction of the senses awaits the traveller in this multicultural capital. Simon Richmond maps out the day.

In pictures: heights and sights of KL

Telegraph travel guides

Malaysia's capital city, Kuala Lumpur, or KL to give it its local nickname, is dynamic, multicultural and an ideal stopover en route to Australia, New Zealand or the far-flung corners of Asia. From the wispy smoke of joss-sticks in Chinese temples and sizzling satay (chunks of meat on bamboo skewers) at pasar malams (night markets) to the whiff of aromatic oils as you walk past spas in ritzy shopping malls and hotels, KL is a seduction of the senses.

	The Petronas Twin Towers symbolise Kuala Lumpur's rapid growth

Hacked out of the jungle around the confluence of the Klang and Gombak rivers just over 150 years ago, KL sprawls east to the highlands of the Banjaran Titiwangsa range and west to the Strait of Melacca. With improved facilities and transport infrastructure throughout the capital, thanks to the government's Visit Malaysia 2007 campaign, you can make the most of KL in a day.

Here are two suggestions of how to spend it: one for the tired; the other for the wired.

Tired

Morning

If you're feeling below par, it's futile trying to cope first thing with KL's often manic traffic, dripping humidity and less-than-smooth pavements, so ease yourself into the day with a relaxing spa treatment. The glamorous Starhill Gallery ( www.starhillgallery.com), linked to the Ritz Carlton Hotel on Jalan Bukit Bintang, has a ''pamper'' floor dedicated entirely to spas and beauty parlours.

Try the experienced Spa Indrani (0060 3 2782 3868, www.spaindrani.com), which offers a range of treatments, including some tailored to men, or the Ritz Carlton's Spa Village (www.ytlhotels.com/properties/ritzcarltonkl/facil_spavillage01.htm), a tropical-themed retreat with both indoor and outdoor treatment rooms, and an outdoor pool with palm trees and waterfalls.

Revived, cruise Starhill Gallery's line-up of designer-brand boutiques - it's like Vogue magazine come to life. Alternatively, more local fashions and street wares can be found at nearby Sungei Wang Plaza (www.sungeiwang.com) on Jalan Sultan Ismail.

Lunch

A quick cab ride from Jalan Bukit Bintang is the 26-acre Bukit Nanas Forest Reserve at the top of which stands the KL Tower (www.menarakl.com.my), one of the city's most distinctive landmarks. Combine a panoramic view of the city with lunch at the revolving restaurant, Seri Angkasa (www.serimelayu.com). This is not just for tourists, many locals come here for the quality Malay lunch buffet (£10).

Another short cab ride south-west will bring you to the vast Lake Gardens (open 9am-6pm), established in 1880 as a botanical haven away from the city's hubbub. The hilly gardens sprawl around an artificial lake and contain several different sections, all of which are connected by a shuttle bus. The highlight is the bird park (£4), a giant aviary that's home to nearly 3,000 species including egrets, hornbills, hawk eagles and ostriches.

In the unlikely event that you're still hungry after your lunch, the Carcosa Seri Negara (www.ghmhotels.com), the luxury hotel in the middle of the gardens, offers KL's most indulgent and elegant afternoon tea (£10). The pair of villas were once the official residence and guest house of the colonial governor and are still the preferred home from home of royalty and other VIPs.

Next to the garden's entrance on Jalan Lembah Perdana is the excellent Islamic Arts Museum (www.iamm.org.my, £2), which is housed in a stunning building, with beautifully decorated domes and glazed tilework. Inside, you'll find one of best collections of Islamic decorative art in the world. It includes fabulous textiles, carpets, jewellery, calligraphy-inscribed pottery and an amazing reconstruction of an ornate Ottoman room.

Evening

Check the website of the Dewan Filharmonik Petronas (www.malaysianphilharmonic.com) to see if there's a concert at this gorgeous state-of-the-art music venue at the base of Petronas Towers (www.petronastwintowers.com.my). Alternatively, return to the Starhill Gallery's fancy basement restaurant floor where you can dine on everything from authentically crispy pizza to spicy Thai food, sip a cocktail amid the kaleidoscopic coloured-glass lampshades of the Village Bar or head to the fourth floor's Tiff's Jazz Lounge with its live music and wacky Mad Hatter's tea party-style décor.

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Wired

Morning

It's a good job you're raring to go as there's plenty to do, starting with queuing before 9am to be sure of getting one of the 1,400 free tickets dished out daily from Tuesday to Sunday for access to the vertigo-inducing Skybridge linking the 41st floors of the 88-storey steel-clad Petronas Towers. This supermodel of a skyscraper, the mascot of contemporary KL, may no longer be the world's tallest building, but it remains a majestic sight both inside and out.

The towers are the twin pinnacles of the Kuala Lumpur City Centre (KLCC), a model urban development including the Suria KLCC mall (www.suriaklcc.com.my) and a beautifully landscaped park. While waiting for your time to ascend the towers, explore the top-notch mall on the third floor you'll find the Galeri Petronas (www.galeripetronas.com) showcasing some of Malaysia's best contemporary art and photography.

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