The Perks

the view from my hotel window

the hotel pool

don't you love the open bathtub so one can watch tv while bathing?

i'm a sucker for nice bathrooms, a bath tub, rain shower and spacious countertop

love the wood panels

my first time to see this: TV screen linked to the mirror in the bathroom sink so one can watch tv while brushing teeth, washing hands... you'll never be bored doing mundane tasks!

The Pavillion, KL's latest high-end mall

Celadon, a modern Thai restaurant at Pavillion with great spicy duck salad

My first visit to Kuala Lumpur was a disaster. It was during one of our annual clan trips with my entire Sy family. The hotel was supposedly really new and in a nice location but there was no water for two mornings. There was supposedly a nice beach we were gonna go to but we ended up riding in the bus for 5 hours back and forth only to stay in Penang overnight and barely seeing sand. The sights would be supposedly be breath taking including a visit to the famous Petronas Towers but we ended up seeing it only from a distance and having our picture taken with it in an empty parking lot with the actual Towers miles away! The food would supposedly be authentic but it turned out we ended up eating at a roadside restaurant (barely a resto) with flies all over the place and no toilet bowl in the restroom, only a hole in the ground (the worst restroom I have EVER seen)! The only consolation was that it's a funny story to tell and laugh about, for now at least. But that time everyone was up in arms threatening the travel agency!

This June, I visited the city again (for the 3rd time as the last was 2 years ago for a business trip as well). I stayed at the Hilton KL, right across the train station to the airport. Love the room. When I travel, I don't like the thought of saving one's money by staying in dirt cheap and dirty places. Why be not comfortable especially since you're already far away from home?

I never really like visiting Asean countries often because I feel it is too much like Manila. Everyone drives, no one walks, the air is polluted, the taxis cheat you, malls are the main tourist sights, the other tourist sights seem contrived, the city is chaotic... The only silver linings are the local brands (hello VNC), the discovery of more exotic eateries and the service of a luxury hotel stay.