Weekendin Singapore Feb '14 | Issue 11 | Page 118

acrosstheSTRAITS acrosstheSTRAITS Malaysia visit Ipoh and Penang Also known as the “Green Lung of Kuala Lumpur”, the botanical gardens is parked within the Tun Abdul Razak Heritage Park View of the Patronas Towers from the Grand Hyatt KL Indoor theme park in Times Square George Town Kicking off Visit Malaysia Year 2014 Malaysian street food A shopaholic’s haven, avid shoppers should know that Kuala Lumpur was listed as the 4th Best Shopping City in the world by CNN in 2012 and 2013, as well as the 2nd Best Shopping Destination in Asia Pacific by Globe Shopper Index. In celebration of VMY 2014, rev up to events such as the Formula One Grand Prix and Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition. This is an opportunity to relish in the glamorous high-ceilinged megamalls during the 1Malaysia Year End Sale, 1Malaysia Mega Sale Carnival and the 1Malaysia GP Sale. An air of vibrancy is omnipresent throughout the country – where the streets come to life to showcase a diversity of local festivities, cultural and religious scenes and infrastructure. Despite the rapid developments in some of the dwellings, Malaysia still retains the remnants of pre-war structures, which are often placed in juxtaposition with modern-day establishments. The same practice holds true in the forested terrains as well. The untouched beauty of the tropical rainforest is preserved as it was decades ago and still holds residence to some of the region’s rare and endemic species. In the same vein, Malaysia has also been revered for its pristine natural beauty. World-class dive sites in Terengganu and Sabah are heavily frequented by divers from all over the world and the land is also home to some of the world’s fin- est resorts. You will be left scratching your heads over what to include in your itinerary even if you head down for a week long getaway.