Kuala Lumpur

Kuala Lumpur, or, "muddy waters," is an exciting contrast of the very old and gleaming new. The world's tallest buildings, the Petronas Towers, are here, which can be seen as a shining example of Malaysia's progress or the excesses that led to the Asian currency crises of 1997.

WHAT TO SEE: For a nice walking tour, start out in Merdeka Square. The train station, built in 1911, will put you in awe: built by the Brits, the pseudo-Moorish structure looks like something out of a movie. The Sultan Abdul Samad Building, City Hall, and the GPO are also of the same architectural theme. The modern National Mosque is worth a peek. Northeast of the center, walk along Jalan Ampang: now embassies, these were once stately homes of the tin moguls who settled KL. Chinatown is a must if you want to see Asia at its chaotic best.

WHAT TO DO: On Saturday night, KL has one of the best night markets, Pasar Miggnu, anywhere, so even if you don't buy anything, it's great fun to walk around. Central Market in Chinatown is a great place to people watch as well, on Jalan Petaling.

WHAT NOT TO DO: Stay too long in KL's bus terminal! What a hole! You'll suffocate from the fumes if you stay down by the bus platforms, so get some exercise and walk up and down the stairs from the garage to the main lounge, checking the status of your bus, before it departs.

WHERE TO EAT: True to my belief that Malaysia has the best street food in the world, skip dinner one night and just graze across the city. You'll find everything including savory satay, Chinese entrees, fresh fruit juices, and Indian treats like samozas. The Chinese district has great dim-sum. You'll find these restaurants packed at 7:00 a.m.! The S&M Center (yes, that's the real name) has a nice food court where you can sample Malaysia's great cuisine at a cheap price.

WHERE TO STAY: There are hostels and cheap backpacking lodges, but if you get into town during a holiday like I did, you'll walk around for hours, cranky at the world, till you find something. The KL International Youth Hostel looked great (03-230-6870), and north of the center, try the Ben Soo Homestay (03-271-8096). Chinatown has a lot of hotels; I had the luck to stay in a room for four people because that's all there was available. Plus they rented rooms by the hour. I don't remember the name, nor do I care to recall it.