Kuala Lumpur City Break, 4 Nights

Met at KLIA and driven into the city, an hour or so depending on traffic; a short photo stop at Putrajaya, the government capital with its rose-granite mosque, can be added on the way if you land early. After check-in and a rest, the evening belongs to KLCC Park at the foot of the Petronas Towers. The towers are lit from dusk, and the fountain on the lake runs a light-and-music show in the evening. Suria KLCC, the mall beneath them, has a large food court with Indian and vegetarian counters.

A private half-day tour that begins with photographs at the Petronas Towers and the gates of Istana Negara, the king's palace, then drives past the National Museum and the National Mosque. On foot at Merdeka Square, the Sultan Abdul Samad Building of 1897 shows the Indo-Saracenic style the British brought from India, and the River of Life marks the muddy confluence that gave the city its name. The tour ends at the KL Tower, where the enclosed deck at 276 metres gives a clear line across to the Petronas Towers. The afternoon is free.

North first to Batu Caves for a short stop at the foot of the golden Murugan and the painted stairway; there is time for photographs but not for the full climb. Then about an hour into the hills to the cable-car station, where the ride carries you over unbroken rainforest to Genting at around 1,800 metres, noticeably cooler than the city. Up top are casinos, malls and an indoor theme park, all ticketed separately, plus the Chin Swee temple on the slope below. The return is by cable car and road, back by early evening.

Unplanned by design. Families often spend it at Sunway Lagoon, a large water and theme park about forty minutes from the centre, which we can book in advance. Others go shopping in Bukit Bintang, browse the batik and crafts of Central Market, or take the lift up to the Petronas skybridge, which closes on Mondays and sells timed tickets that go early. The Islamic Arts Museum near the Lake Gardens is one of the finest in Asia and very quiet on weekdays.

Breakfast and, if the flight allows, a last walk to a nearby mamak stall for roti canai and pulled tea. Then the private transfer to KLIA, allowing an hour for the drive and a margin for the afternoon traffic that builds on the expressway. Hotel checkout is usually at noon, and luggage can be held for later flights.