Going Local: Jimmy Choo

Luxury shoe designer Jimmy Choo

Tourism Malaysia

BEST FOR LUXURY GOODS
STARHILL GALLERY
Kuala Lumpur is full of excellent shopping malls but if I’m looking for high-end luxury goods like watches or couture fashion, I’ll go to the Starhill Gallery complex in the Bukit Bintang shopping district of the city, which has seven floors of designer names including Alexander McQueen, Dior, Louis Vuitton and Missoni. It’s also connected to the JW Marriot Hotel and the Residences at The Ritz Carlton, which is where I always stay when I’m in KL.
Jalan Bukit Bintang, 55100 Kuala Lumpur (tel: (603) 2782 3800; www.starhillgallery.com)

BEST FOR HIGH STREET FASHION
LOT 10
Lot 10, which is right next to the Bukit Bintang monorail station, is the best mall for high street shopping and has stores like Nike, Top Shop, Esprit, H&M and a three-storey Debenhams department store. There’s also a rooftop bar with a great view of the city and an excellent street food-style basement food village with dozens of small local vendors where you can pick up Malaysian dishes, Chinese dishes and Indian dishes. My personal favourite is the ‘steamboat’ soup.
50 Jalan Sultan Ismail, 50250 Kuala Lumpur (tel: (603) 2782 3566; www.lot10.com.my)

BEST FOR GAGDETS
PLAZA LOW YAT
I always carry a camera with me, especially in Kuala Lumpur, as there are so many beautiful things to see. so if I need any camera accessories, or computer stuff or phones – I’ve got an iPhone 4 and iPhone 5, a Samsumg phone and even one of those Vertu handsets that’s worth about £20,000, which I don’t really use – the best place is the Low Fat Plaza, again in the Bukit Bintang district. Anything technology related or digital will be in one of the 500 stores over seven floors. The place is a gadget-lover’s paradise.
7 Jalan Bintang, off Jalan Bukit Bintang, Bukit Bintang Central, 55100 Kuala Lumpur (tel: (603) 2148 3651; www.plazalowyat.com)

BEST MARKET
CHINATOWN
Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown is based around Petaling Street and it’s one of the first places I take visitors, as you can find anything and everything there like Chinese fireworks, cheap clothes and shoes, and there’s even a cheap fish and meat market too. Haggling is expected and there are so many souvenirs and trinkets to be found there as well as hawkers selling street food. It’s busy during the day time and the night market is even busier.
55 Jalan Petaling, 50000 Kuala Lumpur (tel: (603) 2693 6661)

BEST SHOPS FOR VIEWS & ENTERTAINMENT
SURIA KLCC MALL
If you want to combine shopping with sightseeing and entertainment, the best place to head is the Suria KLCC mall, which is directly underneath Malaysia’s tallest building, the 450m-high Petronas Twin Towers. It’s got six floors of stores – including a Marks & Spencer on the ground floor – a big food court, cafés, a concert hall, and if I want to go to see a picture or take tea in the afternoon with my wife, it’s where I’ll take her as there’s a 12-screen cinema. And of course after shopping you can take a lift to the top of the towers to see the whole city.
Jalan Ampang, 50088 Kuala Lumpur (tel: (603) 2382 2828; www.suriaklcc.com.my)

AND FINALLY... BEST FOR SHOES
There are high-end shoemakers for evening shoes and thousands of places to get cheap shoes or sandals, but for me? I prefer to make my own.

For more information, see the Malaysian Tourist Board at www.tourism.gov.my