Where's Johnny Jet: Savin' at the Ritz in Kuala Lumpur

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Selamat from Malaysia! Last week we flew from Stockholm to Kuala Lumpur in a smooth 10 hours and 47 minutes on Malaysia Airlines. This is my first time in Malaysia. If you're interested in learning about this fascinating country, hop aboard -- we're about to take the KLIA express train from the airport into the capital city of Kuala Lumpur.

Fear of Malaysia

As I admitted last week, I was a bit nervous coming here. For starters, some of my Fox News Channel-loving friends put the fear of God in me when they said I was crazy to travel here. They made me think I would be killed in an anti-American rally, or framed -- then hung -- for smuggling drugs. This was on top of all my others concerns: How would my asthma hold up in the pollution? Were there huge poisonous snakes? And would I contract malaria or other diseases because I did not take the vaccinations my doctor recommended? (Huge sigh.) Obviously, the media plays a huge role in these perceptions, although frankly, I did not see any Malaysia commercials or magazine advertising until recently. I understand that in the past Malaysia has not been the most welcoming country. But that's no longer true -- and as you will see over the next few weeks (with lots of pictures and videos), Malaysia is a fantastic & safe country to visit.

About Malaysia

Malaysia is located in Southeast Asia (here's a map). It is comprised of two parts. West (or peninsula) Malaysia is situated between Thailand and Singapore. The South China Sea is on one side, with the Strait of Malacca on the other. East Malaysia lies across the South China Sea on the island of Borneo, which it shares with Indonesia and Brunei. Because of Malaysia's prime geographical location -- between China and the Middle East -- from the 10th century on it has been an important trading port. Some of the most popular exports over the years have been natural rubber, tin, palm oil, cocoa, pepper, pineapple, tobacco, porcelain, and -- most recently --semiconductors.

Brief History of Malaysia

I will just touch upon the history of Malaysia; otherwise this newsletter would go on forever (for a detailed description click here). Because of Malaysia's location and natural resources, it has been envied by many nations. In 1511 the port of Malacca (on the west coast of the Malay Peninsula) was conquered by Portugal; in 1641 the Dutch took over. In 1786 Britain established its first colony in Malaysia before taking complete power in 1919. During World War II the Japanese were in control, but when the war ended in 1945 the British got it back. A decade later, after a series of Malay uprisings, Malaysia regained its independence. On August 31, 1957 it became an independent country.

Make Up of Malayasia

When the British had control they brought in Chinese and Indian workers to tend the plantations and mines. Although most later returned to their countries, some remained and settled permanently. Today Malaysia is a multiethnic, multicultural and multilingual society. The official language is Bahasa Melayu, but everyone speaks English. Chinese (Cantonese, Mandarin, Hokkien, Hakka, Hainan, Foochow), Tamil, Telugu, Malayalam, Panjabi and Thai are other commonly spoken languages. Malaysia's population of 24.3 million is comprised of 50% Malay, 24% Chinese, 11% indigenous and 7% Indian, with the remaining 8% from a variety of ethnic groups. Under Malaysian law, one must be Muslim to legally be considered Malay, but only 60% of the country practices Islam. (My ignorant friends had me thinking it would be 99.9% -- though I guess I'm the ignorant one for listening to them, and not doing my own research). The majority of the other 40% of the population practices Buddhism (20%), Christianity (9%) and Hindu (6%). I had no idea the country is so diverse, so I was surprised when I drove by Christian churches. A taxi driver told me that he loves living here because everyone gets along, there's no serious crime (just purse snatchers), and because of the diverse population Malaysia might have the most public holidays of any country.

Visit Malaysia Year 2007

Next year will be Malaysia's coming-out party. That's because next year marks Malaysia's 50th year of independence from Britain, and the government is spending tons of money on a "Visit Malaysia Year 2007" campaign. They hope to attract over 20 million foreign visitors. Kuala Lumpur's mayor, Ruslin Hassan, has announced efforts to clean up the streets and public toilets. They're adding more security, repainting old structures, adding flowers, trees and sculptures, and building six tourist information kiosks around the capital city. Who says Malaysia doesn't welcome foreigners?

Airport to City

Now that I have established what a safe and harmonious country Malaysia is, it's time to explore! Kuala Lumpur has one of the best rated airports in the world (travel magazines often name it on their Top 10 lists). When my plane landed early, at 5:45 a.m., I was the first person off the plane, the first to clear customs -- and the last to get his bag. Arrrgh! Don't you hate that -- especially when everything was going so smoothly? It's okay though, because I wasn't in a hurry -- and I was in Malaysia! While I waited at baggage claim I walked over to the ATM to withdraw some Malaysia ringgits ($1 USD = 3.63 MYR).

VIP Service

I had already arranged to try out the airport's new VIP Service for 100 MYR ($27) [30 MYR ($8) for an additional passenger]. That meant the moment I cleared customs (which took about a minute) there was a porter with a name card waiting for me. This quiet, friendly & young guy walked me over to the VIP counter, where I was handed a train ticket and car transfer. Regular porter service at the airport is free, but the VIP Service not only waits for your bag to come out (mine took an hour); the porter also rode the 28-minute train with me to the city. He sat a couple of rows behind me, then escorted me and my bags to my driver. How's that that for service? FYI: This high-speed KLIA train is the fastest way into the city. Regular one-way tickets cost 35MYR ($10); trains depart every 15 minutes. Driving would take at least 45 minutes. Click the respective links for more info on VIP Service or KLIA Express Info.

Cell Service

Most of Asia has excellent cell phone service, so while I was on the comfortable train I made phone calls to let my dad and family know I made it (they were worried too). It was 7 a.m. local time, which meant 7 p.m. the previous day on the East Coast. If you want to learn how I save money with my international cell phone service (I get free incoming calls, and pay just a third of the U.S. cell price for outgoing calls), click here.

Drive to Hotel

My driver was very nice and excited to show me his city. He pointed out all the landmarks on the 15-minute ride to the hotel. If you don't want to spend the few extra dollars for a private car service, taxis are easy to come by -- and ridiculously inexpensive. A taxi from the Sentral (not a typo) Station to the city would have cost me just a few dollars. Make sure the driver uses the meter so he doesn't overcharge you -- but if he does, don't worry. It's still way cheaper than what you pay in the U.S..

Ritz-Carlton Hotel

No place in the world has better service than Asia -- and the Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur proved that the moment I pulled up. I was in awe when I saw four people do what most of the time not one person does in other hotels. One person opened my door, another welcomed me, the third went directly to the trunk for my bags, and the fourth held the front door of the hotel open for me. It didn't end there either. I started to walk to the front desk, but my chaperone said, "It's okay, Mr. DiScala" (my real name). "We do the check-in in the room." I was quickly whisked up a fast elevator to the 11th floor (out of 20), where I was shown around my plush room (one of the hotel's 248). All rooms have floor-to-ceiling windows, beautiful furnishings, a marble bathroom, free high-speed internet (not wireless), a flat screen TV (with satellite, so I could catch the sport scores on ESPN), a DVD player, and -- most importantly -- a comfortable bed. Most impressive of all was what I noticed just before I went to sleep: One of the pillowcases had my initials in blue stitching. Talk about personalized service -- and they do this for every guest. Is that unreal?!

Ritz's Butler Service

The service at this luxury boutique hotel did not stop there. As my chaperone promised, my "butler" arrived a few minutes later -- with a glass of fresh juice and a cold towel. She took my credit card information, and asked if there was anything she could do (like get a shirt pressed, shoes shined, make dinner reservations…). The Ritz-Carlton offers Malaysia's first all-butler service, and it doesn't cost anything extra. That's not even the best part. Take a guess how much rooms cost a night. $450? That was my guess -- but WRONG! Rooms at the Ritz begin at $104 a night. Is that crazy? That's another reason why I love Asia: Everything is so much cheaper. Now take a guess how much a stamp costs for a postcard to the U.S.? Try .50 MYR (13 cents). It's unbelievable, isn't it?

Ritz-Carlton Residences

I know what you're thinking: At those prices, why not live there? Well, the Ritz-Carlton has an answer to that too. Next door is a 33-story building, with 110 luxury service apartments available for short and/or long term rentals (mostly business travelers). They are designed the same as the hotel rooms, except they come with 2 or 3 bedrooms and are equipped with flat screen TV's, walk-in closets, maid service and a kitchen. The Ritz -- Carlton Hotel, 168 Jalan Imbi, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; tel.: 011-60-3-2142-8000.

Food at the Ritz

When I was done emailing all my friends about how affordable this place is, I went down to the dining room for breakfast (it too is included in the daily rate). After some green guava juice, and beef rendang and eggs (there was also a full American breakfast buffet that would put any U.S. hotel to shame), I was off to the gym. It's open 24 hours, near the pool and spa (more on the spa in a moment). Later that evening I met up with the group I would be touring Malaysia with. We had dinner together at the Li Yen ("Beautiful Garden") in the Ritz's fine-dining Chinese restaurant. The restaurant is known for its Cantonese specialties, including dim sum and Peking duck. Who knew that fried duck skin would taste so good?

The Spa Village

Although the Ritz-Carlton is located in the heart of the city's business and commercial district along the trendy "Bintang Walk" -- a street lined with upscale shops, residences, malls, cafes and pubs -- I did not explore it. I was too busy enjoying the services from the hotel. Can you blame me? None was greater was my trip to the Spa Village, located on the ground floor of the Residences building. The 12,000-square foot spa has 8 indoor/outdoor treatment rooms. Guests are greeted with cold towels, ice water, and hot tea. I set up an array of their specialties. My first appointment was a visit to their new "Sensory Room." This is supposed to provide "a backdrop for the healing vibrations in the sensory experience." I have no idea what that means, but I did this hour-long unique experience with my group just a few hours after landing. I know: That's not the best time to do something like this. Ideally to combat jet lag, one should be in bright sun -- not a dark, relaxing room with twinkling lights listening to a soft-spoken Malay woman trying to resurrect my sensory (I didn't know I lost it). The first 20 minutes was spent sampling different spices/herbs to get my sense of taste in order. All I remember is that two of the foods were a pinch of salt (for bitter) and a honey cube (for sweet). The last thing I recall is an army of masseuses with incredibly soothing hands giving each of us a head massage. I woke up hearing my group laughing hysterically, because I was snoring like a bear. Sensory Exploration Group Session: per person 150 MYR ($41), private session 225 MYR ($62).

Paper Underwear

It did not finish there. Next, I changed out of my clothes and into some paper underwear -- yes, that's right. The masseuse handed me what looked like an inch-thick mini-bar coaster, and asked me to put it on. I'm assuming Malays are very shy. I had never worn underwear for a massage before -- especially these underpants, shaped and baggy like for a granny with a waist too small for Michael Jackson, let alone a 36-size-waist oaf. But it didn't matter what I wore, because my masseuse had magical hands. During my first hour I got a traditional Malay massage, with long kneading strokes that focused on the muscles (cost: 225 MYR [$62]). Then I had some kind of hair treatment. It felt good, and I didn't lose any hair. The grand finale was a body scrub that felt so damn good. The hair treatment cost $26 and the hour-long body scrub costs the same as a massage: $62. When it was over I was off to the milk bath out back to soak and relax, while eating lunch and sipping Chinese tea. The finishing touch before the outdoor shower was roasting in the portable steam room for 10 minutes. When it was over, I felt like a new man. In fact, my colleagues said I glowed.

Video

Here's a 2-minute Johnny Jet Video of my stay at the Ritz-Carlton Kuala Lumpur (and my flight over). It's on YouTube so it only takes a few seconds to load (though the quality is not as crisp). We also have all the JohnnyJet Videos ever made on their servers as well.

Next Week

Next week we get out of the Ritz and explore the city, then head to the Malaysian coast!

Happy Travels,

Johnny Jet

Please tell us what you think of this week's newsletter!

John E. DiScala (aka Johnny Jet), is the founder of www.johnnyjet.com, the ultimate travel website and weekly newsletter. He logs over 150,000 miles a year, has been featured in over 850 articles (including Frommers.com, USA Today, Time, Fortune, the New York Times, CNBC and MSNBC), and has published the book, You Are Here Traveling With JohnnyJet.com.

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