Apologies for the delay in getting this post out there: we have been away plus a poorly child hasn’t helped.

Anyway, over the half-term break we spent 3 nights in KL, at the Sheraton (because we like their buffet breakfasts and they have a pool!). Flying from Senai was an eye opener. Be warned: there are places to eat prior to departures but, no matter what the nice lady at the desk tells you, once you enter the departure lounges you have a choice between a wrap / sandwich bar (closed at lunchtime) or a noodle bar with what is probably the worst airport food you will ever encounter. Use the normal parking and, like us, you will pay RM100 for 4 days.

It is indeed barely worth flying to KL from JB. You waste so much time at the airport, and the transfer from KL airport to the city is about 1 1/2 hours, so you may as well drive the 4 1/2 journey and have a car at the other end. The flight lasts about 45 minutes and you only have about 15 minutes to undo your seatbelt before the descent begins. KL airport has a separate terminal for low-cost carriers: plenty of places to eat when you arrive; nothing much beyond a poorly signed departures lounge.

Frankly I was not that impressed with KL. The Sheraton was, as ever, excellent but I am not a city person and found the slightly tatty high-rises and appalling traffic a headache. The underground and monorail are easy to navigate and cheap, however, and I would recommend a visit to the Central Market. There, in a/c surroundings, you will find a bewildering array of Malaysian arts and crafts, interspersed with pearls from Borneo, good luck figurines from Japan, beautiful Persian (!) works and run-of-the-mill Indian junk. It’s good fun, cheap and you can’t help but come away with plenty of gifts for the folks back home. Definitely recommended. There are toilets, places to eat and that’s just on the ground floor. We never did manage to go upstairs: it seemed to be mostly textiles and clothes. The Chinese quarter is shoulder-to-shoulder fake Louis Vuitton, Chanel, Rolex etc. and an amusing way to pass a half hour, I suppose. If you’ve already done this sort of thing, I would avoid it like the plague.

KL has plenty of mosques, but beware the need for men to wear long trousers and for women to cover just about every part of the body except the face. In that heat, to be honest, I can live without it. The banyan trees dating back to colonial times line the main square and the former cricket field with ye olde worlde houses are pretty, but read the guidebooks for more details: I’m afraid I just wanted to dive in the pool by that time.

Shopaholics will enjoy the Pavilion shopping mall – every luxury brand under one roof, with Debenhams next door. Seriously, if you are trying to find bikinis and swimming costumes for Western girls aged 8+, you will need Debenhams, as Malaysian women are TINY and the swimming costumes which fit Western girls all have padded ‘bits’ which need to be removed to avoid them looking like mini Lolitas. This is true for one pieces and bikinis. There is also M&S, but we were too tired by that stage. The humidity is manageable but exhausting.

I have to be honest and say that my husband appreciated KL much more than I: he is a city person and I can see that the Petronas Towers, the shops and the buzz would appeal to someone like him. I felt claustrophobic and was glad to be back in the quiet and green surroundings of Seri Alam. (NB At RM80 for one adult to go up the Petronas Towers, bookable in advance, this is an expensive visit.)

Our KL stay was followed by our daughter coming down with an ear infection. We went to the local polyclinic (9am – 10pm) and were seen within 5 minutes, despite me not having realised we needed to take her passport. RM37 (£7.50) paid for the consultation, antibiotics and pain killers. The lady doctor was thorough, spoke excellent English and will refer us to the local hospital if things do not improve. Totally happy with the service provided, the consideration given to a slightly apprehensive child, the help in filling in forms and the kindness.  In the waiting room, I saw an advert for the cost of giving birth: normal delivery RM1,990 (£500); Caesarean RM4,850 (£980). Interesting to compare these costs to the UK!

We are enjoying a four day break for Deepavali now (aka Diwali), and the fireworks every evening are quite something. Sadly the crowded roads and hugely rammed shopping malls do not encourage us to venture much beyond the swimming pool….. SUCH a shame!