Kuala Lumpur might have plenty of appeal on a first visit, when the Grand Prix is on or during the sales, but return visitors may struggle to find enough to fill their time. Fear not. If you have some days to spare then, KL also makes a great base to enjoy some eclectic day trips, each offering a very different vibe.

City of Lights

i-City is a large property development project in Selangor which aims to be Malaysia’s version of Silicon Valley. But we don’t really care about what they get up to in the daytime. We love i-City at night, when its large grounds are lit up with millions of different colored LED lights. It actually opened last year but very few Thai tourists have found their way to the destination yet. We say what could be more romantic than holding your lover’s hand while walking underneath an array of LED-lit trees? There’s a fake snow dome nearby as well if lights don’t flick your switch. Just one word of warning: don’t go before sunset unless you like hanging out in a deserted space filled with fake trees.
i-City Shah Alam, Selangor, +603-5521-8800. www.i-city.my

Hidden Treasure

Another lesser-known destination is Astaka Morocco or the Moroccan Pavilion. You might have been to Putrajaya before but you probably don’t know that, in the middle of Putrajaya Botanical Garden, there’s a vast, 18,000-sq-meter authentic Moroccan pavilion made entirely of marble. Built as a symbol of the good diplomatic ties between Malaysia and Morocco, the project cost around US$330 million as most of the decorative details were actually carved and created in Morocco before they, and a number of the craftsmen, were flown over to Putrajaya to complete the final touches.
Taman Botani, Putrajaya, +603-8888-9090. Entry is US$2 for the park, then it’s an additional US$1 to get into the Moroccan pavilion. www.ppj.gov.my

Make a Splash

If you’re done with sightseeing and shopping and simply want to cool off—or more importantly, if your kids do—then your best bet is to head to Pateling Jaya to splash about at Sunway Lagoon. The 80-acre water park, which is handily adjacent to a large shopping mall, is a slightly newer Malay version of Siam Park. Pay your money and get a rubber wristband which acts like a debit card for any spending inside the fun park which consists of an amusement park, a mini zoo and the water park with its faux beaches, death-defying slides and world’s largest beach, complete with a man-made 75 feet high volcano as a background.
Sunway Lagoon. 3, Jalan PJS 11/11, Bandar Sunway, Selangor, +603-5639 0000. Rates: US$27 for limited zones and US$33 for all areas. www.sunwaylagoon.com

Blinking Night

Even if you’ve been to see the fireflies at Ampawa a hundred times, trust us, it’s got nothing on Kampung Kuantan, a small village in Kuala Selangor. Here, locals will put you into a small row boat that fits only 3-4 people, then row you to see the fireflies along the dark, quiet river. You’ll be amazed by the millions of blinking lights that seem to hang from every bush and tree like Christmas decorations. And because things stay hot and sticky here all year round, any time is good to go and spot the little glowing bugs.
Kampung Kuantan, Kuala Selangor, +603-3289-1439, +603-3289-7046. Rates around US$13 for a 20-min boat trip of four people.

F1 Petronas Malaysia Grand Prix

The F1 race is taking place at Sepang International Circuit on Apr 8-10. A three-day Grandstand ticket is US$164-US$522 while a three-day Hillstand ticket is US$20-US$85. At the end of the race on Apr 10 there will be a concert by Korean superstar, Rain, which is free for Grandstand ticket holders but Hillstand ticket holders will need to pinch in an additional US$45 to watch the show. More info at www.malaysiangp.com.my.