Do you like Age of Empires? I do. So imagine my joy when I discovered Kuala Lumpur’s 24 hour gaming centres. Each PC had Age of Empires on – and some other games I didn’t want to play.

But this 24 hour way of living is something that extends to every area of the city, and every area of commerce. If you want it, you can get it in Kuala Lumpur.

Visually, too, the city is most impressive. You’ve probably seen the Petronas Towers with its two pagoda-influenced skyscrapers joined with a bridge. Underneath this amazing building (which at one point was the tallest in the world) is a huge shopping mall – bigger and more super-modern than any I’ve seen in Europe.

But it’s not just the modern parts of the city that intrigue visitors. The thriving markets, restaurants and shops that give Kuala Lumpur its unique atmopshere conspire to make the city a real favourite among travellers. Delicious Chinese and Malay food is available everywhere, along with plenty of western style foods to remind us of home.

From Kuala Lumpur you can get buses and trains north to Thailand or south to Johor Bahru. From Johor Bahru you can visit Singspore (another set of unending shopping malls). You can also get organised tours or standalone bus trips out into the jungle. Fantastic for all kinds exotic wildlife and a superb jungle atmosphere – if that’s what you’re after.

Obviously you can fly to many air transport hubs from here. But you can also get cheap flights to other parts of Malaysia. One of these destinations is Kuching on the island of Borneo, from where you can discover some truly amazing areas of untouched rainforest, and the odd looking Proboscus monkey.

In short, go to Kuala Lumpur at the next available opportunity.