Bukit Bintang: the malling experience

Packing as many malls as the area between EDSA Central and Robinsons Galleria but closer together, Bukit Bintang is the place to beat in KL when it comes to shopping.

Catchphrases: value buy, no trying, buy three free one

Berjaya Times Square
Huge, but there are reasons why it is not advisable to build a 10-level mall. Home to the biggest indoor theme park, Cosmo's World (above). Many cheap retailers.

Plaza Berjaya
Nothing exciting, I'm afraid.

Sungei Wang
Think old Virra Mall, except more claustro. A mix of cheap clothes and upcoming local designers, crafts and souvenirs when merged with BB Plaza.

Lot 10
Strikingly green outside but still too dark inside to be a premier shopping place. Go for Isetan.

KL Plaza
Tenants seem to be moving out. The only signs of life are in the tiangges in the mddle.

Starhill Gallery
Looks and feels like a hotel because it's connected to the Marriott. It's hard to tell where the lobby ends and the mall begins.

Pavilion
The place to see and be seen in. But for such a classy place, the restrooms are very dirty.

Among the shoppers, there were many women covered in black from head to toe with only their eyes showing. (Abaya, if you're going to be very particular about it.) I used to feel sorry for them (but of course I don't understand them), until I saw them shopping. Their purchasing power is the stuff of envy.