The bright side

Let’s start on a positive note, because we all know 20-something hours to Europe does not reek of positivity. But happily Singapore Airlines does a pretty good job of easing the tedium. For starters there’s the extra room in the seats. Instead of a 3-4-3 configuration, as on other 777-300’s and 777-200′s, SQ has sacrificed a seat and gone for 3-3-3. This means a bit more room for your butt and a wider aisle for passing strangers in the night.Harking back to the flying days of yore when there was a bit more glamour associated to travelling around the world, all economy passengers on SQ get a hot towel to clean their hands, faces or whatever (!) before take off, and a menu with dinner/supper/lunch/breakfast choices. They also serve a Singapore Sling, the iconic cocktail of this rock in Asia, for free. We also got a little Givenchy toilet bag (alas with no Givenchy product) filled with a pair of socks and a toothbrush and paste. I now have 4 of them.

Tips for a bit of shut eye

I always take a sleeping tablet if the flight is a night one and I want to be able to stay up the next day. (I also take one the next night in the new city to quickly shift me into that time zone). Check with your doctor, but I prefer Temazapan which is only available on prescription and doesn’t leave a metallic taste and you also don’t wake up drowsy. A glass or two of red wine is also quite helpful, but don’t tell your doctor I said that!

On Singapore Airlines you can select your seat (and check in) on the internet. My suggestion is to go for somewhere down the back as they tend to be the last to fill up. This paid off on the 10.5 hour flight between Singapore and Istanbul when I had a whole row of 3 seats to myself.

Entertainment on board

In your seat pocket you’ll find magazines galore, including a Duty Free mag – yes they still wheel a trolly through selling goods – plus the airline magazine called SilverKris, and the entertainment guide – KrisWorld. Browse through this tome and you’ll see 860 choices of movies, TV shows, radio, audio books and games.

WiFi onboard

One of the first international airlines to install WiFi on long haul flights, you can pay US$29.95 for 26MB of data or $11.95 for 10MB. This means hundreds of Tweets or emails, but not so much web browsing. It also comes with a disclaimer that it is only available over those countries who permit such activity.

If it’s cheap shoes, quality golf gear, gadgets galore, designer clothes or even a pair of Kate Spade spectacles you’re after, my advice is head to KL.

Did you know Kuala Lumpur translates as Muddy City? Its name comes from the muddy river that ran through it back in the olden days. But these days it’s one of my favourite cities in Asia. It’s a brilliant shopping destination as about 6 malls are positioned within a dumpling’s throw of each other, plus many more within a cab ride.

You can get everything from quality luggage (I just bought a hard wheelie bag with 4 wheels that swivel in a natty way) and shoes (to die for), to knock-off designer wear at night markets, to expensive labels in 7-story shopping malls. You can get prescription glasses done while you wait, or spend a day browsing the whole floor of a shopping mall dedicated to golf gear.

Sungei Wang Plaza is six floors crammed with more than 500 stores selling shoes and chic clothing, jewellery and an entire floor of gadgets from phones to games and everything in between. Attached to this is BB Plaza – you can only tell you’re in a different complex when the lino on the floor changes. This is full of kitschy clothes and toys, and is also where my favourite hole-in-the-wall beauty salon is found.

The Pavilion is 7 floors of all your mega stores (European and American brands) as well as little gems like Paris Hilton’s handbag store and the bizarre

The Pavilion is 7 floors of all your mega stores (European and American brands) as well as little gems like Paris Hilton’s handbag store and the bizarre Kenko Fish Foot spa for those who want fish nibbling at their feet in between shopping and dining.

KL Plaza is the place to go to have your eyes tested by a specialist and the lenses made and fitted to genuine Prada, Gucci, Stella McCartney, etc, frames in about an hour, and all for about NZ$80.

Plaza Low Yat is geek heaven – an IT mall with at least 400 outlets selling widgets and thingamabobs. You’ll also find quality golf gear in department store Isetan over at Lot 10, and plenty of places in between to eat satays on the run or dine in for a full Malay meal.

Times Square – just around the corner from Sungei Wang – is so huge it has an indoor theme park complete with roller coaster. It also has the largest Borders bookshop in the world and so many other stores it’s almost overwhelming.

Under the Petronas Towers, the fourth tallest buildings in the world, is Suria KLCC – a designer mall caters to label hunters including Zara, Top Shop and lovers of expensive European designers.

But the best fun is trying out your haggling skills at the Petaling Street night market. Stalls open about mid-day and that’s a good time to go to avoid the throng, but from 5pm ‘til midnight it’s buzzing and stocked with handbags, watches, Tiffany (et al) knock-offs, shoes, belts and ties. A lot of the vendors are selling the same things, so compare prices first and then start by offering about half of what you’re quoted. And when you’re done shopping it might be time to do something about those lashes.

for those who want fish nibbling at their feet in between shopping and dining.

KL Plaza is the place to go to have your eyes tested by a specialist and the lenses made and fitted to genuine Prada, Gucci, Stella McCartney, etc, frames in about an hour, and all for about NZ$80.

Plaza Low Yat is geek heaven – an IT mall with at least 400 outlets selling widgets and thingamabobs. You’ll also find quality golf gear in department store Isetan over at Lot 10,

and plenty of places in between to eat satays on the run or dine in for a full Malay meal.

Times Square – just around the corner from Sungei Wang – is so huge it has an indoor theme park complete with roller coaster. It also has the largest Borders bookshop in the world and so many other stores it’s almost overwhelming.

Under the Petronas Towers, the fourth tallest buildings in the world, is Suria KLCC – a designer mall caters to label hunters including Zara, Top Shop and lovers of expensive European designers.

But the best fun is trying out your haggling skills at the Petaling Street night market. Stalls open about mid-day and that’s a good time to go to avoid the throng, but from 5pm ‘til midnight it’s buzzing and stocked with handbags, watches, Tiffany (et al) knock-offs, shoes, belts and ties. A lot of the vendors are selling the same things, so compare prices first and then start by offering about half of what you’re quoted. And when you’re done shopping it might be time to do something about those lashes.