KUALA LUMPUR -- area code (60-3)

KL is a modest little city on steroids, with muscular architectural monuments and traffic jams that feel out of proportion to its winding, tree lined streets and village-like neighborhoods. Colorful and chaotic, it retains a vitality that neighboring Singapore nearly polished away in its own efforts to become Asia's Tomorrowland. But it's KL that feels like a themepark in progress. Here, you may ramble through a traditional Malay kampong in the shadow of the show-stopping twin towers; or ride the cute monorail that offers first-time visitors vistas of both construction sites and destruction sites. Half of Chinatown has been turned into a uglified pedestrian mall that feels like anywhere but Chinatown, while old and crumbling heritage shophouses nearby that were (thankfully) overlooked by civic planners still house traditional businesses that ooze with charm of days gone by. Modern, yet hand-me-down; confident, yet uptight; Asian tiger, yet conservatively colonial; butch, yet nelly: KL is the fascinating love child of visionary nation-maker Dr. Mahathir and his Mr. Hyde ego.

Gay life in the capitol is widespread and surprisingly sophisticated, but still largely underground due to lingering antique British colonial law and Islamic disapproval. Mainstream businesses now openly cultivate gay and lesbian customers who loyally dispense pink ringgit at the growing number of mixed venues that welcome them. Gay or lesbian nights at straight clubs are common. And, of course, the Internet is the medium of choice for the discreet and closeted.

The population of Kuala Lumpur is about 1.5 million people (that's 60,000 Utopians just in the city proper). The Klang Valley, incorporating KL, Petaling Jaya, Subang Jaya, Putrajaya and Cyberjaya has a combined population of over 4 million (for a grand total of more than 160,000. Utopians).

BUKIT BINTANG / CITY CENTER

Bukit Bintang is jammed with bustling shopping centers, restaurants and many of KL's popular hotels which are right in the center of the action. The neighborhood is easy to navigate using our Utopia map:

Click here for Kuala Lumpur hotels and accommodations.

BUKIT BINTANG / KL CITY CENTER

• Olé Café
  48 Changkat Bukit Bintang (see map), 2148-9007. Women-friendly venue with indoor and patio seating. Serving Gourmet coffee, tea, drinks and homemade cakes and pastries. Wi-fi.

  OTHER AREAS

  Enigma 23-1 Plaza Danau 2, Jln 4/109F, Taman Danau Desa, 7987-9211, email. A bit difficult to find the first time, so call for directions. Club is accessed by a stairway and entry door on first landing is unmarked. This lesbian-owned club is the only pub in town that caters purely for ladies. It's a safe and friendly high-style atmosphere, with bar, pool table, and private lounge nooks for intimate conversations. Pub opens from 6pm to 2am, Sun-Thu. Women may bring their male guests only on Mon to Wed. Wed is unplugged performance night and Sun is bring-your-own disc karaoke jam. Utopia Member Discount

Comments from Utopians:

"Last week I went to KLCC and I was surprised that Kinokuniya had some LGBT literature on their shelves under 'gender studies'. Hail Kinokuniya-KLCC, I really never thought it could happen here. Guess Malaysia is more open now." -- riverrobles, Oct 22, 2005

CENTRAL MARKET / CHINATOWN / PUDURAYA

• Liquid / theDISCO
  Mezzanine, 2.04 Central Market Annex, Jln Hang Kasturi (behind the Central Market next to the Odeon Cinema), 2026-5041, email. Satin lighting and groovy music in a calm, posh setting. theDISCO resembles a colorful playground with large color-coordinated cubes on the dance floor. The music: spinning different strains of house, veering towards handbag territory. Terrace and 2/F floor disco. Crowd is a mix of trendy Chinese, expats, and foreigners. Popular now with lesbians.

BUKIT BINTANG / KL CITY CENTER

Baan26 (Thai and Peranakan) 26 Cangkat Bukit Bintang (see map, opp Frangipani), 2142-8878, email. A cozy, contemporary and casual eatery featuring home cooked Thai cuisine with local Nyonya Baba delights thrown in for good measure. Dine on Thai classic curries, seafood, noodles, soups and salads. Quench your thirst with a variety of authentic local libations including fresh tropical juices and shakes. Save room for their extensive Southeast Asian desserts including cendol, sago lolo and mango with sticky rice! The perfect place for a pre-Frangipani dinner or to chill out with that someone special.

• Palate Palette Restaurant & Bar (international)
  21 Jln Mesui (see map, off Jln Nagasari), 2142-2148, 012-226-1237, FAX 2143-2148, email. This funky and colorful two-storey restaurant and bar is secretly tucked away between Changkat Bukit Bintang and Jln Raja Chulan. The inventive menu is packed with playful delights like "chicken lollipops" and "deconstructed carrot cake." Dine, drink or snooze (their garden patio was voted one of KL's best places to take a nap!) surrounded by quirky furniture and artful murals. Gay and lesbian-friendly. Closed Mon. Utopia Member Discount

  CHERAS

• BJBS Café
  G/F 115 Jl 3/93, Taman Miharja Cheras. This cafe is a meeting and cruising point for local PLUs. Nice, friendly environment.
• PLU Café (Asian cuisine with local flavors)
  68-0-4, Block H, Cheras Business Centre, Jln 5/101C (off Jln Kaskas), Jln Cheras, 9133-4566, email. Nearest taxi landmark is the Hotel Caliber. Facing the hotel, PLU Café is to the right in the same block, a few shops past One Pandan Leaf House. Gay-owned, staffed and G&L patronized restaurant. Funky modern design. Lots of fun food and drinks (try the specialty PLU Ocean fruit smoothie). Patrons are mostly young groups of friends, and nearly half the customers are GLBT.

  OTHER AREAS

• Rahsia Bistro & Wine Bar
  (Penang-Nyonya and international)
  13 Jln Damai, (off Jln Aman/Tun Razak, near Crown Princess Hotel/Empire Tower), 2142-5555, 2142-0059, email. Rahsia feels like a well-kept secret (the name means "secret" in Malay). This gorgeous hideaway is housed in a converted garden bungalow surrounded by nature, yet with a twinkling backdrop of city lights rising into the sky beyond. The ambience is invigoratingly peaceful, yet stylish: ethnic charm meets cosmopolitan chic. The menu offers an eclectic mix of contemporary Asian and nouveau international cuisine, plus fine wines to enjoy in their private, but friendly, atmosphere. Music is an eclectic blend of jazz, gamelan and a bit of Bowie thrown in for good measure. Closed Sun. Utopia Member Discount

LANGKAWI ISLAND, KEDAH -- area code (60-4)

Langkawi is part of a group of one hundred islands, a little bit of paradise that is waiting to be discovered. The population is about 60,000 (that's about 2,500 Utopians). As one local Utopian reports, "Although it is very hard to locate us here at Langkawi, we are the PLU of Langkawi and we are very careful due to we are on an island and our parents and friends is here...so pandai pandai, lah."

• Enigma (mixed)
  Aseana Hotel
• Ground Zero (mixed)
  Awana Porto Malai
  .

• Pantai Cenang
  A famous beach here, all types walk along the beach, including lesbians, especially after midnight. 10 minute walk from the Coco Jam Club.

MELAKA / MALACCA -- area code (60-6)

Melaka is one of Malaysia's national treasures, though it hardly looks as though the government cares much to preserve this historic and colorful heritage gem. Just two hours drive from Kuala Lumpur, gay tourists who love food, culture, history and shopping should add this city to their itineraries.

Birthplace of Maylaya, home to immigrants from India and China, origin of Peranakan culture, coveted trading post of Muslim traders, the Portuguese, the Dutch and British; this old port city is a living museum of all of these influences. From the Dutch Stadhaus civic center, now a museum; to the jam-packed streets of Nyonya and Baba shophouses; to the Hindu temple, mosque and Chinese temple that co-exist right next to each other -- Malaka is tropical, enchanting, and resilient.

The population of Melaka is over 600,000 (that's 24,000 Utopians).

Melaka's Old Town heritage neighborhood is easy to navigate using our Utopia map:

Click here for Melaka hotels and accommodations.

• Libra (mixed)
  15 Jln Hang Lekir, 281-8819, 281-8820. Restaurant and cocktail lounge especially popular with women. Tomboy staff and lesbian-friendly management.
• Pure Bar (mixed)
  591-A Taman Melaka Raya. This former gay-friendly gusethouse has morphed into Melaka's funkiest nightclub! Still warmly welcoming local and visiting gays and lesbians.

PENANG -- area code (60-4)

Penang Island, with its heritage treasure trove of George Town, the gold sand beaches of Batu Ferringhi, and the nearby town of Butterworth on the mainland, has everything that gay and lesbian travelers love: exquisite food including Nyonya Baba indigenous fusion cuisine; architectural treasures including the stupendous colonial mansions of Asia's formerly rich and famous tycoons; sun and fun on tropical beaches; shady hikes through botanical spice gardens and jungle forests; multi-ethnic neighborhoods that are safe and welcoming places to explore on foot, bike, or pedi-cab; fascinating shrines, temples and mosques built over generations by the port's prosperous merchants and fortune-seekers from as far away as Arabia and Armenia; shops, malls and museums filled with beautiful bargains; and more than a bit of gay scene and nightlife for holiday fun and frolic.

All this, yet Penang is so quiet, so cheap, so uncrowded, so easy to access, so friendly, and so rich in cultural treasures that you'll wonder why its not on every tourist's map of must-see cities in Asia.

The population of Penang is 1.2 million (that's about 50,000 Utopians).

Click here for Penang hotels and accommodations.

• Bagan Lounge (mixed)
  Bagan, 18 Jln Bagan Jermal, 226-4977. The lounge at the Bagan dining and entertainment complex is Penang's closest brush with fabulousness yet, thanks to the owner of Thirty Two (see listing below under restaurants). Live jazzpop band featuring genuinely soulful Malay diva, Roz. One wall is a gigantic framed mirror, with classical European portraits hung Haunted Mansion style, chic Thai silkworm cocoon lamp bobbing in the breeze of the ceiling fan, overstuffed lounge chairs, and an op-art grill of fairy lights hung under the conservatory canopy. The crowd is trendy 30-somethings and arrive after 10pm when the band kicks in. Adjacent restaurant, bar, and pool room.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "For some breathing room & fairly good music (dependent on the DJ spinning, of course) do check out Chill Out in Gurney Resort Hotel, Persiaran Gurney, Georgetown (right next to Coffee Bean). I liked it coz it gives me options as my gf is into R&B & i'm into dance music, here we can have both, tho the R&B room is way too crowded on Fri & Thu nites (which is ladies nite)! entrance is at M$30, u get a couple of drinks with admission. Lots & lots of chinese and straights, too." -- CrackerJill, Oct 19, 2004

• Café (mixed)
  2/F Gurney Hotel (not Gurney Plaza). Entrance is at the back of the hotel, just beside Starbucks. On Sat night after 11pm, the dance floor is packed with gorgeous men from 18 to 45+ years old.

  Comments from Utopians:

  "Went to Café on a Sat so there was a queue, entry was R$20.00. Music was mixed, dance anthems, 80's pop, Madonna and disco. There were go-go girls gyrating, doing their stuff on the bar, yet literally half of the place is gay. It's also the first time I got to see lots of lesbians in one bar." -- riverrobles, Oct 13, 2005

Comments from Utopians:

"A good spot for people watching is Lush, located at Farquhar St, diagonally opposite of the famous E&O hotel. Lots of babes. Worth checking out." -- crackerjill, Jun 17, 2005

Without debate, Penang is one of Asia's culinary treasure troves. Chinese, Muslim, Indian, Malay, European, Thai, Indonesian, Burmese, Japanese, Armenian, and Filipino immigrants have all pitched their recipes and ingredients into Penang's melting pot. Nyonya Baba (the Straits Chinese) fused some of the city's earliest flavors into their own unique style that spread up and down peninsular Asia from Phuket to Singapore. Corner coffee shops are still a haven for community life and an oasis of fresh plate meals, local libations and a rainbow of sweets. Street hawkers spread the wealth to hungry passersby. Below please find a sampling from the huge variety of sit-down eateries available, but be sure to graze your way across the city during your daytime explorations!
• Bagan (see under Bars)

  Comments from Utopians:

  "For a romantic, gay-friendly dining experience, go to Bagan. Great music, great people, and fabulous, fabulous food. Price? Worth it (corkage for wine is too much, though). Service: excellent." -- crackerjill, Aug 6, 2006

• Pintail (international)
  84 Penang Rd, 264-2694. Opposite the Oriental Hotel (NOT the classic old Eastern and Oriental Hotel), just down from the Odeon cinema. A short walk from many hotels. A favorite hang-out for local and visiting PLUs. Good and reasonably priced food, both from the region and international favorites. Lots of fresh juice combos. Friendly, helpful staff. Closed Mon.

TAWAU (Sabah)

The population of Tawau is about a quarter million (that's 10,000 Utopians).

• Code1069
  Fajar complex. Friendly staff in this local bar that welcomes gays and lesbians and flies the rainbow colors.